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Who so believe that, until nobody else can get in that fellowship unless they are touched by God, that it's more than an organization. It's more than an operation of people. It is a gathering of people who have been touched by God.

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It is said that the account of the work of King Saul was that there followed after him a band of men whose hearts God had touched. was there was a sense in which he was surrounded by those who had engaged themselves in a divine encounter. Now I just want to to to get this whole matter

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of being chosen clear in our mind how how essential it is how essential it is for the whole mission that engages our interests, engages our concern. I've got to begin at that point and it isn't just a special group of officers here and a special group over there. It's every man if he comes into the fellowship of the

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believers of Jesus Christ ought to be touched by that divine presence and be knowledgeable of God's power working in and through his life and sisters as well. You see when God touches your life then you are aware and you are conscious of the fact that your mission is not just simply of your design but your mission

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has been designed by God and that what you are involved in is to satisfy his purpose and his possibility and you are dealing in matters that that are far greater than any talent that you bring to it, far greater than any strength you bring to it. You are part of the ongoing process of God's creative purpose in the

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world. You know have you ever thought about folk who started out for the promised land many of them never did make it but it didn't stop the journey They that their job was to get it started. Their job was to be a part of it but they didn't make it in but they participated in the process. They died

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along the way but they participated in the process. Some of them built the memorial that others came back to see later built the memorial just across the the River of Jordan Because the Lord told him said now when you get across

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Put up a monument here Because they're gonna grow up some children. They're not gonna know anything about this They're not gonna know what you able what I'm able to do. They're gonna grow up a generation They won't know a thing about this and I want you to put up a memorial

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So when they come by this way You'll be able to tell them what happened here at the River of Jordan that God open up the river and let us across on dry ground. Now our text tells us of two disciples of John who followed Jesus and Andrew Simon Peter's brother

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was one of the two who had heard John speaking about Jesus and found his brother Simon. Then Jesus went to Galilee and there he called Philip and Philip found Nathanael and introduced Nathanael to Jesus. Now when we look at this text and we're talking about the ongoing process of the way in which Jesus chooses

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men, the way in which he calls his disciples. It raises several issues that I would like just to examine here now that we have established in our mind that this divine human encounter is essential to the mission of the church and that when we get engaged in it and how we get engaged in it is significant to all of

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us and if we have not gotten engaged in it if it has not been a part of our experience that somehow we would like to be able to to examine ourselves and say where am I in this whole divine encounter have I simply become a part of an organization or am I moving with God's will in the process of his mission

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in the work of his church. Now there are three issues that I'd like to examine that seem to be raised by questions one of which Jesus raises himself when two of disciples were who followed John looked back and he looked back and saw them following and he asked them what are you looking for? Another translation

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says what do you want? He raises that question what what what are you looking for and what do you want? You're following me now what are you looking for? You think that that's a relevant question that we ought to ask ourselves? what is it that we want? what are we really looking for as Christians? as

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individuals who have indicated that that we want to follow Jesus. what is it that we really want? the next question seems to be can a man trust his life with Jesus? or they put it in another way they said could any good thing come out of Nazareth? you know what

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he's asking is this is this credible? does he have credentials? can you put your trust in him? Is he worthy to be lived for and lived with? And then the next question this event raises is what does he expect of me? If I'm going to follow him, what does he expect of me? What can I anticipate? What are my

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expectations what is it ahead of me? If I'm going to give my life to him what can I anticipate ahead of me? Well I sat talking one night with as our train made it this has been several years ago made it to one of the national conventions and I sat on the edge of a conversation by two men who had possibly been

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ministering together over 45 years their their joint ministry would have made up at least 90 years and one of them turned to the other and said if you had to do it over again would you do it if you had to serve God through all those country churches and and all the things that you've had to go and go through would

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you do it again?" And I saw one of them break down in tears and as he as he wept he thought about the joy and all of the experiences that he had as he served out his life. It wasn't long after that that one of them passed on. But what are our expectations what does this mean? What are we doing? What is it you want?

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That's what Jesus turns he says listen those of you who are coming after me you've been following John and now you're coming after me what do you want? what does what do we expect of our relationship with Jesus what kind of of life do we expect well Paul tells us that and when he came to him one of the

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things that he found that he was able to keep that which he committed unto him against all circumstances. So what I have found what I have found is that when I come to Jesus when I came to him whatever I gave him I knew he was able to keep it. He was able to sustain me he was able to give me security I wasn't

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wasting my life. Man builds a house and he spends all of his life building and paying for it and he feels real good about it and one morning he wakes up and steps are worn out, the windows need changing, house needs painting, furniture is all worn and torn, out of fashion and he looks at it and he says this is my

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life were and sometimes as he reflects on it he wonders was it worth all the sacrifice I've made? Was it worth all of the overtime that I worked? All of the hours that I put in in order to pay for it? Was it really worth it? Jesus is saying if you if you really want something if you really want something that's secure if you want

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something that's lasting, if you want something that's meaningful, follow after me and I'll give you that which is meaningful. You know what a man wants can determine a whole lot about his character. What a man wants. You ask a man what he wants you can tell about where he's willing to spend his time. You can

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tell about what he values, what he considers as his values, you can tell where he really wants to go and what he really wants to do. One man came to Jesus one night and said listen I'll tell you what I want, I want eternal life, that's what I want. I want a life that has a lasting dimension, I want eternal life,

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that's what I want. Tell me what can I do in order to obtain eternal life? Tell me what I could do and Jesus told him what he could do. He said what else? He said you got money you got to give it up. You've got to serve the needs, sell everything you have and give to the poor

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and come follow me give up everything and come on and go with me and the scripture says that he found out that he really didn't want eternal life for he walked away sorrowfully because he couldn't take the demands what is it you want brethren what is it we want what are we after do we want the things that

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belong to God or do we want the things that belong to this world? What is it that we really want? Well you can't follow Jesus until you make up your mind what you really want. What is it that you want? Do you want the rewards of believing in him? The rewards of trusting him? The rewards of relying on him? What

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is it that we really want? Are we seeking after those things that belong to Madison Street and belong to the highest advertiser? What is it that we really want? Do we want the house we live in or do we want to build a home? You know sometimes folk talk about they want a home but all they building is a house.

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Ask them what they're doing and everything they're doing is related to a house. They're paying mortgages, that'll build a house. They're buying furniture, that'll build a house. Getting TVs for each room, that'll build a house.

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Getting wall-to-wall carpet, that'll build a house. But none of that will build a home. You ask them, say, "Do you ever have prayer?" "No, we, we, I'm so busy for that."

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Do you ever bring your children together and talk with them? No, I'm too busy. Then the mama got to talk. I don't have time.

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I got to earn a living. And then when they find out that they've earned a living and paid for the carpet and paid for the television and paid the notes on the house, that they only have a house and there's no home there for them.

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What do you want, brethren? What do you want? What do we want? That's what Jesus wants to know.

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now that I've selected now that you follow me what do you want? Well there the scripture says that the answer was come and see come and see Jesus they asked Jesus where do you live and Jesus said come and see where do you do you live and then come see there where dwelleth thou come and see where

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where can we come and talk with you really share with the competency then when another one was asked about Jesus they wanted to know if any good thing could come out of Nazareth so what he's saying is can you trust Jesus with your life when you've lived it when when you've lived it in his name when you've

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tried to do the thing every now and then some young person comes to me and say Reverend I just don't think it's you know I don't think it pays to do right so I try to do right look like everything every time I try to do right Nothing happens to me. They look like those folk out there that's doing wrong

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Look like they having a whole lot of things happening. They they getting everything they make more money They got good jobs and they're not trying to but I'm trying to do right and nothing happens to me What she's saying is I can't trust Jesus with my life. I Can't trust Jesus with my life. I can't I can't be honest and make it I

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Can't love my enemy and make it I can't forgive those around me and make it. I can't act like a, I can't share with others and make it. I can't trust Jesus with my life. I think that was the problem that that Judas had. I think if you go back and and and look at him, oh yes here is a man who wanted

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to follow Jesus he'd been following him he was a part of the twelve but he said listen to this man this man is talking about winning a kingdom without a sword this man thinks he can overcome the Roman Empire without a fight this man is a revolutionary and he's talking about loving enemy I can't trust him with this

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We've got to get him out of the way. He's standing in the way of our real revolution. If we can get him out of the way we can get somebody that can really fight this battle. He said well while I'm doing it I might as well make some. I'm a practical man and he gets his 30 pieces of silk. No he couldn't trust Jesus. I

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I once told a man the kind of concerns that I had and he was a man of the world and he said Reverend if you ever get out in the world with that kind of stuff they gonna eat you up. So you can't go out there sharing and caring and giving and caring while they're taking advantage of you. What he's saying is you can't

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trust Jesus with your life. Oh haven't you met that person out there that said I don't care what you say I'm gonna tell him she told me so-and-so and I'm gonna tell her back and I don't care what you say Reverend. I ain't gonna let her run over me. You know what you're saying I can't trust Jesus with my life. I can't

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trust him with my life. I can't live it out. I can't trust him with it. I got to do it myself. And what the scripture is saying if you follow him you've got to trust him with your life. There they were a great host of them gathered and Jesus said you've got to eat my flesh, you've got to drink my blood. And the scripture

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says that they began to leave him. They began to leave him and he looked up and there weren't many around and he turned to his disciples and said will you also leave me? Is it that you can't trust me either? You can't meet the demands of this kind of commitment? You can't bear your cross? You can't walk with me? You

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can't walk with me? Will you also leave me? It was Simon Peter who said Lord to shall we go? We have to trust you. We don't have any out. If we don't trust you we can't find eternal life. Thou alone have the answer to life and to living. We can't, we must trust you. Well the next question that's raised is what does Jesus expect of me? What can I

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expect? What are my expectations if I if I if I walk in his way what can I expect? Ha ha what can I anticipate? Now Nathaniel had to be told that because he got amazed when Jesus told him what that he had seen him before he got there. I knew you before you got there. When you were out there I saw you. He said, "Wow this

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is amazing. This man is telling me that he knew me." And Jesus said, "Are you excited because I knew you before you got here? Is that what's exciting you? Well listen, why don't you come on and get with me? Come on and follow me. You'll do greater things than this." The great fact about getting involved with God we

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never know where it's going to lead us. We never know what can happen with us. We have to trust Him. All things that fall are possible to him that believes in Jesus Christ. All things are possible. You can't anticipate, but if you get with Him. You know I say often in the church that everybody would like to be a man who

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came out of the lion's den all of us. Oh I could I could really I could really preach today if I just come out of lion's den and this place would be packed all of you would be here all over town. They said let's go see the man that came out of the lion's den. Say, "Well they tell me that Reverend Black went in the

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lion's den and the lion's jaws were locked while he was in there. Didn't one touch it." But you see you cannot come out of the lion's den without going in. There's no testimony for anybody who feels if you're going to if you're going to find out about God you've got to live for God you've got to give your life for

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Him you've got to walk with Him if you know what He's gonna be able to do you don't know what God can do with your enemy when you love Him unless you do love Him. Now folks trying to stand out anticipate say well I don't believe the Lord quite meant for me to love Him. You're trying to anticipate what the man's

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going to do. You can't find out about God that way. The only way you and I are going to find out about God, we've got to do what God wants us to do. We've got to walk with Him and He tells me that if I walk with Him, I'll see the heavens open. I'll see greater things than these. That's what He told him. Said you can

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live without expectations. The heavens will open if you'll follow me. If you'll come and see if you walk with me if you dwell with me if you abide with me if you if you'll be with me I'll open the heavens for you. My brothers and sisters the church has not yet been able to see what God is able to do with it until we

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have decided that we're going to walk with him that we're going to do what he wants done and we have religiously committed ourselves to do what he wants done when we do it then we'll discover what God is able to do in our lives. I know it sounds like it's impossible for him to feed the multitude with two fish and five

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loaves but how many have you ever tried? No way for you to tell me he can't until you tell me one day I was standing with 5,000 people and I tried to feed them and I couldn't feed them. No no you can't tell me that. You and I have to trust him enough. You and I have to have enough

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faith in him. You and I got to have enough concern for him in our devotion to him to try to do what he wants done and when we have tried it, when we have been able to become involved in it, then we can know what he's able to do and so he calls us today he calls us to respond to him and that's

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the last part of our our theme to respond to him in faith he's saying Reverend Black it does not yet appear what I can do with you if you just trust me if you'll just be willing to abide with me brothers it does not yet appear what God is able to do with us until we have decided to trust him the challenge

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to us is a challenge of faith and that's where it is the foundation is a foundation of faith you and I cannot really truly know what God can do with us until we have been willing to trust him I wonder today I wonder if there isn't someone here who feels the challenge of that faith who recognizes

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in this moment as you possibly have recognized in other moments that I have not been responsive to God for the place you and I can respond to him is in the level of faith that's where he tells us to respond to him I don't hear Jesus saying well you couldn't do it you didn't have enough money no he never

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says that or you didn't have enough sins he doesn't say that the moment of our Where is your faith? And the challenge is always at the level of our faith. The challenge is always there.

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And so I invite you now, I invite you now to examine your faith. What is it that you want? Can you trust Jesus with your life? What are your expectations?

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to open up the heavens for you if you're willing to trust him and that decision can be yours now for this is the moment of decision sometimes we get the impression that the only decision we have to make is a decision to come to the church to become a member but there are other decisions brethren that you

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and I have to make. One of the decisions that we have to make is that that our divine encounter with him is going to get the kind of response he expects of us. Every time Paul got up and somebody questioned him and said Paul why do you act the way you do? Why are you going around turning the world upside down?

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down. Why? Why are you disturbing it? Why are you making everybody so so so disturbed by your presence? Why do you do this? Paul would always go back and said you know one day I was on the Damascus Road. One day, one day, one day while walking the Damascus Road I saw a light brighter than the noonday sun. Said the

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The only way you can explain what I am is by knowing what happened to me on Damascus Road and I've been acting that way ever since. I've responded to it. He told me what he wanted me to do and I found out what I wanted and I identified with him

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and I've been doing it. That's why I am what I am. I was telling our congregation the other day there used to be covenant meetings that we used to have long time ago. Many of you young people don't know about these

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covenant meetings. And folk could get up and tell the day of their conversion. They could say you know it was on a Thursday morning when I was at such and such a place and God touched my life. And you know knowing that you your life has been touched by God can give the foundation for your response to him and

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and that response will determine what you want, the way you can trust him and what you can expect of him. What you can expect of him. Will you, will you, will you make that decision now that I'm going to take seriously my encounter with him and out of that encounter I'm going to make new decisions about my living, about my

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life. I'm going to make that the foundation upon which I will build my tomorrows and my relationship with family, with home, with my job, in my community. I'm going to make that the foundation. Will you make that decision? Will you bow with me? Every heart, every head bowed and every heart turned

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towards that presence that that relationship that you have with God and ask let's ask him to guide us to guide our desires that if they are moving in the wrong direction give us new desires new wants shape our life let's ask him to give us the will to trust in his word

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and to live with great expectations from him. ♪ Softly and tenderly ♪ ♪ Jesus is calling ♪ ♪ He's calling for you and for me ♪

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♪ See on the portal ♪ He's waiting and watching, watching for you and for me. Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading?

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He's pleading for you and for me. Why should we linger? And heed not his mercies, His mercies for you and for me.

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Time is now fleeting. The moments are passing. They're passing for you and for me. Shadows are gathering, death's baits are coming.

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They're coming for you and for me. Come home. Come home. Oh, yes.

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Ye who are weary, come home. ♪ Earnestly and tenderly ♪ ♪ Jesus is calling ♪ ♪ Calling, oh sinner ♪

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♪ Come, come home ♪ Oh, for the wonderful love he has promised. He's promised for you and for me. Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,

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pardon for you and for me. Come home. Come home. You who are weary, come home.

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Unearthly, unearthly, unearthly, and tender, the Jesus comes. ♪ Jesus is calling ♪ ♪ He's calling, oh sinner ♪ ♪ Come, come home ♪

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(congregation murmuring) [music] [music] [music]

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[music] [music] [music] The program calls at this time for a message response.

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[music] And in giving that some thought, I said, "What do you say for a message response, or doing a message response?"

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It's not a highlight because I think it's been well said already, nor is it a summary. So my message response at this time will be mostly in the form of a thank you, a deep appreciation and a gratitude for what Dr. Black has been talking about, serving. That's what it's all about.

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renewed spirit that divine encounter of the best kind through service. I'd like to take this time to thank the Mount Zion congregation that is in attendance, the urges that attended, the beautiful music rendered by the choir, and especially the speaker Dr. Black. I also would like to take the opportunity to

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to say a few other things I like to ensure and comfort those that have not had an opportunity to finalize their team contributions that they will have an opportunity at the end of this service. And I guess if you noticed and observed and heard the message had a man or men's emphasis

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brothers we can't make it without the sisters and I'd like to take this time to give a special thanks to all of the sisters in the background as well as those that are visible. [ Silence ]