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(silence) [ Music ] [MUSIC PLAYING] [ Music ]

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♪ Almost let go ♪ ♪ Felt like I just couldn't take life anymore ♪ ♪ Problems had me bound ♪ ♪ Depression weighed me down ♪

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♪ God held me close ♪ ♪ So I wouldn't let go ♪ ♪ God's mercy helped me ♪ ♪ So I wouldn't let go ♪

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[ Music ] ♪ I almost let go ♪ ♪ I felt like I just couldn't take life anymore ♪ ♪ My problems had me down ♪

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♪ Depression weighed me down ♪ ♪ But God held me close ♪ ♪ So I wouldn't let go ♪ ♪ God's mercy kept me ♪

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♪ So I wouldn't let go ♪ ♪ So I'm here today ♪ ♪ Because God kept me ♪ ♪ I'm alive today ♪

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♪ Only because of his grace ♪ ♪ Oh, he kept me ♪ ♪ He God kept me ♪ ♪ He kept me ♪

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♪ So I wouldn't let go ♪ (gentle piano music) ♪ I almost ♪ ♪ Gave up ♪

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♪ I was right at the edge of a breakthrough ♪ couldn't see it. [MUSIC - "THE DEVIL REALLY HAD ME"] (SINGING) The devil really had me.

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But Jesus came and grabbed me. And he held me close so I wouldn't let go. ♪ God's mercy kept me ♪ ♪ So I wouldn't let go ♪

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♪ I almost let go ♪ ♪ I was right at the edge of a breakthrough ♪ ♪ And couldn't see it ♪ ♪ The devil really had me ♪

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♪ But Jesus came and grabbed me ♪ ♪ And he held me close ♪ ♪ So I wouldn't let go ♪ ♪ God's mercy kept me ♪

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♪ So I wouldn't let go ♪ ♪ So I'm here today ♪ ♪ Because God kept me ♪ ♪ I'm alive today ♪

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♪ Only because of his grace ♪ ♪ Oh, he kept me ♪ ♪ God kept me ♪ ♪ He kept me ♪

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♪ So I'll go ♪ So I'm here today because God kept me. I'm alive today only because of his grace. Oh, he kept me.

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God's kept me. He kept me. God's kept me. He kept me.

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God's kept me. He kept me. ♪ God kept me ♪ ♪ He kept me ♪

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♪ So I wouldn't let go ♪ (audience applauding) - Hear this word recorded in the gospel according to St. Luke, the seventh chapter,

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the 31st through the 34th verses. Jesus said, "To what then will I compare "the people of this generation? "And what are they like?

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"They're like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another. We played the flute for you and you did not dance. We wailed and you did not weep.

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But John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine and you say he has a demon. Son of man has come eating and drinking And you say, "Look, a glutton and a drunkard,

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a friend of tax collectors and sinners." Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children. Let us stand as we sing together the first stanza of "Make Me a Blessing" and repeat the refrain,

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"Make me a blessing." (gentle music) [Music] While the highways and byways of life

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Meany are weary and sad Carry the sunshine of progressive life Making the sorrowing glad Make me a blessing, make me a blessing

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Out of the life they give us now Make me a blessing of favor, we pray. Make me a blessing to someone today. Take me a blessing, take me a blessing,

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Out of my life give me the strength. Give me a blessing, O Savior, my Savior. Give me a blessing to someone today. Speak to our hearts, Lord Jesus.

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Amen. For some time now, we have been considering a series of messages based on parables of our Lord. The last count I made, we had considered about 15 parables that Jesus told.

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So we are considering another parable in the message today. The parable of children playing in the marketplace. Children playing in the marketplace. Jesus said, "Whereunto shall I liken this generation?"

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They are like children playing in the marketplace and calling unto their companions saying, "We have piped unto you, but you have not danced. We have mourned and you have not cried. This story by our Lord is told about games that children play, games that are played

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by children in the marketplace. Games are often very serious business. In this particular utterance, Jesus, the master teacher, theologizes about games people play. The marketplace is where business is conducted, very serious business, because the marketplace deals with bread and butter issues of life, marketplace.

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And it's not unusual for members of the family in the East to all be gathered in the marketplace, each engaged in some particular activity, children as well as adults.

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So Jesus compares his contemporaries, his generation to children playing in the marketplace, participating in frivolous activities while people are conducting serious business.

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Recently a parent, Thought well was engaged in taking the death of a teenager because she wanted her daughter to be the cheerleader To make sure that her daughter was cheerleader. She killed the one who was the

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Opposition she set about plans to do that. I Remember Not too long ago that Texas Monthly had an article about the football craze

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that exists in many of our communities that if you go to a town and you play and you lose You can hardly get out of town

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Because people take their football very seriously serious business conducted in a rather frivolous atmosphere. And even

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now there's a very fresh case, very recent, where a parent, father killed another parent because of a disagreement involving his son in soccer.

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So games are designed to be recreational, to be fun, to be something we engage in in a lighthearted way, but they have become very, very serious business. So when Jesus raises the question of children playing in the marketplace, he's dealing with serious business, serious business conducted in a frivolous atmosphere.

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One of the things we notice about Jesus as the master teacher is that he covers all areas of life. He talks about household experiences, experiences of the workman out in the field, experiences of a woman who has lost a coin in the house. So he involves all of life and he also does not eliminate anybody, both sexes, all

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all humanity involved in his stories because his gospel is for all people everywhere. So we can identify with this. If you have not gotten too old to play,

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you can remember when you did play, I remember a game years ago, 70 years ago, We used to play "Grandma Gray, May I Go to Play?" And she would answer, "No, my child,

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it's too late in the day." And the answer would be given that, "I'll be a good boy or a good girl all the day." And Grandma Gray would give permission

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for the child to go to play, and they'd go out playing. After a while would come the word, my children, I'm calling you.

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And the answer would be, I don't hear you. And Grandma Gray would come to get those children and bring them back, catching them one by one. So in describing his generation,

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Jesus says, "They're like children playing in the marketplace." One group says to another, "I have piped unto you and you have not danced. I've conducted a funeral for you and you have not cried." Now we as children can remember that we used to play certain games.

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When I was a boy I would be the preacher and I'd preach the sermon for the wasp that was being buried. We had play weddings and we'd play house and also have some mud pies and all of that that the ladies would cook. Now Jesus is taking a live illustration of children playing in the marketplace in which children were playing music that called for dancing, but they did not receive it.

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They would have funerals, and they would not mourn, they would not cry. Some of our youth, our children, were playing church. And in playing church, they said that the preacher

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had one thing, you got to get, like Reverend Griffin, you don't have what you need, you've got to get one of these gold things so you could be the preacher. That was their decision.

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So there are different requirements for those who are going to serve in those leadership positions. So this story is relevant for our times

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because Jesus is accusing this generation that he is talking about, of not living up to their expectation. One purpose is designed for them,

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but they are not fulfilling that purpose. There are those who play hooky from school when they should be involved in the serious business of studying children playing at the marketplace.

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I was in a meeting a few weeks ago where it was reported that some 75 youngsters in this area are not enrolled in school. They should be, but they're playing at the marketplace, playing with one of the most serious opportunities made available to us

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in such a time as this. One group says, "We have piped unto you, "but you have not danced. "We have conducted a funeral,

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"but you have not cried." Children playing at the marketplace. There are those who take very lightly serious business. Some take this whole matter of voting very lightly.

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Well, they won't miss me. Whatever they're gonna do, they're gonna do in a way. Some people take that attitude. Like children playing at the marketplace.

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These children in this particular instance that Jesus lifts up for us do not provide the expected response. When they play the music, the expected response

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is that they should dance. When they play the funeral, the expected response is that there would be mourners, that there'd be those who would be crying.

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But they don't provide that. So they come back with the answer, We have played the flute, we have piped unto you, but you have not danced.

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We have lamented, you have not cried. We've had the funeral, but you haven't cried. So, first of all, this message is saying to us to play your part.

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In any drama, life is like a drama, in every drama, you ought to play your part as best you can. Play your part.

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Do it with all your might. Play your part. Well, the people have said that John the Baptist was a demon.

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In other words, God sent John the Baptist and John the Baptist came and did what he was ordained to do. He came neither eating or drinking, but the people said he's a demon.

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But Jesus was sent and Jesus, the Son of God, came among them and they said that he was not like John the Baptist. He came eating and drinking

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And he was fraternizing with tax collectors, and they accused him of being a winebibber. Not too far from this generation. If Jesus were to come today,

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and we would find him over at the Victory Grill, there would be many people who say, he ought not be over there. Sitting down fraternizing with those people.

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- Amen. - Amen. - Come on. We have the same kind of reaction, same kind of response. And so Jesus is saying to them, through this parable,

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we have piped unto you, but you have not danced. We have provided a funeral for you, but you have not mourned. What do you want? - Yes, yes.

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- You didn't want John the Baptist. You didn't want Jesus Christ, the Son of God. What do you want? Jesus was condemned.

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John the Baptist was condemned. Both of them were condemned. John the Baptist was condemned by Herod, a political leader. And Jesus was condemned by Pilate, who was the governor,

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also a political leader. So the leaders do not want John the Baptist or Jesus. We have piped unto you, but you have not danced. We have provided a funeral for you, but you have not cried.

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You know, children do not do what they're supposed to do many times. And this is a lesson for all of humanity, this story of doing what you are supposed to do.

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Doing what you're supposed to do. All of us as we sit here today can think of things that we were supposed to do. We didn't do it.

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We kept putting it back, putting it on the shelf, or I'll do this later, and somehow we never got around to do it. But as we celebrate this Lenten season,

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this season when we focus on the passion of our Lord, one of the lessons is to be more concerned about doing what we are supposed to do. We are supposed to play our part well.

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Interesting that Denzel Washington, who has a reputation of being a very good actor, has usually been played in good roles. So he's played a good part, he's played it very well,

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and people have liked it. But now they have him in a, this recent picture, they have him in a role that he's the bad guy. And many people say, I can't identify with him.

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(audience laughing) But he's doing what he's supposed to do well. So God wants us to fulfill his expectation. He has devised a design for our lives

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and he wants us to measure up to it. Jesus comes and identifies with the bad to make them good. Some students go to school and fail to learn.

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And it's their fault. Because the opportunity is there, the teacher's doing a good job, the materials are provided,

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and it is the case where they may say that we have piped unto you, but you have not danced. We have provided a funeral for you, but you have not mourned.

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Play your part. You may not receive the Academy Award, but you can be a run-up. Play well your part. Respond to the highest and best.

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John the Baptist came, but they did not respond to John the Baptist in the way that they should have. Jesus came, they crucified him. Respond to the highest and best. Take advantage of the opportunities.

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These opportunities we have, we'll not have them always. Seize this present moment and make the best of it. Do your duty. Play the game fully and according to the rules

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and you will be children of light overcoming children of darkness. Jesus says, "What shall I like in this generation?" He was speaking of the first century.

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We are now in the 21st century. What shall we like in this generation? Are we like children playing in the marketplace? What is the answer?

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Well, each one of us has his or her own answer to that question. What shall I like in this generation? This generation is a different generation.

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Every generation has its challenges and every generation has its responses to make. What shall I liken this generation? They're like children.

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Children of darkness rather than children of light. There is a generation that's different, however. There is another generation. Jesus looks at the generation

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and how they have reacted to John the Baptist and how they have reacted to his ministry. But then also he is pointing upward to another generation that is above the activity of this generation,

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another generation. I think it's a generation that's described in one of the hymns of the temple. The earth is the Lord's.

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and the fullness thereof. Where is the generation that recognizes that the very foundation of our being is the earth? And God provides that foundation.

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The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. And I was thinking about the different things, you know, the little things, the trouble, you know, the little ailments that you may have

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from time to time, and it suddenly dawned on me that God has put in this earth the things that we need for our strength and for our healing. It's in the air.

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And what you need to know is what to get in that situation. But the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the well and they that dwell

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therein, such a generation that recognizes that God is the foundation of our being. For he has founded it upon the seas. Shifting as the seas may be,

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he's founded the earth upon it. He has established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend? What generation?

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Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? What kind of generation are we looking for? Those that have clean hands and a pure heart

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who have not lifted up their souls unto vanity. They shall receive the blessing of the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This, this, this, this, this,

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this is the generation of them that seek him. Those that seek God. Those who seek to do his will. This generation, this is the one,

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those that have clean hands and clean hearts. And then the song goes on to say, "Lift up your hearts, "oh ye gates, and bring ye lifted up ye everlasting doors, "and the King of glory."

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If we open to God, His Spirit comes into our lives and influences what we do so that we're able to measure up to His demands

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and fulfill His expectations. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory?

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The Lord! The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, he is the King of Glory. He's the one.

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He's the one that can change our lives and cause us to adjust to whatever may be the demands of any period that we may face. Who is this King of Glory?

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The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. He is the King of Glory. Then it goes on and ends by saying the Lord of hosts. And I like that.

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The Lord of hosts. That means he has many armies. - Yes. - We may encounter someone here and someone there,

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but the Lord has all the armies. We're disturbed about some getting caught here and there in Afghanistan, but God has many armies. He is the Lord of hosts.

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Of all of the opposition that we may face, of all of the difficulties we may encounter, The Lord of hosts is with us. God of Jacob is our refuge.

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Thanks be to God that he is with us in our trials. So what shall we like in this generation? Like children playing in the marketplace, saying we have piped unto you,

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but you have not danced. We have provided a funeral, but you have not cried. The Lord we serve is one who enables us to dance in the midst of the difficulties of life.

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He enables us to be joyful in the midst of the adversities of life. He enables us to be strong in the midst of all of the weaknesses of this world.

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Thanks be to God who has provided us this opportunity. So we come now to the invitation to Christian discipleship. It's an invitation to accept God as the authority in your life,

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God as the healer, God as the strength, the source of your strength, God as your help and your hope. And as we sing, we ask you to come and unite

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with the people of God here at Ebenezer's. You may come by letter, on Christian experience, you may come for restoration, we invite you to come. It's an open door he sets before us.

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He bids us come, come. (gentle music) ♪ (dramatic music) - Yes, yes.

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[ Music ] Come unto Jesus while you have time. Come unto Jesus. Make up your mind.

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He will make your life brand new. Oh, He will take care of you. Come to Jesus while you have time. [ Music ]

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Come, come to Jesus, while you have time. Come, come to Jesus. Come, come to Jesus. ♪ Make up your mind ♪

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♪ He will make your life brand new ♪ ♪ Oh, he will take care of you ♪ ♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ While you have time ♪

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♪ Just knowing Jesus ♪ ♪ Sure has paid off in my life ♪ ♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ While you have time ♪

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♪ Though you may not have all day ♪ ♪ Keep going to the end ♪ ♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ While you have time ♪

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♪ Come unto Jesus ♪ ♪ Come unto Jesus ♪ ♪ While you have time ♪ ♪ Oh, come unto Jesus ♪

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♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ Why don't you make a vow ♪ ♪ And come for my love ♪ ♪ 'Cause he will make your life brand new ♪

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♪ For he will take care of you ♪ ♪ Come to Jesus ♪ ♪ While you have time ♪ ♪ At a time ♪

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[Music] [ Silence ]