In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of self-examination and repentance. He urges the congregation to humble themselves before God and confess their sins. The preacher compares sin to a cancer that can eat away at a person's conscience if not dealt with. He encourages the listeners to allow God to expose the hidden sins in their hearts and find forgiveness, cleansing, and healing. The sermon is based on 2 Corinthians 13:5 and highlights the truth and reliability of God's word.

Let's stand together. Father, we come in the precious name of the Lord Jesus. Father, we thank you that you are seated upon your throne. Heaven is your throne, earth is your footstool. And Father, thank you this morning, God, that you are holy, you're the Almighty, and you're the God of love, the God of truth and of mercy. And so Father, today I ask in the name of Jesus, Father, that you would bind wicked and evil spirits. I ask that you would release your Holy Spirit upon our hearts here today. Father, I ask that you would anoint your Word. I pray that you would give us ears to hear, hearts to understand and to obey. Father, I ask that you would grant grace to your servant. Wash me in thy blood from all that is unchristlike, from all that is self. And let the beauty of Jesus be seen. We ask this in the name of Jesus, Amen. You may be seated. What's up on the board? What's to say? X-ray. You know, sometimes I'm not able to tell what is happening inside my body. Maybe I feel some symptoms of something. And when I go to the doctor, he says, we need to do further testing. He might order an X-ray. Or in today's medical world, MRIs or a scan. A couple of weeks ago I was at the doctor and he ordered a blood test. I think I saw you here this morning, Brother Clare Zimmerman. Where are you? But you know, you can tell a lot by a blood test. What is happening on the inside. I haven't gotten the results of my blood test yet. But I have an appointment this week. You see, the reason we need an X-ray is because I can't see what's in there. Can you? I can't see my bones. I can't see my blood vessels. You know, that's a lot how it is in our spiritual life. We do well to stop and take an X-ray. Because the Bible tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? But there's one who knows the heart. Do you know who he is? I, the Lord God, search the heart. I try the reins. You know, God sees my heart today. He knows the results of the X-ray. And if I'm wise, I want to know the result too. Because I don't want to be deceived and deluded into thinking just because I feel good, I'm healthy. Just because life is going along great, everything must be fine. Maybe not. Do you want the Lord to be brutally honest with you and tell you the truth about the condition of your heart? The spiritual condition of your soul? Your never-dying, eternal soul? Do you want to know what the Father has to say? I hope you do. And it's my prayer today that God in His tender, loving mercies would tell us the truth. That He'd tell me the truth about my own heart. I don't want some quack doctor who just wants my money. But He won't tell me the truth. He just wants to make me feel good. He's afraid if I tell Him the truth, He might go to some other doctor and I'll lose His business. I won't get His money anymore. So I won't tell Him that I see something on the X-ray that doesn't look very good. But I won't tell Him. I don't want a doctor like that. I don't want Him to not tell me the truth. Do you want a doctor like that? That when he reads the X-ray and he sees something of a spot that could be cancerous, could be dangerous for your health, it must be attended to? X-ray. That's the title to the message today. X-ray. Turn your Bible to 2 Corinthians chapter 13. I want to look at the Word of God. Because you see, the Word of God is true. We can count on it. Aren't you glad for that? Our God does not and cannot lie. He will not lie to you. 2 Corinthians 13, verse 5. Are you there? Got your Bible? Praise the Lord. It is written, examine yourselves whether you be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves? How that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates. Examine yourselves. Prove your own selves. Get under God's microscope and open your heart to your heavenly Father who loves you and cares for you. Get up there on the examining table. Get under the light of His glorious, radiant holiness. Oh, let His love-beaming eye shine upon you and expose the hidden things of the heart. He wants to do that, you know. He's not willing that any should perish. Examine yourselves. Prove your own selves. Avoid the temptation to think about my husband or my wife. If you do that, you won't get the benefit. The devil will already have won. If you focus this message on your husband or your wife or your brother or your sister, you can't see your own heart. Examine yourselves. In fact, your own selves. The Holy Spirit put that in there, knowing our human nature and tendency to focus it on others and to blame someone else. One day, Jesus was walking through the cities and villages, teaching as He journeyed, going toward Jerusalem. I want you to turn your Bible to that passage. Luke chapter 13. Luke chapter 13 and verse 23. Then said Jesus, then one said unto Him, to the Lord Jesus, Lord, are there few that be saved? And He said unto them, strive to enter in at the straight gate. For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able. Lord, are there few that be saved? Jesus said unto Him, don't worry about whether there's few or many or about the others, but you, strive to enter in at the straight gate. And by the way, many. For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able. This is a very sobering verse and it's easy to gloss over it and just sort of read it and just keep right on going. But it's a very serious verse. He speaks about striving to enter in to the kingdom, to enter in at the gate, at the straight gate, the narrow gate. Because He says, there's many that will seek to enter in and shall not be able. That's a sobering verse that isn't talking to the guy who says, hey, I don't want nothing to do with God. I want nothing to do with religion. I don't even believe there is a God. It's not talking about him or her. This is talking about people that have a desire to want to go to heaven. They have a desire to want to be with Jesus. It says they seek to enter in, but they shall not be able. Now let's go to Matthew 7. Please turn to Matthew 7. Matthew 7 and verse 13. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 7, verse 13. Enter ye in at the straight gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Keeping context with the false prophet and Jesus' teaching of the straight gate and the narrow way which leads to life. What do you think the false prophets are saying? The false prophets are saying, just receive Jesus as your Savior. Raise your hand in some meeting. Just make a profession and you are on your way to heaven. Easy believism. The gospel of the easy road. Just add Jesus to your life and just continue living basically like you were. No radical transformation needed. No dying to self needed. No taking up the cross daily needed. Just believe in Jesus. Now I want to be very clear here. We must believe in Jesus. There is salvation in none other. And we are not saved by our works. We are saved by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, repenting of our sins, and casting our whole lot upon Christ. Salvation is not of works. It's the gift of God. Isn't it sobering? Who are these many that seek to enter in, but shall not be able? Oh, that is sobering. These are people sitting in churches. These are people that profess religion. These are people that might say, I'm saved. Enter ye in at the straight gate. Jesus Christ is the door. There is no other name among heaven given among men whereby we must be saved under heaven but Jesus Christ. Let that be established in our hearts. No question about that. Enter in at the straight gate. Because you see, there is a wide gate. And there is a broad way. And this broad way leads to destruction. Straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life. Oh, the narrow way leads to life. You see, the easy-believed gospel says, just enter in by the gate. Just enter in by the door through the Lord Jesus Christ and you're secure. You're going to heaven no matter what. What does Jesus teach us? We must know what the Bible teaches. We must know what Jesus teaches. Because many deceivers and false prophets are going out into the world to deceive many and would deceive even the very elect if it were possible. But praise God, it's not possible to those who are humbly walking with God and walking in obedience with God and walking in repentance. Are you on the way? Oh, yes. Are you on the narrow way? You see, Jesus differentiates. There's a narrow gate and then there's a narrow way. The way is narrow that leads to life. There's no room for selfishness on that way. No room for pride on that way. No room for my own way on that way. You see, there's the inner life and the outer life. Maybe the doctor would say, Aaron, we need to do an examination of your skin to see if you have any skin cancer anywhere. That's sort of the outer, right? Sort of see what's going on on the outside. And so He does an examination to see what is that spot there. Oh, it's just a harmless thing. No worries. Oh, we better check that out farther. The outer. Today, I'm asking in the name of Jesus, we would open up our hearts and say, Lord, examine me. Turn on the light upon my life, my outer life. Oh, but you say the outer life doesn't matter. It's just what's in the heart, right? Well, I tell you what, if I have some skin cancer, I want to deal with that too. I don't want to just say, well, if it doesn't show up on the x-ray, so what? It doesn't matter what's on the outside. Hey, wait a minute. You've got some skin cancer lesions there that got to be taken care of. Are we willing to let God deal with our outer life? But our inner life must match our outer life. And you see, it's a lot easier for people to look right on Sunday. But did you know that's not the most important day for God? The most important day for God about my life, my Christian walk with Him, is not Sunday. It's Monday. It's Tuesday. It's when all the doors are closed and there's nobody else to see me. How I treat my wife. How I treat my children. How I respond in the traffic. Whether I get upset and road rage. Are we willing to allow God to say, here I am, Lord. I want to examine myself, but I need Your help. I can't see everything, but I know You do, Lord. And I know You love me, Lord. And I know, Lord Jesus Christ, You won't condemn me. I know that if You show me something in my life, it's because You love me. And there's no condemnation. Oh, it's Your goodness that would lead me to repentance. Would lead me to see that skin lesion of skin cancer beginning to form on Your skin. So how is your outer life? Are you abstaining from all appearance of evil? Are you abstaining from the fashions and lusts of the world? Are you conforming yourself to Jesus Christ in your outer life? Are you avoiding the fashions of the world? The paint and the powder and the makeup and stuff? Are we avoiding it? Are we avoiding the braiding of the hair, the potting of the hair, and the wearing of gold and jewelry? Are we avoiding it? Knowing that God is looking on my inner life and of great value, of great price is that inner life of a meek and a quiet spirit before the Lord? Lord, examine my outer life. My back where I can't see. The bottom of my feet. My scalp. Lord, examine. I welcome Your examination. And I examine myself. And Lord, what the doctor says, I won't argue with him or disagree. I won't throw the doctor out and go get me another one because he said there's something there that concerns me. You know, people do that these days. I don't like what that brother said to me. I don't like what they said. I was offended. I'll go somewhere else. Well, isn't it sad to see the destruction of those who go somewhere else and go somewhere else and go somewhere else because they don't like the medicine? They don't like what the doctor is saying? Well, you can go somewhere else and go somewhere else, but you know, brother, sister, you can never get away from God. We will never get away from the all-seeing eye of God. Now God's very concerned about the inner life. Because you and I can come here on Sunday and we can stuff our frustrations. We can stuff our irritabilities, the way we act during the week, the unchristlike attitudes we have toward each other. We can stuff them and put on a smile at church on Sunday morning. But you know, God isn't so interested in how you look today and what you put on. But He does see that too because you see that's hypocritical. That's being a hypocrite. I come here to church and I pretend everything's wonderful and then I go home and I fight with my wife. Or I go to work and I fight with my boss. God's concerned about your heart. Or I go out into the world and I lust. I lust after things. I lust. But you can't see that because at dinner, when I come to church, I have my white shirt on and my black trousers and my gray sweater. And I'm combed and washed. I can sing. I can raise my hands. The devil will let you do all that stuff. He doesn't care. He doesn't care how much you raise your hands, how much you sing and carry on. If the preacher doesn't change your life on Monday, what did it help? What did it benefit? If I go out and live the same way I did before, after God has examined my heart and I've said, Lord, examine me. I want to see. I want to know. And God shows us something, but we go out and we go on just like that man looking in the mirror. Oh, OK. Yeah, but then we turn away and we turn that mirror away. I don't want to see that. And go out and forget what manner of man we are. I mean, this is really serious business. Your inner life. How's your inner life? God really can help us with our inner life if we really want Him to. Lord, search me. Try me. I want to be clean. Lord, You desire cleanliness in the heart. You desire truth in the inward parts. Oh, Jesus. Oh, Father, cleanse me. I admit, I got upset. Well, upset is a pretty nice word. That's not too bad. How about, well, I got frustrated. Well, Lord, I got upset. I got angry inside. Even though I didn't say an angry word, I got angry inside. Lord, I failed of the grace of God. Father, forgive me. Cleanse me. Wash me. And Lord, change me. I don't want to keep hurting those I love. I don't want to keep being frustrated and upset and angry. The inner life. How's my love for Jesus? How's my love for the Word? The inner life. How's my love? You see, that church there in Revelation, they had a lot of things right. But Jesus said, I've got a problem with you. In fact, it's that serious of a problem that if you don't repent of having cast off your first love, I'll take that candlestick and remove it. Wow. How's the inner life? How's my delight with the Lord? How's my delight with His Word? Examine yourselves. Prove your own selves whether you be in the faith. Lord, are there few that be saved? Beware of false prophets. They look like sheep. Paul said, I know that after my departing, wolves are going to enter in. Grievous wolves, not sparing the flock. They're going to look like sheep. But inwardly, they have another agenda. You shall know them by their fruits. You will know the false prophets by their fruits, not by their gifts. Listen to me carefully. False prophets can have many gifts that appear very godly. You shall know them by their fruits. How can we know their fruits? I want to put out a warning today. In our day of information, of Internet, you can listen to many sermons, many preachers. I want to put out this warning. Know those whom you're listening to. And I don't mean you have to know them personally. But know their testimony. Do some research. I'm not saying you only need to listen to myself preach or Brother Mel or Brother Paul. But brother, sister, know them. Are they living free from sin? Are they earnest about holiness? Are they separated unto God? Or do they look like fashion models, fashioned after this world, pressed into the world's mold and society? Are they obeying the Scriptures? Or is it this mixture? We live in a perilous time. We live in a day when it can be popular to be a Christian and at the same time be a modeling actor. Are those two compatible or am I old school? I didn't know if I was going to say this, but I think I will. Someone professing Christianity who is a female modeling actor, poses for photos with less than Adam and Eve's fig leaves, I dare say, but said, I'm called to do this for God. Secular news. So I went down and read a few of the comments. Worldly secular people said, you're not working for God. We know who you're working for. Are the world's people wiser than the Christians? Have more sense? Well, then she tried to make a comeback and say, but if you could see me on Sunday, I go to church, I worship the Lord on Sunday. And I know it's hard for you to understand the rest six days of the week, my occupation. My dear brothers and sisters, many false prophets are gone out. We shall know them by their fruit, not their gifts, not their eloquent speech, not their enticing words, not by their talents. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one, not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he that doeth the will of my father, which is in heaven, not every one that saith Lord, Lord. Not every one who may be seeking to enter in, in some measure, but they're not striving. They're not ruthless against sin in their own life. They're not diligent to put off the old man with his deeds and not be conformed to the former lust in their ignorance when they walk without Christ. Oh, my brother, my sister, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works? These are the preachers. These are the miracle workers. These are the exorcists who cast out demons, so to speak. These are the ones that are up front, those who are prophesying in the name of the Lord. But Jesus saith, I don't know you. These are the ones that are saying they're casting out devils. They're saying they're doing many wonderful works. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. There's one thing that will keep us out of heaven. It's sin. It's iniquity. Our sins are not going to be outweighed by our good deeds. It's not that if I do enough of good for God and I'm doing good for God and then that will outweigh my sins over here and the scales tips in my favor. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Iniquity, rebellion against God, sin against God. In Luke's Gospel it says it this way. This group of people in Luke's Gospel begin to stand without the door after the door is shut and to knock at the door saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. And he shall say unto you, I know not you whence ye are. Then shall they begin to say, we have eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets. These are the very religious. They go faithfully to church. They partake of communion. They say amen at the message. Jesus, you taught in our presence. We had fellowship with you. Lord, Jesus. Lord, Lord, open to us surely. I did all that. But Jesus says, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are. Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. What is the x-ray revealing? Am I passionate for God? Do I walk in repentance when the Lord puts His finger upon my heart and shows me sin in my life? Or do I excuse it? Or blame it on someone else? You know, those tactics aren't going to work on the day of judgment. We come back to this question. Lord, are there few that be saved? If there's anyone here this morning under the sound of my voice, that your heart is deceived and you are on your way to hell, but you think you're going to heaven, it would be God's mercy to awaken you to the reality of the true spiritual condition of your heart. There's going to be many surprises. How do I know that? Because I believe the Bible. Many will say to me, now listen, contrast the few with the many. Jesus used those words in the same teaching. Few, many. Few that enter in the narrow way, many on the broad way. I mean, this is so serious. The shock of a life that was only merely religious and pretending, putting all the right stuff on the outside, but the heart full of deceitful, sinful lust and pride and arrogancy. Oh, the shock of many who said, I preached your word. I cast out devils. I worked miracles, many wonderful works. I did them all in the name of Jesus. Oh, the shock. When many say, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works. We're at church every Sunday. You taught in our streets. You taught in our church. We ate and communed with you. But he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are. Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. Matthew says, then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Not everyone that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. Let these sayings sink deep down into your hearts, my dear brothers and sisters. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived. The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. I'm in 1 Corinthians 6, verse 9. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. This is the word of God. This is not Aaron's words. This is the word of God. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murderers, drunkenness, revelings, and such like. Now listen to this. Of which I tell you before, as I have told you in time past. Hey, church, did you get it? I told you this before, but it bears repeating. To stir up your minds to the truth. I told you before, but I tell you again. They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. The x-ray. You know, you can't see what's in there. You need the help of the almighty God, spiritually speaking. I wonder what he sees in my heart today. I really would like to know. I wonder what he sees in your heart today. Wouldn't you really like to know? Because you know sin is like a cancer. You sin once, the Holy Spirit convicts you. And if you don't confess and forsake the sin, you sin again. Holy Spirit convicts you. But if you don't confess and forsake your sin, you develop a pattern. And you develop to the point where conscience begins to get quieter. The conviction isn't quite as strong anymore. The sin doesn't seem as bad anymore. This was a hard message. I didn't really want to preach it. My Bible tells me, ye servants of the Lord, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression and their sin. I begged God. I said, Lord, but the Bible also says, comfort me. Comfort me, my people. But you know, I believe both are happening here this morning. I believe it's bringing comfort to you whose hearts are pursuing after God. Your hearts are longing. Oh, I want to be holy. I want to be clean. I want to be filled with the Spirit. I don't want any sin dragging me down. I believe it could be comforting this morning to you, my brother, my sister. But oh, I pray it would be convicting. If you're making light of sin, and you're glossing it over, and you're only walking in partial obedience. You see, partial obedience isn't obedience. Saul discovered that when the prophet came and said, have you fulfilled the word of the Lord? Oh, yes, I did, I did. Well, then what meaneth the bleeding of the sheep and the oxen that I hear? Oh, well, I spared the best for the Lord. Well, and the people, I was afraid of the people. You know what God called that? God called that rebellion. Father in heaven, I pray in the name of Jesus, expose sin. Expose it, Lord, in the brightness of your holiness. And that someday it will be exposed. It will be naked and open before you at the judgment. Father, I pray you would expose it now so that sin can be repented of and go beforehand to judgment. That it can be repented of and forgiven and cleansed and washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus. And it can be said of us, yes, such were some of you, idolaters, fornicators, proud, covetous, revilers. Such were some of you, but now ye are washed. But now ye are sanctified. But now ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. Oh, God, go ahead. Put the x-ray up on that light board and let me see it. Tell me the truth about the results of that blood test. We'll give an invitation in two different segments. First segment is God has shown you sin in your life and you need to repent. God gives grace to the humble. Now, I urge you today, be not afraid of man. Be not afraid of what anyone else around you might say. But you get up out of your seat right now and you just come to the front here and kneel before the Lord and confess and repent. This is the loving kindness of our Heavenly Father. Let God be true and every man a liar. This is your opportunity to humble yourself and to repent and find forgiveness and cleansing and healing. Healing from all those broken relationships. Healing from all those hurts and wounds of my anger, my pride, my selfishness, my bitterness, my unforgiveness. Oh, come to Jesus, you who are weary, heavy laden. I'll give you rest. If you're in the besetting sin of pornography, just a little bit here, then oh, you feel so yucky and so bad. Say, I'll never do it again. But you find yourself back at that cesspool again. You can be free. You can be delivered. Whatever it is that's got a grip on your life of besetting sin. You see, sin can only stay active in our lives and lording it over us when we hide it. But oh, when we bring it to Christ Jesus the Lord, drag it into the light, there we find forgiveness. God bless you. I want you just to mind the Lord. Don't want anybody to do anything out of compulsion. It's before the Lord that we stand. Nothing out of peer pressure or any such thing. But just do business with God. Be honest with God. The second part of the invitation is, I know something's not right, but I don't know what it is. I know there is something not right. It's like there's this blockage between me and my Savior. Yes, I can talk with my Savior. I have fellowship, but there's something not right. The channel is somehow just being restricted. The flow just isn't free. And I want to know what it is. If that's you and you are meaning business with God, Lord, I want the result of the x-ray. I want to examine myself. I want you to examine my heart. I know something's not right. I don't have the joy I once had. Somehow, I don't have the freedom I once had. There is something wrong. Lord, show me. Show me my sin. If that's you, you just respond to the Lord. He wants to meet you there. Oh, yes. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for your Holy Spirit that convicts us of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come. Father, thank you for this dear congregation, my dear brothers and sisters whom I love. Father, bless each one. Thank you, Father, in Jesus' name. Those that have responded, you can just remain here quietly. Father, show us. Show us the path and the way to victory. Lord, we don't just want to go to an altar, but we want to meet Jesus. Father, you love us so much. You are so good. It's your goodness that leads us to repentance. Thank you, Lord. The scriptures teach us to confess our faults one to another and to pray one for another that we may be healed. I want to recommend that to us here today. Confess our faults one to another and pray one for another that we may be healed. I don't want you to just leave here and not really move forward with what God is doing in your heart right now. So I encourage us, confess one to another. Make yourself accountable to someone. Open up and tell the truth and pray for one another that you may be healed. Be still and know. Be still. Be still. I am a healer. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Amen, Lord. We do put our trust in you. Father, you are the only place that we can come to where it's safe and secure. We find love, forgiveness, redemption, restoration. Thank you, Lord. You are able to restore those years that the locust and the canker worm have eaten the palmer worm. Thank you that you are in the business of saving and restoring. Our hearts. Father, I just pray for each one of these dear ones that have responded to your voice. That have felt the softness in their heart. Thank you, Lord, for the response to you. Father, I just pray for continued softness toward you in each one of our hearts. Lord, in my own heart, I want to be soft toward you, Lord. When you speak, it doesn't matter how small it is, Lord. I want to respond with a softness and a yes. Thank you for your word to us this morning, Lord. Father, I pray that you would grant each one the desires of their heart, Lord. As they confess before you their need and open their hearts, humble themselves before you, before each other. Now we pray for grace, Lord, to be able to walk the narrow way. Lord, maybe there's someone here this morning that would like to raise their hand to make a confession, something that you're laying on their heart this morning that they need to confess, maybe, to the rest of the body. Maybe a testimony of grace of how you have met them and how you came through for them and how you are coming through for them. Maybe a prayer request. Lord, would you just lead and guide us here at the close of this service and help us, Lord, to hear what you're saying to us, Lord. Those of you who are up here, you're welcome to stay. Keep on praying. If you want someone to talk with, find someone that you can share with. Maybe go find a corner to pray. And share with that individual some more. We have a fellowship meal here today, so all are welcome to stay and partake of that. And we can fellowship and share with one another during that time. Is there someone that has something on your heart that you would like to share this morning? Something you can glorify God with in the midst of His people and that we can all be encouraged that God is good and He's working in our hearts and building each other up in our most holy faith. Is there someone that would have a testimony that you would like to share? Slip up your hand and the ushers can get a microphone to you. There's one here in the middle. There's another one up front here. I had a really good example of this message this last week. Thank you, Brother Aaron, for sharing. I took my van in to get it inspected. It didn't pass. Too much rust. And I knew it was a little rough around the edges, but well, where is it at? Well, it's down underneath, under the frame where the wheels mount. Spring mounts. I grew up out west. They didn't have inspections or rust. It was a new experience for me. I took it to a shop and it's not good. It's not worth fixing. But I got to thinking about it listening to the message this morning. Rust is like a cancer, like sin. And it gets in the places that are out of sight where it's hard to clean. It's hard to get to where you don't see it. And that's where the little sins get in and start eating away and they get established. So thank you, Brother Aaron. Yeah, thank you, Brother Aaron for that message. I've been thinking about that a lot this week, this past two months I've been, or past month or so, I haven't been able to work a lot just for several different reasons, for health and some other things. This last couple weeks I decided this week, or it used to be the past week now, I'm going to try to get a crazy full week of work in and get a good paycheck and all that. I was getting excited about it. So I started this week out really strong and it's fun. It's really fun to be a man and push, go forward. A couple days ago, I think it was Tuesday, I was talking with someone and it just hit me how far away I was from realizing God and letting Him be in control of my life. And I wasn't sinning in any blatant way or anything, but I was pushing God out. It's been kind of disconcerting after I realized that how many places in my life are like that. That I'm just going my own way, doing my own thing and letting that control me. And I'm really glad God showed that to me. I want to continue to let that x-ray, that searching from God, see whether you be in the faith or not. I want to continue to let that happen. And I felt very spiritual. I wasn't only working. I was planning on serving. I was in ministry, stuff like that. Yet, at the same time, I was going my own way, and I don't want to do that. So pray for me, and I just want to stay close to God to let that searching be a continuous thing. So thank you, Brother Aaron. Am I being transformed into the image of Christ? Two options. Either transformation or then conforming. I guess you'd call it confirmation. Am I being transformed from the inside out or conformed from the outside in? You know, it's pretty important that our bodies don't run the show of our lives. The Apostle Paul noted that in Corinthians chapter 9, 1 Corinthians chapter 9, he said, he expressed that he's free. He's totally free. He's free to be married, basically is what he was saying in the beginning of the chapter. And later he said he's free from all men, yet he's servant of all. And at the end of that chapter, verse 27, he says, but I keep my body under and bring it into subjection lest by any means when I preach to others, I myself should be a castaway. He didn't want to let his body run his life. So, may the Spirit of God deal with each one of our hearts in showing us how to allow him to have his way rather than allowing our body to run our lives the way it wants to run. All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life. Our flesh likes to go after those things. But Paul said he kept his body under. It becomes very practical, very practical. I won't name practical things, but for me I think about this different things like, no body, I guess I'm not going to allow you to have your way this time. Even if I have the liberty to do so. It's good practice for us. Is there anyone else that has something you'd like to share? Something concerning the message that blessed you? Something that you felt convicted of or maybe a testimony that you would like to share with us? Thank you, Brethren, for sharing about that narrow way. Very narrow and many are not willing to pay the price of walking that narrow way. I was talking with a neighbor to a customer that I was working for this past week and he put up his guards right away when it comes to anything talking about God at all. His flags go up right away and what he's seeing is many people that call themselves Christians and yet in his mind live worse or just as bad as anyone else. Later in the conversation he was talking about a friend that he has that wasn't getting along with his wife and his wife left him several times and I said, yeah, well many people are not willing to pay the price of true love. He agreed with that. Those on the narrow way are those that are willing to pay the price of being there. Am I willing to pay the price this next week? My work? Everything that I do and say? Pay the price of staying on that narrow way? There's not a lot of room for, there's really no room for myself on there but in Christ there's tremendous freedom. Thank you, Lord. Isn't that right? There's a lot of freedom on that road in Christ. In fact, we're totally free. For the Spirit of the Lord is this liberty. Total freedom. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for listening. We hope this message has blessed you. If you would like additional messages, please visit our website at ccfsermons.org Call us at 855-55-CHARITY or write to us at Charity Christian Fellowship 59 South Groffdale Road Leola, PA 17540 This ministry is supported by your donations. May Jesus Christ be Lord of all.