In this sermon, the preacher discusses the different types of church members based on their level of commitment to God. He uses the analogy of water levels to illustrate this concept. Some church members are only ankle-deep, meaning they have a shallow relationship with God. Others are knee-deep or waist-deep, showing a deeper level of commitment. However, the preacher emphasizes the importance of being fully immersed in serving and honoring God. He also references the story of Jesus and his disciples preparing for the Passover supper to highlight the significance of being actively involved in God's kingdom.

You'll find the reading in John chapter 13. Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew his hour was come, that he might deport out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. Supper being ended, the devil having now put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, that he was come from God and went to God. He rises from supper, laid aside his garments, took a towel, girded himself. After this he poured water into a basin, began to wash the disciples' feet, to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter. And Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do now, what I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith unto him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean everwith, and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him. Therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. So as he washed the feet, and taken his garments, was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye not that I have done to you? Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say, Well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you are also to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord. Neither he that is sent, greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye, if ye do them. Seventeen verses, if correctly read, out of the thirteenth chapter of the book of John. May we pray. O God, our Father tonight, we bow in your presence, and ask you to search our hearts and see if there be any wicked ways in us. Cleanse us of all of our sins of lust, and of pride, and of self, and foolish gestion, idle thought, idle talk. Anything else that's wrong in us, we pray that you'll cleanse us. That there may be nothing between us and you tonight. We've come to behold you, to adore you, to worship you. And we pray that nothing shall keep it from happening. Father, we thank you for this great church, and this dear pastor. For their faithfulness to the kingdom of God. For the eager, and concern, and compassion that they have to care on the kingdom work that you've assigned them to. We thank you, O Father, for the far-reaching influence of the ministry of this church. We realize that thousands of lives are being blessed because of their life. And we pray, Heavenly Father, tonight, that you'll enrich their lives and bless them greatly for it. We pray for those that are lost and without God in the world. Some way, some how, we pray that you'll help them to find the way to Christ. And for those who are cold and indifferent, we pray for revival to come. That are warm and challenged then. And O God, tonight, take thy servant and loose his tongue, and illuminate his mind, and give us holy unction. And get glory to thy name in everything that takes place tonight. For Christ's sake. Amen. In Matthew 26, chapter 36, verse You'll find these words. Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane. Saith the disciple, Sit ye here while I go, and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful. Even unto death, tarry ye here, and watch with me. He went a little farther and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. He cometh unto the disciples and findeth them asleep. Saith unto Peter, What, couldst thou not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, take your rest. Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hand of sinners. Rise, let us be gone. Behold, he is at hand, that doth betray me. While he yet spake, Lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, with a great multitude, with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. And he that betrayed him gave him a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he. Hold him fast. Forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail the Master, and kissed him. Taking those verses along with that scripture that I read a moment ago, I want to follow up a message last evening. When I tried to get you to see why God had created you, and let you live in the day in which you live in. Then why save you? And then why he added you to his church? And why anointed you in the church? And I tried to say it was to carry on the business of his kingdom. While he went away to prepare a place for us to go. When this life is over. In the Father's house were many mansions. He went there to prepare a place for us. While he was gone, he left his kingdom with the keys of transacting business between heaven and earth with the church. He didn't leave them with any fraternal order, or civic club, or social club, or any government, anything else. Any kind of religious movement. He left the keys of his kingdom with the church. And they are the only one that has power to use those keys, and has the right to use them. And the only one that gets religious response from him when they do use them. Now tonight I want to pick up there and say that there's four types of church members, or four classes of church members, or four kinds of church members. Call it either one you want to. Four groups, four classes, four kind. We find also in the book of Ezekiel, said a man measured a thousand cubits, and the weight of the waters were to ankles. Measured another thousand cubits, and the water were to the knees. Measured another thousand cubits, and the water was to the waist of a lion. Measured another thousand cubits, and waters were too deep to wade, waters to swim in. Waters that could not be passed over. So we find that classifies a lot of our church people. Some folks just got in ankle deep, that's all the farther they've ever gone with God. Some are in knee deep. Some are in waist deep. But thank God we've got some that's in all the way. Serving God, honoring God. So as we think about it tonight I want us to look, my friends, at the four kinds of church members, the four classes of church members. We have here a very interesting story. Jesus is coming into the city, and as he gets into the village he stops outside and tells two of his disciples going in the village. And when they get there they'll find a man bearing a pitch of water into the house. And they're to follow him. And he'll ask them why they're following and say where's the room that we can make ready for the master for the Passover supper. Now Jesus and the other ten disciples lingered outside of the village. These two went in and sure enough there was a man bearing a pitch of water in the house. And they said, what do you want? He said, where's the room that we should make ready for the Passover supper for the master. He carried him into an upper room. And showed them the room and they began preparation for the Passover supper. They went ahead with the full preparation of it. Jesus and the other ten disciples remained outside of the village for some reason. I don't know why. But about ten o'clock in the night the best we can find out they came in. And went in the upper room where the supper was being prepared. And as they were preparing this Passover supper which was celebrated by the Jewish people ever since the Passover the night when the blood was on the doorpost and on the lintel. It was once a year affair when they celebrated the Passover supper. It had been prepared. They were observing it. When Jesus came in they sat down around the table and while they were finishing up the Passover supper so they could observe it Jesus laid aside his cloak and girded himself with a towel and got a basin of water and went around to bathe the feet wash the feet of the disciples. When they got to Peter Peter said, Lord dost thou wash my feet? Jesus said you know not what I'm doing now you'll understand later what I'm doing. You don't understand now but later on you'll know what I'm doing. Then Peter said not my feet Lord you're the Lord and you're not going to wash my feet. Jesus looked up at him and said if I wash not your feet Peter you have no part in my kingdom. Peter broke down and said not only my feet but my head and my hands I want a part in your kingdom. He is ready to be washed. Jesus said oh no you don't need to be washed anywhere else only your feet are dirty. Jesus teaching a profound truth and yet it is. He's simply saying to Peter and those disciples I cannot use defiled saints you don't need to be saved again you can't be once you're saved but you can get your life so filed up and defiled with the worldly things until Jesus can't use you. He can't send us out with dirty hands to hand out the bread of life folks don't want it out of dirty hands He can't send us out with a dirty vessel to give out the water of life because folks don't want to drink out of a dirty vessel. So he's simply saying I just can't use a defiled saint. Many times a lot of people in our churches get upset because God don't use them. You need to see if your feet need washing. The reason God don't use a lot of our people is because they're too worldly. Worldly minded. They got dirty feet so to speak. They've never been willing to go all the way and put everything on the altar for God. They got some reservations in their lives. They just serve God when it's convenient. Serve God when there's nothing else to do. God can't use members like that and he ain't going to use them. Many times people get upset in the church because the preacher and the leaders of the church don't use them. And the Lord don't call on them. Well the reason of it is Jesus said I you can have no part in my kingdom if you got dirty feet. So there's a lot of people want to fool with the world and hang out with the world and dress like the world and drink like the world and go to the worldly places and then want God to use them. God will not do it. So my friends if you think God's not you're kind of grumbling about God not using, the church not using look around and see if you don't need to clean house a little. Jesus said I'll not use defiled saints unless you're clean don't expect God to use you. Don't get upset because the church don't use you and call upon you if your life is questionable if you're living a worldly life if you're not dressing godly like Christian women if you're not got holy hands like men ought to have then don't blame the church and God for not using you because my friends if you want God and the church to use you there must be cleanliness he's clean and he don't want anybody representing him that's not clean so that's the first great truth that he drove home to those disciples and so my friends many of us need a foot washing I'm one of these Baptists that believe in foot washing now I'm not talking about a basin of water and some fellow down at the front putting your foot in water and then taking it out and wiping it off with a towel nobody's fit to wash my feet because theirs as dirty as mine and I'm sure I'm not fit to wash anybody else's feet because mine's dirty as theirs the only person in the Bible that ever washed feet was Jesus and he was worried because his was not dirty and he could wash them and leave us clean but if we try to wash each other's feet today we'll have some defilement about us that'll contaminate them maybe well what we need to do is not go to some person in the church to wash our feet we need to go to Jesus and present our feet and say look Lord wherever I'm dirty wherever I'm unclean wherever I'm defile wash me Lord I want to be used a lot of people get mad because God won't use them I was in another part of your state some time ago we was having a great meeting one night some eighteen had come to the altar the pastor of the deacons was dealing with them and there's a woman came down the aisle and she just sat down on the seat and she's wringing her hand got to crying then she got to popping her heels on the floor she got hysterical and the preacher of the deacons tied up counseling with some people and I thought well I'll go and try to help her I went and I said sister what's the matter with you she said oh I love the Lord and I want to do something for my Lord I just love him so good I want to serve him and this the preacher and the deacons of this church won't give me no job they're just killing me and she was creating a real scene stomping her heels and crying and I said that's all that's wrong with you she said yes sir preacher that's all I said then calm yourself wait a minute I'm going to assign you three jobs right now you lead every lost person in three miles of this church to Christ then you get them baptized into the church and get them to tie then third you get them a backslider in three miles of this church re-enlisted when you get those three jobs completed call me collect at Myrtle, Mississippi and I'll assign you three more she jumped up and stomped back to her seat and flopped down I didn't get no more out of her she wasn't wanting to do nothing for God she wanted to put on a show or have a fit showing off now a lot a lot of people get all upset and stomp and snort and cry and they're not wanting to do anything for God they just want to cover up their meanness that night when I got home I said to the pastor I said you and your Dickens ought to be ashamed of yourself a woman crying and taking on like that wanting to give her a job and you won't give her one I said what in the world is the matter with you kind of dropped his head and said well preacher she's broke up six homes divorced and married she's breaking up the seven now and fixing divorce and marry again we didn't think she's fit to lead our young people as an example I said I don't either let her stomp and cry you hear me tonight until Jesus washes our feet we're not fit for the kingdom service and as long as you're saying well I'm good as anybody else I'm better than so and so it doesn't matter whether you're good as somebody else better than so and so are your feet clean in the sight of God that's it if you got clean feet then God loves you so if you feel like God's not used this church's not used like yours too get a foot washing from the Lord not from some person but from the Lord and he gets through then you'll start living then as he got through washing the feet he said I'll begin to partake of the supper Jesus said it is written that the Son of Man shall be betrayed but woe unto him by whom the Son of Man is betrayed it be better for him had he never been born than to betray the Son of God and they he said I shall be betrayed tonight and the sorrow fell over the twelve disciples it shocked them one of them said Lord is it I could it be I could it be me Jesus said no went on around could it be me no on around till finally came to Judas Jesus Judas said to Jesus is it I Jesus said thou has said it and what thou doest doest thou quickly Judas got up and abruptly left left the supper room left out from the disciples and Jesus went out and joined himself with the Christ hating God hating church hating people began to make plans to sell out to that crowd Jesus Christ after he's gone that Jesus institutes the Lord's supper and he said as oft as you take of this bread you do show forth my death till I come as oft as you drink of this cup you do declare my coming again and this do in remembrance of me not in remembrance of each other but in remembrance of me so he established the memorial supper of the Lord and that memorial supper is a vital thing as oft as you do it do it in remembrance of me not in remembrance of each other your husband or your wife or your neighbor your mom or papa but in remembrance of me we're looking at the picture of the shed blood of the broken body when you observe the Lord's supper it was a sacred thing it took the place of the Passover supper Passover supper was observed once per year every Jew had to be in his own house with his own family on the night of the Passover every Jew and his family observed the Passover supper on the same night at the same hour across the world the Lord's supper took the place of the Passover supper my friends when it's observed like the Jews observed the Passover supper it have a tremendous impact which would simply mean this that every member of every church would be in his or her own church on that night if a Jew was somewhere else in some other family he couldn't observe it he had to be in his own house so the Jews planned their travel their business their pleasure where they'd be at home on the Passover night and all of them observe it think of all the members of a church on the night of the Lord's supper would lay down everything and be there and observe it and all across the world every Christian that's a member of a church would go that night and observe the Lord's supper memorializing the death of Jesus and the coming of Jesus then there wouldn't be any question about who's gonna observe it with who everybody would be in his own church under his own roof and then it makes such an impact upon the lost world that they'd say what's going on tonight everybody that's got God is going somewhere this is a memorial night see what an impact it'd have on a lost hell-bent world yet if we tack it on the end of some service rush to get through it doesn't have the significance that it ought to have and we need to see it so my friends he observed it he didn't until Judas was gone the Lord's supper is a church ordinance not a denominational ordinance not some other kind of ordinance it's a church ordinance observed only by the church and everybody else that's supposed to be in here can tell you who they are for example if you came up here tonight and handed me twenty twenty dollar bills said one of them's counterfeit if you pick out the counterfeit we'd give you the other nineteen I'd probably miss the nineteen cause I wouldn't know which is which but I'd go to one of you people who work at the bank and say here's twenty twenty dollar bills one of them's counterfeit which one wouldn't take but a moment you'd pull out and say the other nineteen's alright cause you know now those disciples didn't know Judas was a hypocrite he preached he prayed he ate with Jesus he healed folks he cast out devils even he's very influential but when it come to the showdown he sold out Jesus said Judas what thou doest doest thou quickly you know what Jesus said Judas this is your last chance to be saved if you're gonna accept me do it now or leave Judas Iscariot could have been saved that split second he could have got saved but he didn't he got up and went out and joined in with the crowd that was against Christ and against the church and identified himself with the God hating Christ hating church hating folks and lined up to the betrayed Jesus and to bring reflection upon his church now we've got a lot of people a hypocrite is somebody that's so near the thing only Jesus could detect you say well Mr. Ray I thought a hypocrite was folks who joined the church then get to drinking and then cussing and committing adultery and lying and stealing getting drunk all the time oh no no they're not hypocrites they're traitors see if somebody goes out here and adorns the uniform of this country puts on the United States service clothes takes the oath to the flag joins the army the navy then he goes out here and turns on the American nation gives away all of our secrets and starts fighting with the enemy you'd say he's a traitor well anybody that joins a church and then starts running around helping keep up the honka tonks and pool halls and dance halls and nightclubs and beer joints and so on you've become a traitor you're helping run those things that's destroying the church of the Son of God hypocrite's too nice a word for you you are a traitor but a hypocrite is someone that looks so much like the real that only a specialist can determine who they are the other disciples couldn't determine it, Jesus knew so my friends you see people join our churches and they look like they're the best folks in the church and many times they're better than most of us they pray they pray, they pay, they present them time doors open they can't do enough for the preacher and do enough for the church they're just the best workers you ever saw and they outshine most all the members just doing and giving and being there and helping you think well that's the best member we got but all of a sudden something don't go to suit them and they blow up and blow out and blow off they get mad they get out and turn against the church and criticize the church criticize the deacons and hate the preacher and love to kill him and run him off they do all they can to rip wear and tear and destroy the church they're hypocrites you thought they're the best you had and they turn out to be the meanest people in the community they live for three or four years had you fooled but when the pressure's brought to bear they won't stand, they'll blow up and blow out that's your first type that's your first class that's your first kind my friends you'll see them as you go along in the church you'll see somebody you think that's the best member we got something don't go to suit them or they're not pleased with the preacher preaching something or something else and they blow up and turn on the church and criticize and fight and cuss and try to wreck the church and disgrace the preacher over it that's a bunch of hypocrites they ain't never been saved they just got religion that's all they got and our churches always have some like that and if you haven't had some before long you'll find one of those kind that's your first class then after he's gone and gone out to join in with the crowd and get staves and clubs and lights to come in and take Jesus and betray him Jesus turns to them and says to the disciples I'll soon be going I'm going to prepare a place for you and I'll be back after a while and carry you to it and I'm not going to leave you orphaned and comfortless I'm going to send the Holy Spirit of God to you and he'll be your comforter he'll be your helper he'll take care of you while I'm gone and he'll remain with you until I get back he'll teach you he'll guide you he'll comfort you he'll be a friend to you he'll look after you then in the 15th chapter Jesus said I'm the vine and you're the branches if you abide in me and I in you you'll bear much fruit you've not chosen me but I've chosen you and ordained you that you should be bear permanent fruit then in the 16th chapter he warns of things that shall come then in the 17th chapter he prays for the disciples that God would keep them while they're in the world and protect them while they're in the world and see that they get up there where he's at when the time's over and after he's prayed for them then my friends Jesus comes and said arise and let us be going the owl is here and as a result Jesus got up and left out of the upper room and the disciples found him and they entered the garden of Gethsemane and when they entered Jesus said to eight of the disciples when they entered he said to eight of the twelve sit ye here where? just inside the gate just as he got in he said sit down right there now that's eight of the twelve eleven left why did he say sit ye here? cause he knew that's what they was going to do like a friend of mine said you know my children always mind me they never disobey me I said how come? he said I find out what they want to do and tell them to do it and they do it that's a pretty good way Jesus knew that's what they was going to do and as a result Jesus said sit ye here cause he knew that's what they wanted to do now you listen to me tonight my brother sister there's eight of the twelve there's a second type of church member second kind or second group of church members Jesus didn't say watch Jesus didn't say pray Jesus didn't say do nothing cause he knew they wasn't going to do anything but sit said sit ye here where? just inside the gate next to the vents cause he knew what they was going to do they were so worldly minded they had to stay there where they could reach out and give them some world every day they couldn't stand it without some of the worldliness of the world everybody else is doing it everybody else is living like that and Lord don't expect us to do any better eight of the eleven you hear this pretty much that's where 75% of your Baptist church members are now sitting at the gate they never pray they never pay they're never present except some special time like Easter like Christmas we got a lot of C.E.B. Baptists C stands for Christmas a lot of folks come at Christmas cause they give out little presents here comes that bunch of Christmas Baptists you won't see them no more till next Christmas so they can see Santa Claus then they got the C.E. the E is for the Easter Baptists just come on Easter when they want to show off their hats and dresses and suits and see who all's there and see who can dress the prettiest parade, show off Easter we gotta go and chase the Easter Rabbits and hunt the eggs and parade and you won't see that bunch till next Easter you just watch it you got a bunch of Easter Baptists they'll come on Easter and that's on time they come that church ought to have Easter it's a pagan celebration you know where Easter come from the pagans would lay out on the mountain all night long get drunk and commit all kind of sex I guess when the sun started up in the morning they'd run down the hill at the sunrise holding up their hands praising the God of Easter Spring God of Spring not Jehovah but the God of Spring I know a lot of Baptists still trying to do that my friend just come on Easter they'll come all the time then the B Baptist is the Buzzard Baptist just come when you got something dead and if you ain't got nothing dead they won't come but if you got something dead they'll fly up on the field Buzzard Baptist we got a lot of Baptists that won't come to church no time until you get a stink stirred up in the church you get some stink stirred up over the preacher, the deacons or somebody else and get a huss stirred up and a stink stirred up in the church and all them old Buzzard Baptists that haven't been there in ten years will come in and flop in their seat getting ready to lift their black wings and flop their vote you've seen it you will sometime you'll be back to the next stink in the church and that's the crowd my friends that's never gone anywhere for God Jesus didn't say pray Jesus didn't say watch or anything he said sit ye here oh they want to go to heaven when we die I want the choir to sing at my funeral I want the preacher to say something nice when I'm dead I want them to roll me down the aisle have a nice time but leave me alone until I'm dead don't bother me, I live like I please we got a lot of Baptists like that 75% of our Baptists don't ever pray, never present never pray they're hitchhikers going to go to heaven want to go easy don't cost nothing I don't have to pay or pray or be present I'll go easy if you let me farmers, hitchhikers just want to go to heaven if they can, but they don't want to pay or pray or be present that's about 75% of the average church if you doubt it where's the rest of it belong to this church tonight there's more members got the name on this church than there are present, I guarantee you where are they now face the truth of it we stop to realize they want to belong they want to go to heaven when they die but they don't want to put out they want to hitchhike or they want God in case of emergency kind of like a spare car deal it's nice to have an extra spare in your trunk of the car, you have a flat or blow out a puncture, you can just change wheels and keep it going and a lot of folks just using God as a spare wheel, spare car they don't have to call on God no time until they have a blow out or a flat or a puncture and then they come and call on God they don't want the church they don't want the preacher they don't want you deacons or no leaders of the church to bother them until they get sick in the hospital then they want all of you to run down and pray over them and a lot of our praying is hypocritical we get down we've been down praying for God to straighten them out and God starts putting whip to them get them high fever, pain they go to the hospital and run down and say Lord cool their fever and heal their pain and speed their recovery God don't knock a knot on your head I don't go down there and say thank you God for answered prayer run the fever high, make the pain low until they get right all the way there's a misunderstanding there if somebody's really been for God, it's worth praying I'll show you what I mean one day one of my fine women called me and said brother, come over here, I've got to talk to you I said okay, went on and said my brother the doctors have found he's got an incurable disease won't last over three months and said I've got more faith in you than any man I ever saw live I believe anything you really pray for especially if you fast and pray God hears and answers I said I do too, the reason I pray she said I want you to pray for my brother I said what's the matter with him said all the doctors found out he's got an incurable disease won't last three months, he's going to die and I believe if you get out and pray hard enough that God will let him live I said what for he's been to church one time in 15 years and paid a quarter when he come I'd be embarrassed to ask God to let him live and I ain't going to do it and he died about a year after that, the daughters of that woman called me and said brother Ray come to the hospital and be with us I said what's the matter, said mother's about gone I dressed right quick and jumped in the car and went over there couple of nurses and two doctors about the bed and she's just a gaffer but before I went when I got dressed I run by the church and got on to the front bench and I called on God we need that old sister every time doors open she's there waving her hands for God smiling saying praise the Lord I couldn't think what we could do without her she was her appraiser you know God gives some church appraisers and others ameners she's one of the appraisers and God said alright I'll let her live a while since you asked me I said thank you Jesus I went on over and went in she's lying there struggling for breath I said thank you brother Ray for coming I stayed there a little bit I said I've got to run along now I'll see you later he said brother Ray mother's dying I said oh no she's going to be alright why brother Ray I said she'll be alright don't worry see you in the morning started down the hallway of the hospital one of them run down there and said brother Ray the doctor said when you left out she didn't have no sense you didn't know what she was talking about mama's dying she's got the death gurgle now I said well honey if the doctor and the nurses know more than God well you just listen to them I said my phone's right by my bed if you need me before morning call me I'll be here in ten minutes about two o'clock in the morning the phone rang I jumped up and grabbed the phone I said alright I said brother Ray rush over to the hospital right quick I said what's the matter I said mama's on the floor shouting we can't get her to go back to bed she's still shouting that's been about twelve years didn't embarrass me to ask God to help her live you that have carried the load and prayed the prayers and paid the bills it don't embarrass me God help us to see it for those that are the crowd that don't want to pay just want to thumb a ride to heaven you know what to remind me of I was over in Arkansas and hold a meeting and had these old picture pumps you see the water level so low they just drive an iron pipe down in the ground about twenty feet and put a pump on it and pump water I went and drank a water and went out and had the old pump it wasn't getting no water man the deacon came out and said what's the matter preacher I said your well's dry I can't get no water he said oh it just needs priming I said what do you mean he said you have to prime the pump he said the leather on the valve gets dry and it won't suck water I said pour a little water he said you start pumping I started pumping he started pouring a little water a little bit that old pump and the water started running it had to be primed his sorcerer is out and he left I waited a little while and went back out there and pushed down on him gone I poured me some water he said you get water we got a lot of baptists right there get down on Sunday and the preacher and the singers they sing and yell at their death and the preacher pumps and pampers and primes and they twiggle and snore and whirr and laugh they catch the spirit he said boy we gonna do things for God now get back Sunday night and push it on most of our church people my friends most of the preachers spend their time priming the pumps we want to be ready to go when we get there but we've been sitting to close to the world grounded to the world for example you'll go out in the morning step on your starter groan short crake batteries dead you call the garage man he charges it up and you crank up and go home Next morning, you push in, battery's dead. You see something wrong? They go out here and call the battery shop and they come out and put the tester on. Your battery's all right. It's alive. You've got a naked wire somewhere. It was sat in the juice out here. Oh, here's the naked wire. Let me wrap that and insulate that. And you'll have plenty of current. And when it does, you can go up, you're gone. Now, we've got a lot of Baptists just like that. They've held onto the world, been grounded to the televisions and worldliness and a lot of other stuff when they come to church until they're worn down. And the preacher and the singer pushes in on them. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. The preacher gets up like that. he's still playing, he's up there, I don't like that, run down, and we keep on until we get them, they're charged up and you think, boy we're going to go places, come back that night, run down in, huh, grounded to the world, hadn't ever got inside with God yet, 75% of your church is right there, grounded to the world, nothing attractive to the church, they don't want to come, they'd rather look at the television or go to a ball game or go to a family reunion or picnic or something else, than to come to the house of God, they're grounded to that stuff, they've got, they don't want to give it up, hey, a lot of Baptists don't want to give up those things bad enough to go to church, so they just flop down, hang on, Jesus said sit in here, he didn't say pray, he didn't say what, he didn't say anything, but sit here, and that's where a great percent of our Baptists are tonight, than to three of them, he said come on, and he carried three of them inside with him, into the garden, and Jesus said sit ye here, and watch with me, you notice what he said, sit ye here, and watch with me, he didn't tell them to watch with him, cause they ain't going to look at nothing but the world and the world of things and the world of places and the world of ways, they ain't going to look with Jesus, they want to look with the world, but these got too far inside to look at the world, and Jesus said watch with me, and he went a little forth, fell down and prayed, he come back, and they'd gone to sleep, he woke them up, he said it's rough out there where I'm praying, the Spirit's willing, but the flesh is weak, I'm having a hard time yielding this body to be crucified, it's going to be pain, I'm going to suffer hell and death, and it's hard for the flesh to give in, watch with me, and pray with me, again, they're so tired, they fell asleep, he woke them up, he said watch with me, pray with me, it's not easy out there where I'm at, I've got to give this life, suffer hell, be without God for a while, like a man without God, the Spirit's willing, but the flesh is weak, watch with me, and pray with me, he went again, and he come back, my friend, my precious brother and sister, the greatest thing, the greatest thing about the Christian experience with me, and I want to be with you, is right there, Jesus had enough confidence in those three disciples to say pray with me, and watch with me, help me through this rough place, by him and for him all things were created, Lord of lords and King of kings and the God of this universe, says to me and you who are inside with him, watch with me, and pray with me, and help me bear what I'm fixing to bear, my, my, what a thing, what an honor, what an honor, the Son of God, Jehovah, King of kings and the Lord of lords, has enough faith in me, in you, to say watch with me, and pray with me, it's wrote out there, now that's your third class, and that's the ones that keep the church going, that's the one that keeps the kingdom of God going, that's the one that bears up the load of Christianity, and without him the church would go out of business, listen to me, one of the most precious things in my life, I wouldn't, there's not enough money on the face of the earth to buy this privilege, for me, not enough to take it from me, I wouldn't, off the top of everything in this world I'd say, go junk it, I ain't swapping, what is it, that Jesus calls on me to watch with him and pray, way hours in the morning, when everybody around is asleep, he comes in and punches him and says, Percy, watch with me and pray, Curtis Barber, your friend over yonder needs some help right now, get up and get down here and help me pray for Curtis, and I get down there and shed tears, a little bitty said, that's alright son, 3 o'clock in the morning, I get woke up, the Lord said, listen, get out and get on your knees, pray for Beulah Baptist Church, they need your prayers, real bad right now, in a revival or something, they need you, pray for them, and I get down there and talk with Jesus and we talk together about Beulah Baptist Church and he said, that's alright, they'll make it now, here's some little old preacher, the devil's about trying to wreck him and he's about ready to throw in the towel and quit, and the Lord nudges him and says, get down and pray for him, get up out of that bed, get down here and pray for him, oh, my friends, that's the highest honor, that's the greatest privilege of a human being, nothing about Christianity is great as that outside of salvation, and it's helped me a lot of times, I remember one night I was going through South Carolina and I had to offer this temptation, and if I'd have yielded to what I was tempted with, I wouldn't be here preaching tonight, I'd be gone, it was a terrible thing, and I just didn't see how I'd ever make it, and I was battling like I'd never battled before since, and all of a sudden, just something spoke out and said, what are you bothered about, it's alright, get on, and it all left me, that's alright, about three weeks after that, a godly old woman that never did say much in church, come to me and put her arm around me and said, son, Thursday night, three weeks ago, at two-thirty in the morning, what's the matter with you, said God made me get out of the bed, get on my knees, and he said, no, that ain't gonna get it done, you're gonna have to lay on your face, pray for your pastor, I said, I fell on my face, I agonized with God, and I probably said, you can get up and go to bed, he's alright, it's over, oh, money can't buy that, presidents can't designate that, most every one of you sitting here tonight, some old saint that is close enough to God that God called on him, and said, get out here and pray for that boy, that girl, that family, that home, you didn't even know it, but God had some one of his main saints down there, one of those that's gone in the inner circle, inner circle, done left the world, done left the fence and the gate, done gone in, where it can't be grounded, no way to reach far enough to get grounded, done got in too far, and God said, pray, and they crawl out and get on their knees and tears run on their cheeks and drip on the bed of the fall, and God said, that's alright, I'll take care of it now, then you think, well, how come I didn't go on to when that happened to me? How come, how come I didn't give up in rank? I'll tell you how come, the Lord God of heaven saw you going through, your spirit was willing, but your flesh was weak and you were about to go to pieces, he went and found some of his disciples sleeping, woke them up and said, come on, pray, pray, watch, pray, watch until that victory is won, and all of a sudden, it's won, hallelujah, hallelujah, my friend, that's what I'm talking about, those three that's gone in with God, he's the one that's the backbone and the heartbeat and the life and the power of the church of the living Son of God, God put you in there and he's called you and you come away from the world, you got out from the gate and you come inside, then Jesus said, come on now, get up, praying's over, battle's on now, let's go, and they got up and started out the garden, here comes old Judas and the devil's crowd, got a bunch of torches and lights and swords and staves, said now fellows, when I get there, I'll kiss him and holler, hail the master, and you lay hold on him, I don't want him to think I'm gonna get him, I'm gonna pray like I love him, hail the master, I'll kiss him, that's him getting him Torches, clubs, staves, here they come, hunting for Jesus, looking for Jesus, where's Christ, where's Jesus, we don't know, we've been too busy watching the world, hanging with the worldly bunch, we don't know where he went, we can tell you how the ballgame come out, we can tell you how many fish they caught, but we don't know where Jesus is And they go on, and they find, they find Jesus, but are you listening, this bunch don't know nothing about Jesus, Judas and that crowd that's going to hell, they couldn't tell them where Jesus was, and did you know this crowd that's around the edge of the garden can't tell you how to be saved You go and say, I'm lost and going to hell, but you tell me how to be saved, well, I've never been talked so well and I'm not gifted at that, I tell you, you'll have to go see the preacher, that's what they hire him for, brother, son, no, I think he's moved Oh, come back, wait a minute, I think it done run him off, I haven't been down there in nine years, and I don't know who's down there now, oh, I know a good old godly deacon, he wins people to Jesus, and you go see him, he'll tell you how to get saved Oh no, I just had a thought, he died about a year ago, he ain't there no more, I don't know nobody you just have to go to hell for as I'm concerned, I don't know nobody who leads you to Christ, and that crowd don't, they don't care I'm not being vicious, I'm telling you the truth, let's face it tonight, my friends, they don't care, they're not interested, and furthermore, my friends, let me show you one other thing about it You remember a man brought his son to this crowd, and said, my son has fits and falls from afar, he's got devils, would you help him? And that ape couldn't do nothing for him, any other old pal, they couldn't help the fella And so the next thing, this man carried his son to Jesus, said, sir, if you can, notice the word, if you can, would you help my boy? That's the only place in the word of God, my friends, where anybody said to Jesus, if you can Everywhere else they said, you can, would you? You can, would you do it for me, please? This place, they said, if you can, why? His disciples couldn't do it, and it made them wonder if Jesus could We sang, Jesus saves, Jesus saves, preachers, preachers, the way of salvation is through Christ, He'll save you, some sinner who's a sot, said, if that's it, I'm in you, I'm right with you, Jesus saves, Christ is there, we've all got church Wait a minute, old Jim, he got that religion, it didn't do him no good, he's drunk and I am today, Lord, if you can, help me, would you? It didn't do old Jim any good, but if you can help me, please help me But if they hear Jesus saves, Christ is the answer, I remember John, was the worst sot than I am, Jesus saved and so did him, I'm going to him, sir, Christ, you saved old John, saved me There's Sue, of her, got saved and here's somebody else being wrecked by sex perversion, saved old Sue, he didn't save me, save me Lord, you didn't sue I'm saying that to say this, my brother, sister, until we get people to live it, you can't win the world of Christ We can sing all we want to Jesus saved, we can preach all we want to, Christ is the answer, but until Baptists get to practice in what they preach and say, the world continues to move towards hell And as a result of it, my friend, the power is in those who turn the loose of the world, and then they laid hold upon Jesus Jesus went up and held up my son, broke and run like a cow does, old Peter jumped up about half asleep, grabbed his sword out of his sheath, clipped an ear off, he told it, don't hit him no more I'm not going to win this thing with swords, I need to win it with violence, I can just call down 12 legionaries, 12 times 80,000, swipe the whole business out around here, I'm not going to do it that way They laid hold to Jesus, began to strip him down, put a false robe on him, pushed a crown of thorns on his head, began to slap him, spit on him, and those disciples scrammed down, they left And old Peter got off out there with the devil's crowd, all the rest of them left, but old John, the beloved, said there's no need in me going, I know all them priests, Sanhedrin's, they know me, they know I'm a follower of God Ain't no way of my escape, he just didn't run, he stayed with Jesus, but old Peter got out there and got to warming his feet, but the devil's crowd was far Somebody come along and said, hey, here's one of them disciples, let's kill him, no, no, no, wrong, this is one of them, no you've got to be wrong And a little old gal comes along and says, you are one of them, you're Peter, I know who you are Peter jumped up and stomped his foot and cursed and said, I don't know him Jesus had told Peter before the cock crows three times, you deny me tonight, and when that cock crew, he didn't keep stomping his feet and cursing He run to Jesus and fell down and said, Master, I'm wrong, I'm sorry, forgive me, I did need my feet washed, they are dirty, I've been warming them, but the wrong crowd's far Jesus told him before the night is over he'd catch on, he's caught on now, saying wash my feet, wash my feet, Lord, wash my feet, oh, wash my feet, I'm sorry They're on the way to the cross, John's going along, as they spit on Jesus, some of it went on John, no doubt They took a lash with slugs in it, whipped John, and the blood would sling on John when they whipped Jesus Raving and cursing him, but John went on, and up the way to go Traveled to Golgotha's hill, John rode along with him, when they got up there, nails to his hands, nails to his feet And the mob crying out, crucify him, crucify him, son of the most high God, spitting on him, cursing him Why don't you get out off the cross and save your buddies and save yourself, ha, ha, ha, ha Thou that destroyest the temple, build it again in three days, my son of God the Messiah, ha, ha, ha, ha Why don't you come down and save your buddies there, save yourself, ha, ha, ha, ha, what can you do All that was left up there as a friend was John, but old John stood on that foot of the cross Nobody but him running, everybody knew he was a follower of Jesus Finally, John looked up and said, Master, he'd watched them stick that spear in the side of Jesus and the blood came out He knew it wasn't long then, everybody around that cross was cursing and raving and spitting and making fun But John said, Master, anything else I can do for you before you leave me And Jesus looked down and said, Yes, John, take care of mother for me, substituting for the substitute John, I'm dying for mother and for you and the rest of humanity, would you look after mother for me, John John said, Thank you, yes I will And tradition tells us that John took care of the mother of Jesus tenderer than any son ever took care of a mother He even quit some of his preaching to look after the mother of Christ And then Jesus healed the ghost on the cross John went and took the mother and cared for her And you hate your brother, you have murdered the truth, it's not in you Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, because his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot continue practice instead You love the world and the things of the world, the lust of the eye and the lust of the flesh, the love of God's not in you Oh, the world got mad, they said, that old fanatical crackpot preacher, he's gone crazy, he's lost his marbles He hung around that old woman, they called Jesus mother, and he's gone snap crazy We can't listen to him, old John would go back to pulpit and he'd take out after him again He'd preach against their sins and their hellishness and their wickedness And they said, old man, you're going to quit, and he did skip that much of it Finally, they said, we just well take him off They didn't have any asylum, so they picked out a rock over on the Isle of Patmos Said, we'll take him over there and leave him Not leave no boat, leave nobody with him, he was shut up there They'd load old John up, and get him loaded up Get him in the boat and head out with him And as they head out, they had to go across out into the sea They continued to go, and as they go, they finally arrived And when they get over there, they say, old man, you're going to quit this kind of preaching And he'd leave out after him again And they said, let's just leave him over here Said, you're going to shut up, he didn't shut up So they said, all right fellas, get in the boat and let's leave him over there Here they go, had to go Can't see the boat no more, it's gone Not another boat anywhere He's left away on that island to starve All by himself Way off over there on that island Well, then John looked up and said, Master Looks like this is it, I'm fixing to come in I took care of your mama Anything else I can do for you, Lord? Can't get back to civilization, the sea's got me surrounded Nobody over here but me on this rock Lord, anything else I can do? Jesus said, oh yes, son He said, what? Said, look there Said, pick up that scroll Write something for me Come on, John Get that scroll I got something I want you to write down And old John got the scroll Said, all right I'm ready, Master I'm ready Just give it to me After these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying Alleluia Salvation and glory and honor And the power of the Lord thy God Write it down, John And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up forever and ever For true and righteous are his judgments For he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth With her fornication And had avenged the blood of his servants at her hand Alleluia The four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down And worshiped God that sat on the throne Saying, Amen, Alleluia Amen, Alleluia And a voice came out And the poor voice came out of the throne Saying, praise our God, all ye his servants Ye that fear him, both small and great And I heard a voice, it was a voice of great multitudes And a voice of many waters And a voice of many thunderings Saying, Alleluia Amen, Alleluia The Lord God, omnipotent reigneth Come on, John Here's something else I want you to write Write it down for me Get ready, John Here it comes Write this down And then Listen to what John wrote down again And I saw a new heaven and a new earth For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away And there was no more sea The sea is gone, John Now John saw the holy city The new Jerusalem coming down from God in heaven To practice the bride adorned for her husband And I heard a great voice of the heavens saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men And he will dwell with them And they shall be his people And God himself shall be with them Be their God And God shall wipe away all their tears from their eyes There shall be no more death Neither sorrow nor crying Neither shall there be any more pain The former things are all passed away And he that sat upon And he that sat upon the throne said Behold, I make all things new Said unto me Right, for these things are true and faithful And he said unto me It is done I am the Alpha The Omega The Beginning The End And I'll give unto him that is athirst to the fountain of the water of life freely Slide her down, John Alleluia John pulled back the curtain Peep to the glory He said Oh, who's all that bunch under there hollering How long, how long A number I can't even number Who are they, Lord He said These are they that's made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb And the sea is gone, there's no more sea The great morning has come Alleluia I'm right in the Alpha and Omega, he said Alleluia Amen Alleluia You say, preacher I don't feel like hooping it up like that You ain't been in as deep as he has Get in all the way You have a hooping spell Get in all the way At least get in deep enough, my friends He'll call on you And bless you Where are you tonight? Judas' Fence straddlers and gate setters Or have you gone in Deep enough that God calls on you Or have you gone in deep enough You can shout the victory Which class are you in tonight? Which group are you in tonight? It's free You can go as far as you want to go Whosoever will