In this sermon, the preacher shares a personal experience of going door-to-door to evangelize. He encounters a man who is initially resistant but eventually sits down to listen. The preacher emphasizes the importance of recognizing one's own sinfulness and the consequences of not accepting Jesus as Savior. He also warns against rushing into leadership roles in the church without proper spiritual growth. The sermon concludes with a reminder to stay committed to serving God and to be mindful of the brevity of life.

Brother Harville, I was in Texas yesterday, spoke at Miller Road to their workers' banquet for the fall program Friday night, and, oh, I've been thinking, and it's interesting, you should come tonight, because I've been thinking about the people there a little bit. You know, the Apostle Paul said, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth. Now, you just have to be a preacher to understand how I feel about people like Bobby and Shirley Harville. I was their pastor in Garland, Texas. Bobby came down one day and said, God's called me to preach the gospel. Now, it's been thirteen years, over thirteen years, since I was their pastor, but they just keep on going for God. Just keep on going for God. Sometimes people ask me, what would happen to First Baptist Church if you left? Well, we'd have parties of rejoicing and gifts exchanged, and I don't know. I don't know. And I'll be quite honest with you, I'm far more concerned about what would happen to the people than I am the church. Spurgeon's Tabernacle is almost empty tonight, but Spurgeon's influence will never cease to be. I was in Garland and Miller Road Baptist Church, oh, they had some real problems. And the church is small now, it's not large like it used to be. But there's one church that was started from Miller Road Baptist Church that had twelve hundred in Sunday school last Sunday. And there are churches all over the city of Garland that were started by our preacher boys and the influence. In fact, somebody told me Friday that probably every church in the city of Garland that preaches the Bible has a lot of our old converts that are sort of in places of responsibility. And I have no greater joy than to hear that my children, my spiritual children, walk in the truth. People ask me, what do you think will happen to First Baptist? Well, I'll be honest with you, in the first place, I think this work is built around Jesus and not Hyams. I think this work would go on and on and on and on. But the thing that I want is this. I want every one of my people to keep on serving God until Jesus comes or until you die. Every one of you. I don't want you to serve Hyams. Well, a little bit, but not much. I don't want you to serve Hyams. I want you to serve Him. And my, my, my, what a thrill and a joy. Bobby, when I saw you a while ago, I got to thinking about our preacher boys. A lot of them are still going strong. Johnny Williams out in California is just going strong. Got a toupee now, you know that, isn't that a sight? And my, my preacher boys, all of us don't have a lot of hair like I do. And, and, but doing a great job for God in California. And there's Leonard Jackson baptizing two or three hundred folks a year as a pastor. One day I was driving down, down Garland Road and looked up and I saw that train. By the way, you know what I got to do this week? I got to take a driver's license test. That's something I hate about birthdays. A driver's license test. How many feet behind a truck you're supposed to go if you're going on a four lane road 64 miles an hour. All that kind of garbage. I mean all that kind of wonderful thing we need. And then I was driving down Garland Road and looked up and in the rear view mirror and there's one of those little bubbles. Just going around and around and around. The light was on. And I looked up in the rear view mirror and I said, I'm going to check and see if he's following me. So I turned right on Miller Road to go down the other way from the church, you know. And he turned right. This fellow had the bubble going around and around. Had some writing on the side of his car. So I went about six blocks down Miller Road and I got to 5th Street. No, 4th. No, 5th. 5th. And I thought I'd turn left here and see if he's following me. And I turned left and he turned left. So I thought when I got down to a little street, a little, oh, I think it's called Chandler Drive. So I turned left on Chandler and see if he's following me. And he turned left on Chandler. So I got to an alley. I thought I'd turn right up into the alley to see if he was following me. And he turned right up into the alley. And I got suspicious. And so finally I stopped the car and I said, what did I do wrong? He said, it's not what you did wrong, it's what I did wrong. Well, that's a news lamp. He said, I've been following you, Reverend. He said, my name is Leonard Jackson and I want to get right with God. Policeman. I didn't know any policemen were right with God. I want to get right with God. He said, my wife, his wife had been saved. I'd won his wife to Christ one Sunday afternoon. They were separated and he had left home. I won his wife to Christ one Sunday afternoon. She got up and testified that night. She said, I was a Catholic before I got saved. But I got saved this afternoon and said, now I've got a new interceptor. And she meant intercessor. Got a new interceptor. And by the way, that's true too. And so in the alley that day, Leonard Jackson got right with God. That's been, oh my, my, my, that's been 18 years ago. And he's preaching the gospel. Pastor of church. A policeman. He's not still a policeman. But pastoring a church. What greater joy could a preacher have than to see his people walk in the truth? I have no greater joy than to have folks come from inland steel and say, hey, I work with one of your men. And I say, do you? I always hold my breath. Do you? He says, yeah, boy, if there's a Christian in this area, it's him. And I rejoice again and again and again. Hezekiah was 39 years old. He had a disease. The disease was one that made him nigh unto death. In fact, he was going to die. The Bible says he turned his face to the wall. Back in those days, they always put the beds in the corner. And if the room was square like this, the bed would be in the corner. Always in the corner. And one side of the bed against one wall and the head of the bed against the other wall. And Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall. Why? He turned his face toward the wall because he was going to die. But he called on the Lord and asked God to heal him. And God said to Hezekiah, I'm going to give you 15 more years. I'm going to let you live 15 more years. And then Hezekiah said, what shall I say? What shall I say? And then he said, okay, I've got 15 more years to live. I'm now 39. By the way, he and I are the same age. And he and I and Jack Benny are all the same age. I'm 39 and holding. But anyway, he said, I'm 39 and I'm going to live to be 54. Now he said, I only have 15 more years to live. He said, I'm going to walk softly. I'm going to go softly. I'm going to walk carefully. I'm going to take it easy. I'm going to be careful. I'm going to be careful not to stumble. I'm not going to slip. If God's given me 15 more years, then I'll take extra care that I serve Him during those 15 years. Say, ladies and gentlemen, whatever number of years God's given you, if you've got any sense, you'll use them to serve God. What in the world use is it for a person to have be given life and breath from God and not use his life and breath to serve God? Whatever you've got, what else matters other than serving God? The older I get, the longer I live. The more I want to say, what else is there to do in life? Only to be what He wants me to be. Every moment of every day. Yielded completely to Jesus alone. Every step of this pilgrim way. Just to play in the potter's hands. Only to do what His word commands. Ready to do or to be what He wants me to be. That's all that matters. Young people serve God. That's why you live. God didn't leave you here just to have a big time. God left you here to serve Him. Older people, you say, I don't have many years. Then goodnight, get busy. Hurry, walk softly. Be careful to serve God. Don't slip, don't stumble, don't fall. Walk softly. Hezekiah said. Asaph. Not much is said about Asaph. In fact, I don't know if I know anything about him. Except that we wrote this psalm. Melancholy had gripped his soul. Dr. Billings says that I'm melancholy. I've got a face shaped like a melon and a head like a collie. He was melancholy. He was discouraged. He was blue. Did you ever get that way? You know when you get that way? It's when you look at yourself too much. If you don't live like I preached this morning. If you live for self and circumstances affect you. And there's a little song. Sometimes I'm happy, sometimes I'm blue. My disposition depends on you. And you get melancholy, you get blue. Well, Asaph got that way. And Asaph, he said, as I got discouraged and got blue. He said, I almost slipped. And then in verse 18 he said, The Lord has set them in slippery places. Now let me give you a few thoughts tonight. In the first place, God reminds us to walk with care. He reminds us to walk with care. Ladies and gentlemen, folks are looking at you. Young people who go to public schools, they're looking at you. Walk with care. Men at the steel mill, you're on display. You're from First Baptist Church. You're from the church that's having money problems. You're from the biggest headline grabbers in the city of heaven. And, I mean, you go to First Baptist, you're on the spot. I mean, you're on display. You're on center stage. You're in the spotlight. Why? Because everybody's trying to find something wrong with First Baptist Church. You know why? Because the devil wants us to slip. He wants you to go back. He wants you folks to say, Yeah, he goes to First Baptist. Yeah, he does. Be careful. Be careful, men at the steel mill. Be careful at school. Be careful at play. Be careful. God reminds us to walk with care. So many turned back. I was thinking, you and I were talking last night, Brother Fiske, about people that once came and they've turned back and they've drifted away from God. And I got thinking about it and I got home. I was counting sheep and I got to 15,623 and gave up on it and decided to count backsliders. And I counted Brother Fiske and Brother Perky and on and on. But I was thinking about it. We were talking last night about people that go back. And my heart was heavy because many of our fine people, they once sat where you sit. They once serve as you serve. They once taught as you teach. They once sang as you sang. They once filled these pews. But they did not walk softly. They did not walk carefully. And instead of saying, My feet almost slipped, they had to say, I slipped. And they've gone back. And so many turned back. I was at the banquet Friday night looking out at my people. And they were so sweet. They had a lady's quartet to sing. And all the ladies were kids that I pastored that make me feel as old as Methuselah. And, I mean, kids! A little old Metcalf girl married Leslie Wilson. You don't mean a thing to you, but married Leslie. Get that right. Now, they take notes on this, students. We're going to have a test on this. But anyway, Metcalf girl, she sang in a junior trio. I got her started. I got the Metcalf girl and the Ray girl and the Carolyn Morgan and made a trio. And they sang as juniors in a junior trio. And they got four of those girls to sing Friday night. And after it was over, I walked up and I said, Hey, girls, that was good. And one said, We're not girls, we're ladies. I said, How old are you? She said, 30. I said, Shut up. Just touch. 30. 30. 30. And I was her pastor, I guess, then, when I was nine. But 30. Think of it. But you know the thing that made me rejoice? Is still serving God. I mean, still serving God, faithful to the Lord, in the service on Sunday morning, in the service on Sunday night, back on Wednesday night, out to banquet, and still trained. You could tell they knew what they were doing. They sang a beautiful, beautiful quartet. And my heart rejoiced. I looked back in the back and there was old Winfred Brewer. One night I went out soul winning. Years ago. And I went to a house, a fellow named Davis, on North Meadowbrook, over in Garland. Oh, it's been now 19 years ago. And so I told him how to be saved, and he got saved. And when he got saved, he jumped up. He was on his knees. And the minute, the minute, he said, save my soul. Lord, save my soul. The minute, he said, Lord, have mercy on me and save my soul. Woo-hoo! He jumped up. He grabbed his wife. He shook her like a bottle of shoe polish. And he said, I'm saved! Hallelujah! And man alive, he hollered and screamed. And boy, we had time. We really did. I said, man, this fellow will probably be a worldwide evangelist. Went across town over to Freeman Street. And knocked on the door. A fellow came to the door and I said, how do you do? My name is Jack. Brother, I don't have the fellow be seated back there. No interruptions while I'm preaching. Ever, ever, ever, ever. And so I walked in and the fellow said, you want to be saved? Yeah! I mean, mean looking rascal. And I said, well, I said, do you know your sinner? Yeah! He wouldn't even sit down. Stood up, leaned against the door. He said, sit down! I sat down. He stood up. I said, well, the first thing you've got to know is that you're a sinner. I know it! That night he scared the fire out of me. And I said, okay. I said, now, the second thing you've got to know is that sinners are lost. If they die in their sins, they go to hell. Look here at Romans 3.10. I've heard it! Okay, I don't want to make you have to hear it again. I mean, after all. And I said, the next thing you've got to know is that Jesus died for your sins. I know it! He looked like, boy, he looked exactly like you. No joke. Exactly like you. Sort of like a bulldog. I mean, just exactly like you. And I know it! And I said, now, if you'll trust Jesus, he'll save you. Yeah, I know it! And I said, okay, would you do it? Yeah! I said, well, let's kneel and pray. I've got a back hurts. I'll stand and pray. Okay, do you know you're a sinner? Yep! Do you know you're going to hell if you die? Yep! Do you know Jesus died for you? Yep! Well, I've just gotten through with this fellow that shouted and jumped up like a jackal in the box and hollered, praise the Lord, glory to God. And here I was. You know, good enough. I was going to get saved. Get saved first class. No use in yapping to get saved. Hallelujah! And so, yep! Yep! And I said, okay, let's pray. He said, what do I pray? I said, pray, dear Lord, have mercy on me. And I put some pathos in it, you know. I said, Lord, have mercy on me and save my soul. He said, Lord, have mercy on me and save my soul. Well, that's not the way I wanted to say it. I wanted to enjoy it a little bit. And I said, say, Lord, I'm trusting Jesus as my Savior. Lord, I'm trusting Jesus as my Savior. I said, did you mean that? I said it, didn't I? Well, yeah, you said it. You think you're saved? Yep! Well, I mean, are you sure you mean it? Yep! That's all he did. He was at the banquet Friday night. Still serving God. Working at First Baptist Church Dallas in the deaf department. First Baptist Church Dallas. Hadn't smiled yet. One of the finest fellows you ever saw in your life. Really, one of the finest. By the way, the fellow that shouted, he came to church three Sundays and quit. Three Sundays and quit. But there's that fellow. Nineteen years ago. Stood with his back to his front door and didn't even sit down. And didn't even kneel. And I kneeled by myself and got saved. He's still serving the Lord. Looked out and there was a little lady sitting out there. Mrs. Herring. Her husband, Joe Herring, was a barber. He was an old man. And he had real white hair. Very distinguished looking fellow. And he was a barber. He came, I never saw him before. Came to our church. Got saved. But didn't come back for two weeks. We had a men's meeting one night. Called a brotherhood meeting. And Joe Herring came back. Came and walked to the brotherhood meeting. Had been gone two weeks. He said, I'd like to say a word, man. Had about, oh, several hundred men. Joe stood up behind the pulpit and he said, I'd like to say a word. Two weeks ago last night, I got saved. Now he said, I took a trip. I left Monday morning. After I got saved on Sunday, I took a trip. I drove down to Brownwood, Texas. There's a doctor down there that I have owed money for 27 years. My oldest son, 27 years of age, was born in a hospital in Brownwood. I didn't pay the hospital bill. I didn't pay the doctor bill. But he said, after I got saved, thought I would pay the bill. So I went 175 miles down to Brownwood, Texas and paid my hospital bill. Then he said, over in Abilene, Texas, 23 years ago, my second kid got born. I didn't pay the doctor bill or the hospital bill there either. But if he'd had 10 kids, he'd have gone broke. And it'd taken him years. He'd have gotten one of these FRG degrees for traveling. And he said, I paid the, went to Abilene, Texas. He said, I have spent two weeks doing nothing but paying off my bills. And he looked out and he said, I'm a poor man now. But I'm right with God and right with the world. He's in heaven now, but his wife was there Friday night. And his daughter was one of the ones who sang in the girls' quartet. I'm simply saying, I want you to keep going. I don't want you to slip. I want you to stay busy for God. I want, if the Lord takes me home tomorrow, of course He won't. A man as young as I am, the Lord would never, and it's not ready to go yet. But if the Lord takes me home tomorrow, I want you to keep on serving God. I want you to serve Him till Jesus comes. Young people, I want you to serve Him now and in your young married years and in your middle years and all of your life. I want you to volunteer for a lifetime and stay busy for God. Never quit, never turn back. But if you don't turn back and if you don't slip, you've got to say to Hezekiah, I'm going to walk carefully all my life. I'm going to walk like on a tightrope all my life. I'm going to take extra care all the days of my life. And I thought, God reminds us to walk with care. There's a second thought here, and that is God reminds us why we ought to walk with care. Why we ought to walk with care. Hezekiah said, I have 15 years added to my life. What shall I say? And he answered, what shall I say by saying, I shall walk with care all or walk softly all of my years. Why? Why? Because life is so short. Do you know that it was 21 years ago when I went to Miller Road Baptist Church to pastor? Did you know that I'm in a place now where I, I'd say this, but listen to me carefully for a minute. Do you know that I have people who were 10 years old when I pastored them? I mean my junior kids. Some of them who were juniors under my ministry and junior hires under my ministry are grandparents now. What a shock! Grandparents now. You know, Hezekiah, Hezekiah, why are you walking so carefully? Why is it you're taking care with every step? Why is it you guard every step? Why is it that you walk softly and tiptoe as a tightrope walker? Did you see a picture in the paper the other day of a tightrope walker who walked across the stadium at Philadelphia? And also in Atlanta, Georgia. In fact, I'm going to have him for a big day, I think, here. But a tightrope walker that walked on a wire, I mean on a high wire, way up across the second deck of a baseball and football stadium. And he got that. As they do, they have a big bar-like thing and they hold that bar-like thing as they walk across. And with an extra care and walking carefully like that. And Hezekiah said, that's the way I'm going to walk. I'm not ever going to say I've got it made. I'm not going to say with Peter, Lord, all they turn their back on you but not me. I'm not going to say that. I'm going to say with the Apostle Paul, I buffet my body every day, lest I become a castaway. Not a castaway from salvation, but a castaway from God using us. A castaway from the blessings of God. A castaway from serving God. A castaway from being used of God. A castaway from the power of soul winning. For the fist, wouldn't it be an awful thing if I taught her someday you'd go out soul winning and you couldn't win anybody. And you used to say, well, I used to do this. I used to win people. And now I can't. I wonder what's happened. He didn't walk carefully. And so Hezekiah says, I only have 15 years. Only 15. And so I'm going to use them for God. Not only does God tell us to walk carefully, He also says why we ought to walk carefully. And that is we don't know when we're going to be gone. We don't know. We don't know how long we have. We do not know. I sat there the night and I looked out in the banquet and I noticed the ones that were there. But I also thought of those that were not there. And they didn't know. I don't know if I'll be able to serve God tomorrow. I don't know. I may be in heaven tomorrow. So gladly I'll serve Him today. Ladies and gentlemen, one of these days we've got to leave. Now let's face it. There'll be a day coming and I believe God's going to let me pastor this church as long as I live. And I believe the day is going to come when many of you right here, your phone will ring and somebody will say, Oh, guess what? Have you heard? Have you heard? And you'll say, No, what is it? And they'll say, Brother Hiles is dead. Brother Hiles is dead. Oh, no. What happened? Oh, he was, there was a plane crash. Or maybe he had a heart attack. Of course, I'll be 84 at the time. The wicked never die young. And I'll, and oh my, why is that a fact? Or maybe it'll be Brother Fisk killed him in a fist fight. Or something. Because of some insult he gave him on the pulpit. Or the deacons choked him to death. Or some other thing like that. Or the bus kids held him hostage. Or he choked to death swallowing a goldfish. But Brother Hiles is dead. Brother Hiles is dead. And some of you right here in this room will come to this building. And you'll sit and there'll be a box here. And all that could die of Jack Hiles will be in that box. It won't matter then whether I had a doctor's degree or not. It won't matter then whether I had any money or not. It won't matter then, I say this, it won't matter whether I had any hair or not. It won't matter. It won't matter then whether I was popular or not. It won't matter then whether I was a president of the Ministerial Association or wouldn't join it. The latter is the truth. Or not. It won't matter. It won't matter. The only thing that'll matter then is did I walk carefully? Did I serve God? Did I fill my life with service for Christ? Oh, that's what I want to do. That's what the Apostle Paul said. Paul said, I buffet my body every day. What he really said was, I give myself a black eye every day. Paul said, every day. I take my body up and I say, okay, body, I'm going to buffet you. I'm going to put you in subjection. And he said, okay, eyes, I don't want you to see anything today you shouldn't see. And I'll buffet my eyes. Be careful what you see today. I'll buffet my body. He said to his tongue, okay, tongue, I'm going to hit you. I'm going to buffet you and put you down. He said to his entire body, I'll buffet it every day, every day. Always being careful. That's what the Apostle meant when he was in the prison at Rome. Can you folks who have been there see that Mamertine prison? Can you go down those steps, if you would, in that building right across the street from the Roman Forum? And can you see that little round room with the cement seeping, damp cement floor and the stone around, that little circular room, the stone walls? And can you see that little hole right in the middle of that room with Paul down into the inner prison? And then we take some steps on down so we can see it and go on down into the inner prison. And it's dark there. And there were no lights to turn on. And Paul was alone. And he was a long way from Jerusalem. And he was an old man. And some had forsaken him. And Paul picked up his pen and he wrote and he said, Bring me the coat. It's cold here. And bring me the books so I can read while I'm here. What little light I have, I'll read the books. But then Paul, they come and they say, Paul, it's time for you to go. And Paul says, as he said to the church at Philippi, I'm ready to be offered. I'm ready to be offered. For me to live is Christ, but to die is gain. And Paul looks back over his life and he remembers how every day he buffeted his body. Paul said, I wanted to come out with the crown. I wanted to make it. I didn't want to turn back. I didn't want to become a castaway. I wanted to be used by God until the day I died and went on to heaven. And suddenly the doors open. And the Apostle Paul looks up. And he can't see well because he has ophthalmia. And the guards come and say, Follow us. And the Apostle starts walking down the Tiber River right there. In just a few moments, they're going to put his head through the guillotine and let that sharp, sword-like thing take off his head. And Paul walks down. And Paul says, Before I'm killed, may I just write one other word? Just one other word. And so Paul picks up his pen. His hair is long, maybe inflowing, no place to get it cut. And his shoulders are stooped and his little body is emaciated. And his face is wrinkled with that warrior of the gospel who's stayed busy for Christ all these years. He picks up his pen and he begins to write. And he says, I've kept the faith. I've kept the faith. Oh, Brother Vineyard, that's what I want to do. I want to die saying, I stood for this book all the way through. I don't want to ever face God and say, God, I didn't... You know, a lot of folks in Heaven don't like me. In fact, not many do. But a lot of folks in Heaven don't like me. But nobody can ever say, I didn't stand for this book. Nobody ever has said that yet. I've stood for this book. A lot of folks don't like me. But nobody ever said I said a bad word about Jesus. I've exalted Him. You know it's true. For these 13 years here, I've exalted Him. And I've raised Him high. And I've stood for the faith of Christ and the plan of salvation. And I've stood for soul winning. Oh, I know. I got a letter the other day. The lady said, I won't come back to your church anymore. I brought my 6-month-old baby and 22-month-old baby to your services. And I had to take them to the nursery. I couldn't keep them in the church with me. And she said, I won't be coming back anymore because babies aren't welcome. I walked down there tonight. Bob Leo was out there. I heard the kids in the nursery screaming. And I clapped my hands almost and said, blessed be God. I'm glad that's the rule around here, boy. You talk about a Pentecostal meeting. If those babies were over tonight, we'd have it. And she said, you talked mighty bad to those ushers while I was there. Well, dirty fellows. They need to be talked to a little better once in a while. And folks have said, yeah, he's mean. Yeah, he thinks he's the only one. The other day a lady wrote me a letter. And she said, you say on the broadcast, you save a bunch of people every Sunday. I said, I didn't say it. But I've been called most everything. Most everything. But nobody's ever said that I didn't believe this book. And nobody's ever said that I haven't kept the faith. And nobody ever has said that I didn't preach grace. And nobody ever has said that I didn't preach Jesus. And nobody ever has said I didn't say heaven is real. And nobody ever has said I didn't say hell is hot. And folks that are not saved when they die go to hell. Why? I want to keep the faith. That's why. And Paul, I think he said, you say, well, why would Paul be worried about not keeping the faith? Don't you recall when Paul wrote the Galatian letter? He said, if any man come to you and preach any other gospel than this gospel, let him be accursed. And then he said, if an angel from heaven come and preach any other gospel than this, let him be accursed. But Paul said something else. Paul said, if I come back and preach any other gospel, let me be accursed also. You know, every once in a while I stop and wonder. You know, I have a lot on my mind. Man alive. I don't ask you for your sympathy. I ask you for your understanding. But I have a lot on my mind. Dr. Billings, he has to check every day about the school. And I approve everything that goes on at the school. I mean, every time about it gets spanking, I got to prove it. Not quite that bad. But I approve everything that goes on at the school. And the bus minister oversees it. And all the many phases of our church and travel. And I'm writing a book all the time, just about. I'm writing a book right now on prayer. And I'm busy all the time. All the time I'm busy. And sometimes, the other day David said, Dad, do you ever get so busy you wonder where you are? And I said, Son, yeah, many times. I flew into Tampa, Florida one day and didn't know where I was. And I said, where am I? I woke up in Poughkeepsie, New York one morning and forgot where I was. Had to check my schedule to find out where I was. And I was down in Panama City, Florida one night. And right in the middle of my sermon, I got thinking about a building program and forgot my sermon. I was preaching. I was out in a place one night in Colorado preaching. And I was there three nights. And I said, open your Bibles. I'm preaching tonight. And I got halfway through the sermon. And all of a sudden, it dawned on me it was the same sermon I preached the night before. I kept, like, folks kept nudging each other. And I was preaching out in the Baptist Bible College in Denver one morning in Chapel. And I said, I'm preaching on Shamgar. I said, how many ever heard of Shamgar? Every kid in the student body raised his hand. You're ahead of me now. And I said, but you bet you never heard a sermon on Shamgar. How many ever heard a sermon on Shamgar? Every kid in the place raised his hand. I said, when did you hear one? They said, last time you were here. I said, oh, good night. I said, yes, that's right. And I'm preaching the second in a series of sermons on Shamgar. Now, what in the world can you say about Shamgar? All he ever did was take an ox goad and kill 600 Philistines. I said, my first sermon was about an ox goad. My second sermon was about the number 600 in Philistine. And I preached the whole sermon ad-libbing on Shamgar. And sometimes I get to wondering, you know, what if I did sometimes get a little mentally weary and somewhere where I'd be preaching, I wouldn't preach grace? I'd rather die. Paul said, if ever I cracked up. By the way, we're going to get all over town. The houses are cracking up. All over town. By the way, don't get your hopes up. This all went back down to seven or eight years ago. I haven't had a mental attack in three years. And now back to my sermon on my happy plenty. Paul said, if I come back. And I think when he was there, the guillotine was about to come on his head. And Paul picked up his pen. And Paul said, I kept the faith. I made it. I made it. I'm going on to heaven. And I made it. And that's what I want to do. And that's what I want you to do. I want you to keep the faith as long as you live. Hezekiah said, I shall go softly all my days. And Paul said, I fought a good fight. I fought a good fight. People may say about Miles, hey, he's stubborn. Yeah, but you never will say I haven't fought for what I believe. They may say, well, he gets on the ushers. Yeah, but you never will say I haven't fought for what I believe. Well, I don't like his loud preaching. Loud mouth preacher, as you said this morning in a loud mouth manner. Loud mouth preacher. Yeah, they said I have a loud mouth. But nobody's ever said I've trimmed a message. Nobody's ever said that I think less or more of Hollywood than I did 20 years ago. My college president called me up on the phone a few years ago and said, I want to talk to you. Took me out to eat and offered me an honorary degree and offered to give me honors at my old college. He said, you're one of the two best graduates we ever had from East Texas Baptist College. That shows what shape the college was in through the years. He said, you are the only chance that our school has to really do something for America. We want to honor you. But he said, you'll have to go easy on some of the things you preach. Now, he said, fight, sin, but don't name it. And I said, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I said, I aim to go out just like I came in. I aim to bow out like I bowed in. And he shook his head and said, same old Jack. Now, I'm saying, yeah, still stubborn. Yeah, but I still fight. And I think Paul said, I got discouraged sometimes. I didn't want to fight. You know, you wait until you preach your voice. You wait until you hear your daughter say to you like Becky said to me when we first came to Hammond. We were fighting a battle here. Daddy, is this business meeting tonight? And I said, yes, sweetheart. She said, I don't want to go. I'm afraid to go to business meetings. And you wait until she comes home from school after a day at school. And she says, Daddy, they wouldn't choose me to play today when they chose up the sides. And I said, why, sweetheart? And she said, because every time they choose anybody, they say, I'll choose her, but I don't want the Jesus girl. And the next captain, I'll choose her, but I don't want the Jesus girl. And the next other captain, I'll choose this one, but I don't want the Jesus girl. And she said, I didn't get chosen, Daddy, because I'm the Jesus girl. Now, you wait. I'm sure Paul said time and time again, I didn't want to fight. I've walked in this door here. I've walked in this door here knowing I had to preach something I didn't want to preach time and time and time again. I don't enjoy making folks mad. I don't enjoy folks getting mad at me and cussing me. But Paul, Paul, I'm sure said time and time again, I'd like to turn back. I want to preach a positive message. I'm tired of being chased out of town. I'm tired of being beaten. I'm tired of being cussed. And Paul, now an old man about to die, I think he said, I fought the good fight. I didn't turn back. I kept on fighting. I went down to Bob Jones University to preach several years ago. Old Dr. Bob Sr. was about dead. He called for me, and I went to his room. And he was there alone in his room, confined to his room, never left the room, I guess, the rest of his life. He's senile. Old Dr. Bob Sr. looked up and said, Hello, Dr. Hiles. He knew me. And I said, Dr. Bob, I'm so glad to see you. God bless you. And that old warrior sat there in his room. His course is finished. His fight is finished. And he's kept the faith all these years. And all around the world, I could hear the marching of an army of soldiers who had come through that university and had taught the Bible and taught soul winning and taught the fire of God and taught the blessing of God. And I thought about that army of people all around the world, influenced by the old warrior of God. And I looked up on the wall, and there were trophies of grace and what God had done for him. And I said, Dr. Bob, would you pray for me? I knelt at his feet, and that old man, sitting in a wheelchair, placed his hands on my head. And he said, Dear God, help Dr. Hiles to fight the fight all of his life. And that's what Paul said. Paul said, I'm going to heaven now. I'm going to heaven. And he said, I kept the faith. I never did deny the Bible. Jesus, I never did deny you. And I fought. I did. I fought. That's what Hezekiah said. Paul said, I buffeted the body. Paul said again, I finished the course. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing when you face the Lord to be able to say, I finished the course? What does it mean? It means God has prescribed course for every life. Paul said, I finished it. I got through. And I think the old man, as he marched toward the guillotine, after all these years, in just a few moments, he's going to be in the presence of the Christ, whom he had preached to all these years. And I think Paul said, blessed be God, I made it. I made it. I kept the faith. I kept the faith. Every day I said, Lord, help me to keep the faith today. I made it. And I fought the fight. Every day I said, Lord, don't let me get out of the fight. There's no discharge from this war. I kept on fighting. And I finished the course. Henceforth it is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, and not to me only, but to all those that love his appearing. Walk softly. Why? You don't know how long you're going to be here. Hezekiah said, I shall walk softly. And God reminds us to walk with care. But again, God reminds us why to walk with care. Because we don't know how long we'll be here. There's a third thing that God reminds us here. He reminds us that the road is slippery. The road is slippery. And then there's a fourth thing here. He reminds us that God makes it slippery. Isn't that right? God has set them in slippery places. He did it. Huh? Here's the Lord. The Lord says, walk with care. Did you know God knows that if you'll make your way slippery, you'll come here walking with care, and then if he doesn't? And that's why the Lord says, walk with care. He looks down and he sees you're not walking with care. So he takes some water and sprinkles water on the path. Why? He makes the way slippery. Dr. John Rye says you run faster when you're scared. And God says you walk more carefully when the way is slippery. And so God, sometimes God allows temptation to cross your path. You know why? So you'll walk with care. I recall, my dad was teaching me how to ride a bicycle. As old and as aged as I am, I can still recall those early days when I was just a boy. I used to walk 85 miles in the snow to school every day. Snow was 84 feet high. But I trudged on, undaunted, fearlessly toward the goal. My dad was trying to teach me how to ride a bicycle. I said, I can do it. We lived on Ann Arbor Street, 1626 Ann Arbor Street. Just like Ann Arbor, Michigan. And dad, I couldn't afford a new bicycle. Dad couldn't. But he worked at the Argyle Apartment House. And he was sort of a custodian kind of fellow there and did some carpenter work. And he got all the garbage out of there. He got $12 a week in all the garbage he could bring home. And he is a pull-off. And $12 a week. And so one day he came home and he said, son, look what I found in the garbage. And I said, what did you find? You know, our clothes came in the garbage. Our food didn't come in the garbage. But our clothes came in the garbage. And dad said, I found a bicycle. Somebody threw it away. A little old size 20. Remember, they used to have 28s and 26s and 22s and 20s. This is a little size 20. And I said, boy, I got a bicycle. And my dad fixed it up. And I painted it. And I was going to learn to ride a bicycle. I was six years of age. Well, it looked easy. So dad said, okay, son. And we had a hill there. Ann Arbor was on a hill, a real steep hill, about two blocks long. And a little creek down at the bottom of the hill. And you're ahead of me again. And a bridge across the creek on Ann Arbor Street. It was a very busy street, a very busy street. About the same type street, let's see, as far as being busy as 165th. About like that. And so I said to dad, hold on now, son. He said, let me. Hold on. I said, I can do it by myself. Did you ever hear that? And so dad said, no, dad's going to hold on. My dad's a big man. He said, I'm going to hold on. And so I said, I can do it by myself. So dad took me down the hill one time. He held on. And we went back up the hill again. And we lived on a hill because we had to push off our car every morning when it started. And so I said, I can do it by myself. And he said, no, you better not, son. And I got about halfway down, and I said, yes, I can. And he said, okay, do it. And he let me go. Did you know riding a bicycle is not really a snap? And I want you to know, boy, that thing went all over that road. All that road. But I wish they hadn't made it to the bottom because there's a creek down at the bottom. And finally I got out in the ditch. And the thing just rolled right down the ditch, and I went right in the creek. And, you know, I came to my dad. I said, daddy, hold me. And every time dad had just let go, I said, daddy, are you holding me? You know what? See, he put me on a slippery place. And that's what the dear Lord does. That's why some of you have to work your way through college. God wants you to walk softly on slippery places. That's why some of you have temptations that are more than other folks have. God says, you trust Me more when you walk on slippery ground. And the Lord says, okay, walk with care. Why, Lord? Because you don't know how long you'll have to live. Okay, but on slippery, yeah, I know. Lord, I'm going to pour some water there. It may get slippery. And so walk with care. Now a few things about how to keep from slipping. First is don't go too fast at first. Don't go too fast at first. Bobby Harwell will remember some fellows we had in Texas that went too fast at first. Remember Cortez? I won't call the last name. Last I heard, he was in a penitentiary. Penitentiary. You know why he went too fast at first. A person gets saved and we give him five jobs. He can be the bus captain by next Sunday. And he's a Sunday school teacher by next Sunday. Preach at the rescue mission on Friday night. You've got him singing a solo next Wednesday night in the service. And why? Because he got up and said, praise the Lord. Because a fellow gets up and says, praise the Lord. It doesn't mean he's a full-grown Christian. A lot of folks don't walk softly enough because they go too fast at first. How to keep from slipping. Second thing, no sudden stops. No sudden stops. Don't quit. Don't quit serving God. Don't quit the class. Don't quit the department. Don't quit the bus route. No sudden stops. How else? Keep the light on the road. Keep the light on the road. One night I was preaching. One night I left here. I was preaching for a week at Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri. And I was going to preach the next morning. So I had to drive all night. It was 6 below zero. And the roads were covered with ice. And I took off. Let's see. I went out to Route 6. Yeah, out Route 6. Does 6 go to Joliet? Out Route 6 through Joliet. And I went 20 miles an hour. I mean the roads were glazed with ice. And I had to preach the next morning at Baptist Bible College in Springfield. And I had to drive all night. I had to go. So I got out finally on Highway 66. That's the one that used to go to St. Louis before they had the interstate. Highway 66. And I went 20. You know, it was pretty easy. And so I went 30. And the streets were glazed. And there was snow all over the ground. And so I went 40. And it looked easy. And I didn't seem to be having any trouble. So I went 50. And then I got on the line thinking I was on something else. And soon I was going 65. And all of a sudden I felt that familiar feeling of your wheels losing traction with the road. And I turned all the way around and went backwards for a while. And there I was, you know, driving. For a while. And went backwards. And then I decided to go sideways. Back like this, you know. Like I got an instant replay. And all the time I said, Lord, Lord, help me. Is this it, Lord? Is this it? Lord, don't let a car come anyway, Lord. And soon my car went off the road. And it went up in the air. And it must have been six feet in the air. And it fell right in the median between the two. You know, it was a four-lane road. And it so happened that somebody had cleaned the snow off the highway. And my car just sat right down, feet first. Well, wheels first. My car is wheels. And it sat right down, wheels first, right in the middle of a lot of snow, just like a fellow was jumping on a mattress. And I sat there. And I said, praise the Lord. You know what I did? Huh? I got out. It was six below zero. I walked up to the next service station. I was crying. I said, cold, when I got there. And you know what I did before I even told the fellow that I needed to be pulled out? Before I got the wrecker, I called long distance to Springfield, Missouri. And I said, I can't make it tomorrow morning. They said, why? I said, because the road is too slippery. I've got to be careful. I stopped at the next motel and got some sleep, got myself fresh. And then went on carefully just about 25, 30 miles an hour until I got away from the ice. Probably saved my life, the fact that I turned around on the road. The slippery place is what saved my life. The place where the temptation was bad, the place that probably kept me from getting killed. Now, I'm saying as God's people, don't you want to be able to say when it's all over, I kept the faith? Huh? Don't you want to be able to look at Jesus and say, Jesus, I never did quit you. I never did. I, I, I, I, I was in your will all the time. I never turned back. I always, I finished my course and I kept the faith. And Jesus, I fought a good fight. You know I did. I never did trim a message and I didn't trim a life. And I stood with my convictions. And, well, you have to be careful. Walk softly. Something else. Follow the map. Here's the map. Something else. Heed the warning signs. And they're all in here. But something else. If you see other people who have not heeded the warning signs, who are off the road and off the track, be extra careful not to do what they did. I was driving to O'Hare for you not long ago. And I, I, I was on the toll road. Got right out here just across the state line and I saw a three-car smash-up. Now, I didn't, I wondered why. I didn't drive ten miles down the road until I saw a car turned over right in the middle of the highway. I didn't go fifteen miles further. One more toll booth and, and I looked and there, there were three cars all smashed up again. Went down the road a bit longer and I saw a truck turned over in the middle, in the median. Now, I didn't know what it was, but I said, I'm going to be careful. I'm going to slow down. I've seen too many shipwrecks. Now, as you see shipwrecks in the gospel and people who've gotten off the track and people who've slipped, you be careful to take their warning. Those who've said, I got off, I got out of the will of God and I slipped. Slippery when wet. Slippery when wet. Don't turn back. Don't quit your job. Stay busy for God. I've been consumed for two years with one truth. You've heard me say this. After I preached 25 years, I got along one day and I relived my 25 years as a preacher. And the strangest thing hit me. I've been preaching now almost 27 years about someone whom I've never seen. Doesn't that sound sort of dumb? Brother Vineyard, you're giving your life. I say this honestly and kindly. I don't mean to boost you, but I mean it. This is true. Did you know that Hollywood would love to have you? I mean that. This fellow's got talent to burn. Really. If they put you on television on some of these kids' shows, you'd make a million dollars. And here you are making less than average salary probably of this group here tonight just because you love somebody you've never seen. Never seen. Isn't that amazing? And I've been preaching almost 27 years and talking about Jesus and I've never seen Him. I can't say with John, these hands have held Him. I can't say with John, these eyes have seen Him. I might can before morning. I might can before morning. And I mean it. I want to see Him. And when I see Him, I want to be able to say, Jesus, You know I'm stubborn and You know sometimes I was a little mean. But You know one thing, Jesus, I never did say a bad thing about You and I defended You everywhere I went. You know it's true. I've talked about You on airplanes and in taxi cabs and barber shops and shine parlors and You know I did. I've talked about You and I stood for You. Every time I heard You cursed, I told people not to curse You because I loved You. I kept the faith. I did. And Jesus, You know it's true. To my dying day, I fought the dirty liquor traffic. To my dying day, I fought communism that cast reflection on You and Your deity. And to my dying day, Jesus, You know I fought for what I thought was right and against what I thought was wrong. And You know, Jesus, I tried to go where You said to go. Sometimes I didn't want to go, but I tried to go where You said to go. I'd like to be able to say that. If I can, I've got to walk softly. I've got to walk softly. And I plead with You tonight as my people. Walk softly. The road to heaven is slippery when wet. Stay in the battle. Don't quit. Don't turn back. Don't give up. Finish the course. Fight the fight. Keep the faith. Hey, are you here tonight and you're not saved? Huh? Are you here tonight and you've never trusted Jesus? You don't know that if you died tonight you'd go to heaven? In God's name, take care of yourself. If you're not saved, walk home. Don't drive. You may have a wreck and get killed and be in hell before morning. Or better, better, better still, don't walk home. Somebody might hold you up and shoot you. You might die and go to hell before midnight. Hey, better still, stay here and sleep. Don't even get outside. You're just one heartbeat from hell. If you're not saved, walk softly. Better than that, trust the Savior tonight. Are you here tonight and you don't know that you'd go to heaven if you died? In God's dear name, He loves you. Trust the Savior. Are you here tonight and you've been saved but never have obeyed Christ in baptism? Walk softly to His will. Isn't it an old-fashioned church home to remind you? You know, I was thinking while I was preaching, isn't it nice to have a church you can go to and a preacher remind you to walk softly? Huh? I'm in where I get up and say, Walk, the road is slippery. Be careful. Don't turn to the right or the left. Don't turn back. Walk softly. And if every Sunday you can come to a church like this and the preacher tries to warn you about it, he'll help you get there safely. It will. God help us. We won't be here long. All week, I've been singing. I can't sing. Of course, that's the most wasted thing I ever said here. I can't sing. Remember that old song? Life's evening sun, life's evening sun Is sinking low, is sinking low A few more days, a few more days And I must go, and I must go Remember that? You don't remember that, do you? Try the words and see if you remember those. To meet the deeds that I have done Where there will be no sinking sun Each day I'll do a golden deed By helping those who are in need My life on earth is sinking low It won't be long. It won't be long. Stay busy for God. Stay busy for God. I don't love my people in Texas like I love you. You're my people. I can't help but rejoice when they keep walking in the truth. I can't help but rejoice When they stay on the firing line for God. Walk softly. The road is slippery. When wet, let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, speak to our people this evening. Everybody in this room can say with Asaph, I almost slipped. Help us to walk softly. Walk softly. We know, dear Lord, that sometimes you put the slippery places before us to make us drive more carefully. I pray you'd help my people to walk in the truth. Bless that army of preacher boys around this country that have gone out from this church. Help them to keep walking in the truth. Help them not to turn back, not to quit. In the discouraging times, come, keep them in the battle. Keep them doing thy will. Keep them defending thy truth. Keep them fighting thy... We bless these here tonight. Our people. Our heads are bowed. Our eyes are closed. And I ask you a question. Have you slipped a bit? Hmm? Have you slipped a bit? Have you slipped a bit? I wonder how many are sitting up at the aisles. I've not been walking carefully. I've not been walking softly, as Hezekiah said. I've not been walking carefully. I've slipped a bit. And tonight I want you to pray for me. I'm saved, I know that. But I've slipped a bit. Maybe you've slipped from Wednesday night services.