Manley Beasley emphasizes the responsibility of man in relation to God's sovereignty, urging Christians to recognize that today is the day of salvation. He reflects on the immaturity within the Corinthian church, highlighting how their self-serving actions hindered the work of God. Beasley challenges believers to grow spiritually and to understand their role in sharing the gospel, stressing that the urgency of salvation should not be overlooked. He illustrates the importance of living a life that honors God rather than indulging in personal desires, as this impacts future generations. Ultimately, he calls for a commitment to God that transcends mere religious activity, urging believers to actively participate in God's mission.

If you boys will leave this up here for me to sing. If you have your Bibles, turn with you please to the book of 2nd Corinthians, the 6th chapter. I'll tell you, it wouldn't take much tonight to just blow the roof off of this whole place and just go on to glory, would it? But that, you know, it's very unusual for me to preach a sermon that would excite you in that level. A few minutes ago, while Brother Sonny was singing, I saw Brother Ray Robertson sort of raise up back there, and I thought he was going to shout on us, and I knew if he shouted, then we'd be on. I hadn't seen him shouting, I hadn't seen him shouting so long and so long since I've seen him shout. If you ever got this Robertson bunch shouting around here, friend, you'd have something else on, but they're about half scared to shout. Amen. I'll tell you, it's such a joy to be here. You know, this is, this is like an Ebenezer for me, just coming back and and just from time to time and realize that God has done a great work here. You know, every time God did a great work throughout the Old Testament, they referred to that place as an Ebenezer. God met here, and and to me this is a Ebenezer. I don't feel that I have greater friends in the world than I have right here, and this has been a place that God has really, genuinely met. Just this building, Jimmy looked over, leaned over to me a while ago, and he said, you never did think we'd fill this building, did you? I'll be honest with you, I never thought we'd get it out of Baton Rouge. I admire a lot of things about Jimmy, and one of the things I admired about him, he he'd start the most on the least of any man I've ever known. I'm not lying. This big old building was on Florida Boulevard, down there next to the Florida Boulevard, which is one of your main streets in Baton Rouge. It's what? By the hospital. We needed a hospital. This thing had a pin roof on it, and Brother Sonny, now he's had a little building experience, but Brother Jesse hadn't. He never even seen a building like this. I mean, he'd been used to those buildings out there in the swamps of Louisiana. He'd never even seen anything like this, and I've had a little experience in ironworking back when I was a young fella, about 18, 17, 18, and Brother Jimmy, he hadn't ever seen much like this, and I mean, we were up on top of this thing, these big old beams, cutting the roof off, which was a pin, a real heavy grade of pin. Steel, wasn't it? It really would be classified as steel, and we'd cut those things off, and they'd go sliding down that whole thing, all the way down. I mean, that's a long way. We'd be right on top. That's right. We'd cut them off, and Old Jesse, Lord, he'd look up and see one coming, he'd run. And it's the craziest thing you ever saw. That's right. But you know, God took this thing down. He had to do it, because we didn't do it. And this thing got down and got up out here, and it's hard for me to believe tonight, but I'll tell you one thing, Brother Sonny. We've come too far to turn back now, haven't we? You'll excuse me for reminiscing a little bit, but it's just really a part of it, and I praise God for it. I want to deal with the subject tonight, and let me say this as I begin the message tonight. I do appreciate this place, and I appreciate Brother Jimmy and all of his staff and all of you friends, and I appreciate getting to come this time. It's been a very special time because of the fact that I've been able to bring my family, and they, I think they've enjoyed it. I think, I don't know, I'm not real sure about my daughter-in-law. One of them got shouting last night, but it wasn't because of the spirit, it was because a rat ran across the foot. And they heard her all over that camp back there on the backside. I'll tell you, they heard her hollering, but if we could get her loose in this meeting tonight like that, that'd excite me. That would really excite me. But it's been a real special time, and we have really enjoyed it, and it's been a time we'll never forget. And just thank you for everything that you've done. Now this passage, this passage is so important to me, I want to deal with it. Back years ago I used to deal with this passage, and it honestly take me two weeks to physically get over this passage. And this, as I deal with this tonight, I realize I'm dealing with this in the context of what I have said already in this meeting. And I'm saying that because some of you will have a very, very difficult time with this message, if you are not aware that I genuinely believe in the sovereignty of God. And tonight we're going to deal more with the side of this matter of redemption in relationship to the responsibility of man. But I definitely believe in the sovereignty of God, but that sovereignty does not violate the responsibility of man. And so tonight we're going to deal somewhat with the responsibility of man. This passage mystified me when I realized that this passage is addressed to the Christian. Now it is also to the lost, but it's addressed to the Christian. For he said, I've heard then a time accepted, in the day of salvation have I succored thee. Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation. Many, many years I used that passage just to say to the lost, today is the day of salvation, now is the accepted time. And I really would take that verse and really shut a man up and say, hey right now is the time you need to come. Now I realize that passage is definitely telling us that today this dispensation and so on is the day of salvation, now is the accepted time, but it's addressed to, if you'll read it, the whole chapter it's definitely addressed to the saved people. And so that created a question in me, if Paul is preaching to the Christian here, speaking to the Christian, what is he saying? When he's saying today is the day of salvation, now is the accepted time. Well I think we have to realize that Paul was writing to the church that had both immature and mature people in it. Now actually you can detail the fact that he was talking to spiritual people, and a spiritual person is a person that knows God and cooperates with God. But he was also talking to carnal people. Now a carnal person is a person that's heard God and refused to obey. But a baby Christian, he's talking to baby Christians, and a baby Christian is a person that's been saved but hasn't had time to grow up. It does take time to grow up, there's no instant maturity. There's no instant maturity. Now actually we're dividing these groups, the three, into two, mature and immature. And Paul is writing to these people, and he's saying today is the day of salvation, now is the accepted time. Now what in the world could he be saying to a person that is saved by the grace of God, that today is the day of salvation, now is the accepted time. Well when you realize Paul is dealing with these immature people, you realize that he's presenting different arguments that will stimulate maturity. For instance one of the great arguments in the Bible that will stimulate maturity is the fact to discover that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. In other words God has a dwelling place, the Son has a dwelling place, and the Holy Spirit has a dwelling place. Where is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit? See in your body. I mean God is in heaven, Jesus is in heaven, and the Holy Spirit's place is in your body. I mean the God that heavens cannot contain is right there in your body if you're saved by the grace of God. Now to come to a realization of that, I'll guarantee you will grow you up spiritually. Well Paul is using another argument to establish spiritual maturity when he says today is the day of salvation, now is the accepted time. Because this crowd at Corinth had many, many problems and one of them was immaturity, and it's revealed all through the book of 1st and 2nd Corinthians. For instance they had division in the church at Corinth. Now I want to just show you a little something here for just a moment. They said they had division in the church at Corinth. Now only immature people have division among them. You get spiritually mature there's no division among you. One said I like Paul and another says I like Seraphus and so on and so forth. Well my dear friends if you're spiritually mature you have come to the place that you realize a braying donkey in the pulpit can teach you something. Amen. If you've got a heart to receive. That's right you do not need a Paul or a Seraphus. That's right to teach you something. But babies you know they'll say hey that's my favorite preacher. And babies will say no this is my favorite preacher. And you're called division and the only reason you're called division over your favorite preacher is because you're trying to let someone know your opinion. You're trying to establish your opinion. You're trying to please yourself and magnify yourself. Amen. God hasn't initiated that at all. Because if God had initiated that some of these preachers you thought were the best wouldn't have fallen along the wayside. Amen. They'd have lasted. But if you like me there's been days when my favorites have dropped along the wayside. That's right because my favorite were established according to the flesh and not according to the spirit. Now these people had division among them because they were they were pleasing themselves. You see it really it really gives that when when you like this one better than that one it really magnifies you and pleases your flesh more than anything else in the world. Now there was another problem among them down there at the church of Torah. They had not only division among them but they had a sin problem down there. They just kept saying I don't see anything wrong with this. I don't see anything wrong with that. And you know babies will do that. I remember a time when Ed Gregg had some children you know that were babies. Now I realize I have to go a long long ways back for that. But I remember one time when one of his babies and all of his babies were I mean my babies are all giants. And when they were babies they were giants but his were little bitty bitty bitty things. And and that means that they were close to the ground. And one day he looked out in his front yard and one of his little girls was literally jumping over a snake called up in the front yard. And it was a cottonmouth moxie. And my dear friend he would just jump she was just jumping over that snake. And I'm gonna tell you something she didn't see a thing in the world wrong with jumping over that snake. You know why? Because she was a baby. Now I mean it was awfully wrong for her to be jumping over that snake. But she didn't see a thing in the world wrong with that because she was a baby. Now at the church at Corinth there were some of those immature people that were sinning against God and they did not see anything in the world wrong with it because they were babies. Now Paul dealt with that in the strangest way. He I mean he really dealt with it. He says listen. What? Know ye not that he that is joined to a harlot is one body? For to saith he shall be one flesh. Did you hear what he said? He said listen if you are joined to a harlot you are one with that harlot. And you're subject to that person. So he comes right along then he says but he that is drawn unto the Lord is one spirit. Now listen to me he says flee fornication. Ever sin that a man doth is without the body? But he that committed fornication sinneth against his own body and soul? Now listen to me carefully. When Jesus was here the devil tempted Jesus. When Jesus died and went back to heaven he sent the Holy Spirit and when you got saved by the grace of God the Holy Spirit took up his abode in your body. Now my dear friends the devil has not quit tempting. He has continued to tempt and tempt and when he finds a Christian and he tempts that Christian and that Christian yields to that temptation. Jesus Christ the Son of God that lives in you by the Holy Spirit does not sin but you as a believer in Christ Jesus makes Jesus Christ a slave to that sin. You make him a slave to that sin you committed. And as long as you keep on committing it you make him a slave. And a slave in Christ will subject Jesus to sins that Jesus never yielded to. That does not mean that Jesus sins. But it does mean that your flesh your person you make a choice and it means that you make him slave to that sin. Now immature people will do that because they do not know better. But mature people will not make Jesus Christ a slave to sin. Can you believe Jesus Christ would walk around smoking? I'm just being honest. He wouldn't do that. But what happens when you do? That's what makes it so awfully bad to do things all kinds of things. I just picked that one out. One of the reasons I picked that one out it hit so many people. My preacher told me that I could be dumb but not stupid. I said what do you mean? He said well being stupid is going to an old folks home and preaching to people that's over 95 and preaching on dancing. That's being stupid. He said when you preach be applicable. Amen. So what I'm saying to you is this when you and I when you and I sin we make Jesus Christ a slave to that sin. Now immature people do not do that. Boy I'll tell you when I was a child I put my mother and dad through all kinds of things. But you know today I respect them and love them. And I do all I know to do to help them and bless them instead of destroy them. But back in those early days when I didn't know any better I did everything I could it looked like to destroy them. And it's awful to think about. But what I'm saying Jesus was, Paul was dealing with some immature people and they had a sin problem. Now they had more problems than this. In fact I think the Bible teaches there's about 18 characteristics of immaturity. Let me say this the only reason you will sin knowingly is to satisfy your flesh. Just to please yourself. Just to please yourself. Now here's what I want you to see. This church at Corinth was doing about 18 different things and I've just mentioned two. And every one of those things was to please themselves. And so they were going down to that church at Corinth and they were doing things, religious things, but they were doing nothing but to please themselves. And I could have taken you to the 11th chapter of the book of 1st Corinthians or the Lord's Supper and show you exactly how they were doing it. But my dear friends they were pleasing themselves. Now when you do something to please yourself that is being sensual. But when you're doing something to please God that is being spiritual. Now brother Jerry if you sing for the sole purpose that you just like it and enjoy it and get a kick out of it and I mean it's just exciting to you. I believe with all my heart that is sin. But if you sing because God has commended you and you're obeying God. God is such a God that he enables you to enjoy it and delight in it and take pleasure in it. And that magnifies God. Now that church at Corinth was doing these different things to please themselves. And while they were going to church to please themselves rather than please God they were letting something very significant slip by and that was this. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time. My dear friends there have been people right here in this community that have had a day of salvation. And there came a day when they could not be saved. They could not be saved by the grace of God. My friends listen there is a time limit on this business of salvation. There's definitely a time limit. The matter of the second coming. The matter my dear friends of sending away your day of grace. And I still believe that happens. And the matter of death. And this is a day of salvation. And while the day of salvation was on at the church at Corinth those people were sitting there doing things to please themselves. And as they did those things to please themselves God's will was not getting done through their lives as an individual. And so friend he's saying today is the day of salvation. I never will forget how God just got a hold of my heart with this passage. I was in Cuanabaca Mexico. My wife and I had flown down to Mexico City with some friends and then on down to Cuanabaca. And up on this hill there was five missionary couples plus a pilot. American born American raised Mexican boy that was a pilot. And we'd all been down there several days and I'd heard about these Mexican people that lived across the river. And one day I was out in the backyard of this particular home and I was looking across the cliff of a river and the bed of a river onto the other side and I saw these little Mexican people working something like a garden. It was just a little patch of corn. And I knew about these people from the tapes and the pictures and the stories. And I knew that those people would work that little corn patch until the corn was ready. They would gather it, they would let it dry out then they'd chuck it, they'd shell it and they'd take rocks and beat it together until they made a cornmeal out of it. And then they would turn it into tortillas and they'd take those little old tortillas down to the open market and sell those tortillas and get those pesos and put those pesos in little old sacks. And then they'd go back out there among those rocks and get those old huge lizards and eat those things rather than buy good meat with those pesos. Because they were saving those pesos for a time when they'd make a pilgrimage to a statue of Jesus Christ up in the mountains just like the people who make a pilgrimage to the statue of Guadalupe, I believe, in Mexico City. And they would make this pilgrimage up to that statue and my friends they were, the terrain was so rough according to the stories and the pictures that they would literally tear some of their clothes away and their bodies would be skinned up and they'd get to that statue of Jesus Christ. And there at that statue they would be told, now you love God and if you love him you'll give to him. And they'd reach into those little old sacks and get pesos out of those sacks stained with their own blood and drop those pesos in a huge tub that had a chute out of the bottom and money would go down into that statue. And then they'd hear a message in, not in Spanish, but in Latin, and they'd say, look Jesus is crying. And that stone statue of Jesus Christ would have water dripping down its face from tear ducts they'd made with rubber holes because down inside there was a man pumping water through those rubber holes. And they'd reach back into those sacks and get all the pesos they had and drop those pesos in those tubs. And my dear friends, while all at the same time those churches downtown had literally layers of gold, layers of gold. And they'd say, look Jesus is crying. And they'd give everything they had. And I knew that about these people. And I saw a sincerity in those people that I have never, never, never seen in America. And yet my dear friend, those people were dying and going to hell without Jesus Christ. Now God began to speak to me as I stood there. And God asked me a question. He said, why is it that you're standing here saved by the grace of God washed in the blood of the Lamb and you have clothes on that cost more than those people will see, some of them in a lifetime, and you're standing here saved by the grace of God and those people are going to hell? God asked me that question. And I'll guarantee you folks, I just pulled out my theological understanding and I said, well God, you know, I guess that's the sovereign grace of God. Now I'm going to tell you something folks, I believe in the sovereignty of God. And I don't even question the sovereignty of God. I've never met the man that had sense enough to understand it. Amen. Now I met some who thought they had sense enough to understand it. But let me tell you something, if I'd have walked down there and told that little old Mexican, I said, hey friend, I'm saved by the grace of God and I live in all the wealth I live in because, you see, God sovereignly loves me more than he loves you. What kind of God do you think that fellow thought I had? I'm going to tell you something folks, I was, I found myself arguing with God in myself. And finally I just gave up. I said, God, why am I here saved by the grace of God washed in the blood of the Lamb? Why is it that I'm standing here saved and that little fellow down there is not saved? And of course I love history. And I'm not going into detail in this and I expect this crowd to have the ability to put this together as I suggest some things. But I ran across a word that I'm going to, may not use the word over once or twice, but I want you to look into what I'm saying about this word. I asked Clark Pinnock one time when we were in a conference together, who I felt was a great theologian. I asked him, I said, what do you think about this word? Isn't there some better word? And that word is the law of imputation. And he said, Brother Manley, there's not a better word in the Bible, there's not a better word in history than the word imputation. Now do you just remember that word a little bit? By the obedience of one, righteousness was provided for all. But by the disobedience of one, judgment, condemnation, sin came upon all of us. Now that is imputation. Now listen to me carefully. I was watching this man, these people down there in that corn patch, and I knew God loved me and I knew God loved that fellow. And I've always been grateful to God for my salvation, but God loved that fellow. Then I knew that Jesus loved me and saved me, but I knew that Jesus loved that fellow down there in that corn patch. Well I was moving along okay. Then I knew the Holy Spirit loved me, but I also knew the Holy Spirit loved that fellow. Now where are we going to find the difference? So I just kept moving. Then I realized, my dear friend, that I was saved not only because God loved me, Jesus loved me, the Holy Spirit loved me, but I was saved because some people in my past, like my mother, who paid an awful, awful price when it comes. I realized that some other people were involved, but I immediately went across the years for over 1,900 years. And I went back through history and I watched, my dear friends, as the gospel left Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and the other most parts of the world. And I watched the history of Christianity as it walked across Europe and walked into America, my friend. And I realized that I owed my salvation to God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and I owed my salvation to some people a thousand years ago, 1,500 years ago, 1,900 years ago, that saw the cross of Calvary, heard the cry of the Holy Spirit, come over and help us. And these people heard that cry, and they obeyed that heavenly vision. And as they obeyed that heavenly vision, in absolute full surrender, not only was there a body yielded to God, but there was a life so yielded to God that the Holy Ghost could ignite the truth of God. My friend, you can have the truth without the Holy Ghost, and it'll bring death. You can have the Holy Ghost without the truth, and it'll bring confusion. My dear friends, these people were literally set on fire, the truth of God, and it marched across the world and brought salvation to my door one day at the sixth pew of the First Baptist Church, Port Native, Texas, and I was gloriously saved. And I owed my salvation, my friend, not only to God the Father, not only to God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, not only to my mother and those that loved Jesus that I knew, but to those dear old saints that I never knew. But brother and sister, they paid the price of Jesus. And there I stood. Now I didn't know that history put it so plain, but history actually put it so plain that that we can see it just in a glance tonight, the law of imputation. I realized that some of the modern history books that some of you kiddos read today does not read this way. But in my day, you know what the history books say? Basically, I'm generalizing on about America. But when the people came to America, they came with God, seeking God for freedom and liberty in the Lord. And the history books say, and I can be very specific, when they went to South America, which included Mexico, they went looking for gold. Does that say anything to you? As to why, my dear friends, this man and his family for generations has lived in darkness, brother Ed. It was not because of God's provision not being there. It was because, my dear friends, the instrument of God's operation, man had not responded to the call of God. And that doesn't violate the sovereignty of God, and neither does it violate the responsibility of man. That's right. You see the gospel went into Africa before the 1st, the 2nd century. The eunuchs, for one. The gospel went into India. They have a church over there right now that they claim that Timothy started. And we have data today that proves conclusively that the gospel was in China before the 8th century. And one time I took a course at a university in anthropology, just to study the religions of the world. And my dear friends, I found the basic principles of Christianity in every island of the world. The sacrifice, the blood atonement and so on. Now what happened? What happened? Are you listening to me carefully? Listen to me carefully. When a generation receives the gospel they can do one of two things with the gospel. They can play with it, become sensual, die and go to heaven themselves, or they can pass it on. Now listen to me carefully. It takes two things to pass it on. The truth and the power of the Holy Ghost. And there's only one instrument to pass it on with, and that's man. Now if man chooses to play with it, I'll guarantee you it stops. But there's enough religion there that that generation will get their children under it enough that there will be a form of godliness, but not the power thereof. And you know what you get out of a family like that? You get decisions without conversion. And these kids have the form of religion. And then when they leave you and get out there in those universities and hit the storms of life, they will fall apart. And if it does happen, just happens to get past that generation, you give it one more generation and you have nothing but religion. And that's exactly what's happening in America right now. Now if you don't play with it, you don't play with the truth, and you yield your life completely, and embrace the cult of Calvary, and sail out, lock, pop, and bell to God, where you not only have the truth of God, but the power of the Holy Ghost on you, you bring forth a generation of quickened, saved young'uns. Amen. And they have the same responsibility. And it goes from one generation to another. You give any group two generations, and my dear friends, if it's not real, it'll be destroyed. Amen. My friends, if you give a generation of people who are yielded to Jesus Christ, sold out to God, lock, pop, and bell, you give that generation a chance, and they'll give you a generation of saved people. Amen. You say, Brother Manly, I don't understand. Well let me just put it this way. Amy Carmichael had a vision one night, or dream, and as she stood out in the middle of a road, there were thousands and thousands and thousands of people coming down that road. And she realized that behind her was a lake of fire. And as she began to realize that she had the responsibility of stopping those people, she realized they were blind and deaf. They could not respond. And she screamed and hollered, stop, stop, stop, stop. And then she looked over and realized there was a church over there. The lights were on. So she ran over to that church and looked in, and sure enough, there were the people. And she ran in and said, folks, please help me. Please, please, please help me. And they said, we can't. She says, why? They said, we're busy. Busy doing what? Cutting out paper dolls. Now my dear friend, you may think tonight that you are living to yourself, but you're not. In this building tonight, we are living to others. Every moment of every day, we are living to others. That's right. I'll tell you what Washington has to say is significant to all of us, but I want you to know tonight that this crowd has more to do with the destiny of this nation and the character of the next generation than any man in Washington, D.C., unless that man is a child of God. Amen. The Christian has this responsibility. We can pray if you want to, but friends, get a show up in your children and your grandchildren. Friends, you can sell out lock, stock, and barrel. And I don't mean when you sell out, you won't have trouble, even with your children, but I'll guarantee you there'll come a day that they'll bow down before him and call him holy. Yes, sir. Some way, somehow. Yes, sir. Tonight, my dear friend, we're determining the destiny of this whole thing. Amen. Yes, sir. Back in the 30s, there was a great church right out of Chicago, right along the border there between Ohio and Illinois. That church gave a half a million dollars a year commission. Now, all you young folk realize that that's not so much with the big budgets we have today and all that, but in the 30s, folks, a half a million dollars then is worth about three and a half million now. That's right. And this old church, this old church, my dear friends, was giving, it was a Christian missionary line church, and it was giving fabulous, fabulous amounts of money. And one day, there came a time when the glory of God left that church, and it had nothing but a history. Years later, a young man and an elderly man was in town, same hotel, same group. The young man knew the elderly man and thought the elderly man knew about that old church. The young man was going to preach at that old church. So he asked him, he said, sir, what do you think happened to that church up there? Where did God's glory leave it? So the old gentleman told him, Simon said, tonight, when you start up to that old church, get to that red light, take a right and start up that hill, and you'll see the church with a light on up on that hill. He said, watch carefully, because along the street you'll find a sign, and that sign will tell you why the glory of God has departed. That young man could hardly wait. The night fell, he got in his car, started up that road, got to that light, took a right, started up that hill, and he drove slowly. And as he drove slowly, all at once his headlight caught a huge sign with a yellow seal, a background, big old black letters. And you know what it said? It said, caution, children at play. And my dear friends, that church at Corinth was sitting there playing church while the day of salvation was at hand. They were sitting there playing church. And as they were sitting there playing church, it was Bill and Mary and John's day of salvation. Amen. And they were sitting there playing church. My friend, tonight, I don't know why God has done this, and sometimes he bypasses this method, but it's his basic principle of operation. He uses our voice, he uses our hands, he uses our feet, he uses our eyes, for we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. And somehow, someway, I don't understand why he would trust us. He has chosen to work for us. He has chosen to limit himself to us. Why a sovereign God would do that, I don't know. But he has. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the exception time. You know, tonight, I am not interested in motivating you beyond what God initiates. But my dear friends, please, friends, on the authority of the Word of God and all the grace of God, at least keep up with the Lord and obey him and do what he calls on you to do. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the exception. What will you give your family, your children? And what will you give the world? What will you give them? A form of religion without the power thereof? My dear friends, will you give them the Lord and the power of his glory in life? What will you give them? Amen. Will you bow your heads with me, please? You're a saint tonight, you're a Christian. You have Jesus in your heart, but I want you to know something. You play with this issue. You play with this issue, and you'll reap the harvest one day. But if you sell out to Jesus, my friend, you will also reap the harvest. I trust tonight, young man, young man, that you'll let Jesus have his way in your life. Right tonight, the decision will be made, young lady, young man, right there in your heart. Oh dear God, whatever the cost, I want my life to count for Jesus. Father, Mother, tonight, tonight, what about it? Whatever the cost, I know my mother, as a young lady, could have turned her back on Jesus. My personal opinion is that that would have been tragedy in our lives. But tonight, I'm saved. Sometimes some of you didn't have a mother that was saved. Someone else, someone else God used. Amen. Somehow God got through to you, and God's counting on you tonight. I trust that you'll let him have his way. Pass me not, O gentle Savior. Hear my humble cry. While, O mothers, thou art calling, do not pass me by. Do you know the woman, the man that taught Nikita Khrushchev when he was a little boy? If they had known who he was, if they had known he was going to be one of the most hideous murderers of all time, I believe they would have been a different teacher. Don't you? Don't you think so? An old boy right here in this area, a preacher right here in this area, pastor of the church. One day, a teenager walked up to his daddy and shot him, killed his dad. And that pastor told me, I used to walk out from the pulpit by that little boy as a junior boy and pat him on the head and love him. But he said, Brother Manly, if I'd known that boy was going to murder his daddy, I'd have been a different pastor. I would have been a different pastor. I'd have been a different preacher. I would have been a different man of God. Now, my dear friends, let me tell you something tonight. You say, well, that applies to him. No, that applies to you. You and I will not know what could have been done if we'd just obeyed. Would you come? All sorts of people are coming. Would you just get up out of that seat? You say, Brother Manly, I'm an old person. My life is far spent. I don't know how many days left. My friend, if I only had one left, one day left, I'll tell you one thing. I'd want it to count for Jesus. You come right tonight. Just get up out of that seat and come.