Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ.

Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church located in Kernersville, North Carolina. The Lord is his name. Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. Say that verse with me and read it with me if you will. Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. I want you to quote our verse with me again this morning. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for me. Good, you did good. Let's do it one more time.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. I'd like to preach on the subject this morning entitled, Call Me. Call Me. My second son Hudson was named, his two namesake was first was Dr. Jack Hudson from Charlotte, North Carolina, Northside Baptist Church. That's where he got his first name Hudson. And then his second name, his middle name was from Dr. Lee Roberson. And Hudson Lee, his last name came from me.

It didn't originate with me, but it came from me. And so Hudson Lee Hotry, we spent a couple of years kind of working out of Northside Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Hudson was one of my earliest heroes. Preacher Joe and Miss Dorcas got us a picture on Hudson's birthday. And it's a picture that has a picture of Lee Roberson, Jack Hudson and me holding Hudson as a baby. And they gave us that picture about that because of his namesake. It's precious to us.

We'll always cherish that. And Dr. Hudson there at the great facilities that the Lord gave them in Charlotte, they of course built a church so big they had to move. And if you've ever been towards Charlotte on Interstate 85, you'll see as you go into Charlotte, you'll see a big dome church. And it's a big dome. That was Northside Baptist Church where Dr. Hudson was the pastor.

And they have a road there as you come in off an exit. When you exit off that road they have a road coming in and it's entitled Jeremiah 33-3 Boulevard. That was his verse. Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things thou knowest not. I want you to look at a couple things in this passage this morning as we deal with this subject of call me. Call me. That's what God asked us to do.

Just call me. Notice if you will first our responsibility in verse 3. Call unto me. That is our responsibility.

Do I have an amen right there? That's what we're supposed to do. We're supposed to call him. I notice that when you have a hard time and he's talking about here an individual that is in prison, Jeremiah's in prison.

And in verse 3 he says call unto me. He didn't say fix it yourself. And he didn't say rely on your education in this task. He didn't say ask others. He didn't say go and do more good works. He didn't say figure it out.

He didn't say look it up in a book somewhere. He didn't even say perform some spiritual ritual. He said what you have to do in times like this is call unto me.

Do I have an amen? What I wish God's people would do if we would just call on him more. We do everything else but call him. We talk to everybody else but him.

We try everything else but try him. And if we would just call unto him. That word call means a couple of things and I found this interesting that first that word call means that there's a distance. You wouldn't have to call him if there wasn't a distance there.

My dad's often used this illustration in the years. If I brought brother Joe and stood brother Joe right here and I was standing right here. If I needed to say something to brother Joe I wouldn't say brother Joe! I don't have to call him.

He's right there. You know I'm close to him. But often times you and I we backslide and we get away from God and we get discouraged and we get defeated. And that word call means that there might be a distance.

Second it means there's a desire. You wouldn't call somebody if you didn't desire to reach them. I don't know about you but often times we don't call God because we're not desiring him.

We've got so much going on in this life and so many things going on that we've got time to do that and we've got time to do this and we can't wait to do such and such but we don't have time or a desire to call on God. I often think of nowadays as different. Years ago when I was a teenager you had to get a phone if you wanted to talk to your girlfriend or your boyfriend. Man nowadays they got computers and they got cell phones and they're texting and twittering and everything else and Lord knows my dad would have never let me twitter her girlfriend.

That just sounds bad doesn't it? I feel sorry for teenagers now telling their grandparents hey I twittered my girlfriend and they'd be like what? They don't even know what they're talking about. Nowadays they call and you know what that means?

That means they have a desire to talk. I mean kids are younger and younger and younger getting cell phones now. Now babies come in the nursery on the cell phone. It's ridiculous. Stuck it in their diaper when they're done or something.

I don't know where they keep it. But you know what that word call means? It means there's a desire just like a teenager desires to talk to their friends and they desire to call them. That means there's a desire. That word call means that you desire to reach them. Third thing I noticed that word call means it means there's desperation. It means I'm in trouble. I need help and I've got to call on somebody.

I noticed the fourth thing it gives is direction. He said call unto me. He directs us where to call.

It reminds me of Romans 10 13 when you're desperate and when you realize I'm a guilty distance away from God I've got to call him whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Calling is our responsibility. I noticed second this morning not only our responsibility but second his response. He said this call unto me and I will answer thee. His response.

First thing I notice is this. First I see the promise. He said I will answer. Aren't you thankful that we have a God that has promised when we call he will answer. You say yeah but he might not do what I want him to do. He might say no. He might say yes. He might say maybe. He might say wait. But he always gives an answer and I'm thankful that when I called him and I said Lord I'm a sinner and I need you and I need you to come into my heart and save me.

Forgive me of my sins. Thank God we have a God that answers us when we call. You see calling is our job. Answering is his job.

And he always does his job. The promise I will answer. Can you imagine how unbelievable it is to our minds to think that a savior could answer me at the same time he can answer all of you. And we're just a little speck compared to this world and any individual at any time that calls him he will answer.

It blows our mind. There's no way that we can understand that God is everywhere at all times when he's with us. He can talk to you when he talks to me. He can talk to 500 of you when he talks to me. You praying to him I can pray to him. Everybody in this world could pray to him at one time.

It wouldn't be too much for him to handle. He says this if you call I will answer. It's never busy. He's never out. He's never doing something. If you're doing something in the middle of the night when you say I can't call mom and I can't call dad and I can't call friend and I can't call pastor and I just don't have anybody to talk to. He will answer you when you call because he's never too busy. He's never out doing something. He's always waiting to talk to you.

I noticed not only that it's a promise but second it's personal. He said I will answer thee. He'll answer you. You say nobody really understands the problems I'm going through preacher.

Oh, yeah, there is one that does. The Lord understands. You say I couldn't even describe to you preacher what I'm going through. I can't describe to you my feelings.

I can't even explain to my wife. I can't even explain to my husband how my heart is feeling. I try to sit down with a counselor or with this person. I just can't seem to get out what I'm trying to say and I can't even put words to how I'm feeling. And many of you have felt that way and I've felt that way that as much as I would want somebody to be able to understand what I'm feeling or what I'm going through I just can't seem to describe it. I don't have the words to say it but I'm here to tell you that Jesus says if you'll tell him and if you'll call him and you'll lay your burdens on him he will answer you. I'm here to tell you today dear friend you've got somebody at your disposal that will listen to everything you have to say and when he listens he'll understand you. He'll know exactly what you're going through and he will help you through it.

It's a promise but it's personal. He'll answer thee. I notice third his resources.

Our responsibility, his response and then his response thirdly he unleashes his resources. Look at verse three. Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things. Now there's some things about this that I want us to notice this morning. First about his resources I see this.

They are displayed. He said call unto me and I will answer thee and what? Show you.

Can I tell you this? God loves to show you what he can do. And if I can say this and not in any way trying to be worldly with God or put him on man's terms but can I say this? Nobody can show off like God can.

Nobody has the resources that God does. And God can't wait to show you what he can do. He loves to show individuals. He loves to show us. He loves to show the church what he can do.

God loves to do that. And by the way when you are driving and you look at the mountains that is showing what God can do. I preached out in California, went to Yosemite National Park. If you've never been to Yosemite National Park it's one place you ought to go to before you die. And if you hike up to the top you might go ahead and die there.

Yosemite National Park is unbelievable. You walk through and people look and say boy I can't believe that mountain. And they have one mountain there Al Capitan and it's a sheer side of a rock. It's over two miles high. And you can look up there with binoculars. I mean literally and the elevation is just barely that. And you see these little dots up there and you get your binoculars and it's climbers that sometimes take two days to get up. And they put spikes in that side of that mountain and they hang a cocoon sleeping bag. And they get in that sleeping bag suspended about a mile and a half in the air and sleep there at night.

Are you kidding me? As fat as I am? Next thing I know, RIP!

It better be reinforced if I'm going to sleep in it. I mean you look at that and you hike to Upper Falls and Lower Falls and Bridal Veil Falls and I've hiked a lot of those things. And you look and people say what a waterfall, what a mountain. And I come to that place and I say what a god. God can't wait to show you what he can do. When you see a bird flying or hear a bird singing that's showing you what God can do. When you look at trees and you look at mountains and you look at water flowing down through a brook and you look at the ocean and the power of the ocean. And you look at storms come through and lightning crashing and tornadoes coming. That's a sign of what God can do. He said you call me, I'll answer you and I will show you great and mighty things.

He loves to show you what he can do. I've been to Chimney Rock. How many of you have been to Chimney Rock? You get up at the top of Chimney Rock and I took my wife there when we were dating. Had to find somewhere where the Kerwin people weren't. Because I wanted to shake her hand, you know.

I'm picking. We got up to the top of Chimney Rock and you walk out on that little piece that comes out and you're standing there looking over Lake Lore. And in the fall time the leaves are beautiful and you look at that lake it's beautiful and you're up in the air and you just think what a god. Listen to me dear friend if God can make mountains and God can hang the earth in space and keep it and rotate it and suspend it and God can put the sun at the exact distance away.

A little bit further we'd freeze, a little bit closer we'd burn but God put the sun exactly where it has to be. If God can do that don't you think he can meet your need? He said just call me and I'll show you what I can do. I noticed not only is it displayed but second I noticed the dimensions. He says let me if I can put a little bit of a ruler around what I can do. He says I will show you great and mighty things. That word great means this, it means exceeding, it means high, it means more, it means to make large. And God says this let me tell you the dimensions of what I can do, I can do more than you think. I can go beyond what's in your mind, I can do things you never thought of, I can change people's hearts, I can fix a marriage, I can put things back together, I can mend a relationship, I can save a lost soul.

If you'll just call me, if you'll just come to me, if you'll just trust me, if you'll just give everything you have to me, I'll show you great things. Then he says mighty, I see not only the dimensions but I see the dynamic. He said I will show you great and mighty things. Listen to me, that word great is putting a span around it, it's measuring it.

The word mighty is measuring the power, not the size. God says this I can do some big things, some large things for your life, but not only that I can do some powerful things in your life. I can do some mighty things in your life. You say preacher I've got needs and I don't know how God's gonna meet it. Oh listen to me, God can do some mighty things in your life if you'll just call him, if you'll just get on the phone, if you'll just wake up in the morning and say God I need you, I can't fix my marriage, I can't fix my child, I can't seem to make things work, I can't find a job, I can't do all this, God how do I do it if you'll just call him? He said I'll do mighty things for you.

You can't look at this facility here. Oh I know there's bigger churches in the world and there's a whole bunch of smaller churches. But you cannot drive in this parking lot and see the parking lot, an educational building, this auditorium, the church office, look at all the property, you can't look at Mills Hall, a bus garage, the bus is sitting out, you cannot look at this and not see that God can do great and mighty things more than you ever thought possible.

Because it used to be just a little tiny building sitting back here with about 30 people and the average person that would come in and try to imagine this, we just can't imagine it, we just can't go that far, we're limited by that but God says if you'll call me I promise you I will answer you and not only will I answer you but I'll show you some things that are great, some things that are mighty, some things beyond what you could even think. I not only see his resources but fourthly I see our restrictions, our restrictions. He says this, you call me and I'll answer thee and I'll show you great and mighty things, notice what he says, which thou knowest not. You see folks I want you to understand you and I have restrictions because we're human and we're flesh and we have only the capability to look at things through human eyes.

We have only the capability to see things in a common sense manner with our fleshly education and the way our minds work. The Bible says God's not limited by us, he doesn't answer to restrictions that we answer to but you and I are restricted and this is what God says, God says you call me, I'll answer you and I'll do some great and mighty things, in fact there are gonna be things that you don't even have the ability to imagine. You can't even imagine what I'll do for you if you'll call me. You say preacher, that all sounds well and good but you don't know my situation. You don't know my restriction, you don't know how there's just no way for this to work out, there's no way for this to happen, there's no way for God to do such and such. Listen to me dear friend, I want you to see that God says I'll do things that you don't know. You know what that word no means?

It means to be able to recognize, to be aware of. That means this, do you know God's doing things in your life you don't even see? God is accomplishing things you have no idea he's even doing and while you're praying, you're saying God I need help, oftentimes God has already begun to work, he's already started fixing it, he's already put a plan in place and you and I because we're human in flesh and we can't think as high as God and we can't think as well as God. We have no idea what he's doing and the whole time we never even saw it but he was already starting to fix it.

Our restrictions, I want to give you two things this morning and I'll be done. Jeremiah 33, three calling to me, I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. You would say this, well preacher that's a pretty steep statement even from God, how do you know that he can do it? Well as I've taught many times here, God always when he makes a statement, oftentimes in the word of God he always gives the credentials before he gives the command. I want you to look at verse two, thus saith the Lord, the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it to establish it, the Lord is his name. In case you're getting ready to doubt what he's getting ready to say, he gives you his credentials and I find here first in verse two that he proves his authority. He proves his authority, notice this, he says thus saith the Lord, the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it to establish it. That means this, he said number one, I made it.

You say what? You name it, he made it. Number two, he molded it. He said I formed it. That means this, not only did God create it, but he changed it and he molded it and he made it what he wanted.

And I'm here to say in your life, whatever you're going through, it doesn't surprise God. God created, he made everything and he molded everything. And notice this, it says to establish it in verse two. You know what that means? He multiplied it. Listen to me, what does it mean to establish? It means to further.

It means to make concrete ground, to establish. God says I made it, I molded it and I multiplied it. Can I say this, anything you have in your life that's established is because God chose to bless you and multiply you in your life. Everything you have is from him. Any of you that have a house, let me tell you something, that's because God multiplied you. You got a car to drive here, it's because God multiplied you. Anything you've done, anything you've accomplished is because not only did God create you, not only did he make you, not only did he mold you and made you into what he wants you to be, but third, he multiplies you. All your blessings have to come from him. Your very breath he controls in his hand. But the best part about this is in verse one. Not only does he prove his authority, but I find second that he provides anticipation. Look at verse one if you would closely.

Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison. Let's think about this. This wonderful statement that God's getting ready to make. I made everything, I formed it, I established it, I'm the maker of it all. The Lord is his name, call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things thou knowest not.

He is saying that to an individual that's sitting in a prison and has been sitting there for a long time. Thanks for the encouragement, God. You know what I'd love to have instead of a declaration? How about a key to the cell?

That would be us, wouldn't it? Well that all sounds great, God. I'm still stuck here in prison. Let me tell you two things that gave Jeremiah anticipation. First, I noticed this. Look if you would at verse one, very important. Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time.

Let me tell you the first thing that encouraged Jeremiah. First was this, he returned. He came back. He was still sitting in jail, he's still rotten, probably mice trying to eat his feet. Eating slop for dinner if he got anything at all.

Probably a dingy, dungy, dirty, had to use the bathroom probably in his own cell. And he's sitting there in prison, discouraged, defeated. All of a sudden here comes God again the second time. Let me tell you what encouraged Jeremiah is that he returned.

And let me tell you what I'd encourage you here this morning. Jesus always comes back. He promised never to leave us nor forsake us. He always comes back to encourage. He always comes back to fix the problem. He never leaves you rotten in a jail.

He never leaves you without a hope, without a friend, without a savior. He always comes back. He returned. The Bible says that Jesus remembers our state.

The Bible says that David said, I can't go anywhere and hide from God. He's everywhere. He returned. He came the second time. Thank God he didn't leave after the first time and never come back. He came back again. Let me tell you the second thing that encouraged Jeremiah here. Not only did he return, but second he remembered.

You say, what do you mean preacher? Well, the fact that Jesus came back the second time means this. He never forgot where Jeremiah was. He knew where he was the entire time.

Listen to me, dear friend. What was encouraging to Jeremiah is not only did the Lord come back and speak to him, but that meant that the Lord did not forget him and he did not forget where he was. This was just all part of God's plan. This was all part of God reaching Jerusalem. This was all part of God trying to reach these people, trying to talk some sense into them. But can I say this, that when he came back to Jeremiah, not only did he return, but he remembered exactly where he was and he came bearing good news.

He said, Jeremiah, let me tell you something. I am the Lord. I'm the maker of it. I created this prison. I formed it.

I multiplied it. I own everything. There's nothing that's not mine. And Jeremiah, I want you to know something.

You call unto me. I will answer you and I will show you great and mighty things that you can't even imagine right now. Yeah, you might be sitting in this jail. Yeah, you might be in prison, but I want to tell you something. I came back. I've not forgotten who you are. I've not forgotten where you are and I'm here to help because I will always come back. Dear friend, I don't care what you're going through.

I want you to know something. God knew exactly where you were that night. Your heart was broken. You're laying in your bed crying. Somebody forsook you.

Somebody stabbed you in the back. God knew exactly where you were. He was watching you the entire time and he came in the still moments of that night and encouraged your heart. You say, preacher, you don't know what I'm going through.

Oh, listen to me. God knows exactly where you are in your marriage. God knows exactly what's going on in that house. God knows exactly where you are in paying those bills. God knows exactly where your finances are.

Listen to me. He knows where you are. He's watching everything. He's never forgotten you. He's never left you. He's never forsaken you. He knows exactly where you are. And I'm here to say what our job is to do is to just call him and after that it's his job.

He said, I'll answer. I'll show you great and mighty things that you can't even imagine. All we have to do is call. You say, preacher, I just have nothing left to do. You know what the Lord's telling you today? Call me.

You say, I have problems in our family and they grow deeper than you could possibly imagine. God says, call me. Preacher, I've got bills that are piling up.

I got no job. I got no, you know what God says? Call me.

Call me. Preacher, you just have no idea what I'm going through. You have no idea what, and preacher, my wife, my husband, my own family doesn't even know. Preacher, I think I'm going crazy in my head. You don't understand the emotions that I feel and the pressures that I feel and the depression and the discouragement that's coming in my life. Listen to me, dear friend, depression is real.

Discouragement is real and it's affecting God's people right now. I'm here to tell you when you're there and you say, you just don't understand what I'm going through. Let me tell you what God says. Call me and I'll answer and I'll show you great and mighty things that you can't even imagine right now if you'll just call me.

Father, we have a bunch of people in this room, Lord. Lord, we try so many things if we would just call you. We try everything else. We try to fix it ourselves.

We rely on our friends and our education and reading a book. God, if we would just call you, we would just put everything else down, everything else aside, turn the TV off, turn the radio off, put the book down and call you. Lord, I can imagine with your infinite wisdom and knowledge knowing the future, that Lord, you just can't wait for some of us to see what you would do, but we just won't call you. We just won't let you. And Lord, you know what would be coming and you know the answer that you could give and I know it's exciting for you just to see what you're going to do in our lives, but we just won't let you.

We just won't call. Lord, you came to an individual that had been faithful to you but found himself in jail. And in your sweetness, you came and said, call me, Jeremiah.

Call unto me. Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192 or via the web at kerwinbaptistchurch.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you.