<TITLE>16. Par 55-57</TITLE>L-55 "And he runs up the street real quick, as hard as he could, and got up to Hallelujah Avenue. And he said, 'Now, I'll stand right here, right out on the corner.' He happened to think, you know, 'There's such a press, and it's picking up momentum all the time. And time He gets up here, they'll just walk right over the top of me. So you know what I believe I'll do? I believe I'll climb up in this sycamore tree here, and then I'll get a good view of Him.'"
"So he jumped. He's too short, couldn't get a hold of the limb. So looked over there, and the city garbage collector hadn't got the garbage yet. So he reaches over, and gets a hold of the garbage pail, and here he comes." (Oh, you know, if you're determined to see Jesus, He will make you do things that you didn't think you would do.) Oh, my. Here he is, the businessman of the city, packing the garbage can."
And about the time he got out there, his competitor saw him. (Wonder if somebody setting here tonight is exposed like that. Just, oh, exposed. Wonder if it could be, setting there. "Oh, my. I didn't want nobody to see me in here." But you know, He knows right where you are.)
"And so then he set the little can down, and the competitor said, 'Oh, I see he's changed his position; from a merchant, now, he's a city garbage collector.'"
"And so he didn't pay any attention, his little face red. But he was determined to see Jesus. You see? He wanted to get a look at Him. He didn't believe He was a prophet. And if He wasn't a prophet, he was going right down there and really tell Him about it; that's all. Going and say, 'Well, you're impostor. You oughtn't to be in this city.'"
"So he gets up on top of the garbage can and shinnies up it. (Oh, oh. You don't use that word here, "shinny," do you? That's a southern... that means climb up the tree, you know, get your knees a hold of it. We call it shinny down there, up the tree.) Got up the tree, and he got up there, and he found where two limbs hit like this. And he set down right on both of them."
That's where we all come: where two ways meet, yours and God's, there's where you make your decision.
"He set up there, looky, all groomed up, scraping the garbage off of him, picking the splinters out of his hands. What a mess. But he wanted to see Jesus."

L-56 It'll make you get in a mess. That's what's the matter with people today. They don't like the new birth. They try to make it something else. They want to shake hands, say, "I believe in God Almighty, the Father. I believe in the holy Roman Catholic church, the communion of saints, and--and I take Him to be my Saviour. I'm borned again." Huh-uh, No, no, no.
Listen, brother. The new birth's more than that. Listen. I want to tell you something. Any birth is a mess. I don't care if it's in a pig pen, or if it's in a hospital room. Any birth is a mess. And let me tell you, the new birth is nothing less. It's a mess. You'll squall, and bawl, and wash all the paint off your face with tears. But if... You'll have to die, but it brings new life. That's the main thing. It'll bring new life, and you'll be a different creature. It'll make a mess out of you, but you--you'll have to do that to be borned again. You have to be messy (See?), but it'll bring new life.

L-57 "And here he was setting up there, scraping the garbage off of him. And you know, he said, 'Now, Rebekah told me...' And she was home, jumping up-and-down, saying, "God, I know You're answering prayer. Hallelujah. He's going to get it today. That's all there is to it, because he didn't return back. He'd walked out on the sidewalk and come back in if he wanted a little fresh air. But he went just as hard as he could, and I seen him going out towards Hallelujah Avenue as hard as he could go. I know, Lord. Thank You already, answer prayer.'"


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