i know you all remember that when moses came down the mountain, carrying the word a god, come down that sinai peak, he caught those israelites red- handed. what he catch 'em doin'? he caught 'em worshipping a golden calf.
he caught 'em with their backs turned on god!
he caught 'em worshipping a false god! a god of earthly things! he caught them israelites in decline!
because backslidin' is decline, brothers and sisters! you hear talk these days, and i know you've heard this talk, you hear talk of decline, well all that means is we done turned our back on god!
people say civilization doin' this, civilization doin' that, civilization in decline! well it ain't no civilization! it ain't no them! it's us, brothers and sisters!
it's what's in our hearts, each and every one of us when we like them israelites! slidin' awa-a-a-ay down that godly slope, slippin' and slidin' toward the mire and muck a the stinkhole of greed -- that's decline!
and what did moses do when he saw those declinin' backslidin' never- mindin' sinners?
moses smote those sinners in his wrath yes he did!
y'all know what smote is! i smite! you smite! he smites! we done smote!
to smite is to go upside the head!
because sometimes, brothers and sisters, that is the only way!
to smite is to remind! we got to stop that decline! and scramble back up to the face a the almighty gyod!
'stead a worshippin' that golden calf, that earthly trash on that garbage island! that garbage island in that shadowland way outside the kingdom a god!
that garbage island where scavenger birds feast on the bones a the backslidin' damned!
and so, let us pray.
why thank you, sister rose.
oh now ladies.
oh now you gracious ladies.