Transcription
Lord Jesus, I would like to, before I speak on your behalf, just personally thank you for loving somebody like me. With all of the formals and sins in my life, I want to thank you for your grace because where sin abounds, grace much more abounds. I'd like to thank you for saving these people. I would also like to thank you for allowing us as believers to be in enemy territory to be able to get people ready to tell them the good news of Jesus before you come again. Thank you for coming the first time. Thank you, Lord.
Uh, we can't sing enough. We can't make a production beautiful enough to say thank you to God our Father for sending his Son. We've tried. One day when we are perfect and stand before you, we will have better tongues.
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And better knowledge and better praise. So, as we go into your word today, I would like to say that without you, I can do nothing. For your help in preaching your word, I thank you. May some soul be saved. May someone be renewed. And may we all leave God's house today rejoicing. And I pray it in the name of the risen Jesus and the returning Jesus. Amen. And I, I go ahead and be seated, if you will. Thank you.
So, here's the question I want to ask. I realize I'm in church. And I realize that this might be an odd question to people who come to church regularly or read the Bible. But I'm also speaking to unknown thousands of people right now over the internet. So, the question I want to ask is, do you really know Jesus? Seems a little what? But I'm going to ask it again. Do you really know Jesus? It is no secret. I make it no secret here that I believe that church pews are full of people who know, here we go, about Jesus and are aware of Jesus and have knowledge of Jesus, but they don't know Jesus. And that's something that can be proven with scripture.
If you remember when Jesus met the woman at the well, in that conversation, he said something to this effect, "You don't know what you're worshiping. We Jews do. Salvation is of the Jews. But you're worshiping and yet don't know who you're worshiping." Why? In Acts chapter 8, the Bible says there was an Ethiopian eunuch, the treasurer of Ethiopian's queen, who went to Jerusalem to worship. But he didn't know who he was worshiping. Because on the way back, Philip [snorts] met him and heard him reading from Isaiah. And Philip said, "Do you know what you're reading?" He said, "Well, how can I unless someone teaches me?" So, here's a fellow that went to worship. A long trip to Jerusalem to worship and had no idea who he was that was to be worshiped.
Everybody knows that in Acts chapter 17, when Paul went into Athens, he was disturbed by the number of idle gods that had been sculpted and that lined the roadways. And he was stunned when he came up on one of those statues that said, "To the unknown God." And when he gave his speech there in Athens, he said, "People, I have come to you to make known to you who this unknown God is. This God whom you worship ignorantly is the God that created the heavens and the earth." And he continued that great sermon. The point was, they were worshiping but had no idea who it was they were worshiping.
I can go on. When you go to the uh, 10th chapter of Acts, if you remember, his name is Cornelius. And this is the Bible's description of this Italian soldier. It says, "He was a devout man. He feared God with all his household. He gave alms generously to the people and he prayed to God always." FOLKS, THAT SOUNDS like a believer there. Any pastor would love to have a house full of people that did that. They were devoted. They feared God. They gave lots of money to the people. And they prayed all the time. Except that God saw that the man wasn't saved. And that's why Peter was sent to his house to tell him and his household and his friends how to be saved through Jesus Christ the Lord.
There is another example. His name is called Simon and he was called a sorcerer. And when in chapter 8 of Acts, uh, Philip went down and preached Jesus, well, the Bible says that Simon believed and was baptized and followed the apostles around. But then at some point, it clicked with Peter and he said, "You are full of deceit. You have bitterness in your life and you're bound by iniquity." In other words, you don't know God at all. And that's after the man believed. That's what the Bible said. He believed on Jesus. He was baptized in the name of Jesus. But he was never saved.
Because in scripture and to God, being saved is not a matter of agreeing with Christianity. It's not even a matter of agreeing with scripture or going through the motions of Christians. Salvation is when a supernatural, indescribable miracle takes place from heaven's throne through the blood of Jesus. When someone believes on the name and the blood and they get a brand new heart. And they become new creations in Christ Jesus on the inside. It's not a matter of paying ties and even paying or praying public prayers or being devoted and being a good father and being a good husband. There must be a new birth. Jesus said, "You be born."
And WHEN YOU ARE BORN AGAIN, THE ALL YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS JESUS. I say it often. I don't know a different way to say it. You don't throw Jesus into the mix of your life. He becomes your life. Everything else is distasteful, disappointing, and boring. Am I preaching to anybody this morning? When you are saved, you know it because you get a different way of thinking, a different way of talking. Everything about you is different. That's why I asked the question, "Do you really know Jesus?" Because over my years of pastoring, I have met plenty of people that went to church for a long time and did all of these other things. But today, they are living a life of sin. That's because what happened to them was superficial. It was JUST FROM THE HEAD AND not the heart. And you know, YOU CAN FAKE IT or you can pretend it for years. But there will come a time when the truth will be told. And someone like Peter or just maybe the Holy Spirit himself will look at you and say, "I know you were baptized. And I know you believed. And I know you went through all the motions of the saints, BUT YOU'RE STILL IN INIQUITY AND YOU'RE BOUND UP BY BITTERNESS and you need to be born again."
Now, that's the way the Bible teaches this. And if one is not truly marvelously born again, that person becomes open to pure spiritual and religious deception. Folks, my heart is heavy. Uh, I take this home, this church home with me after I preach. Sandra and I take this church to bed with us. I walk around with this church on my shoulders. I pray for this church constantly. And I am telling you that I have a burden today to make sure as a shepherd of a flock that this church knows the truth and the whole truth and nothing but the truth and that this church is centered around Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. Because I am fully aware of the power of deception. And I know that if you are not rooted and grounded in the word of God, if you do not have a prayer life, you are up for and apt to be caught up in some kind of deception.
I was reading just yesterday. I did a lot of reading yesterday and here's one of those verses that stood out to me. Paul said, "I want you to come to the full knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Wow. But then he says, "THAT WE SHOULD NO longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting." You see, there are people WHO EVERY TIME SOME NEW DOCTRINE COMES ALONG, SOME NEW IDEA, SOME NEW TEACHING, some new book, SOME NEW AUTHOR, SOME NEW PREACHER, they head straight for it. And that is because THEY ARE NOT ROOTED AND GROUNDED in the word of God. They don't have a sure foundation. Every time the wind blows in that direction, that's where THEY GO. AND THAT IS A SIGN that you've never MET JESUS. BECAUSE WHEN YOU'VE MET JESUS, YOU'RE NOT CONSTANTLY TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE. You are satisfied in Christ alone. And he says it, that we should no longer be children, tossed back and forth and to and fro AND CARRIED ABOUT, BLOWN ABOUT WITH EVERY wind of doctrine. And that wind of doctrine comes through the trickery of sinful men and the cunning craftiness of deceitful teachers.
There it is. That's why I stress and I and I have for decades, YOU CAN DO YOURSELF THE BEST SPIRITUAL FAVOR OF all by reading and praying and then praying and reading. That's what gives us life. When we read and pray, when we're saturated with God's word, when we're soaked in prayer, we can fellowship with saints and and with THAT FELLOWSHIP, WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP with our Lord Jesus Christ. But if you do not have a prayer life, if you do not know God's word, YOU ARE SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR SOME TYPE OF DECEPTION. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU'RE being deceived because you don't know what the word says about deception.
Pastor, how does this happen? Well, I've said it many times. There are seducing spirits in the world. Those seducing spirits are not working in the world. The world's already seduced and tricked. The seducing spirits come against believers, tricking, seducing, um, offering something, um, making them think there's something more and better and and exciting other than the Lord JESUS CHRIST.
HOW DOES IT HAPPEN, PASTOR? It happens because our enemy is smarter than we are. And unless we are filled with the knowledge of Christ and rely on the spirit of Christ, our enemy will gain access to our minds. Uh, you know one of those scriptures. Let me find something here. Hang on just a moment. I'll find it. Uh, here's what Paul says. Talking about false teachers, false apostles, false Christs. Listen. "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ." Now, how do you do that? A deceitful worker, a false apostle, who can transform himself into an apostle of Christ. But listen to these words, "and no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."
Did you hear that? But pastor, how can Satan transform himself into an angel of light? I thought God was light and in him is no darkness at all. You got to read scripture in context, folks. Jesus in John, the first chapter of John, is called the true light. John said he was sent into the world. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light, which is the true light. So, if there is a true light, there must be a false light. AND THAT FALSE light is what the devil purports to be and the teachings he brings into one's life. Now, I'm going to read that again and I want you to hear it. "FOR SUCH ARE FALSE APOSTLES, DECEITFUL WORKERS, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ and no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."
I've spent a lot of time in this pulpit right here warning people. I have prayed till my voice was hoarse. I have walked the floors until I was literally dead tired from praying. Over the years, I have spent time. Am I bragging? Of course not. This is what I've been called to do. I have spent hours and hours in a lonely room waiting to hear from God. Because I'm not my own. I've been bought with a price. I'm not a professional. I'm a preacher. I don't get paid to preach sermons. I am called to preach the whole counsel of God. You don't get words from God over the internet. You don't buy sermons and get words from God. You only get a word from God when you are willing to stay long enough to hear from God. When Elijah was sent by God to stay down by the brook Cherith, it was almost 3 years before the word of the Lord came to him. When Moses went up onto the mountain of Sinai, IT WAS 7 DAYS BEFORE GOD said a word to him. But God said, "Just come up here and wait till I talk to you."
And I'm trying to express my heart to you this morning. I'm not coming in here today just to fill up space. I have A BURDEN ON MY SHOULDERS AND IN MY HEART TO remind us that unless WE ARE ROOTED AND GROUNDED in the truth, WE ARE SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR DECEPTION AND NO ONE IS EXEMPT FROM THAT. IF SATAN CAN TURN HIMSELF into an angel of light, shouldn't we know what the true light is all about? This is my warning. "Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you can prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Do not let the world press you into its lifestyles, into its manner of thinking. This is not your home. YOU DON'T BELONG HERE. SET YOURSELF TO KNOW THE Lord and to know his word BECAUSE THE DEVIL IS GOING ABOUT AS A ROARING LION seeking whom he may devour. And the WRITER SAID, "YOU'VE GOT TO RESIST HIM STEADFAST IN THE FAITH." BUT WE DO NOT have that faith unless we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God.
I've stood in this pulpit of recent times and I have warned you almost with tears about our nonchalance towards secular holidays like Halloween. Do you remember? Do you remember? I have warned of recent days warned you about how the New Age movement and Eastern mysticism is infiltrating the church and I mentioned yoga. And I've come TO FIND OUT LOTS of churches have yoga classes just so people can learn to be filled with peace and discover themselves and they don't think anything is wrong with that. It's New Age, brother. It comes from the East. It's mysticism. It is dangerous. I have stood in this pulpit and I have warned people about getting overly upset about and involved in social issues. They are A DISTRACTION FROM THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. YOU mention injustice AND PEOPLE JUMP STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN. FOLKS, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN INJUSTICE. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE INJUSTICE UNTIL JESUS COMES BACK. AND SATAN KNOWS JUST HOW TO MASH OUR BUTTONS. HE KNOWS WHAT WORDS TO USE to get SOME PEOPLE SO RILED UP whether they are black or white or Hispanic or gay or straight. HE KNOWS WHAT TO do and how to do it SO THAT WE, THE CHILDREN OF GOD, BECOME DISTRACTED AWAY FROM THE SPIRIT, AWAY FROM THE WORD, AWAY FROM THE church and GET SO CAUGHT UP IN THE ISSUES of this world.
Just recently, and I mean just recently, I've been hearing the uh, enneagram. Huh? Did I say it right? You know, where every personality has a number and you study it and see what her number is and you treat her a certain way because she's a certain number and he's a certain number and then you learn the personalities of people. It's New Age. It's New Age. Now, I'm going to sound ignorant when I say this to some of you. I don't have to study a personality chart to know how to get along with my neighbor. If [snorts] I am saved and sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit, I know how to get along with anybody. And I don't care how full you are the spirit, there's some people you can't get along with. What I heard was not only are they using this enneagram personality study stuff in the business world, but they're now doing it in churches. And pastors are DOING THIS, MY GOD, FROM THE PULPIT. Because he, they want the people to know how to get along. And the most important thing in the world is the fellowship of the saints. No, it is not. The most important thing in the WORLD IS THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST and if it's preached and people LIVE IT, WE CAN GET ALONG.
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IT'S NEW AGE. NEW AGE IS coming into the church left and right. I do not know why some of you have to always read the latest book that comes out. Pastor, what do you think of THIS BOOK? WELL, MY QUESTION IS, WHAT DO YOU THINK of this one? And if you're listening by radio, I'M HOLDING UP THE BIBLE. PASTOR, WOULD YOU READ THIS BOOK AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK? NO. I DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ A BOOK. I DON'T CARE ABOUT A BOOK. BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS. I DON'T CARE. I'M READING A BOOK BY THE MOST FAMOUS AUTHOR THAT EVER EXISTED IN THE UNIVERSE.
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NOW, here we go. Pastor, you mean the only thing you ever read is the Bible? No. But I don't read questionable worldly, materialistic, humanistic stuff to try to see if it's right or wrong. Why don't you just pick up the scriptures? Why don't you just go in your prayer closet, if you have one, and why don't you stay there until the Holy Spirit can give you an answer about this thing you are seeking, this relationship or or WHATEVER IT IS? WHATEVER IS KEEPING YOU FROM HAVING peace in your life, you can discover what it is from God's holy word. New Age, it's in the church. Preachers won't preach the whole counsel of God. Doctrines of devils. Pastors preaching, teaching New Age cuz it appeals to the flesh. It's easy to preach. See, if you preach New Age, it's all peace and love and we can get along, but if you preach the scripture, you've got to bring up the fact that God killed people at times. God kills? God sends plagues at times. You mean good, holy, wonderful, loving God sends plagues? Yes, he does. So, if you preach the scriptures, you've got to preach some tough stuff. But God put it in there cuz he wanted us to know what it says. If you don't want to preach that, if you want to keep the pews full, if you want people to talk about things and interact and drink coffee in circles all the time, then you preach stuff that will damn men's souls. Pastors preaching New Age.
And now the Christian music industry is becoming more sympathetic to homosexuality. You're hearing more and more of this Christian artist and that one that has come out. And when one comes out, two come out and when two come out, 10 come out. Everybody starts feeling safe. So, right there in the Christian music industry, you've got a whole network of gay people who say, "Jesus loves me just the way I am. I love him. That's why I can write and sing these great songs. And God wouldn't give these to me if he didn't love me." And what happens? We sing those songs. And what is happening? People are becoming more tolerant of something that God has no tolerance for.
The other day, I with my own ears heard two of the leading pastors in the United States make statements that frightened me. >> [snorts] >> Joel Osteen was asked again, "Is homosexuality a sin?" Here's how he said it. "Well, that's complicated. It's complicated and I don't like to deal with complicated things. I like to stay in my lane and build people up. I want to build people up. I don't want to tear people down. That subject is so divisive, I don't even preach it in my church. The only time I deal with it is when you people ask me in an interview what I think of it." Wow. Complicated. Don't want to deal with it. She simply asked, "Is it a sin?" T. D. Jakes said, "Well, it's complicated." And he said, "In this issue, I am I have evolved and I am evolving." And the interviewer said, "Well, what does that mean?" He said, "It means I have evolved and I am evolving." "So, when the LGBTQ community comes to me," he said, "I say, 'Look, just go find a church where they believe what you believe and fit in there. If you don't like our church, don't come and change us. Go where you're comfortable and be happy because it's complicated.'"
Is it? Okay. Is it complicated, church? It's complicated if you're trying to figure out how not to lose people, not to offend people. When you're the top dog, the chief spokesman, it's complicated when you know that the subject could be offensive to a lot of people. It's only complicated when you take the scriptures out of it. But when I read the scriptures, here's what I read. "Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness in the lust of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves. Who exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creator and the creature rather than the creator. For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use what is against nature. Likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust for one another. Men with men committing what is shameful. And receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a debased mind to do whatever is not fitting."
Is that complicated? No, it's not complicated. That's the problem we face today. Those who are supposed to be spokespersons and spiritual leaders have become false Christ, false apostles, false teachers because if you're not teaching Jesus and if Jesus is not the centrality of your preaching and if you do not stand on this word then you are false in every way.
Now, there's another pastor. >> [applause] >> Another pastor who was very outspoken about this and he was asked, I saw this too. I heard this about homosexuality. He said, let me tell you something. Let's just settle this issue. Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. He said, show it to me. He's talking to the interviewer. What would she know? She's an atheist. So who's who's going to show him? Mind you now, he said, JESUS CHRIST NEVER SAID ONE WORD ABOUT IT. WELL, LISTEN TO THIS PREACHER. Number one, he said it. He said it about it when he talked about marriage. "From the beginning the father made them male and female." Now, can I tell you something folks? There's no such thing as same-sex marriage. Only marriage can be identified with a man and a woman uniting in holy matrimony.
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THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. MARRIAGE IS ABOUT MALE AND FEMALE IN FRONT OF GOD GETTING MARRIED. IT'S YOU MIGHT HAVE A SAME-SEX UNION BUT IT'S A UNION OF SINFUL PEOPLE doing sinful things. Number two, Jesus did say something about it. Jesus is the word. Everything that is said from Genesis to Revelation, Jesus said it. He said it.
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You can't pick pull Jesus out and just put him in 33 years of existence and say because HE DIDN'T SAY HOMOSEXUALITY IS a sin that he NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT IT. JUST GO BACK TO THE BOOK OF GENESIS. GO TO SODOM AND GOMORRAH. GO ALL THE WAY TO THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. THAT'S JESUS TALKING RIGHT THERE. THE WORD OF THE LIVING GOD IS JESUS THE SON OF GOD.
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SO WHEN I hear this this fellow saying, I just I just want to lift people up. I want to build people up. People need to feel better. Church, salvation is not feeling better. True salvation is when you are broken and repent and you you rue, hate, despise every sin you've ever committed before a holy God. You weep, YOU'LL BE BROKEN, YOU WILL REPENT OF YOUR SIN. IT'S NOT A MATTER OF SOMEBODY TELLING YOU YOU'RE ALL RIGHT. We're going to we're just going to build you up. YOU CAN BUILD PEOPLE UP IN SIN AND SEND THEM TO A DEVIL'S HELL. OH, NO. PEOPLE NEED TO BE TOLD THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, THE NOTHING BUT [laughter] THE TRUTH. PEOPLE NEED TO BE TOLD THE RIGHT WAYS OF GOD AND GOD SAID YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN. AND JOHN SAID, IT'S TIME TO REPENT BECAUSE THE AX IS LAID at the root of the TREE AND EVERY TREE THAT DOES NOT BEAR GOOD FRUIT IS CUT DOWN AND THROWN INTO THE FIRE. GOD SEND US PREACHERS TODAY.
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WELL SO with spiritual leaders hedging and more tolerance for sin with new age creeping in I'm just going to tell you if you don't know Jesus you will be carried away with a deceptive wind of doctrine. If you don't know the word you will be tricked. If you don't pray you will be led astray. And you know me, I don't even want to go here. But I have been in the last couple OF YEARS OBSESSED with this idea of eternity. Brother, I'm going to say it again. When you leave this world whatever state you're in is the state you'll be in for eternity. You won't get a second chance. The only time you get to make choices and decisions is right now. That's why I say, call on the name of the Lord. Quit depending on preachers. Quit depending on Christian television. Stop reading everything that comes down the pipe. Get down to business with your Lord and your savior. He can talk to you. He can be plain to you. He can teach you. THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN GUIDE YOU. AND WHEN THAT DAY COMES THAT you step out of time into eternity you'll be so glad that you lived by this and lived on these because above everything else in the world I want to hear him say, go ahead. Stand with me, please. Anybody uncomfortable this morning? Here's what I'd like to do. I'd like to invite the church down front. Now come on. Thank you. I don't mean to sound bossy. I really don't. >> [snorts] >> Just come down as closely as you can for a moment. I want to pray and then I want us to pray. I can somebody help me? Can somebody help me and tell me why a minister of the gospel when asked is homosexuality a sin it can why could that minister not say yes in scripture and that's what we live by. Can somebody help? We all know the reason why. We all know. We're in the last days. God is preparing a remnant.
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He has a remnant. If you think a worldwide gathering of churches is imminent all the believers going to get together, I won't be there. I don't trust any of it. I want to be around >> [music] >> and at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ. I could care less about all of us getting together. I want fellowship with Christ. So there's a remnant. Just because the church is big doesn't mean it's holy. Just because a movement is big doesn't mean it's holy. There's a reason why God reduced Gideon's force from 32,000 32,000 down to 300. He said, those others don't mean business but [music] I got 300 that do. God's always reducing if you notice to get to the real committed [music] people. Is everyone here? I'm going to pray and then I want us to pray. Just just stay right where you are.
Father in heaven >> [clears throat] >> you spoke to my heart as clearly as I've ever heard you yesterday. [music] And you laid these words on on my heart. What I'm asking for almighty God is that we will become a praying faith-filled Bible-believing unashamed remnant [music] of your son Jesus Christ. Lord, help us to long for fellowship with you. Help us to be so full of you and your word that we can immediately detect a wind of doctrine, >> [music] >> something that is contrary to your holy word. Lord, I want to see you one day. And I know that there's an enemy that doesn't want me to see you. The only way I can fight him, Lord, you taught us is on our knees. We do not fight against flesh and blood, but against powers, spirits, principalities, wickedness, hypocrisy, fear [snorts] in man. But I'm praying today, Lord, that you will make every one of us bold for Christ, AND FILLED WITH THE spirit [music] of the living God. And may the word of God ooze out of us. May we think on it, and pray it, and sing it, and say it, because the word of God is our strength. And now, would you raise your hands? And would you say, [music] "Father, I want this. Touch me. >> [music] >> Pastor's prayer was for me. Fill me with your spirit. >> [clears throat] >> MAKE ME HUNGRY for your word. Let me be driven to my knees. LET ME LOVE WHAT BELONGS TO YOU. AND HATE WHAT BELONGS TO this world. LET MY MIND BE CONFORMED TO TRUTH. Let me present my body a living sacrifice. I want to be holy. I want to be acceptable. I WANT TO KNOW YOUR WILL. YOUR GOOD. YOUR ACCEPTABLE. And your perfect will, oh my God. I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen. Hallelujah.
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Marvelous >> [singing] >> grace that rescued me. Holy, >> [singing] >> worthy >> [singing] >> is the lamb who died for me.
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Sing to him, church. >> [singing] >> Marvelous >> [music] >> grace [singing] that rescued me. Holy, >> [singing] >> worthy is the >> [music] >> lamb who died >> [singing] >> for me. Tomorrow night, 7:00, our most important service. If Jesus doesn't come, oh, I wish you would catch us away, oh Lord. Let us hear a trumpet in in the twinkling of an eye, let us see you face to face. But if you don't, we'll see you tomorrow night at 7:00, church. We're going to pray God's word together again. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, oh Lord, my strength, my redeemer. Amen. Have a great day. If you're saved and you know it, say amen.
We're going to God's word. I'd like to draw your attention to the second chapter of Titus. And if you'll allow me, I'm going to give you exactly what the Lord laid on my heart. I had an unsettling thought from the spirit the other morning. And here it is. Of all the thousands of people you will see on this property today and during the week, I am the only one that's going to stand before God and give an account for this. I alone. Now, if you don't think that will make you tremble >> [music] >> and sweat, it does, brother. So, with all that is within me, with every ounce of sincerity and inspiration I have, I'm going to give to you exactly what the Lord has given for you today. In Jesus' name. In fact, I just want to pray and then I'll preach.
God, I thank you now that you did choose me to preach. I'm so happy to be saved. I'm so glad that hands went up this morning declaring that they were also glad to be saved. We bless your holy name. We who were undeserving were made worthy by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. I thank you for it, Lord, but I want to live in such a way that brings honor and glory to your name, so that even angels will be amazed at the grace of God displayed to us in Christ, and how we now live it out every day. Speak to us, and we'll praise you and bless you for it. When it's all over, let us evaluate what we've heard. Amen. Thank you for being seated. I want to wait for you to get settled. Gather yourself.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Praise God for grace. Praise God for his undeserved favor upon us. I'm standing here by grace, you're sitting there by grace, we speak the name of Jesus by grace. We have a home in heaven by grace. All of our supplies given to us by the grace of God, our needs met by the grace of God. Oh, praise God for grace. But grace does more than just allow us to walk in the favor of God, it also teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people zealous of good works.
Now, the day in which we live in this country, the number one subject preached in every pulpit is the grace of God. And some of it is in error. Because God does not save you and then say, "Run along and have a good time till I call you home." He saves us that we might walk worthy of Jesus Christ and represent heaven. That by our living and our works and our speech, people know that something has happened to us. But not only people, heaven, and I mentioned angels. They are still amazed that God would choose fallen humanity to display his greatness and goodness. And angels are watching everything we do, they listen to every word we say. So, while I relish the grace of God, I also realize that there's a responsibility that goes along with saying I've been saved by grace through faith.
Several times Paul mentioned to some of his listeners and readers, some of those who were under his ministry, to examine themselves. He never just said, "You got it made." He said, "Stop. Think. Test yourself. Examine yourself. Does your life measure up to the scripture? Are you walking in truth? Are you obedient to the heavenly calling? Do you have evidence and fruit that point to a miraculous transformation of your life. You've been taken out of darkness and you've put into the kingdom of his dear son, the kingdom of light. Are you living that way? Does your speech tell others that you are from a different place now and live in a different world? Examine yourself. Test yourself. We do it all the time. We have to measure our lives by the word of God. We have to look into the mirror and see what it reflects. We cannot be hearers of the word only, we we must be doers of the word. WE MUST PRACTICE our faith. Practice Christianity. We must practice this thing that we say has happened inside of us. And if there is no difference between me and the person who is lost, then I need to examine myself. Have I deceived myself into thinking that because I go to church or I do better things or I don't do as many bad things as I used to, maybe I'm on my way to heaven and the answer is absolutely not.
In the scriptures, there are marks of a believer. These are proofs that you are in Christ. It is sure certified evidence that one has been born again of the spirit and that that one is walking in the spirit and no longer in the flesh. Here they are. They love Jesus. They pray. They read the Bible. They've stopped sinning and they're looking for Jesus to come and longing for him to come. Let me go back and touch on every one of those if you don't mind. You see, as a pastor, thank God for you that are saved, but my concern is for those who are not that they might be and for those who think they are and need to make their calling and election sure. I'm standing here today, my hands are as cold as ice. I can hardly touch my own wrist. I'm sweating. I am so weak in my gut that I can hardly stand here because I know that I'm standing between heaven and earth. I'm taking you to God and I'm bringing God to you. And I know that I'm the only one in this position right here, right now that can say what I'm about to say.
If you love Jesus, you're a Christian. And when I talk about loving Jesus, I mean your heart longs for him. As the deer pants after the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, oh God. My whole life is Jesus Christ. I yearn for him. I rejoice in him. I CRAVE MORE OF HIM. I WANT TO KNOW HIM. WHATEVER ALL THIS MEANS, I want to repeat with Paul, I WANT TO KNOW HIM IN THE power of his resurrection. I want to walk around in resurrection power. I WANT TO KNOW HIM in the likeness of his sufferings. Whatever I have to go through to know him better, I am willing to DO IT. I WANT TO BE MADE CONFORMABLE unto his death. I WANT TO BE DEAD TO THE WORLD AND I WANT THE world to be dead to me. I want my whole breathing, my whole existence to be in Jesus Christ. That's the first mark of a Christian.
The second one is, he prays. She prays. NOT JUST IN CHURCH, NOT JUST over a meal. Prayer is coming out of you all of the time. It's inside of you. You cannot live without it and many times you don't even know you're doing it. You long to pray. The name of Jesus is always on your lips. Everything that happens, you recognize that it comes from the hand of God in your life. There's never a time when you're not communicating with heaven. Whether consciously or unconsciously, you pray. And when somebody says, "Let's pray," you pray. And when somebody says, "Let's go to prayer meeting," you want to go to prayer meeting. And if there's nobody at the house, you walk around the house praying. Because prayer is your respiratory system. I preached on that a few weeks ago. That's the second mark of a believer.
The third mark is that he or she loves the scriptures. THERE IS NO WAY that you can remain ignorant of the holy word of God as a Christian. THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN LIVE DAY AFTER day without indulging in and eating from God's good word. YOU CANNOT BE SATISFIED WITH A DEVOTION. You yourself want to read it. And when you don't understand it, you pray and say, "Lord, show it to me." You long for more of the word. Everything you do is based on the word of God. All of your values in life are based on the scriptures. Relationships with people are based on the scriptures. THE WAY YOU HANDLE MONEY, BASED on the scriptures. HOW YOU DRESS, BASED on THE SCRIPTURES. YOU LOOK TO THE SCRIPTURES FOR GUIDANCE IN LIFE, FOR UNDERSTANDING ABOUT LIFE. YOU READ THE BIBLE. WE LIVE IN THE MOST ILLITERATE AGE since Jesus Christ was on this earth. Illiterate biblically. Sometimes, and I hear preachers say it all the time, we preach on things that we think everybody ought to know and people go, "I've never heard that before. I never knew that was IN THE SCRIPTURES." OBVIOUS THINGS that Christians ought to know. BUT WE LIVE IN THE LAST DAYS. And people, instead of going to the word of God themselves, are looking for some preacher OR SOME FALSE PROPHET OR SOME TEACHER TO tell them what the Bible really says. Oh, God is longing for a person, just a person, who will get the Bible and get on your knees and read it on your knees and say, "Teach me your ways, oh God, and lead me in a plain path."
If you're a Christian, you read the Bible. If you're a Christian, you've stopped sinning. You don't listen to that false message about grace that says, "You know, even if you go run off with another woman, even if you're hooked on porno, even if you drink and do drugs and stuff, God understands you're a prodigal son and you're going to heaven." I see, I JUST CAN'T FIND THAT in scripture. My Bible says, "He who practices sin is of the devil." If you are still in sin, you are a sinner. And if you discover sin in your life, instead of accommodating it, you run to the foot of the old rugged cross AND YOU ASK GOD TO CLEANSE YOU FROM THAT THING. NO CHRISTIAN LOVES TO SIN. No Christian lives in the deep indulgence of sin. YOU HAVE STOPPED SINNING. I don't mean the errors we make daily with our mouths. I'm not talking about evil thoughts that flutter through our brains. I'm talking about decisions we make that take us to the depths of rebellion against God and we do it time and time again. If you're a child of God, you have stopped sinning.
If you're a child of God, you're looking for Jesus to come back. And I mean every day. When my eyes open in the morning, I think this could be the day that I leave planet Earth. THIS COULD BE MY LAST SHOT, MY LAST 24 HOURS. I'm not thinking about the coming of the Lord just whenever I hear a bad news report, another earthquake somewhere or an army invaded another country. I'm not thinking about all that. I'm thinking today, this day could be my last Sunday on this earth. I am thinking Jesus Christ could split the clouds and call his church to meet him in the air. And when that happens, I don't have time to fix anything. I can't repair it. I can't go pay it up. I can't straighten IT OUT. I'VE GOT TO BE READY ALL THE TIME AND LOOKING FOR HIM TO COME BACK WILL MAKE YOU live right, talk right, and treat people the way you want to be treated. So, that's why second Peter said, "There are things you have to do to make your calling and election sure." You live the scriptures. You walk by faith. You walk in obedience. You walk in forgiveness. You pray. You read. You look for Jesus. And if you do these things, you will never stumble.
So, I just have to ask the question, are you saved? Really now, are are you saved? Into that lens I look. Again, all day long there will be people sitting around their computers or watching this on the phone. Ask yourself, am I saved? I mean, does my life imitate what that preacher just said a Christian is supposed to be and do? I love do do I love him? Do I read? Do I pray? Have I stopped sinning? Am I looking for him to come back? And that's why in these last days the Holy Spirit is calling his church to a deeper commitment. Calling us to a prayer life we've never had before. A deeper worship we've never enjoyed before.
You see, here's what the scriptures teach. No man can serve two masters. You either Let me put it in my jargon, if you don't mind. You either love God and hate the devil, or you hate God and love the devil. There is no in between. Do you hear this preacher this morning? You don't love God sometimes. Just like you don't love your wife sometimes. Love is all the time. And once you love this, you won't ever love that again. Once you fall in love with him, you won't ever have a problem loving the world again. His love, his divine love that he's given to you to give back to him, will make this world smell so bad you won't even look in its direction. It'll be so oppressive to you and so disgusting to you that you won't give it the time of day. Folks, you can't serve two masters. So, if you're serving him on the weekend and the other one on during the week, it's time to get in an altar SOMEWHERE AND GET RIGHT WITH GOD. Jesus I didn't expect this place to go up in smoke this morning.
Paul said, "No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life." Meaning, no soldier can be a part-time civilian. You're in it full force, 24 hours a day. Jesus, through Paul, was teaching us that if you're in this warfare and fighting this good fight of faith, you will not get tangled up with the affairs of this life. Can I tell you again that Jesus said, "No man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of heaven." Once you make the decision, once you put your hand on the plow, you never look back, you look forward. Doesn't matter how rough the roads are, how hot the day is, you don't look back because you know THAT WHAT WAS BACK THERE WAS DEATH, BUT WHAT'S UP THERE IS LIFE ETERNAL. Jesus tried to tell us with THIS ILLUSTRATION OF LOT'S WIFE. REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE. HE'S TOLD THEM, "GET OUT OF SODOM." THE ANGEL SAID, "COME ON, HURRY UP. GET OUT. DON'T EVEN LOOK BACK." WHY DID HIS WIFE LOOK BACK? Because her heart was still there, and she was turned into a pillar of salt. AND I HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR ANY of that, except to say THE LESSON IS, ONCE GOD CALLS YOU OUT, ONCE GOD TOUCHES YOUR LIFE, RUN OUT. DON'T LOOK BACK. DON'T EVER WANT IT AGAIN. JOHN SAID IT LIKE THIS, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. For if any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For the things of the world are these, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life. And if you indulge IN ANY OF THAT, you do NOT HAVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITHIN YOU." Three times Jesus looked at
Peter after the resurrection. Now, remember Peter's the one that denied him three times the night he was betrayed and the day before he was crucified. Three times he denied him. Jesus is alive now, has been alive for several days. And Peter and his cohorts, his other disciples, are sitting around the lake. And Peter said, "I'm going fishing."
So, once again, he has denied Christ. He already knew Jesus was alive. The women came and told them. Other apostles said they had seen him. Peter said, "I'm going fishing." And so, when they went out fishing, the other disciples said, "We'll go, too." And that's when about a hundred yards off the bank, the shore, this figure rises up and says, "CHILDREN, HAVE YOU CAUGHT ANYTHING YET?" "NO." "THROW YOUR NETS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BOAT." And when they did, a hundred and fifty-three large fish swam into the net and they could hardly pull it into the boat. And when they saw that, John said, "It's the Lord." And Peter jumped in to swim to him, just like he did the night of the storm. He jumped in the water to go to Jesus. And when they got to shore, Jesus had breakfast made for them.
And then Jesus, in front of everybody, said to Peter, "Come with me." And while he's walking, he said, "Peter, do you love me?" Peter said, "You know I do." No problem there. You know I do. "Peter, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord. I love you." "Peter, do you love me?" And then Peter was so distraught about that third question, because he knew that the Lord really knew his heart. See, we don't even know our own hearts. We talk about I love the Lord. But the Lord's saying, "If you love me, why do you do this? If you love me, why don't you keep my commandments? If you love me, why don't you read my word? If you love me, why don't you talk to me?" As any wife would ask a husband that. "Do you love me?" "Yeah, baby, you know I love you." "Then why do YOU IGNORE ME? WHY DON'T YOU TALK TO ME? WHY DO YOU COME IN LATE? WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE? WHY DON'T YOU RECOGNIZE ME?"
And so upset was Peter with Jesus said, his heart sank. And I honestly believe in here this morning that Jesus is asking some of you, "Do you love me?" You've already been stung by some things that were said, but but do you love me? I want to know. Do you love me? Don't tell me you love me and do the things that I've told you not to do. Don't tell me you love me when you give me a fraction of your time every day. Do not tell me you love me when your whole life is being planned around activities and fun rather than the cross and the church. Do you love me? In other words, are you done with this world yet? Are you done with it? This world is your enemy. This world does not understand who you are.
I I don't know if it's going to make any sense, but I'm going to try. I tried to explain it the other day. It's like uh there's a casket here with a corpse in it. And that corpse has no idea that I'm standing here. But I am holding that corpse's hand saying, "I still love you. I still love you and I need you." And I kiss the head of that corpse. And I've seen people do that kind of thing. See, that corpse is dead, but it's not dead to that person yet. Paul said, "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom I am crucified to the world and the world unto me." Oh God, please let me say this so that it's understandable. You see, brothers and sisters, when the cross of Jesus Christ becomes your new life and his resurrection becomes your new breath, something happens between you and the world. Now, let me tell you, to the world, we're dead. We're dead. They have nothing no interest whatsoever in the church, in the Bible, in God, in Jesus, in the cross. TO THE WORLD, THAT'S DEAD, MEANINGLESS, FOOLISHNESS. You will never catch the world tailgating in the parking lot of a spirit-filled church on a Thursday night or a Sunday afternoon in the hot sun waiting in line for hours to come in here and get a seat and find out it's a little too chilly or the air conditioners aren't working today. You will never find the world knocking on the door of the church trying to get a ticket. You will never find them with enough interest to drive in that driveway unless somebody forces them to do it because to them we're dead.
But, they aren't dead to us yet. Because we are the fools that drive downtown. We're the ones that sit in the hot sun to watch people run around with a ball. We are the ones that will sit in the rain, the sleet, the snow, get sunsick and sunburned, and spend $300 on junk food, fight a crowd to get in and out, pay a heavy price for a parking space. Listen to me, for nothing. For nothing. For nothing. It doesn't matter one whit. It has no value in eternity. It does not build up your soul. It will not draw you closer to Jesus. That's why we need to let the world die in our minds and in our hearts and recognize that only what Jesus gives us is worth anything. Oh, I could go on and on about that. The money that Christians spend on worldly entertainment, the things we will do that we will not do for the church. Oh, how many times have I heard it this summer? It's too hot in the balcony. But, you went to the stadium and sat in the sun. I'm not playing this morning. I hear it all the time. IT'S TOO COLD IN HERE. BUT, YOU FLEW TO GREEN BAY TO WATCH A TEAM PLAY. Because the world is not yet dead to us. They don't give a flying flip about us, him, and this. But, we still want it. We still dream of being in it. We'll follow golf pros around. Dust kicking up, sneezing, paying $9 for some kind of drink. They're making all the money, we spent all the money. And we'll do it and miss church. Oh, excuse me. I said we'll do it and miss church. Well, it's only once a year, pastor. But, there's all that other stuff we do too. It adds up. It accumulates after a while.
Why am I preaching this way? Because Jesus is coming. Because and he's not coming for people half-hearted. He's not coming for people sitting on a fence. He's coming for people who said, "I'D RATHER HAVE JESUS THAN SILVER OR GOLD. I'D RATHER HAVE JESUS THAN RICHES UNTOLD." And we still don't realize here's going to get really sticky right here. But, I'd rather have you upset than go home and have God spank me because I was disobedient. We still don't realize the horrible marks and the terrible spiritual effects that television has on us. It is un- godly. Everything about it is ungodly, except Christian television. It's produced by ungodly people. It's paid for by ungodly people. The advertisements are of ungodly people and they're for ungodly people. And I don't care what you say, even watching an innocent ball game, you're going to see advertisements for beer, vaping, and half-naked women every every 8 minutes. And we take that in. You say, "Ah, it doesn't bother me." Yes, it does bother you. It does bother you. And Jesus wants me to say to somebody, "There are some things you're going to have to give up if you want to walk close to me, if you want a heart that throbs along with my heart, there's some things you're going to have to give up." A lot of our defeat, our spiritual defeat, and our lack of love for Jesus comes because all we do is take in what the world is producing. And and we think it's innocent. There's nothing innocent about that. There's nothing innocent in the the print of this world and the productions of this world. It's not innocent. Satan is behind every bit of it. It's ungodly. It's un-Christ-like. So, you need to really ferret through the programs you watch. You need to really watch what your boys are watching on Sunday afternoon because it may be some football stuck in with the rest of that stuff, but the rest of that stuff makes an indelible impression on those boys. I just wonder if we are guilty of and ignorant of the fact that we are grieving the Holy Spirit. You know what grieve means there, don't you? It it doesn't just mean hurt, it means impede, shut down. Could the very church that claims to be spirit-filled be full of people who are grieving the Holy Spirit?
You know, Paul said he's my life. I have no other life but Jesus Christ. He said, "They don't want me and I don't want them. All I have is Jesus, but that's all I need." Cuz he is my life. Brother, sister, listen to me. As you walk with Christ, there are things you have to lay aside every day. If you're hungry for Jesus, there are sacrifices you must make. If you want to know him in the power of his resurrection, you got to take off the old clothes of this world and quit talking to a corpse. Quit kissing it on the head and stroking its hand. It's dead. It can give you nothing. You've got to quit accumulating the things of this world. Oh, it wasn't long ago that I preached along this line and I said uh We practice our passion. Do we not? You were a police officer. How many years? 30. 30 years. And that was your life. Doctors practice medicine. Singers practice music. Athletes practice their sport. Sinners practice sin. What's your practice right now in life? It's whatever your passion is. If somehow you've come to a new place and and you realize this is a dead, dying world. This will soon be over with. There's nothing here that's going to last. Give me Jesus. Then, brother, that's how you'll start talking and walking and praying and reading. Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus. But, if you're still kind of in and out, you know, still I I I'm going to use it again. Still kissing the head of a corpse, then you will never know the fullness of the Holy Spirit. you will never bear much spiritual fruit. You will never have God reveal things to you that you've never seen before. So, that's why I have to ask to everybody, are you saved? Does your lifestyle fit the criteria? Do the requirements of scripture does the indication from the Bible of a holy life abide in you? Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, meaning as we read the Bible, we see those our forefathers who laid it down, who gave it up, who walked in truth, who chose God over everything else. Those are those clouds of witnesses that are surrounding us. And if we could hear them, we'd hear them say, "DON'T DO THAT. IT'S WORTH IT. LAY IT DOWN. DON'T INDULGE IN IT. IT'S WORTH IT. THAT WORLD HAS NOTHING FOR YOU. YOU'LL JUST BE DISAPPOINTED AND EMPTY. BE DONE WITH IT. IT'S WORTH IT." GIVE IT UP. IT'S WORTH IT. Let us lay aside. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us. And let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking under Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, WHO FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is right now set down at the right hand of God. Do you hear that? Lay it aside. It easily besets you. You can sin so easily. Oh my word, it's so easy to break God's commandments. But he says that sin that easily besets you can be laid aside. It can be laid aside. You walk off and say, "I am crucified with Christ." Hallelujah.
Stand with me, please. I'd like for the council members to come down as quickly as you can with your wives, please. And pastors, come on down here. Tomorrow night will be the 11th church wide prayer meeting we've had, 11th. Listen to me, for those of you that keep saying, "Well, they have a prayer meeting or something." Listen to me. Last Monday night, this building was almost full. And we stayed more than an hour and a half. Want me to tell you why? Jesus is coming. And for those that look for him, all they want is more of him. You can turn around and face them. Did the Did the church just hear what I said? For those that look for him, they're the ones that want him. I want him. I want him more than I want Sandra. I want him more than I want my grandchildren. They are big in my life, but brother, one day I'm going to be separated from all of them. And I want to see him face to face. I want to hear him say to me, "Well done, Lorean Livingston. Well done. Good and faithful servant." I got my mind made up, see. I want to be a good man, and I want to be a faithful servant. Don't you think, "Well, he's just on a jag right now." Oh, oh, I'm not on a jag. I'm on a journey. And this journey's going to be over one of these days for me. It'll be over quicker than I can imagine, and the same is for you. And all I know, and all I care about is that when my eye closes, it will open in another world. Do you hear me? See, I don't know what death is like. I don't know I don't know if it's like a tunnel you go through. I know you don't float around in space. Nobody. And you're not asleep. Soon as you die, you go somewhere. And when I die, I want to go there. So, IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER TO me what y'all think this morning. My mind is made up. I'm going to heaven. And until then, I am going to serve the Lord with gladness. I'm going to be faithful unto him because there's a crown of life awaiting those who are.
So, how many of you, without a doubt in your mind, are ready should he come or call right now? Hold it up there, too. You're ready. Every sin is under the blood? All of your transgressions marked off the book? How many of you want more of Jesus then? Raise the other hand. How many of you will come down here and let's ask him to give us more of him. FILL UP THE AISLES. FILL UP THE FRONT. And brothers and sisters, if somebody stands in front of you and you feel so disposed, just lay a hand on them and pray for them cuz I believe God just might have an appointment for somebody in this place today. Come on down, church. Hallelujah. Come on closer in. Come on. Say it with me again now. How many of you want to go to heaven? Let's go. Let's make up our minds. There's not a thing or a person worth missing this over. Can I get an amen on that? Anybody in here ever found anything better than Jesus? Oh, YOU THINK YOU EVER WILL? NO, SIR. DON'T even keep trying. You won't find it. There's a high that this world cannot produce. THERE'S A JOY UNSPEAKABLE AND FULL OF GLORY. There's a life to be lived that this world can't even understand. AND IT'S BEING FILLED WITH JESUS AND WALKING WITH JESUS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. SOMEBODY SHOUT AMEN. In your own way now, I want you to talk to the Lord and tell him to help you clean out everything in your life that does not make you want him more. Go ahead, do it right now.
Father, as the appointed shepherd over this church, not appointed by men, not appointed by denomination, but appointed by you, oh Lord. I pray today that we will examine ourselves and test ourselves. And should we see anything, yes, and anybody that keeps us from knowing you better, if there is something we have put our affection on more than you, please highlight it this morning, Jesus. And please cause us to cry out for it to be removed so that we might know you better. And Father, while I'm praying, lots of people in here are already contemplating something they need to give up. They need to be done with it. It's not helping them at all. And I pray that you will give them the strength, the spiritual strength, to cut loose from it and lay it down and walk away that they might know you better.
Now, church, I I don't mean to lean on you like that, brother. I want us to sing this old song. We sing lots of brand new songs around here, and I love them. But this old song right here can be a prayer from the heart. Will you sing it with me? David's going to lead us. I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold. I'd rather be his than have riches untold. I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands. I'd rather be led by his nail-pierced hands than be a king of a vast domain in sin's dread sway, I'd rather than anything this world affords. I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause, than men's applause. I'd rather be faithful to His will. I'd rather have Jesus than world-wide fame. I'd rather be true to His name. Than to be a king of a vast domain, or be held in sin's dread sway, I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.
May the blessing of a risen Jesus flourish in your hearts by faith. May you find yourself operating in a strength not yours. May you discover yourself with a greater yearning to know the power of Christ in your life. Yes. May you find yourself becoming more and more uncomfortable in this world and disgusted with its ways. May you hate the devil worse than you've ever hated him. May you hate sin like the plague, and may you love Him who loved you first with all that you have and are. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, my redeemer. Amen. See you tomorrow night at 7:00. If Jesus COMES, I'LL SEE YOU IN THE