Transcription
[Music] Could you turn your Bibles to Proverbs Chapter 2? Proverbs Chapter 2. We're going to launch our reading at verse one. If you do not have a tangible Bible, it'll be projected for you on the screen, and for everybody watching online, it'll be on the lower thirds. Proverbs Chapter 2, verse 1. While you're going there, I just want to let you know, if I could just be honest and transparent, church, I'm really excited about what God is doing with this Parable series; what it's doing locally, globally, and even personally. Like I know more than ever, crystal clear, that my assignment week in week out is not just to feed you, but it's to make you hungry. Hungry. Somebody say hungry.
Hungry. You got to stay with that. Say hungry. Hungry. Yeah, that that's the desire to make you hungry. Because honestly, a Biblical attribute of those who are blessed are people who are hungry. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. That blessing hits different when you're hungry. The favor on your life hits a little different when you're hungry, and I just believe that God has constructed this series for a hungry people. If you're still burping from culture, this may not be for you. If you're eating from another table, from another table, this may not be for you. But all of us who are hungry for the word and hungry for the things of God and hungry for Holiness and hungry for Purity—that's not old school, that's Bible—hungry for prayer. What God did on Wednesday night—I don't know if y'all were here—but listen, I I'm a PK, and I know how Bible studies used to look, and I know how when we used to say, "Hey, we're having a prayer development," it'd be about 10 people show up and about two guys. But Wednesday, we had to use the Overflow as we're talking about prayer and development. Somebody say hungry. Hungry generation and hungry for the things of God and hungry for an insight and hungry for discernment.
I just have a sneaky suspicion that I'm not the only one that's like, "Lord, please do not allow my discernment deficiency to cause me to recycle seasons." Anybody? Anybody there? I don't want to recycle a season or stay in a season longer than I have to. God, give me insight and give me discernment. I don't want to think it's an opportunity, but it's really a trap designed from the camp of Hell to hijack my peace. Give me discernment when I pick up the pen, not after I email the docusign. Give me discernment. Give me discernment. I'm tired of figuring out that it was rotten fruit after I took a bite. God, give me discernment before I pick it, before I date it, ooh, before I go on business with it. I want discernment before I even take a bite. I'm going to keep going. God, help me to focus more not on the person or the snake that bit me. I want to focus more on the Holy Spirit that's trying to get the venom out of me. It's going to be really here on today. What do you look like walking behind the snake? Why did you bite me, and what did I do? Did I ever say something mean, and why did you say that? I'm just trying to get the venom out so that I could get healed. The time while you're going behind it, what did you do and what happened? You're going to start getting weak. God, heal me. Get the venom out. Discernment girl, you acting different. You're not going to come over to the Super Bowl party. What? You dislike us now? No, I discern you now. There's a difference. And this scripture in Proverbs Chapter 2 greatly complements what I've been striving to stress. Proverbs 2:1 says, "My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding; indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding; and if you look for her—look for it as for silver and search for it as hidden treasure—then," somebody say, "then." Then. Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. Father, you're awesome. Thank you for this moment. Thank you for allowing us to come into your Sanctuary, your temple, where we could gather and become better Believers. Thank you for body heat, that is, we are many members of your body coming together, getting on fire for the things that you have set for our hearts to burn. Help us, Father, to focus. Let us not be distracted by him, them, or her. Let us not say, "This sermon would have been good if they were to heard it." God, help us focus on what you're speaking to us. And just like I pray privately, I also pray it publicly. All of the study means absolutely nothing if you are not magnified and glorified. We're asking that you breathe on our encounter where it will be undeniable that the Spirit of the Living God spoke to His people on today, in Jesus' name. And everybody who agrees to that prayer will just shout all over the room and online. Amen. Amen.
I was 8 years old, 8 years old, and I was waiting for my school bus to arrive. There was a neighborhood mom, Sister Roberson. Roberson, she went home to be with the Lord, but she used to go to the church that my parents went to before we founded this local assembly. My sister and I are 10 years apart, so her bus for high school would come at 6:45 a.m., and then my bus would come at 7 a.m., just a few minutes between her bus coming and my bus coming. At this particular time of my life, my father was working at Port Terminal railroad; he worked overnight, and my mom worked downtown. And so my sister goes out the front door to get on her bus, and I'm going back to the table. I hear that sound, the bus that came, so I'm eating my Froot Loops, and the bus sound was my clue to get ready to go to school. And 90 seconds after TC leaves out the front door, there's a knock on the door, and I'm like, "Oh no, did she miss the bus again? She going to get grounded." Then she missed the bus. Hello. And I go up to the door, and before I opened it, I saw this silhouette. Doesn't look like TC. TC didn't hit a growth spurt that quick. And so I was about to open the door, but I remembered what my father told me. Y'all didn't get it. One person who said yes got it. You got it. I was about to open the door, but I remembered what my father told me. I was about to open the door—repetition on purpose—but I remembered what my father told me. I was about to do it. Make it make sense, Pastor. Before you open that door thinking it's an opportunity, remember what your father told you in Proverbs Chapter 3: In all your ways acknowledge me. It might look good; still acknowledge me. It might look bad; still acknowledge me. Remember what the Lord told you before you take that opportunity because you're seeking more income, or take that position because you're seeking more income. Remember what the Lord told you in Matthew Chapter 6:33: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all of his righteousness." Before you charge that person up on your job, CU, you already feel like I let that slide last week, and I got a whole word for them. I let them slide last week because I didn't have time. Oh, but today I got time, 'cause before you give them big energy, remember what the Lord told you in Matthew Chapter 5:9: "Blessed are the peacemakers." It's getting quiet in here. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. I was about to open the door, but I remembered what my father told me: Don't open the door for strangers. So I said, "Hello." He said, "UPS." And I had a little discernment at 8 years old. I decided to look out the window. I never forget it. There was a white car in the driveway. This is the 90s, y'all. It's not 2025 where you can order something from Amazon, or somebody in their own car could pull up. If UPS pulls up, I'm expecting a truck. And so I I I'm like, "Okay, we didn't order nothing." And then the guy says, "Are you home alone?" So then some Kevin McAllister started to rise up in me. This is my home; I must defend it. So like, okay, UPS shouldn't ask "Am I home alone?" So I called my momma. I said, "Hey, there's this guy at the door." She says, "Hold on." She calls Sister Roberson who's around the corner. She pulls up; the guy leaves; Sister Roberson takes me to school; and then I get back home after school. I tell my dad about this situation, about some guy who was at the door. He said, "Okay, bet. I'm going to take off tomorrow; I'm going to stay home." You know this dude came back. TC goes out the next morning to get on the bus; 90 seconds later, knock on the door. My dad didn't say hello; he opened the door. "What? Man, we didn't order nothing. Didn't you tell—" And then I heard the door shut. I don't know what my father said to this man. Twenty years later, I never seen him again. Because the Father doesn't play about His kids. It's deeper than what I just said. The Father doesn't play about His children. Be careful who you badmouth. The Father doesn't play about His kids. Be careful who you talk about. The Father doesn't play about His kids. Touch not thy anointed. My father confronted this Pretender.
And church family, this is possibly going to be one of the most sobering, riveting, evaluating self-sermons in our whole Parable sermon series, because on today, the Father is going to confront Pretenders—not just the pretenders in culture, no. The Pretenders in here right now. Not just them being a pretender. The Pretender in you, and also The Pretender in me. I'm right here with you. It is a double-edged sword. If I ever preach and the word is not cutting me, I don't need to preach it. He's going to confront Pretenders, and it might be difficult. Some things you may hear, it might be hard, but this is something that I've learned just in the Genesis of my Ministry tenure, and that is sometimes the hardest thing and the most needed thing are one and the same. I thought it was going to be easy. Ease was not the promise; victory was. It's not always easy to crucify your flesh. It's not always easy to deal with a heartbreak because you're obeying God. It's not always easy to bear your cross daily and follow the Lord. It's not always easy to deny the fried chicken because you're fasting. It's not always easy, but sometimes the most hardest thing and the most needed thing are one and the same. I know, I know it's hard for you to not give them a piece of your mind, but it's needed for your witness responsibility, because because sometimes the hardest thing and the most needed thing are one of the one and the same. I know certain times addictions can be hard to break, and it could be hard for you to end that sinful activity that you've been using as a dopamine hit. That could be hard, but it's needed for your destiny and your mental sobriety. Sometimes the hardest thing and the most needed thing are one and the same. It could be hard for you to not for you to not hold a record of wrongs against your spouse, against your mother, your brother, or whoever, but it's needed for you to love like Christ. My father confronted The Pretender. I want us to see what the Lord says in this particular Parable, Matthew 25:1. Let's look at the text and go through it together. Verse 1: Jesus says, "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming. Certain translations say that the bridegroom was delayed, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. Is that not what we're singing in the church today? Sleepy Christians. At midnight the choir rang out, 'Here's the bridegroom; come out to meet him.' Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise girls, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' Everybody say this with me: 'Work out, work out your own, your own salvation.' Salvation. One more time: 'Work out, work out your own, your own salvation.' Salvation. Simply put, you can't get fool watching me eat; go get your own. They said, 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both of us; and you instead go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Later the others also came. 'Lord, Lord,' they said, 'open the door for us.' But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I don't know you.'"
I want you to see how close in parallel this Parable is to Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and drive out demons in your name and perform miracles—mighty many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you.'" And then look what He says after that: "Away from me, you evil doers." They were prophesying, but evil. Y'all missed that. Prophesying, but the Lord called them evil. Deliverance Ministry, but the Lord called them evil. Miracles, but the Lord called them evil. Be careful when you're searching for signs versus heart transformation. "I never knew you." I don't care how long you've been saved. I don't care if you went to the best Seminary. I don't care if you read the Bible 177,000 times. If that verse right there still does not cause some, "Lord, I thank You that You know me. Father, forgive me for any and everything that I have done. Father, I thank You that the Holy Spirit convicts me of all sin, and I thank You that I'm saved, so when I see You face to face, I will never hear—" If you don't feel that, I don't care how long you've been walking with the Lord. That humbles everybody when there are people who will think that they're getting in, and He will tell them, "Truly I tell you, I don't know you." Let's speak around this thought from this subject. I don't even need to be creative; just the title of the parable. Let's speak around this thought: Ten virgins. Ten virgins. And this is the declaration that I want us to say, and say it loud like you're speaking over yourself, but it's actually going to convict a lot of people. Can I get us to say this? You can fake a lot of things. You can fake a lot of things. See why y'all saying it soft now? Say it real. Say, "You can fake a lot of things. You can fake a lot of things," but you can't fake oil. But you can't fake oil. The Lord knows. The Lord knows those that are His. Those that—one more time—you can fake a lot of things. You can fake a lot of things. I want to get kind of hood, but say, "You can't fake oil." Can't fake oil. Got it? And clap. Say, "You can't fake oil." You can't fake oil. You still didn't do it, but I'm going to let you slide. You can't fake oil. The Lord knows. The Lord knows those that are His. Those that are His.
H ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, we are now in installment number three of our Parables sermon series, a series where we are going to be exegeting week after week The Parables of Christ, simply for the purpose of understanding and application. What Will and I were striving to get us to understand Wednesday night when we have Bible study, prayer development, we were trying to get us to understand this concept of kingdom and kingship. Because if you truly view the Lord as the King, you would come to Him a little different. If you truly view the Lord as your Father, you will come to Him a little different. One extreme on either side, you'll miss the power of knowing ABA as King. There's this word that Jesus keeps on saying, if you read the Gospels as He gives Parable after Parable, He says this quite often: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like… The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto…" What can the Kingdom of Heaven be described as? The kingdom of heaven is like the kingdom. The kingdom. Kingom. Kingom. It's two words: King and dom. Dom comes from the word domain. So He's saying, "This is how it is in My domain. This is how it operates in My Kingdom." See, when you understand, once you accept Christ, you're now a citizen of the Kingdom. You pray different when you understand that this Earth is a domain that you're just visiting. You pray different. A lot of us are praying about Earthly domain things: house, car, degree, future spouse, change my spouse. You're supposed to have dominion while you're here. If you're truly—okay, y'all don't get it. I I want y'all to see this chart. There's this chart that I made that I want you to fully understand how it is. Okay, we have the King's domain, the King's decrees—that's the Bible, scripture—we have the Kingdom representatives, and then we have the Earth's domain. Okay, I want y'all to get this: When you don't understand your kingdom, you'll only be praying from level one: Give me house. Let me graduate. Let me have this. God, give me this. When you understand—now it makes sense why Jesus prayed— "Let Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven." How does that happen? It's when the Kingdom representatives are living out Kingdom decrees, and while they're here, they're praying for this to come here. Is this making sense? See, all of this preaching about your season and your time and your breakthrough and your moment—that's Earthly things. But if you ever start to pray Kingdom—if My people who are called by My name were to humble themselves and to pray—we can impact and affect the Earth's domain. When we start living Kingdom—we still dating things because they're Earthly—use Biblical terms: worldly. We like worldly things. Jesus is trying to get you to crave Kingdom things. Kingdom things. Can I go a little deeper? When you understand that your kingdom—nothing in the Earth's domain dominates you. I'm trying so hard to get y'all to get this. Since this is not My home, it's like somebody from England coming to visit America. I'm not tripping about what your President says. Your President is not my ruler. My ruler is King Charles III. So all the stuff that y'all got, all the stuff that y'all don't like—that's your world problems—but I'm not even from this world. I'm visiting here, but I live by another kingdom. Is this making sense? You don't let anything here dominate you. Porn can't dominate me because I'm meant to have dominion. Weed can't dominate me because I'm meant to have dominion. Anxiety can't dominate me because I'm meant to have dominion. Trauma can't dominate me because I'm meant to have dominion. Let me give you a Bible where y'all can see I'm not up here just preaching my thoughts. Genesis Chapter 1:26: "And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have'—what's that word—'dominion'? Huh. 'Let us have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over the cattle and over the Earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth.'" So that roach that you be running from, you got the dominion over that. You know that was—that you start boxing when it comes around. Got a whole six-foot D—hold up, bro, you you got dominion over all of that, so why are you letting things of this Earth's domain dominate you? Now I look through it, I look at it through a different lens in Psalms 19:13: When the psalmist says this: "Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me." Why are we fasting? To remind our flesh, "I got dominion. I know you want that chicken. I got dominion. I know they never brought donuts to work; they doing it now. You know what? I got dominion." I want to remind you, "I run this." I know my favorite show is coming on; I got dominion. I know that I want to see what they're talking about; I got dominion. And ever so often you have to remind the flesh, "I'm not going to allow—just because I'm visiting here—to get me to start thinking that this is my home."
Because it's not if it could burn, if it could fade, if it could age, if it could corrode; it's all vanity. And are you praying for things that could burn, that could fade, that could corrode, that could age? If you are, you're praying mainly for Earth's domain. So the psalmist says in Psalms 119, verse 133, complimenting my point even more direct: "My steps by your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me."
See, we have to understand this. Because when you understand that you're a son and a daughter of the kingdom, in the King's domain—we don't talk about this in church like we used to when I was a little boy—when you understand that you're a son and a daughter of the Kingdom, you know that the King is coming back. See how quiet it is? We don't talk about that anymore. When I grew up, I was like scared. We had a whole "Left Behind" series; y'all remember them "Left Behind" books? I read like seven of them. I go downstairs, "Mom, Mom, I get left," show after show making me think I got left. And then I used to think like, "Hey, if it happened, I'm gonna repent real quick." Sorry. Truth be told, the King is coming back.
Now, this is where it gets sobering. Because for the next few minutes, and also for the next few Sundays, I'm going to show you parable after parable where Jesus speaks about this separating—separating the goats from the sheep, separating the wheat from the weeds, separating the foolish builder from the wise builder, separating the foolish virgin from the wise virgin, separating the pretender from the real, or let me make it where we can understand it: separating the Christian from the Christian. It's about to get real up in here—a separation. And if you're sensitive to what's happening in the world right now, you could already see that there's a separation. You thought that was a sheep; it really was a goat. You thought that was wheat; it really was weeds. It's this separation. The foolish one, verse 8, Matthew 25: "The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'" Watch this, family. They had a lamp, but they did not have light in their life. Y'all missed it; y'all missed it. They had a lamp. What is that, Pastor? That represents your presented self. And the word—they had the word—but they didn't have light. They had a lamp. How do you know that this represents the word? 'Cause I read my Bible. Psalms 119, verse 105: "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." So if you know the word, that means you got a lamp. There are a lot of people who have great memories but no light. What you post? You post a lot of lamp. Your podcast? You talk about a lot of lamp. You could even wear Christian apparel because you talk about a lot of lamp. But what the Lord wants to know is, do you have light? Light. I'm looking at this text, and it's starting to make sense to me. Oh, now this is why Jesus says in Matthew 5, verse 14: "You are the light of the world; a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
I can't hide the fact that I'm sold out for Christ. I can't hide the fact that I believe in the gospel. I can't hide the fact that I'm a gospel-centered preacher. I can't hide the fact that I love my wife like Christ loves the church. I can't hide the fact that I'm about this, 10 toes down. I can't hide the fact that I would rather offend you and have you come to the light than for me to turn off my light and offend the one who gave me light. I can't hide that. And notice what Jesus says about those who hide: "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket." Is that what you did at the club last night? You put it under a basket? Is that what you did over his or her apartment this week? You put it under a basket? I told you it's going to get real uncomfortable. I'm sweating for you. It's going to get uncomfortable. But the purpose is for us to see: Am I a pretender? And it's better for you to accept the conviction now that you've been pretending before you stand before the Lord and He says, "You've been pretending; I don't know you." Say no. You don't hide it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. "Let your light so shine before men that they may follow you, that they may subscribe to you, that they may glorify you." No, "Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven." Church, I need y'all to get this. They're in position; they have a lamp, but they don't have light. Know the word but don't have light. Have a lamp, no love. Have a lamp, no grace. Have a lamp, no self-control. Have a lamp, no mercy. Serving, holding your lamp; don't know the King of Glory. Podcast, talking about the lamp, but you're not enlightened with Him yourself. The light represents salvation, your intimacy with the Lord.
Christian is singing songs; He won't fail, right after church, cursing somebody out. Christian is can speak in tongues, but can't use that same tongue to speak to your brother or your sister. Christian is, "Oh, ho, you heard the word Pastor preach today, babe; respect me more than you respect your husband." Christian is, "You just don't know my flaws; Tanisha does, but you don't. Don't you ever respect me more than you respect the head of your home, your leader." Certain pastors won't tell you that because they like all that. I don't want all that. That's your head; respect him. I shouldn't get more respect than your husband. Christian is, it's getting tight in here on today. Christian is, so you can see the Lord's mercy in your life, but you just see the Lord's judgment on their life. Christian is gossiping about brothers and sisters and then give it a churchy label: "I just got some prayer concerns; I just want to come to you about some things we need to pray about. I'm concerned about him; I'm concerned about her." Listen, you may not know the difference between gossip and covering somebody in prayer, but I promise your harvest will—your harvest has great discernment; it will be able to show you the exact seeds that you sowed. You may be thinking, "I was just praying for them," but your harvest will show, "No, you were gossiping about them." Love covers a multitude of sins. Some of the very things that we judge, we did the same thing; it's just yours wasn't recorded and uploaded. We have to get this right, family. We have to get this right. It's like a pastor friend of mine stated it; he put it this way: "Listen, if my theology and my stance does not agree and is not formed with scripture, I'm worshiping a God I made versus the God that made me." 'Cause I run into a lot of people all the time who say, "Well, I just think…" Okay, your thoughts aren't Bible. We have to get to a place where we stop treating your thoughts like doctrine. "Well, I just don't think a loving God would…" "I just think the church should…" "I just think a true Pastor should…" Your thoughts aren't Bible. In fact, your thoughts could lie to you. You could think that this ice isn't—this ice is frozen all the way; step on it, fall in, die from hypothermia, but you thought it was firm. You could think, "Oh, this is the medication they took; I take the same exact medication," and it's harmful to you because of what you thought. We have to get this right, family. Jesus is telling us of His return. I want us to see this in more of an illustrative way. So if I could have the 10 women come, I want you to see this in more of an illustrated way. We're going to go text by text by text so that we can fully understand this. We're going to have five foolish virgins and five wise virgins. Okay? The reason I want to do this—notice what the Lord says, verse 3: "The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them." Somebody say, "Presentation," presentation, but they had no oil. So preaching, no oil; teaching, no oil. No oil, meaning I have no relationship with the Lord myself. Now, here's the thing: What made them foolish? Two points I want you to get this. The first reason on what made them foolish is they were foolish to think that their mere religion was sufficient—their religious form. They thought that that was enough. "I come to church; that's enough. I work in children's church; that's enough. I serve a ministry; that's enough." So they equated the form of godliness as being intimate with the King. That's the first thing that was foolish. And the second thing that was foolish is they had a stance that they think they'll have a chance last minute to get saved. "The King is coming; hey, girl, let me get some of your oil." Know somebody like that before? "Before I die, listen, on my last breath, I'm going to say, 'Lord, whatever I did, please forgive me.'" I don't know if y'all ever did this; I did. So I'm going to use me. I used to like pray about sins I knew where I about to do. So it's like, "Lord, I know I'm about to go to the club, but if they start shooting, don't let me get shot; let me get back to the dorm safely." Y'all didn't do that? I know y'all holy and y'all saved. I used to pray, "If I go over there, God, don't let nothing happen to me on the way there; don't let a car—don't let a stray bullet…" I feel so judged right now. I used to pray, thinking I would have a chance to get right—foolish. Now, here's the thing: This is how most of us look in the natural. I want us to see it. This is how most of us look in the natural. Turn your lights on in the natural right now. You come to church; everybody looks saved. You playing the keyboard; you really saved. You're greeting; you sure enough saved. Parking lot; you show up saved. Jesus is using this parable to show, "Okay, naturally, this is how you think they look, but this is how they really look in the spirit." Now, I want y'all to show them—five of you—turn it off. This is how they look in the spirit. What you don't know is, I know that they truly have intimacy with me, but you think that they have intimacy because they have a lamp. Many of us, if we be honest, we're more of a—here we present the Christian version of ourselves. Because the person that you are right now and the person that you were last night are not congruent. Thank you for one clap. I know. I wish more preachers would preach like this, so it's not awkward when I tell us, "Hey, it's possible that you're all a presented Christian. You have a form of godliness but denying the power thereof." There's no intimacy with the Lord; there's no desire of the Lord; there's no desire of repentance. It's a form—it's a form of godliness. And the Lord is saying, "This is how it looks; this is how it looks." Verse 4: "The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps." So what did they have? They had a lifestyle. Did y'all catch what I just said? Lifestyle. Each and every day of their life, they're striving to be light. Make mistakes, but they're still striving to be lights. They're not caught up with the presentation; they're caught up with, "Lord, I want a transformation; I want understanding; I want healing; I want sincerity; I want authentic joy; I want authentic peace; I want authentic conversion. I don't want to present myself." God, I hope y'all hear what the Lord is trying to get us to understand. We are so caught up with our presented self. Why do you think we love going viral? Why do you think so many people are heartbroken over the TikTok ban? I'm like, "What, for real? Who—now can I influence?" How about your neighbor? We are so infatuated with self that when you have a conversation about the Lord telling you, "Listen, it's possible that you've been living like you're supposed to stay in the earth's domain," and I'm trying to get you to understand the Kingdom of Heaven is—like for the purpose of you converting over to being a kingdom representative. Stop complaining about the stuff that you see in your school system if you don't want to do something about it and be a kingdom representative. Stop complaining about how the dating scene looks; maybe if we would stop sleeping around and hold ourselves and practice purity more, men will step up and more women would step up. We're complaining about stuff we don't want to [Applause] do. This is a sobering passage. When I was—okay, God, how could I help us understand what does it look like to truly have light? 2 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 19, says, "Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows…'" We just shouted this, didn't we? "…The Lord knows those who are His." Watch it: "…and everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must not—should not—could not think about it—must turn away from wickedness." So you're a seeker and a turner. Are you getting this? You're a seeker and a turner. I'm seeking the kingdom; I'm seeking to get closer to God, and I'm turning away from wickedness. "God, don't just turn my hands; turn my heart. I still want to go back, but God, help me turn. I still crave it, God, but help me turn. My taste buds for it haven't changed yet, but God, would you turn my heart? Would you turn my desires? Would you turn my craving? Would you turn my mind? Would you turn my appetite? Turn me. I'm not there yet, God, but I want to turn. I want my heart to be able to turn towards the things that You desire. I'm a seeker, and I'm a turner." Now, this is where it gets interesting. Verse 5 says, "The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep." The New King James Version puts it this way: "But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept." Isn't that what's happening right now? We got sleepy Christians. Jesus is letting you know it's going to appear to be delayed; it's going to take so long, you going to sleep on the—I'm coming back; you're going to forget about the King is coming back. The church is going to start talking about things that are relevant to itching ears that people don't consider the King is coming back. So they slept. Now, this the interesting part: The text says they all slept—not just the foolish, not just the wise; everybody. So this can't be just putting down the fact of sleeping; this is your ordinary—ordinary lifestyle. They were doing their ordinary lifestyle, and when they least expected it, the King came back. Here's a question I want you to consider: What do you want to be caught doing when the King comes back? This is not to get you to live in fear; this is to get you to have a lifestyle. But what do you want—what do you want—want to be caught doing? "Lord, I hope I'm caught preaching; hope I'm caught playing with my daughter or playing with my sons. I want to be caught doing something for the kingdom." Just imagine if you caught sneaking over her apartment. Y'all don't think like that? I have—I was like, "Man, it would be so messed up." You resist it; resist it. As soon as you go over there, He's coming back. I'm just like, "I don't know; I don't know if You're coming back in 5 months; I don't know if You're coming back 500 years." Can I mess y'all up? Okay, one person said it. Can I mess y'all up? Yeah. The Lord's math is so different because He says, "One day is as a thousand years." So to the Lord—Jesus got up two days ago. Y'all missed it; y'all missed it. One day to the Lord is as a thousand years. We're in 2025, so in the Lord's math and the Lord's mind, Jesus got up two days ago. And they all begin to sleep. Now, this is the part we park on with you guys, then we could sit down and give the points and we're done. They were wise enough to tell them no. This is so good. They were wise enough to tell them no because they had a—know. What do you mean, "I'm wise enough to tell you no"? Because I have a K-N-O-W. I know Him. And when you know Him, you say no to things that take you away from Him because you know Him. "No, I'm not sacrificing my purity because I know Him. No, I'm not sacrificing my witness because I know Him." Your "no" is more frequent when you know Him because there are certain things that culture asks you to do that you know goes against what the Lord asked you to do, so you hit culture a lot with this: "No, no, no, no." You can be Christlike and say no. Okay, y'all can have a seat. They—they—you can be Christlike and say no. They said no because they knew Him. Now, I want you to see something; I want you to see something. All throughout the fabric of scripture, you will see the word "no" and "knew" are intertwined with intimacy. Show it to you. Genesis, chapter 4, verse 1: "Now Adam knew his wife…" This is so good, y'all. Who is so good? "…Adam knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain." Matthew 1, verse 24: This is normally used around the Christmas time. It says, "Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took unto his wife and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus." When the Lord is speaking about Abraham, Genesis 18:17: "And the Lord said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the Earth shall be blessed in him, for I have known him.'" So to be known is to have intimacy. Can we just be honest, y'all? Forget that you're in church. You know if you're praying. Come on, stop all the—you know if you have a prayer life. You know if you spend more time on 2K or Call of Duty than praying. You know if you're waking up and spending quality time with the Lord. You know if the only time you cracked open your Bible was when I said, "Turn to Matthew 25." You know it; you know it. This is what I'm trying to get us to understand: Be honest. Now, you know if you're seeking His face. You know if you crave the things of God. You know if you're reading your Bible. You know. You know. And this is what I want us to get: Know what you're not so that you don't have to be shocked if you hear that you're not when you stand before Him. Know Him now; know Him now; surrender to Him now. I'm not trying to preach a message to get you scared; I'm trying to preach a message that convinces you to have a lifestyle. I'm not scared if Tanisha is going to divorce me, and that's why I go home. I go home because I want to be with her; I want to be in the house; I want to be around my children. It's not about my fear of what Tanisha is going to do; it's more—our relationship will suffer if I don't come home. If I don't date—if I'm not in her presence, my marriage will suffer. If I'm a flawed, imperfect human man, and I know my natural marriage will suffer if I don't spend time with my wife, how much more are we—who the Lord is saying, "I want you to spend time with Me, too." I told you it was going to be tough. I know. I want to hit parables that you really don't hear preached about enough. Let me give you these points so we can go home and get ready for the snow. Point number one: Intimacy leads to pregnancy. Intimacy leads to pregnancy. You will end up carrying grace; you end up carrying love because how God wired our anatomy is, if you're intimate, it's likely that you get pregnant. I'm speaking about spiritually, church family. Intimacy leads to pregnancy. Point number two: Pregnancy affects your appetite. Certain things you used to eat makes you nauseous; just the smell of it. I don't know if y'all are there, but like, if I smell weed or—I ain't judging; I just remember where it used to take me. So things you used to engage in makes you nauseous. Every mother in the room, you know exactly what I'm talking about, even though I don't, but I walked with my wife through three child pregnancy processes, and I see…
Your appetite shifts when you're carrying something that's not legalistic; that's I'm carrying something that's not me judging; that's me being aware I'm carrying something, and now my whole life is accommodating what I'm carrying.
Number three: Pregnancy affects your sleep. Any thank you for the one mother? Yes, it does. When you're truly pregnant with the things of God, you can't sleep on things that are offensive to him. You can't sleep and be at the barber shop and they're on talk. Yeah, you saw that girl walk in, she a bad yelling, "You married?" You like, "Yeah, she is." You can't laugh with these jokes. I'm serious. That was a discipline I had to teach myself. When men laugh because they're making sexual jokes, don't laugh back because you don't want to look awkward. They would laugh; I just, "What you think about it, bro?" I think I'm married and you are too. I didn't know that was a form of people-pleasing. That I didn't want to be judged when they're smoking their cigars and they're cracking jokes, and I'm ain't funny. That's offensive. I'm serious, family. When you're pregnant, it affects your sleep; it bothers you; get grieved over things.
Number four: One of my most favorite: When your pregnancy affects your walk. Every mother knows, third trimester, you walk a little different; not because you're legalistic, but because you're carrying something. You take your time now because what the nurse will say is, "I don't want you to fall." I don't want you to fall. So you take your time because everything of your life has adjusted to what you're carrying. It's not legalism; I'm pregnant. Pregnancy affects your walk.
Number five: Pregnancy leads to birth. It's why you're pregnant; it leads to birth. What do you mean, Pastor? There should be fruit of the spirit if you claim to be a believer. You've been saved since 2007 and you haven't given birth to self-control yet, man? How long? It's only three trimesters, sis. You've been saved since 1999 and you still haven't given birth to gentleness? Why everything look like something stink when I speak to you? I know, sis, my God.
And last one: It's a LIF style; that's it. It's a LIF style. You will fall; you will fall short. I'm not staying there; I'm not staying there. My heart craves to live for the King, and it's a LIF style; not a Sunday style, not a small group style; it's a LIF style. So when I catch you in Walmart, it's a LIF style. On your job, it's a lifestyle. College students, watch this. I get your DMs; it's a it's a lifestyle. I know what it's like to feel like nobody else on my campus is trying to live like me. I felt the same way, and I started a Bible study on campus. You know what they call me? The preacher. I was going to pledge and had my whole plan before me, and I ate alone in the cafeteria; student lunch, I was by myself. Only person that would meet with me was my cousin, Leo, at the time that was there, on my roommate. And I didn't feel lonely though; I didn't feel lonely though. I felt I was being prepared. I didn't know this was coming. I have testimony and fruit to say that people knew me in college once I got converted. Now, if you saw me freshman year, I was kind of out there, but after sophomore year, I was serious. Something happened in my life. I don't think I've ever shared this publicly. I had a dream one night in the dorm; it was called Greystone back then. I had a dream I was walking down the tiger walk; that's what Texas Southern University—I was walking down the tiger walk, and there was this—you know what a grim reaper is? It was like this this ugly thing in my dream; it was just like slaughtering people, just slaughtering. And I remember seeing it walk towards me, and it came up, boom boom, couldn't hit me. I said, "I hate you; you're going to save people." Wow. I woke up like, "Man, what the heck was that?" True story. I had no idea then that that process of learning what is it like to have a lifestyle first came with removing firefighters; any person that I had to remove myself from; that it was hard, but sometime the hardest thing and the most needed thing, one and the same. So now I can stand before you fulfilled; know I'm in purpose, and everything I lost back then can't compare to what I've gained now, and I'm not talking about the world; I'm talking about my peace.
So Father, in this moment, we ask you, Lord, forgive us for our arrogance; forgive us for having lamps with no light, candles with no wicks, clouds with no rain; forgive us for our presentation. And we hear you, the Father's confronting pretenders in the house, online, and even in myself. We simply say, Yahweh, we don't want to be a pretender. Give us a desire to know you in a more intimate way. And my prayers have changed, Lord. It's not just, "God, I want to know you." Now it's, "God, know me; know me so that I'll never hear, 'Depart from me; I never knew you.'" Father, know me. I want to be intimate with you, Father. I want to be so intimate while I feel your breath every time we come together and we gather; you breathe on us because these are our people who are hungry, who want you. We want to be knowers and doers. Forgive us for thinking that the Earth is final, 'cause one day you're going to create a new Heaven and a new Earth where there's no pain anymore, no suffering anymore, nor tears anymore, but we will be with our Mighty God for all eternity. There's no pain; there's no no suffering; there's no tears except tears of gladness when we'll be able to see you and say, "Holy, holy, holy," and so thankful that you died for us. For who is man that you're mindful of us? Give us hearts, God, that turn away from evil. And if there is a fear that we fear, if there is a fear that we feel, let it be the fear of the Lord; not of condemnation, but knowing that the King is coming back, either in our lifetime or when we die, we're going to see you face to face. We want to hear, "Well done," in Jesus' name. And everybody who agrees with that prayer would just shout all the building, "Amen!" Amen. Is this good for somebody? Nobody said anything. Was this good for somebody? I know my assignment; my assign is not to just feed you but to make you hungry. Pray this causes somebody to pray on the way home, to apologize to somebody on the way home so that it could be sincere. Can I get all of us to say, "Dear God, dear God, save me, save me and know me, and know me." You promised me in your word; you promised me in your word, "If I confess with my mouth, if I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart, believe in my heart that God raised Jesus from the grave, God raised Jesus from the grave, I shall be saved." I shall—you told me in your word; you told me in your word, "Those who call on the Lord, those who call on the Lord must turn from wickedness, must turn from wickedness." Strengthen my turn; strengthen my turn so that I don't turn back, so I don't turn back to things you've redeemed me from, to things you redeem. And when I do fall, when I do fall, help me to remember; help me to remember the blood is enough; the blood is enough. And never let me get comfortable; never let me be in a life of rebellion, in a life of rebellion, in Jesus' name. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Let's give God praise for that. If you prayed that for the first time, want you to text the word "fresh start" to the number on the screen. If that was your first time saying that prayer, text the word "fresh start" to number 844 484 836.