1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,840 Lord save me. And so, so grateful to be here. 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:06,560 It's hard to put into words just how much this church means to 3 00:00:06,560 --> 00:00:10,320 us, the young people, just last night, watching them stand up 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:11,760 here and sing. And just to think about the 5 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:16,480 commitment that was made several years ago when we wanted to see 6 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,240 our young people grow up and live for the Lord. 7 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:21,880 And, and man, we've done so many things together and we've seen 8 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:23,480 them make so many good decisions. 9 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,440 And I'm really excited about what God is doing in their 10 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:27,800 hearts, what they're doing for the Lord. 11 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,280 Both here at Mount Victory also put gospel at Baptist Church. 12 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:33,040 So. Let's turn the Divine library 13 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:34,600 this evening to the Book of Luke. 14 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:39,520 The Book of Luke chapter #11 Luke chapter. #11 and while 15 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,680 you're turning there, my heart really does go out to Pastor 16 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:43,480 Shifflett last night he mentioned that. 17 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:47,640 One of the biggest challenges? Of this Bell's palsy that he's 18 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:50,360 going through is that he's looking more and more like. 19 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:55,040 Me, brother, when you. Said that how my heart went out 20 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,160 to you. That's a cross nobody should 21 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:59,840 have to bear. I mean that from Obama heart. 22 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:05,120 I know I carry it every day. But take comfort brother. 23 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:09,640 Take comfort because you're starting to resemble me in other 24 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,520 areas as well. I got to thinking like you. 25 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,920 Not only does he look like me, but he's also starting to preach 26 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:20,520 like me. If this thing lasts. 27 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:22,120 You know too much longer, brother. 28 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:24,120 Folks aren't going to be able to tell the difference very much, 29 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,880 right? Anyways, I don't know. 30 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:33,240 I'm not going to comebacks, but Luke, Luke chapter #11 I trust 31 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:35,720 that God will be will bless you through the preaching of his 32 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:37,680 Word. Let's begin reading verse #14. 33 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,320 And my text is Luke. Chapter #11 Verse 14 down to 34 00:01:41,320 --> 00:01:44,640 verse #23 the Bible says and he was casting. 35 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,040 Out a devil. And it was dumb. 36 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:49,720 And it came to pass. When the devil was gone, out the 37 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:53,000 dumb spake. And the people wondered, but 38 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,920 some of them said he casteth. Out devils, through Beelzebub, 39 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,800 the chief of the devils, and others tempting him, sought of 40 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:03,680 him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, 41 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,680 said unto them, Every Kingdom divided against itself cannot 42 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:11,280 stand. And how? 43 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,800 Every Kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, 44 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,720 and a house divided against the house falleth. 45 00:02:17,920 --> 00:02:21,520 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his Kingdom 46 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,120 stand? Because you say that I cast out 47 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,440 devils through Beelzebub. And if I by. 48 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,840 Beelzebub cast out devils. By whom do your sons cast them 49 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:31,920 out? Therefore shall they be your 50 00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:33,840 judges. But if I. 51 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,680 With the finger of God cast out devils. 52 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:42,200 No doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you when a strong. 53 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:46,000 Man armed, keepeth his palace. His goods are in peace, but when 54 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,000 a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him. 55 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:53,280 He taketh from him all. His armor wherein he trusted and 56 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,680 divided his spoils. He that is not with me is 57 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:01,840 against me. He that gathereth not with me 58 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,760 scattereth. May God bless the reading of His 59 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:06,000 Word. This evening I'm printing a 60 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,840 message. To you entitled the wrong. 61 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:13,800 Side of history, the wrong side of history. 62 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,520 Let's pray as we begin. Lord, we look to you now for 63 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:19,720 help. Lord, we look to you for grace. 64 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:24,160 I pray now that you would give us ears to hear as we listen to 65 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:25,680 your word. Give us a heart of faith. 66 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,960 Lord, help us to respond. Lord, I pray that you would fill 67 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,120 me and fill every person in this room with Your Holy Spirit. 68 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:35,520 May the Spirit guide us into all truth this evening. 69 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,960 Lord, may we be. Stirred, stirred by your Spirit 70 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,280 Lord, to take action in our lives, grow our faith, grow our 71 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,160 love for you. Help us Lord, not to end up on 72 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:52,200 the wrong side of history. And I pray these things now in 73 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:56,080 Jesus name, Amen. We think about the wrong side of 74 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:57,680 history. We think about people who. 75 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:00,600 Made the wrong choice, right they they picked the wrong. 76 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:05,720 Side they had an opportunity to. Be on the winning side, but for 77 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,640 whatever reason they picked the wrong side. 78 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:12,680 And and history has. Proven that right as time goes 79 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:15,120 on it. Shows that they made. 80 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,120 The wrong choice now people have ended. 81 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:20,920 Up on the wrong. Side of history in a number of 82 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,880 different areas, and some of some of those areas are more 83 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,040 serious than. Others I. 84 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:27,480 Think about the area of. Business. 85 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:29,720 Some people. Ended up on the wrong side. 86 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:31,400 Of history in the area. Of. 87 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:33,680 Business and in that case maybe all they. 88 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:35,680 Lost out on was a little bit of money. 89 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:40,720 I don't think about Western Union all the way back in 1876. 90 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,680 They dismissed the. Telephone as having quote no 91 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,920 value UN quote. We might. 92 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:52,040 We would say they ended up on the wrong side of history. 93 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:59,320 IBM in 1943 what was hired to estimate the world market for 94 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,200 computers? And they came back after. 95 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:05,520 Doing their research. And they estimated that the 96 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,520 world. Market for computers would be 5. 97 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,640 Five computers would be about. All that the world would need, 98 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,080 all right, I think. History has kind of shown. 99 00:05:17,280 --> 00:05:20,920 That they ended up on the wrong side of history, I'm told. 100 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:24,240 That BlackBerry. Laughed off touch screen phones 101 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:28,480 as something that that would never take off right and and and 102 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:30,120 so we think about the wrong side of history. 103 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:31,000 We think how? How? 104 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:32,440 Who? Who made that? 105 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,320 Decision, but for whatever reason there they have their own 106 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:37,240 reasons they made the wrong choice. 107 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,880 But there are some other areas that are more serious thinking 108 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,680 about Voltaire, the atheist who predicted that within 50 years 109 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:46,760 of. His death no one would believe 110 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,600 the Bible that it. Would go out of print due to a 111 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:54,280 lack of demand. Within 50 years of his death a 112 00:05:54,280 --> 00:05:57,920 Bible society had purchased his home and they were printing 113 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:02,880 Bibles is very house. He ended up on the wrong side of 114 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,240 history. I think of Pastor Martin 115 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:09,400 Niemuller, a German pastor in the 1930s, and even though there 116 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:13,080 were other pastors. Who were warning about. 117 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,880 Hitler and the regime. That was taking over an. 118 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:18,960 Attack against Christianity there in Germany. 119 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,360 And Niemiller could not be convinced to use his influence 120 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:24,480 to. To, to, to, to, to. 121 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,400 To fight against the Nazis and eventually he. 122 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:28,920 Came around, but it was too late. 123 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,680 Martin Niemiller is famous for his quote. 124 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:35,160 First they came for the Socialist and I did not speak 125 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:37,760 out because I was not a socialist. 126 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:40,320 Then they came for the trade unionist. 127 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:43,640 And I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. 128 00:06:43,840 --> 00:06:47,160 Then they came. For the Jews and I did not speak 129 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:52,360 out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there 130 00:06:52,360 --> 00:07:00,120 was no one left to speak for me. Niemmeler refused to use his 131 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:04,120 influence with the pastors there in Germany, even though he went 132 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:09,120 to prison for many years. He ended up on the wrong side of 133 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:13,600 history. But I think there's examples in 134 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:17,400 the Bible of some people that ended up on the wrong side of 135 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:20,800 history and I think. That we can be warned. 136 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,400 When we look at it in our text, we find some people ended up on 137 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:29,160 the wrong side of history. Jesus is here and he he's. 138 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:31,400 His ministry is picking up speed and yet. 139 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:34,480 The more it seems that. He's winning the victory and the 140 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:38,760 more miracles he does, he does and the more devils he casts out 141 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:42,920 and and the more sermons he preaches, the more this group of 142 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,880 people. End up on the opposite side, 143 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:50,840 opposing him fighting. Him tooth and nail, trying to 144 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:53,960 catch him in his. Own words trying to trip. 145 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:58,840 Him up. These Pharisees and Scribes and 146 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:01,120 Sadducees and. High. 147 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:05,160 Priest, we know now many. Years later, history has proven 148 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:10,080 that they ended up. On the wrong side of history. 149 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:14,240 Jesus is trying to point that out to them in this passage of 150 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,640 Scripture. He's referencing things that 151 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:18,720 they were very familiar with and he's. 152 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:22,480 Drawing examples from Israel's past and their. 153 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:25,760 History that they were well. Familiar with about people who 154 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:29,920 ended up fighting against the wrong or ended up on the wrong 155 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:32,640 side of history in verse #20 Jesus says. 156 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:39,039 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, now that 157 00:08:39,039 --> 00:08:41,640 expression really jumps off the page. 158 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:45,120 And it was not something that the Jews were unfamiliar with. 159 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:47,840 They had known about the finger of God. 160 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,520 In fact, it went all the way back to the great deliverance 161 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:56,440 that God gave in Egypt. And here when Moses showed up 162 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,920 and God told Moses, I'm going to deliver my people out of the 163 00:08:59,920 --> 00:09:02,200 hand of the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. 164 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:06,360 And that great deliverance at the party of the Red Sea, there 165 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:10,640 was a showdown that took place before that great deliverance. 166 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:14,920 And we you know that as the 10 plagues, as one after the other 167 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:19,480 God took down the Egyptian gods. And you know those first few 168 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:23,320 plagues, Pharaoh was able to call his magicians and they were 169 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:27,440 able to come and they were able to duplicate what was going on. 170 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,760 But in. Exodus chapter #8 verses 18 171 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:32,920 through 19. The Bible says this, and the 172 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:35,840 magicians did so. With their enchantments to bring 173 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:42,680 forth lies, but they could not. So there was lice upon man and 174 00:09:42,680 --> 00:09:45,360 upon beast. Then the magician said unto 175 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:49,920 Pharaoh, This is the finger of God. 176 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:53,520 And Pharaoh's heart was hardened. 177 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:55,640 And he hearkened. Not unto them as the. 178 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:57,720 Lord had said, here's what's going on. 179 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:01,040 Jesus said, hey, look, I'm here to give an even greater 180 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,520 deliverance than when God made you a nation. 181 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:08,160 I'm showing up on the scene to deliver you from sin and from 182 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:11,400 death and from hell. I'm going to the cross and I'm 183 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,600 going to win the victory by shedding my blood, and I'm going 184 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:16,360 to come out of that grave. Amen. 185 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:19,320 And I'm here. But before that great victory is 186 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,480 going to take place, I'm having a showdown with the devil. 187 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,720 And every time Jesus was confronted with Satan, Jesus 188 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,120 wins. We see that in our text. 189 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:32,280 The Bible says he runs into a man who had a devil. 190 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:36,280 Jesus cast that devil out. That devil was dumb and the dumb 191 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:40,680 spake And the people wondered every time that the Kingdom of 192 00:10:40,680 --> 00:10:44,880 light came into contact with the Kingdom of darkness, light one. 193 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,280 And Jesus is going back to their history and he's saying, hey, 194 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:50,200 remember when God took on Pharaoh? 195 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:54,880 Remember when God took upon the gods of the Egyptians and one 196 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:58,000 after the other, he won and he destroyed them. 197 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:02,000 And then there was that moment to time when those magicians 198 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:06,480 came to Pharaoh and they said, hey, listen, we can't replicate 199 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,120 it. We can't duplicate it. 200 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:11,600 We're up against something that we cannot defeat. 201 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:15,960 This is the finger of God. We better change tactics here. 202 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:20,640 We better reconsider our our plan of action moving forward 203 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:23,720 because we he cannot stand against it. 204 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,120 The Bible says that Pharaoh. 'S heart was hardened. 205 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:31,840 Despite the fact. That he was confronted with 206 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:33,680 these miracles. And that his. 207 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:37,560 Own magicians were telling him. We don't have an answer. 208 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,080 Pharaoh still ended. Up on the wrong side of history? 209 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:46,680 That's right. Jesus is saying, hey, look. 210 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:51,600 Pharisees, I'm here. There's a great deliverance. 211 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:58,120 Coming darkness cannot stand the light, the Bible says, shined in 212 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,360 darkness, and the darkness cannot comprehend it. 213 00:12:02,680 --> 00:12:04,680 You guys better. You guys better get with the 214 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:05,360 program. That's right. 215 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:11,080 How is it that I'm doing all these works and proving who I 216 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,960 said I am, proving whom the Bible says I am, and you keep 217 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:18,160 fighting against me, you keep going against it? 218 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:19,080 This. Is this is it? 219 00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:21,480 That's what's going on in our passage of Scripture. 220 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:26,400 And Pharaoh wasn't the only one. Belshazzar, Merrill Belshazzar, 221 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,160 Daniel chap #5 He had his drunken. 222 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,520 Party. And he called out for them to 223 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:35,880 bring out the the golden vessels, God's choice vessels, 224 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,920 and he began to drink out of that, and he began to party. 225 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:46,320 And you remember what happened. God showed up the hand. 226 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:51,840 The Bible says the. Fingers of a man's hand begin to 227 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:55,760 write on that wall. Many, many Tegel you Farshan, 228 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:58,560 you've been found. You've been weighed in the 229 00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:01,160 balances and you've been found wanting. 230 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:01,920 That's right. That's right. 231 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,880 Belshazzar took on God and God, and God defeated him. 232 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:09,240 He lost. That's right. 233 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:11,720 He lost. They knew what was going on with 234 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:15,160 the finger of God describes in these Pharisees. 235 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:17,360 Now we're ending up on the wrong side of history. 236 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:22,600 Now, friend, I want to draw some application today because there 237 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:26,000 are differences. The circumstances have changed. 238 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,120 The situation is different. We don't have Jesus physically 239 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:33,120 present with us. But I'm here to tell you that 240 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,880 there is a conflict that is going on right now in the day 241 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:41,960 and age that we're living in. And to make it really practical, 242 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:46,280 there's a battle that's taking up place right here in this 243 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:49,760 Greater Richmond area. There's a fight between the 244 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:52,600 Kingdom of Light, the Kingdom of Darkness. 245 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:57,560 God has called out his. Church, he's predicted, he's 246 00:13:57,560 --> 00:14:00,640 foretold that there's going to be a great conflict between the 247 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,160 gates of hell and his church, and the Bible says the gates of 248 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:05,280 hell cannot prevail against it. Amen. 249 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:06,520 And I'm telling you. What? 250 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:07,960 There's a great deliverance coming. 251 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:09,600 Yes, we know. Christ has died. 252 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:10,800 And he's risen. Again. 253 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:13,920 But friend, he's coming again and the trumpets going to sound. 254 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,840 And in the meantime, we are waging warfare against the devil 255 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,440 and praise the Lord. God is winning. 256 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:23,040 Praise the Lord. God is doing things. 257 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:26,440 People are getting saved. Our lives are being changed 258 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:29,440 right here in this community, right here in this church. 259 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:33,560 Something's happening. Whose side are you going to end 260 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:36,320 up on? Are you going to end up on the 261 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:40,320 wrong side of history? When it comes not. 262 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:42,480 Not to the Pharisees and what they did. 263 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:44,440 We're not talking about them. You can't make that mistake. 264 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:48,320 You live back then. How about the battle that's 265 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:52,360 taking place right now in our day and age? 266 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:55,680 You're going to end up on the wrong side of history in that 267 00:14:55,680 --> 00:15:00,840 battle, in that conflict. I, I, I know many of you would 268 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:02,600 say now the pastor, there's no way. 269 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:04,880 There's no way I would choose the wrong side. 270 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:09,360 There's no way that I want to help Satan win the battle in my 271 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,440 community. There's no way I want to see the 272 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:14,560 devil win in our marriages. There's no way that I want to 273 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:18,200 see the devil win with our youth group and our child and in our 274 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:20,480 area. I want to see God win. 275 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:22,160 I want to see more people get saved. 276 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:24,200 And I know that's what you would say. 277 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:26,240 But I want to examine this passage of Scripture. 278 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,120 Let's be warned, because while we might. 279 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:34,120 Say we want to be. On the right side, sometimes our 280 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,600 actions say differently, do they not? 281 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:44,840 Well, we've had some good We've had some good Nerf wars between 282 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:48,120 Mount Victory Baptist Church and Gospel at Baptist Church right 283 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:51,520 here in this building. In fact, I remember sitting up 284 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:58,120 here with a 50 Cal Nerf gun just you know, and we picked up sides 285 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:01,880 and every once in a. While, you know, I get shot by 286 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:05,800 somebody. On my own team, you know, I bet 287 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:08,560 I was crawling through them chairs right there trying to get 288 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,360 some of these teenagers and. Man got shot. 289 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,600 By my own daughter. She's laughing. 290 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:18,360 I'm like, well, who's side are you on? 291 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,800 But you know if it. Happens and it happens and it 292 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,520 happens. There comes a point when you're 293 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:27,000 like, man, whose side are you really on? 294 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:30,680 There's some church. Members, come on. 295 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,360 Yeah. Sometimes you just you wonder, 296 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:35,560 man, whose side are you on? Good. 297 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:38,640 Come on. Whose side are you on? 298 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:43,120 Say, how do I how do I end up on the wrong side of history? 299 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:45,280 Well, you, if you don't want to end up on the wrong side of 300 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:47,440 history, you need to check whose side are you on right now? 301 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:48,600 That's right. That's good. 302 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:52,120 What side are you on right now? Can I ask you something? 303 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:56,320 Whose side are you on when it comes to the prayer meeting? 304 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,320 See one of the ways. That you can help Satan. 305 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:06,760 And end up on the wrong side of history is by being silent in 306 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:09,880 your prayer. And I find it interesting in 307 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:13,839 this chapter in in in the first part of Luke chapter #11 Jesus 308 00:17:13,839 --> 00:17:17,240 talking about prayer. His disciples come and they say, 309 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:19,920 Lord, teach us to pray. Jesus was a man. 310 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:21,839 Of prayer you read through. The book of Luke and we're going 311 00:17:21,839 --> 00:17:23,040 verse. By verse through the book of 312 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:27,280 Luke right now, I mean Jesus was praying all the time he was at 313 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:31,120 the throne of the Father and he he was seeking wisdom and and 314 00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:34,480 power and and he was a man of prayer and the disciples knew 315 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:36,080 and they said, Lord teach us to pray. 316 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:38,920 He took them aside. He said, when you pray, say our 317 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:43,320 Father, which art in heaven hallowed be thy name, thy 318 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:49,440 Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is is in heaven. 319 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:54,320 Give us this day Our Daily Bread and lead us not into temptation, 320 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:55,800 right? Deliver us from evil. 321 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:59,120 We know the prayer. We know that Jesus was praying 322 00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:02,040 and for the victory and he was teaching his disciples to pray 323 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,600 and he's given them examples of how to pray in stories. 324 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:09,120 You read through those first few verses of of Luke chapter #11 of 325 00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:13,320 this chapter and you could see Jesus trying to tell him, hey, 326 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:16,800 if you want to get in the battle, the spiritual warfare 327 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:19,440 that we're talking about, you want to be on the right side, 328 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:22,600 then you're going to do battle with the devil on your knees in 329 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:24,920 prayer. Ephesians chapter 6 says be 330 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:27,400 strong in the Lord and in the power of his mind. 331 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:29,960 Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to 332 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,760 withstand against the Wiles of the devil. 333 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,960 And you read on as he admonishes us to take the breastplate of 334 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:39,240 righteousness, right, and have our loins good about with truth, 335 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,760 and the shield of faith, and the to the Spirit and the helmet of 336 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:46,480 salvation. And then he says, praying always 337 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:49,320 with all prayer and supplication. 338 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:52,760 And I'm here today to tell you that while you may not ever want 339 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:57,360 to help the devil win the battle, you are assisting evil 340 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,040 by staying silent in your prayers. 341 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:03,280 Christians have abandoned the midweek prayer service. 342 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,840 Christians have abandoned the the prayer closet in their 343 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,040 homes. Christians have abandoned the 344 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:13,840 all night prayer meetings. They've just disappeared from 345 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:16,720 our churches. And I ask you tonight, Mount 346 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:20,040 Victory Baptist Church, do you care about Jesus winning the 347 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:22,040 victory here in the Richmond area? 348 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:23,680 Do you care about your marriages? 349 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,680 Do you care about your church? Do you care about your child, 350 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:29,120 your children? Then you've got to pray. 351 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:33,080 Amen. You got to go to warfare, war 352 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:38,040 with the devil in prayer. You stay silent. 353 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:46,160 You stay. Silent, you're assisting the 354 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:48,800 rulers of the darkness of this world. 355 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:53,680 You know it's not lost, at least on me. 356 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:58,280 And in verse 14, the first thing after Jesus teaches on prayer, 357 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:05,440 he meets a man with a devil who was dumb, couldn't speak. 358 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:09,760 You know, I know Christians who can talk to just about anybody, 359 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:15,400 but they can't talk to God. It's almost as if we got a dumb 360 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:19,600 spirit in our churches. They can't. 361 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:22,480 They they can speak about. Just about anything with. 362 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:24,280 Anyone, any topic but they can't talk. 363 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:27,560 About the Word of God. It's a dumb spirit. 364 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:32,840 They know all the stats of all the sports teams, but as Pastor 365 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:35,360 have already mentioned, they know very little about the word 366 00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:37,440 of God. It's a dumb spirit. 367 00:20:38,120 --> 00:20:40,320 We used to we. Used the expression cat got your 368 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,360 tongue. The devil's got. 369 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:49,000 Some of your tongues. Your praise is silent, Your 370 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:54,000 prayer is non existent. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said silence 371 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,400 in the face of evil is evil itself. 372 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,800 There's a Irish proverb. Many of us know it by all that 373 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:05,840 all that's needed for evil to prevails, for good men to stand 374 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:09,880 by and do nothing. I'm here to challenge you 375 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:14,640 tonight. Whose side are you on when you 376 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:18,400 stand before God? One day he talks about what's 377 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:20,600 going on in the battle that's taking place. 378 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:22,440 I was going to say, where were you? 379 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:26,640 It was time for prayer, you know, six years ago. 380 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:29,480 To almost, you know, we're right on. 381 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:32,800 We're in step as far as the days of the week with when COVID hit. 382 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:35,680 I remember because we were having a friend day. 383 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:38,480 It was our very first friend day at Gospel Light Baptist Church. 384 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:42,120 We had just moved over to the Promised Land Camp and I had 385 00:21:42,120 --> 00:21:44,880 sold my business. And I mean, I was nervous. 386 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:46,360 It was a make. Or break here, I remember 387 00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:49,120 telling my wife, I said. Honey, 2020 is going to be a 388 00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:53,400 make or break here now. We, we got to do it. 389 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:56,200 We didn't have no, we didn't have an income coming in. 390 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:58,240 I had sold it. We had stepped out in faith. 391 00:21:58,360 --> 00:22:02,080 We had moved into the area. The house need a lot of work and 392 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:05,400 I and my plan was January, February, it's cold, it's dark, 393 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:07,200 we're going to work. On the House and as soon. 394 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,760 As time change happens, we are going to have. 395 00:22:10,360 --> 00:22:16,840 A friend day, March 15th. I had an evangelist come in and 396 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:20,440 the week before we were going to knock doors all week long and we 397 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:23,200 did, but things were going haywire. 398 00:22:24,360 --> 00:22:28,600 Now remember, as we were getting ready to do that, we planned an 399 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:32,040 all night prayer meeting. It was the very first all night 400 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:35,280 prayer meeting I'd ever come to. Now, I'm ashamed to say this, 401 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:38,600 but you know, I've been, I've been saved for many, many years. 402 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:42,080 But to me, I'd always thought that all night prayer meetings 403 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:45,520 were like a gimmick. That's what I I thought. 404 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,920 No, that's just, that's just like, you know, some, you know, 405 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,760 some sort of promotion or some sort of yeah, they say that. 406 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:55,320 But but for whatever reason, I believe the Lord LED us. 407 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:57,200 We are going to have an all night pyramid that was supposed 408 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:00,880 to be for the friend day. On Friday, March 13th. 409 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:03,240 The governor of Pennsylvania shut down all schools. 410 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,320 I mean, this is right when it happened. 411 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:07,520 This is right right now what we're dealing with. 412 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:10,840 It was on this day that the president declared 2 weeks to 413 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:14,760 stop the spread. Jog our memories a little man. 414 00:23:17,120 --> 00:23:21,080 We prayed all night. We had the friend day the Lord 415 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:22,400 blessed. We had our highest day. 416 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:25,040 We had 50 that day, 10 first time visitors. 417 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:27,800 That's a number. That's a number. 418 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:36,000 We hit bump status. But you know, as the weeks went 419 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:38,800 on with that and we were like man, I meant like many of you, 420 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:41,440 my head was spinning. I had no clue what was going on 421 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:43,400 and I'm trying to figure out what do we do? 422 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:44,920 What do we do? And the only thing I could think 423 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,200 of was we need to pray. We need to pray. 424 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:51,000 I called a number of pastors around our area. 425 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:52,320 I said, hey, let's have a prayer meeting. 426 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:53,720 Let's do an all night prayer meeting. 427 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:56,760 I I. Again, I'm not going to name 428 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:58,920 their names, you know, but I'll never forget. 429 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:00,920 They were like, are there going to be more than 10 people there? 430 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:03,880 Because we're not allowed to have more than 10 people. 431 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:07,040 I remember thinking, man, that you're supposed to be the 432 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:10,600 hospital, the soul, if there's ever a time. 433 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:14,280 When we need to gather together to to beg God for our country 434 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:17,200 and our nation, when we don't know what's going on, it's right 435 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:20,000 now. And so we didn't cancel. 436 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:21,440 We just, I just put it out there. 437 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:23,600 I said, hey guys, I'm getting together, going to be more than 438 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:27,520 ten of us. We start having all night prayer 439 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:32,640 meetings Friday night and the Lord began to bless people, 440 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,160 start getting saved. The church started growing. 441 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:37,920 We're growing through COVID. Everybody else shut down. 442 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:40,480 Everybody else shut. Down and we're we're just. 443 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,480 Growing, we're seeing miracles and and and this had been on. 444 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,520 For several. Months and we're growing and. 445 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:47,760 One Sunday night it was late at night and. 446 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:51,120 Me and me and me and Anna were were just rejoicing in the Lord, 447 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:54,000 and I said something. To the effect of man, I have no 448 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:55,680 idea. What is happening? 449 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:57,880 I have no idea. What's going on here? 450 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:01,960 And my wife looked at me and she said maybe it's because you guys 451 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,200 have been praying. I'll never forget it. 452 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:09,520 I never even equated the two, never even equated the two. 453 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:11,960 You know what I'm saying? Mount victory. 454 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:19,720 There's a battle going on. Get involved by prayer, by 455 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:22,840 prayer. Get behind the pastor for the 456 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:26,920 men's prayer breakfast, for the prayer meetings, the midweek 457 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:29,640 service, that prayer meeting. You know what? 458 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:32,600 Those early days when there was only five of us on Thursday 459 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:34,360 night, man, we're meeting downstairs. 460 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:37,440 Some of the hardest challenges is try to encourage the people 461 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:39,840 that this is important. I'm here tonight to tell you 462 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:42,840 it's important. Doesn't matter if they're just a 463 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:46,920 handful of you. Whose side are you on? 464 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,680 Can I ask you this? Whose side are you on when it 465 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:55,160 comes to living by faith? See, I think we help the devil 466 00:25:56,240 --> 00:26:00,120 when we walk by sight. See what Jesus says here in the 467 00:26:00,120 --> 00:26:05,120 passage of Scripture when it says that in verse 16 that 468 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:10,080 others tempting him sought of him a sign from heaven. 469 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:15,920 That Jesus was doing all. Sorts of Miracles 1 after. 470 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:18,720 The other he just got done casting out a devil. 471 00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:23,120 But it wasn't enough. And here's the truth. 472 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:27,040 The truth of the matter is that the signs were not the important 473 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:28,960 thing. The signs were given to confirm 474 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:31,320 the truth. It's always been the truth 475 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:35,240 that's important. God told the Jews, I'm going to 476 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:38,520 confirm that what the prophet is saying is true by giving him a 477 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:41,200 sign. But the sign was not what God 478 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:44,640 wanted them to be focused on. It was the truth that the 479 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:47,320 prophet was delivering that was important. 480 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,560 And that's why, as Jesus was doing the signs, it wasn't 481 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:53,840 enough for these people, because the truth wasn't enough for 482 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:57,440 them. We're living in a day and age. 483 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,440 Today, where many Christians. Want to see? 484 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:01,600 They want to be. Wow. 485 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:04,040 They want to come to church and they want to see healing 486 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:06,760 services and they want to see people speaking in tongues, and 487 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:10,920 they want to see a devil's being cast out because the truth is 488 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:14,920 not enough for them anymore. And Jesus said a wicked and an 489 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:17,760 adulterous generation seeketh a sign. 490 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:22,320 I want to remind you tonight the Bible says trust in the Lord 491 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:25,040 with all thine heart. And lean not into thine own 492 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:29,200 understanding, and all thy ways acknowledge him, and he a shall 493 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:31,680 direct thy paths. But without faith it is 494 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:35,000 impossible to please God. For he that cometh to God must 495 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:38,960 believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that 496 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,880 diligently seek him. For the which 'cause we faint 497 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:46,280 not, the Bible says, But though our outward man perish, yet our 498 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:49,200 inward man is renewed day by day. 499 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:53,240 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for 500 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:57,240 us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while 501 00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:00,200 we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things 502 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:02,080 which are not seen. For the things which are seen 503 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:06,520 are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 504 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:12,080 So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word 505 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:14,480 of God. Listen folks, we got to get 506 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:15,720 back. To living by faith. 507 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:20,080 We got to get back to walking by faith and not by sight. 508 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:24,280 Well, I want to ask you tonight, are you just giving what? 509 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:27,200 You think you can give? That's not faith. 510 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:30,320 Friend, are you giving what God wants you to give? 511 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:34,280 Are you in the ministry because you think you can do it? 512 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:37,040 You think you've got enough talent? 513 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:39,320 Are you got enough time? Are you doing it because God 514 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:42,280 told you to do it? We got to get back to living by 515 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:45,160 faith, not. Leaning on our own 516 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:50,960 understanding, well, I just don't know if we can take on 517 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:54,840 that, that step of faith, whatever it might be, we might 518 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:59,360 as well just give the give the victory to the spiritual 519 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:04,560 wickedness in high places. Say, well, we'd never say that, 520 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:07,240 but this is what was going on in this. 521 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:12,400 That's what's going on there. They ended up on the wrong side 522 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:17,400 of history because they were not walking by faith. 523 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:22,520 They weren't reading their Bibles and following what God 524 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:25,840 said. They were going by sight and 525 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:28,720 their sight told them that Jesus wasn't all that impressive. 526 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:32,960 I really believe if Jesus were here, we would all be shocked 527 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:37,200 when we we see him physically. I don't think he's going to look 528 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:39,200 like what we all think he's going to look like. 529 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:45,040 The Bible tells us. In the book of Isaiah that he 530 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:50,280 was of no form or comeliness. If Jesus were amongst us, then 531 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:52,960 most people would be like man. That's not my idea of the 532 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:56,880 Messiah. You say. 533 00:29:56,880 --> 00:29:58,560 Why? Because it was not supposed to 534 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:02,240 be by sight. Jesus said you look at the 535 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:06,080 things that I do because I'm doing things only God can do, 536 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:09,040 and you listen to the things I'm saying because I'm only I'm. 537 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:14,600 Saying things only God. Can say don't walk by sight. 538 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:20,080 We need to walk by faith friend. You know, several years ago, 539 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:23,960 Sunday morning we had a man walk into our church, brother Paul 540 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:25,680 Lambert. We didn't know him at that time. 541 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:29,360 He was, he was a little odd. He was an artist and he had 542 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:33,120 these, he had this crazy hairdo and he had these, these weird 543 00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:37,520 looking glasses and mothers were like gathering their children. 544 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:40,200 I'm not. I'm not. 545 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:42,280 Lying, you know everybody's. Like most of the time you're 546 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:45,800 excited when visitors come and that, that that morning, 547 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:52,120 everybody was like, woo Paul Lambert. 548 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:56,840 He was listening that morning and I was preaching out of Mark 549 00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:00,120 four and Mark chapter #5 and just talking about the 550 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:03,520 difference between sitting there and listening to Jesus teach and 551 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:07,200 Mark 4. Jesus is teaching by the by the 552 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:09,000 hillside. The multitudes are there. 553 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:12,320 And then you know. Right there at the tail end of 554 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:15,800 Mark four, he compels the disciples to get into the ship 555 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:19,960 and you know the story. The storm comes up and it just 556 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:21,840 scares the fire out of them disciples. 557 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:26,720 But then in Mark 5, they get to the other side. 558 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:32,400 On the other side, Jesus performs miracle after miracle 559 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:35,520 after miracle. He casts out the devils from the 560 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:41,360 the man, the maniac of Gadara, the the diseased are healed. 561 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:46,200 He ends, he ends the chapter by raising a person from the dead. 562 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:50,720 And I was talking about the fact that, you know, it's time to go 563 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:56,000 from just sitting and listening to Jesus teach to seeing Jesus 564 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:58,920 change people's lives. And the. 565 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:02,000 Difference is you got to go with, you got to get a little 566 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:03,840 scared. In the boat, got to. 567 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:09,320 Get a little scared. He's going to test your faith in 568 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:13,800 the boat that morning, Paul Lambert came up to me 569 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:17,800 afterwards, tears running down his eyes, and he said, pastor, 570 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:21,040 I'm going to get in the boat. I'm going to get in the boat. 571 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:23,120 I didn't know what was going on in his life. 572 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:27,280 He was a talented artist, but he had been using it for the wrong 573 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:28,560 things. He had been using it. 574 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:32,120 He's going to end up on the wrong side of history. 575 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:34,800 He was in trouble with the law because you have to have this 576 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:38,800 tag in Pennsylvania for your car to get inspected. 577 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:44,960 And he had forged those tags that use the gifts and the 578 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:50,120 skills that got it given to him. He's forging tags. 579 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:57,720 I went with him to the courthouse and got to answer 580 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:00,280 prayers. We all started coming to church 581 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:04,800 faithfully, started using those gifts, started using those 582 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:09,240 talents, began to do all the artistry work for our special 583 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:14,040 events, began to do all the decorations for our float. 584 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:16,840 Every year that we put a float in the Millersville Parade, we 585 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:20,000 give out thousands of tracks that I mean, we went from 586 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:21,760 heaven. Just this simple little. 587 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:25,720 Basic float to we were winning. Prizes for the best float. 588 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:29,120 Well, because this guy was. Unbelievable. 589 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:35,840 The Lord called Paul home. He got cancer, took him home, 590 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:41,520 but before he did, he came to me and he had a framed picture or 591 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:43,640 something he had drawn, drawn for me. 592 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:47,040 That was a picture of the disciples in that boat. 593 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:50,960 And I have it in my office sitting on my desk. 594 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:54,160 He said, Pastor, I'm so glad I got in the boat. 595 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:58,520 I'm so glad I got in a boat. My our church, that church that 596 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:01,040 was gathering their children because they were, they love 597 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,520 that man. When we had his funeral, we 598 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:06,720 packed the church out. All of his unsaved friends that 599 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:10,760 knew him and all the partying he did and they could not believe 600 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:14,040 the change happened in that man's life. 601 00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:15,000 You said, what are you trying to say? 602 00:34:15,199 --> 00:34:18,760 I'm trying to say we need to walk by faith and not by sight. 603 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:20,760 We're going to start seeing the victory. 604 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:25,400 But if you want to help the devil win in Richmond, so just 605 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:29,080 start walking by sight. And lastly, and we'll close with 606 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:34,360 this, but I see in this pat picture in this passage of 607 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:40,800 Scripture that we help the devil by scattering in our inactivity. 608 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:47,080 Notice the last verse, that of our text in verse #23 Jesus says 609 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:49,719 this. He that is not with me is 610 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:54,440 against me, and he that gathereth not with me 611 00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:58,480 scattereth. You know what Jesus said? 612 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:01,800 He says it's time to get busy helping me gather. 613 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:06,280 And if you're not helping me gather, then you're scattering. 614 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,240 But could you? Imagine seeing the good. 615 00:35:09,240 --> 00:35:12,960 Shepherd rounding up the sheep. The Lord is my shepherd. 616 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:14,360 I shall not want. Jesus said. 617 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:16,120 I'm the Good Shepherd. I give my life. 618 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:18,120 Here's Jesus he's. Showing up on the. 619 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:19,880 On the scene. He's trying to gather. 620 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:23,160 The lost sheep of. Israel and and just picture with 621 00:35:23,160 --> 00:35:26,800 me for a moment Jesus out there gathering and somebody comes in 622 00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:31,680 and starts scattering the sheep. He'd be like, what are you? 623 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:35,120 Doing That's what most of us would do, even. 624 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:39,280 If we didn't know it was Jesus, if we saw somebody, the shepherd 625 00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:42,400 trying to gather a flog of sheep and you saw somebody come in, 626 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:44,080 you would be like, hey, that's not. 627 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:47,120 Right, you're scattering the sheep. 628 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:52,160 I'm here to tell you, friend. That Jesus is in the. 629 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:56,760 Soul saving business of gathering people into the fold. 630 00:35:57,240 --> 00:36:01,320 And he's and this church is in the soul saving business of 631 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:03,760 gathering. There's a harvest out there that 632 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:06,120 God wants to send you forth as a laborer. 633 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:09,320 But some of you are not gathering with Jesus. 634 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:12,560 And Jesus says, if you're not gathering with me, then you are 635 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:16,000 scattering. You're working against me. 636 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:18,720 You're fighting the work that we're doing. 637 00:36:18,720 --> 00:36:21,360 You're. Going to end up on the wrong 638 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:23,600 side of history. We gather a harvest in our 639 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:26,000 witnessing. Listen if you don't. 640 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,280 Show up for soul winning if you. Don't if you don't, jump. 641 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:32,360 Into the many outreaches of this church, then you're fighting 642 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:38,640 against this church. We gather an offering through 643 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:41,240 our generosity. You know, it takes a lot of 644 00:36:41,240 --> 00:36:44,120 money. We all give in. 645 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:47,520 We all pitch in to keep the lights on, to keep the buses 646 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:49,800 running. To keep the work of. 647 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:52,880 That to buy the tracks to print the invitations and you know 648 00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:55,080 there are people here that are giving and they're giving and 649 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:56,640 they're giving towards the work of God. 650 00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:00,080 And when the the offering plate is passed and gathered together, 651 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:03,200 right, they're doing their part. But some of you are helping the 652 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:09,080 devil by being stingy with your finances. 653 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:12,320 Let's just say it. You're going to end up on the 654 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:16,960 wrong side of history one day when you stand before God, he 655 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:21,880 says how how come everybody else it was lifting the load but you 656 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:24,200 weren't giving. You're not gathering. 657 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:28,080 You know we gather an assembly with our presence. 658 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:32,040 The Bible says forsake not the assembling of ourselves 659 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:34,680 together. Gather together. 660 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:37,000 You know some of you fighting the church just by not showing 661 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:43,000 up can't really get going because half the church be 662 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:45,040 missing. I'm done. 663 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:49,640 But John Newton was a man who started out on the wrong side of 664 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:51,960 history. He was a wicked man. 665 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:57,520 He was a slave trader, slave owner, just a very wicked man. 666 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:00,040 We can't even go into all of these things. 667 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:03,000 Rebelled against his Christian mother. 668 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:07,720 So many people who prayed for him, but God got a hold of his 669 00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:11,200 heart. One day in a storm, he repented. 670 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:14,440 God saved. Amen. 671 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:16,440 Gloriously born again. He wrote that to him. 672 00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:18,560 Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. 673 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:22,440 He also wrote this poem. I wanted to share it with you as 674 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:25,000 I close. An evil long. 675 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:29,440 I took the light on, awed by. Shame or fear, till a new object 676 00:38:29,440 --> 00:38:32,760 struck my sight and stopped my wild career. 677 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:36,800 I saw. One hanging on a tree in agonies 678 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:37,720 and blood. Who? 679 00:38:37,720 --> 00:38:40,920 Fixed his languid. Eyes on me as near his cross, I 680 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:45,560 stood, sure never to my latest breath can I forget that look. 681 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:48,800 It seemed to charge me with his death, though not a. 682 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:52,920 Word he spoke, my conscience felt and owned the guilt. 683 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:56,440 And plunged me in despair. I saw my sins. 684 00:38:56,440 --> 00:39:00,120 His blood had spilt. And helped to nail him there. 685 00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:05,760 A second look he gave which said I freely all forgive. 686 00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:08,920 This blood is for thy ransom paid. 687 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:15,200 I die that thou mayest live thus while my thus while his death My 688 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:18,880 sin displays in all its blackest hue such. 689 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:23,760 Is the mystery of grace. It seals my pardon to think 690 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:27,160 about that with. Pleasing grief and mournful joy. 691 00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:30,840 My spirit now is. Filled that I should such a life 692 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:36,360 destroy yet live by him. I kill, I tell you as I close. 693 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:40,880 The greatest mistake that you could ever make, greatest 694 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:45,200 mistake to end up on the wrong side of history, is to refuse 695 00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:49,040 the salvation that was paid for you by the Lord Jesus Christ 696 00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:53,720 when He shed His blood for your sins and for my sins and for the 697 00:39:53,720 --> 00:39:58,040 sins of the entire world, And He offers it as a free gift. 698 00:39:58,240 --> 00:40:02,040 For by, for by, the Bible says for by grace. 699 00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:04,680 Are you saved through faith? And that not of yourselves It is 700 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:07,920 the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. 701 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:11,360 For the wages of sin is death, the Bible says, but the gift of 702 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:14,800 God is eternal length through Jesus Christ our Lord. 703 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:18,560 I'm telling you friend, he left heaven and he came down and he 704 00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:20,760 took on that cross. He shed his blood. 705 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:24,720 The Bible says he tasted death for every man and as many as 706 00:40:24,720 --> 00:40:28,960 received him to them give you power to become the sons of God. 707 00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:32,360 It's there and it's offered to you freely if you would just 708 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:36,720 repent of your sins and. Believe on him, but if you want 709 00:40:36,720 --> 00:40:40,640 to end up on the wrong side of history and you refuse that 710 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:43,640 gift. You reject the Lord Jesus. 711 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:45,640 Christ and He. Will say to you. 712 00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:50,000 One day depart from me. I never knew you all tonight, 713 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:53,800 friend, don't end up on the wrong side of history. 714 00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:56,440 Let's close in prayer, Pastor, if you come. 715 00:40:56,440 --> 00:40:58,080 Father, I pray now for these folks. 716 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:02,360 What I believe that many if not all of them claim to be 717 00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:04,600 Christians, claim to be saved. But I pray, Lord, if there's 718 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:08,960 somebody here tonight has never trusted Jesus Christ to be their 719 00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:13,440 savior, Lord, that they would repent and turn to you now. 720 00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:17,480 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. 721 00:41:18,320 --> 00:41:21,560 Lord, I pray for the dear folks of Mount Victory Baptist Church 722 00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:25,600 that they not end up on the wrong side. 723 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:29,680 History, Lord, we're in a battle against principalities and 724 00:41:29,680 --> 00:41:32,800 powers and rulers of darkness and spiritual rickness. 725 00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:38,480 High places, Lord, the weapons of our warfare are spiritual, 726 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:41,320 and they're mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. 727 00:41:42,720 --> 00:41:47,480 The Lord, we can be assisting the enemy by staying silent in 728 00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:53,720 our prayers, by living by sight and not by faith, Lord, by 729 00:41:53,720 --> 00:41:54,360 scattering.