1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:04,800 First John chapter 4 and we're going to make it through 6 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:06,120 verses. I'm not as good as Steve. 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:11,120 I can't get to all the verses. I actually I, I have the whole 4 00:00:11,120 --> 00:00:14,360 chapter printed out and I was really excited to go all the way 5 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:16,440 through it and I'm like, I'm making it through this. 6 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:24,520 So, but we'll start in verse one, beloved, do not believe 7 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,200 every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:31,600 God, because many false prophets had gone out into the world. 9 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:37,240 But this you know, sorry by this you know the Spirit of God, 10 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,440 every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the 11 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,040 flesh is of God. And every spirit that does not 12 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:45,840 confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. 13 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,480 This is the spirit of Antichrist which you have heard was coming 14 00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:55,080 and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, 15 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:58,880 and have overcome them, because he who is in you is greater than 16 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:02,600 he who is in the world. They are of the world. 17 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:07,880 Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 18 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,480 We are of God. He who knows God hears us. 19 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,160 He who is not of God does not hear us. 20 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:22,000 By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of air. 21 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:27,000 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and 22 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:30,600 everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 23 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:37,160 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 24 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,760 And Lord, I just lift up this time, Lord and I, I just lift up 25 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,760 everybody here and those at home. 26 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:51,000 And Lord, just this whole church body that we would be about your 27 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:55,760 business, Lord, that we would our lives would be confessing 28 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:01,040 our love and our our our life in you, Lord, and I pray all this 29 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:06,200 in Jesus name. And so the the title of my study 30 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:14,440 today is by this. And it really is you know what 31 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:20,400 is what? How do we how do we do this 32 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:27,360 thing called Christianity or living in Christ, right. 33 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:36,560 And it's it's by by knowing him. And that's really our when we 34 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:45,680 get into all the, the joy of my, my job of digging into all, the, 35 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,480 all the false doctrine and false prophets and false things out 36 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:55,240 there. They always are just caught up 37 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,640 in, they're just caught up in that they, they lose track of 38 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,280 that. It's, it's about Jesus and it's 39 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,040 about that relationship with him. 40 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,040 You know, it's, I always bring it back to just a marriage 41 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:12,040 relationship. And when you start, when you 42 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,160 start trying to take some of the doctrines out there and turn 43 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,880 them into personal relationships, they don't work 44 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:20,720 right. Calvinism doesn't work on a 45 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:23,440 predestined that I'm going to live with faith for the rest of 46 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:24,640 my life so I don't have to do anything. 47 00:03:24,640 --> 00:03:26,080 It's her requirement to do it for me. 48 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:30,680 That doesn't work right. And when you just look at how 49 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:36,800 God wants to interact with us and this this beginning says do 50 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,520 not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they 51 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:44,120 are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the 52 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,480 world by this, you know the Spirit of God. 53 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:55,400 And so that by this is you know what by what basically is what 54 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,280 you should ask yourself. And that's every spirit that 55 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,880 confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. 56 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:05,600 And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has 57 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:10,200 come in the flesh is not of God. So we can look at this and go, 58 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,520 so if somebody, if somebody says Jesus is Lord, then they must be 59 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:16,760 a believer and we don't have to worry about it. 60 00:04:17,399 --> 00:04:20,079 Or Jesus, I, I believe Jesus came in the flesh, right? 61 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,080 I mean, we, we already talked about this numerous times. 62 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,200 You know, Satan believes those things. 63 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:32,160 So what's this confess mean? If we go to John 11, in the 64 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,600 beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word 65 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,320 was God. He was in the beginning with 66 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:39,600 God, and all things were made through Him, and without Him 67 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,880 nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life 68 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:45,440 was the light of men. And we all know those verses. 69 00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:51,160 But if you skip down to verse 14 And the Word became flesh and 70 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:55,360 dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory in the glory of the 71 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,520 only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 72 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:07,280 So confessing isn't, isn't something that I do just 73 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:11,720 verbally and say, Hey, I I've confessed now I'm good. 74 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:17,040 Check that box, right. And Jesus is the word and the 75 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:20,040 word, the revelation of God became flesh, right? 76 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:25,840 He's he became a human walking on earth. 77 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:32,240 And you'll find that those that deny Jesus came in the flesh, 78 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,480 they deny him by denying his word right there. 79 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:41,880 And what it is, is they deny his lordship over their life that 80 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:47,280 that confession is confessing, confessing that he is Lord, 81 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,360 right? Not just, not just, I mean, 82 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:54,040 everybody wants to be saved, but in order to be saved, I have to 83 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,000 accept him as Lord and Savior, right? 84 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,880 Not just as my as as my get out of jail free card. 85 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:06,880 And this isn't John looking, looking up and going, Hey, I 86 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,280 need to I need to add some stuff to the word. 87 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:15,480 This is all the way back in Deuteronomy, Moses talking, 88 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:20,440 obviously, he put the he told the Israelites to be on guard 89 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:24,360 against those who would lead them away from God and his 90 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:28,760 commandments and his word because all all the Israelites 91 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:33,680 had at this point was Moses and what he wrote down about God, 92 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:35,520 right? They, they knew God, but they 93 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:41,400 knew God by his, his explanation of himself in the word, right? 94 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:44,440 He wasn't walking amongst them. He was a, a pillar of cloud on 95 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:46,520 during the day and a pillar of fire at night. 96 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:50,880 But they didn't know him other than through Moses and through 97 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:55,280 what Moses wrote down about him. And so Deuteronomy 13 it says, 98 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:59,320 if there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, 99 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,960 and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign of the 100 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:07,240 wonder comes to pass of which he spoke to you, saying, Let us go 101 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:11,600 after other gods which you have not known, let us serve them. 102 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,840 You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or the 103 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,440 dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing 104 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,680 you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your 105 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:23,840 heart, with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord 106 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:27,760 your God and fear him and keep his commandments, obey his 107 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:29,560 voice. You shall serve him and hold 108 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:35,000 fast to him. So this is this is the Lord 109 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:39,800 saying, are you following? I mean, and we've over the over 110 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:43,400 the decades we've had, you know, all the big movements of the 111 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:45,440 spirit. And I'm sure there's, there's 112 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:49,120 churches out there today that are all about worship for stages 113 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:52,040 or whatever The thing is. And that in itself is not 114 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:55,640 unchristian. But if the reason you're going 115 00:07:55,640 --> 00:08:03,320 to church is for the experience, then you're that is not you 116 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:08,480 following the Lord, right? That's you chasing after that 117 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:13,040 next, that next thing. And that's when you look at the 118 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:16,320 I think it was the Vineyard movement. 119 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,440 It, it started off with speaking in tongues a lot and then 120 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,040 prophesying. And then by, you know, you, you 121 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:26,120 scoot down some years and they're laying on the floor 122 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,640 barking like dogs, right? And and that's because they were 123 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:31,160 kept searching after that next big thing. 124 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:35,559 And that isn't God, right? Doesn't mean that signs and 125 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:39,480 wonders don't happen. It means who am I serving and 126 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:43,120 why? And is it, is it taking me away 127 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,600 from Jesus or bringing me to Jesus? 128 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:46,960 Right. That's that's one of those 129 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:52,200 questions you ask kids when they're dating is spending time 130 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:55,120 with that girl or spending time with that boy. 131 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:58,400 Do you feel closer to Jesus when you're done spending time with 132 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:00,200 them or farther away? Right. 133 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:05,360 And that's, that is in our relationships, in our time. 134 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:07,960 We can you can apply that to everything in your life, right? 135 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:13,600 Is the are the things you're doing in life leading you 136 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:15,440 towards or away from Jesus, right. 137 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:22,640 And you got to remember that as Paul went out. 138 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:27,040 So Paul went out and he walked into synagogues, right? 139 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:31,760 He walked into synagogues and he take Deuteronomy, right? 140 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,680 Paul didn't walk in and say, hey, bring me all your sick and 141 00:09:35,680 --> 00:09:37,640 all your infirmed. Paul walked in. 142 00:09:37,680 --> 00:09:41,480 What did he walk in doing? Teaching the word right? 143 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,120 Now, did sick people get healed? Yes. 144 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:46,760 The demons get cast out. Yes, right. 145 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:49,880 But that isn't what Paul went doing. 146 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:55,760 He went teaching the word. And in Acts 17, and this is what 147 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:59,240 we should be, right? Because what Paul did in Acts, I 148 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:01,880 mean, he did it all through. But Acts 17, we'll talk about it 149 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:06,080 is Paul wasn't telling the Jews to turn and go after other gods. 150 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:10,320 He was sharing the scriptures in context, telling them to turn to 151 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:16,800 God and the Bereans. And we all you know, you hear, 152 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,400 you hear that we should all be like Bereans and, and study our 153 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:22,880 scriptures. And this is the this is the 154 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:27,680 verse, verse 11 and chapter 17. There were more fair minded, 155 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,200 sorry, these were more fair minded than those in 156 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:35,280 Thessalonica in that they received the word with all 157 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:39,560 readiness and searched the scriptures daily to find out 158 00:10:39,560 --> 00:10:42,800 whether these things were so, so they didn't argue with Paul, 159 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,360 right? They listened, they listened and 160 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:49,200 then they went and searched it out for themselves, right? 161 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:52,720 They went and said, OK, so he's saying this is this what this 162 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,760 says, right? And that's, and that's what you 163 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:59,360 guys should be doing to me to, to anybody that stands up here, 164 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:03,520 right? To a, to a YouTube video, to 165 00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:07,600 whatever, wherever you're getting a Bible study, you don't 166 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:11,520 take that at face value, right? You should be not only not only 167 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:15,400 checking it for yourself to see if it's true, right? 168 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:18,040 And then, and then if it's not, you know, there's, there's 169 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,520 correction, you know, maybe I said something wrong or or 170 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:24,280 whatever, But it's also, as you're digging into what you've 171 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:29,040 been taught, you're, you will know it and understand it better 172 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:33,320 so that you can share it, right? And so it's not just not just 173 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,720 looking at it with a critical argumentative. 174 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:39,360 I like, I don't. It's looking at things as you're 175 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,920 studying so that you can know the information so that you can 176 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:50,280 share it with others. And John does go on there and 177 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,120 talk about how to discern, right? 178 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:59,240 And it's, you know, how do we know the Spirit of God? 179 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,160 And it's every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ. 180 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:06,640 We talked about that, that he that he has come in the flesh is 181 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:10,040 of God. And this is the reason John, 182 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:14,520 John beats on this and he does it all through first John that 183 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:19,200 he comes in the flesh is that the Gnostics taught all flesh 184 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:25,560 was evil and Jesus couldn't have been in the flesh because that 185 00:12:25,560 --> 00:12:30,160 would make him evil. And so he was like, like if he 186 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:32,440 walked on the beach, he was on the beach, but he didn't leave 187 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,160 footprints, right? So he, he was here, but he 188 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:38,760 wasn't here. And the problem with that is 189 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:44,560 Jesus was born as a baby, grew up as a child, became a 190 00:12:44,560 --> 00:12:47,840 Carpenter. All these things take him having 191 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:50,480 a physical body. A Carpenter that doesn't leave 192 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:52,920 footprints also can't hold a hammer, right? 193 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:56,600 He can't hammer nails. And but more than that, for 194 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:01,240 John, guys, John, you got to remember John in particular 195 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:05,120 spent three years with Jesus. He spent three years with Jesus 196 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:07,560 in towns, in boats, in the wilderness. 197 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:12,000 He he was with him at night. He ate, he ate food with him. 198 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:17,080 He he was cold with him, he sweated with him, right. 199 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:22,960 Jesus that that anybody was coming out and saying that Jesus 200 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:28,120 hadn't come in the flesh was a heretic at a level that John, I 201 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:34,240 mean, I can just imagine John going what who's who's coming up 202 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:37,280 with this right. I mean, and that's that 203 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:39,880 absurdity. But John is also at the same 204 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:44,160 time pointing out that many I mean, this is during during a 205 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:48,280 time where people were still alive that would have known 206 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:51,640 Jesus came in the flesh, right. This wasn't a, you know, we're 207 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:54,920 2000 years away. And so then people start coming 208 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,280 up with things because we're 2000 years away. 209 00:13:57,280 --> 00:14:00,320 Well, this wasn't this was 90 years away or, you know, within 210 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,840 that ninety 90s. So 60 years away. 211 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:08,440 And this was in a time frame that John, John just pointing at 212 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:13,200 it going that's just retarded. And people that say that are not 213 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:15,600 of God. But more importantly, when they 214 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:18,840 say that they are, they are truly going against the word of 215 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:20,720 God, right? Because, because when you go 216 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:23,720 through the gospels, they say Jesus was born. 217 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:27,920 And if he was born, that means a body was born, not a spirit was 218 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:32,160 born, right? And they, they talk about him 219 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,600 eating bread and, and touching people. 220 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:37,920 And this is stuff you can't. So that's you're, you're 221 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:48,280 changing the word of God and you will find that across the world, 222 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:52,840 the thing people change is Jesus. 223 00:14:54,200 --> 00:15:00,640 It's he is the thing, right? It's the definition that Satan 224 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:04,240 wants to fix, right? If I can change the definition 225 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:08,400 of who you serve and I can do it subtly, you know, he's a good 226 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:11,040 teacher. I mean, I think we have quite a 227 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:14,440 few, quite a few churches out there that that would teach that 228 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:16,640 he's a good teacher or he's a good man. 229 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:23,160 Or like the Gnostics, he was just a spirit, not real. 230 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:27,600 Or the Jehovah's Witnesses teach he was an aunt. 231 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:32,760 He's he's Angel. Or Michael the Archangel that 232 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:37,400 the Mormons actually teach that he's Lucifer's brother. 233 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:45,160 And so obviously at that point, not the only begotten son of 234 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:49,880 God, because you know, first of all, if you're, if he's an 235 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:52,080 Angel, not the only begotten son of God, right? 236 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:53,680 Because we know there are lots of angels. 237 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:57,640 And if he's Lucifer's brother, not the only begotten son of 238 00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:00,600 God, because that would bet minimum give him one brother. 239 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:07,040 But the those those things, those little, those little 240 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:10,160 tweaks are just changing definitions because what's the 241 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:16,280 name of the Mormon church? Church of Jesus the Jew, right? 242 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:20,960 Yeah. And I just totally blew the name 243 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:22,200 because I don't repeat it all the time. 244 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,000 But the point is, is that they've got Jesus Christ in 245 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:27,600 their name. They must, they must be a 246 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:32,360 Christian Church, right? And that's why John is really, 247 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:35,880 really hammered down. Basically, if you don't confess 248 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:38,840 with your heart, Jesus Christ Jesus is a Messiah. 249 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:45,160 This Jesus, the only begotten son of God, you're you're of the 250 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,360 world, you're Antichrist, right? You're if you're not, if you're 251 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:54,320 not confessing who he is and what he done has done, you are 252 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:56,920 you are Antichrist. You're against him. 253 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:02,600 And in this guy. This is the part that I always 254 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:07,760 you know, if you confess, if you confess his name and then you 255 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:10,119 will be saved. What does that mean? 256 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:14,920 The The thing is, is remember that Jesus, the Father, the 257 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,240 spirit aren't fooled by fancy words. 258 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:22,400 There is not a magic Jabez prayer out there. 259 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:24,960 I think that's the I think that's the one that went around 260 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,480 back in 15 years ago. That was a book that you know, 261 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:30,720 if you pray like this, God has to answer you. 262 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:35,760 No, that ain't how it works, right, Any more than there is a 263 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:39,360 specific set of words that I can say to Faye that now she has to 264 00:17:39,360 --> 00:17:41,760 do what I said. Anybody want to try that with 265 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:47,160 their wife? Anybody that So if I can't, if I 266 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:51,120 can't hold a human, if I can't take a human and say specific 267 00:17:51,120 --> 00:17:55,200 words and now they have to do what I said, what is my chances 268 00:17:55,200 --> 00:18:02,000 of doing that to God, right. But what do you what the that 269 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:08,760 confession is true, heartfelt confession that is I not only I 270 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:12,920 confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, but I but my life 271 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:19,000 confesses his death on the cross, right that that my life 272 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:22,080 shows you he's the Lord of my life. 273 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:26,840 And we know people right that that talk the game, but their 274 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,720 life shows you that their Lord is the sin in their life, right? 275 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:39,880 And Titus says it like this is sorry. 276 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:44,600 Paul says to Titus in chapter 1, verse 15 to the pure, all things 277 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:46,720 are pure. But to those who are defiled and 278 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:50,520 unbelieving, nothing is pure, but even their minds and their 279 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:55,760 conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in 280 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:59,280 works they deny him being abominable, disobedient and 281 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:01,640 disqualified for every good work. 282 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:07,640 And because we, we know people like this, right? 283 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:14,040 That, that, that know the words to say, but their life doesn't, 284 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:23,200 doesn't reflect that. And just on a, just on a rant 285 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,480 about I'm not going to pick on that denomination tonight. 286 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:34,720 There are denominations out there that have just shrank and 287 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:41,360 shrank and shrank over over the last decades because they got it 288 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:49,000 in their head that I just need to use his name and say he loves 289 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:50,400 everything. And then I'm good. 290 00:19:52,120 --> 00:19:59,360 And what, what, what Paul tells Timothy, and this really fits. 291 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:01,920 This is our country and it's heartbreaking. 292 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:09,440 But in in chapter 3, verse one, verse one to five, he talks to 293 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:13,400 Timothy about America. It's not really, but it might as 294 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:15,360 well because this is the country. 295 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:19,960 And guys, this is many, many churches. 296 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:28,600 And I'm not this is not so I would bet you in 95% when I say 297 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:32,520 many churches in 95% of those churches that I'm talking about, 298 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:36,560 there are there's probably a remnant that loves the Lord. 299 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:42,160 So I'm not, I'm not calling out all the people, the 300 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:46,880 organizations. The organizations are broken and 301 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:48,360 and lost. And they're these. 302 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:51,640 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, 303 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:56,360 boasters, proud, blasphemed blasphemers, disobedient to 304 00:20:56,360 --> 00:21:00,280 parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving slanders 305 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:03,200 without self-control, brutal despisers of good traitors, 306 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,080 headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of 307 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:10,080 God having a form of godliness but denying its power. 308 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:16,960 And from such people turn away. And guys, I could, I could pull 309 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:22,760 up on YouTube and watch, I could watch a study on every one of 310 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:27,520 those things on why it's OK to not love your parent, to not 311 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:32,760 take care of your parents, to to love money to to think of 312 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:39,040 yourself first, to love yourself first, to be to be boastful and 313 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:43,480 proud. Right that that Jesus isn't God, 314 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:44,960 you know, be a blasphemer. I could watch. 315 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:47,960 I mean, there are there are Bible studies on every single 316 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:52,400 one of those on the that it's OK, it's OK to be unloving. 317 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:56,040 If they're not nice to you, you don't have to forgive them right 318 00:21:56,160 --> 00:22:00,400 it. And that's the world we live in. 319 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:06,040 And Galatians says the fruit of the spirit is Lovejoy, peace, 320 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:08,440 long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 321 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,560 gentleness, self-control. And against such there is no 322 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:14,760 law. And those who are Christ's have 323 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:17,760 crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 324 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:24,760 That's confess when you're confessing Christ, you, you have 325 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:30,160 died to yourself and said, Lord, I can't, you have to because, 326 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:35,640 because my flesh is bent towards second Titus or through second 327 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:38,760 Titus three, that is my my flesh is all over that right. 328 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:44,040 My flesh wants to be selfish. I, I, I'm materialistic. 329 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:48,480 I like to, I, I, I mean, I want people to think good of me, 330 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:54,280 right? I don't want self-control. 331 00:22:54,360 --> 00:22:56,200 You know, you can go through that list guys. 332 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:58,400 And that is, that is us outside of Christ. 333 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:04,120 And when you go through the the Galatians list of the fruit of 334 00:23:04,120 --> 00:23:07,440 the spirit, the best thing about the fruits of the spirit is none 335 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:13,800 of those can be faked, right? I mean, we can fake each other 336 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:18,760 out, but I only get joy from one place and and I can't well it up 337 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:25,400 inside me, right? I can, I can't, I can't well up 338 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:30,720 self-control or peace, right? That's that's a gift from him to 339 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:35,680 us. But as we're as we're doing this 340 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:39,800 and we're saying the idea of this is how do I how can I tell 341 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:45,400 you know that where somebody is in the Lord, you know, and that 342 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:48,800 the confess not that doesn't confess Jesus Christ, right? 343 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:54,040 And we're as believers, guys like this on Friday, we're going 344 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:56,320 to we're going to have lots of conversations, right? 345 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:58,560 I mean, I'm hoping we're going to have lots of conversations 346 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:03,760 and in those conversations, right, what's what's our lead? 347 00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:09,440 And Matthew 1016 says, behold, I send you out as sheep in the 348 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:12,480 midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents 349 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,440 and harmless as doves, right? And this is Jesus talking to his 350 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:19,720 disciples as he is sending them into the world. 351 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:23,640 And he wasn't sending and the the difference here guys is he 352 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:26,960 sent him into the world with his with his blessing and his power, 353 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:29,520 but he wasn't going with him. He was, he was still on earth, 354 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:32,960 right? And so, but he was sending them 355 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:41,080 with, with with his power and not to be bent by the world, 356 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:47,520 right, but to declare the truth to the world and to do it in a 357 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,440 way that worked. I mean, that was The thing is 358 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:52,200 that the idea isn't that I stand. 359 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:54,760 I mean, there, everybody knows our, our resident. 360 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:03,200 It's recorded our, our resident Orthodox guy that stands on the 361 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:07,280 in the black with the cross. OK, not effective, right? 362 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:13,200 Just all kinds of zeal, all kinds of energy, not effective, 363 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:15,040 right? I mean, other than if you want 364 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:17,960 to want somebody to laugh at, and I'm, I'm not even picking on 365 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:20,040 him. I'm just saying as a, as a non 366 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:23,840 believer, as a non believer, that's just a spectacle to laugh 367 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:26,000 at. Not as hey, I think I want to go 368 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,840 to that church or hey, you know, maybe I should go. 369 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:34,640 It just, it isn't effective. But what is effective in Matthew 370 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:38,400 1027 and you know going on, Jesus tells them, whatever I 371 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:40,480 tell you in the dark, speak in the light. 372 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:44,680 And whatever you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 373 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,240 And do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill 374 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:52,080 the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul 375 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:59,040 and body in hell. So how do I, whatever I tell you 376 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:03,280 in the dark, speak in the light and what, what you hear in the 377 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:07,040 ear quietly, right, preach on the housetops. 378 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,240 How do I do that? Well, I got to have I, that 379 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:12,320 isn't Sunday morning, right? That isn't Wednesday night. 380 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:17,120 That's you and him, right, Having that, having that close 381 00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:20,440 conversation, because he may want you to talk to somebody on 382 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:22,920 Friday, right? He may want to talk to somebody 383 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:28,040 in the, in the checkout line, but that doesn't happen because 384 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:30,120 you went to church on Sunday or you went to church on Wednesday. 385 00:26:30,120 --> 00:26:33,480 It's because you're, you're with him all week long, right? 386 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:37,080 You're, you're praying, you're, you're in your word and you're 387 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:41,280 discerning what he wants you to do because he's speaking to you. 388 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:46,040 And The thing is, when you're talking with somebody, we test 389 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,600 all things by the word. That's the bet. 390 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:51,320 I mean, I, I, I know I beat that up a lot too. 391 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:56,000 The most exciting thing about being a Christian is we have a 392 00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:02,200 book that is proven to be correct and there are people way 393 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,520 smarter than me that can walk anybody that has doubts of that 394 00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:11,800 on why it's been proven, but proven to be correct and we can 395 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:14,560 trust it. And so therefore I can weigh 396 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:17,160 everything against it, which means I don't have to worry 397 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:21,960 about people's feelings, right? Jesus over and over in his 398 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,520 ministry says it is written right. 399 00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:26,880 Jesus doesn't talk about feelings. 400 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,240 You know, I'm feeling, I'm feeling like we should go to 401 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:32,960 Caesarea this week. He, he didn't talk about 402 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:35,920 feelings, right? He didn't talk about cultural 403 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,640 correctness. He, he, he pushed pretty hard 404 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:41,200 against the other direction, right? 405 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:48,280 And he, he really just a lot of times said, let me clear up your 406 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,760 bad teaching on my word. And, and he did that a lot, 407 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:54,280 right? He he broke things down and 408 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:58,480 said, so this is what you're saying, but that is not what 409 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,040 that means. And I can show you that, right. 410 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:04,800 And when he got in a, when he got in a dispute with with 411 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:09,080 Satan, how did he work that right? 412 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:15,760 Satan was taking verses out of context and Jesus was finishing 413 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:20,880 his verse in context and saying, sorry, you're wrong, right? 414 00:28:21,120 --> 00:28:25,560 But that isn't because that isn't because the day he was 415 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:28,360 having the conversation with Satan, he whipped out his Bible 416 00:28:28,360 --> 00:28:31,320 and started going. So where's that? 417 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:35,760 He knew his word right? Now I understand it's Jesus and 418 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:37,600 he knows His word because it's His word and we can go through 419 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:43,040 that. But Jesus walking on earth had 420 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:46,280 to learn how to speak, right? He had to learn how to walk. 421 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:52,360 So these are his words, but Jesus walking on earth had to 422 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:59,320 learn them however that works because and he was ready with an 423 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:04,520 answer. And he did that for every, 424 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:10,360 every, every interaction with the Pharisees and with Satan. 425 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:18,880 And Jesus pointed to the word and you shot used signs to show 426 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:23,880 God's love, but he didn't use signs to get the attention, 427 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:28,400 right? He shared truth and and then 428 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,160 then he healed people and he raised people from the dead and 429 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:37,200 he cast out demons. But as a byproduct of, of the 430 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,880 truth that he was teaching right, It wasn't it wasn't. 431 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:45,720 Hey, come see all the big things that's going on over here. 432 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:48,920 And then in the background, you know, that's I was listening to 433 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:52,840 a Bible study today about that. One of the big church movements 434 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:58,400 out there was, you know, it was a three hour study and there was 435 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:04,840 10 minutes of study and 2 1/2 hours of, of the Spirit moving. 436 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:08,120 That's not that, that isn't it, right? 437 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:12,200 And that isn't that God doesn't want worship and isn't into 438 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:18,240 that. It's that real revival, real, 439 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:24,240 real time with the Lord is spent getting to know him. 440 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:27,400 And it isn't a fields thing. You can watch Jesus through his 441 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:30,000 whole ministry. He taught and he taught. 442 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:34,600 I mean, Paul, Paul didn't go to towns and set up a revival 443 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:35,880 meeting with a bunch of instruments. 444 00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:39,040 And I'm not against worship. That is, that is not this, but 445 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:43,760 he went and taught all night, right? 446 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:49,200 Until people were falling out of windows and dying, right? 447 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:54,920 He, he taught and he taught. I mean, you look at Joshua and 448 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:59,000 Joshua. One day we'll go through Joshua. 449 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:04,640 But it, he makes the mistake at AI and gets 37 men killed. 450 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:08,880 He corrected the mistake. God, God rebuked him. 451 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:13,200 He corrected it. They wiped out AI and then they 452 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:17,800 went to a mountain, sacrificed and read the entire law. 453 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,160 OK, so I screwed this up, but we're going to read we're going 454 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:24,120 to go back to this. That's that's let's sit down and 455 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:30,160 read 5 books. I'll start reading the word of 456 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:33,320 God is important. It's real. 457 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:40,040 It, it, it's it's tangible and and it will change us right? 458 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:41,880 It is sharper than any 2 edged sword. 459 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:43,960 It it will change us from the inside out. 460 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:47,200 It's what it's what works in our lives, right. 461 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:52,120 It's not the not the guy up front, not not the thing said 462 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:54,120 perfectly. A prayer that I pray in the back 463 00:31:54,120 --> 00:32:01,000 a lot is Lord, if I don't say it right fix it when it before it 464 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:06,160 gets to their ears because I at the end of the day, I want you 465 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:14,520 guys to want to read this to want to be to be in relationship 466 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:19,760 with Jesus our our Lord and savior who just who just wants 467 00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:24,280 to spend time with us right and you go on to verse 4 and it says 468 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:28,840 you are of God little children and have overcome them because 469 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:33,200 he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world guys we 470 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:38,680 got nothing to fear. I mean that is, and as we, as, 471 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,800 as we get to go through the rest of chapter 4, that's it's really 472 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:44,800 going to get into that, that guys, we, we are on the winning 473 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:47,120 team. I mean there and, and it's not 474 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:52,160 even like a it, it is a, it is a NASCAR race and they have a 475 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:56,040 matchbox car, right? It's not even a there, there 476 00:32:56,040 --> 00:33:03,560 isn't even a, a comparison to our how much we are greater 477 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:07,040 because of who we serve and who we're in right? 478 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:14,760 And John 16, this says in starting in verse 7, the Spirit 479 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:19,040 will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgement. 480 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:24,000 And it says, nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is to 481 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:28,080 your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the 482 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:31,920 helper will not come to you. Now, Can you imagine being the 483 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:36,000 disciples in this conversation when they when they actually 484 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:40,640 figure out what he's saying? It is better that you die, is 485 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:42,440 it? Repeat that again. 486 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:44,480 No, Lord, it's way better that you're here. 487 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:51,960 But the helper will come to you. But if I depart, I will send him 488 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:54,040 to you. And when he has come, he will 489 00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:58,560 convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgement 490 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:02,520 of sin because they do not believe in me, of righteousness, 491 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:06,880 because I go to my Father and you see me no more of judgement, 492 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:10,239 because the ruler of this world is judged. 493 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:14,280 You notice how it doesn't say the ruler of this world will be 494 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:18,080 judged. The ruler of this world is 495 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:22,000 judged. He is done right. 496 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:26,239 We are, we are in Christ. He has nothing for us, right? 497 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:30,320 He is, there is. If I am walking in Christ and I 498 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:33,480 am building that relationship with Him, the enemy's got 499 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:36,760 nothing for us. We got nothing to fear and and I 500 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:38,920 don't say that in a cocky way at all. 501 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:41,960 I don't say that like I'm going to put up my fist and I'm going 502 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:46,560 to fight the enemy. That is not I I will I will 503 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:49,600 guarantee you that is the worst plan you can come up with. 504 00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:57,640 I'm going to say Lord Jesus, fight my battles and and he is 505 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:01,880 this. He's already judged him. 506 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:04,320 The battle isn't even a battle, right? 507 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:12,680 The, the, the enemy sits down and shuts up and the spirit 508 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:15,560 convicts, confronts and rebukes the world. 509 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:20,080 And guys, when you're, when you're talking to people, know 510 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:27,320 that understand that even the blindest person that that is 511 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:33,880 lost and has doesn't know, they don't know there's something 512 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:38,800 going on inside, right? Pastor Steve always, always says 513 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:41,840 that, you know, how can you, if you throw a rock into a pack of 514 00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:43,800 dogs, how do you know who got hit? 515 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:46,280 The one that yells the loudest, right? 516 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:50,680 The one that barks. And a lot of times the person 517 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,720 you're talking to is the one that wants to argue because 518 00:35:53,720 --> 00:35:57,400 they're the one being convicted, confronted and rebuked the most 519 00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:59,880 in their soul, right? They're the one that the the 520 00:35:59,880 --> 00:36:06,960 spirit is after you know when and so then our job as believers 521 00:36:07,240 --> 00:36:13,160 is to stand in Christ in that moment, but stand there being 522 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:19,960 able to to speak to them in joy, in love, in kindness, in truth, 523 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:22,760 right, which doesn't mean you you fold the truth. 524 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:25,680 It means you don't have to get angry because they've live they 525 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:30,960 they are on the losing team. We get to talk to people from 526 00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:36,560 the winning team, begging them to get on the winning team, 527 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:40,160 right? And they they that doesn't mean 528 00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:45,520 that you know, it's somebody said a drowning man is going to 529 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:52,640 try and pull you down, right. And so verse 5 says they are of 530 00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:55,560 the world. Therefore they speak as the 531 00:36:55,560 --> 00:37:01,280 world and the world hears them. We are of God, he who knows God 532 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:03,960 hears us. He who is not of God does not 533 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:07,680 hear us. But this by this we know the 534 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:10,120 spirit of truth and the spirit of air. 535 00:37:11,240 --> 00:37:17,560 And guys, I want to remind you guys in, in social media, on all 536 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:23,760 the news channels, on Facebook, we can all agree that the ruler 537 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:28,400 of this world, the, the, the guy pulling the strings behind, 538 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:33,360 behind the, the worldly people, the Antichrist of this age 539 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:36,320 pretty much runs all those outlets, right? 540 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,200 He's got Hollywood on his side. He's he's taking over that he's 541 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:43,400 got the political side. So is it in his benefit to let 542 00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:46,280 us hear any good news that's happening in the world? 543 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:50,920 No, but just because we don't hear it doesn't mean it isn't 544 00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:55,440 happening, right? A two years ago at the, the 545 00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:58,200 first, the first ministry conference we had at the new 546 00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:04,040 building in Tri-cities, I think there was just at that one, 547 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:07,120 there was 20 or 22 different, different churches. 548 00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:13,440 And so Steve on Saturday at the end of it, right before we 549 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:16,080 released everybody, he said, you know, all the head pastors, if 550 00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:20,200 you want to stand up and just give us a, an update of what's 551 00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:22,440 going on in your church. And this is just right after 552 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:24,920 COVID, right? Covid's for three years, two or 553 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:28,960 three years after that. And, you know, everything's dark 554 00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:31,240 and gloomy and every, you know, everything's horrible. 555 00:38:31,960 --> 00:38:36,160 And so that was, you know, Oregon, Idaho, There was a 556 00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:39,160 couple of churches from California there in Washington. 557 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:46,360 And 18 of the 20, some churches there stood up and asked for 558 00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:50,840 prayer for growth, that they, they'd outgrown their parking 559 00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:52,160 lot. They'd outgrown their children's 560 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:53,880 ministry. They'd outgrown their sanctuary. 561 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:56,640 They were running two and three services and they needed they 562 00:38:56,800 --> 00:39:01,920 they were asking for prayer and managing growth and Calvary 563 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:03,760 chapels. If you guys haven't figured out 564 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:08,960 pretty much sing some songs and read the Bible, right, It's not 565 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:13,520 a production and those churches are growing to the point that 566 00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:16,840 they they couldn't couldn't hold their buildings, could no longer 567 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:21,800 hold them. So know that that like Elijah 568 00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:25,800 when he is in a cave and he is throwing a temper tantrum and 569 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:31,200 telling God I am your only one that's left and God says there 570 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:33,480 are 7000 that haven't been the knee. 571 00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:36,600 Know that we're on the winning team. 572 00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:41,520 That doesn't mean that Satan has to advertise for us, right? 573 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:43,720 That isn't that that isn't part of the game. 574 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:46,120 We know we're on the winning team. 575 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:48,520 So be on the winning team, right? 576 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:57,440 And. And remember that the world, the 577 00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:02,400 world is blind. Like Billy was up here that that 578 00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:06,320 Sunday and and said, you know, when, when you see a blind man 579 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:10,080 and he trips on the curb, do you do you get mad at him? 580 00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:13,840 He was blind. He didn't see it when we're 581 00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:16,800 talking to the world, right? That's that's you're talking to 582 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:19,480 people when you talk to the world about abortion. 583 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:24,400 Guys, I was, I was that person. I grew up in the world. 584 00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:28,360 Abortion was a political issue. I got saved. 585 00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:31,680 Abortion was a political issue. 2 years into being a believer, 586 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:36,280 abortion was a political issue. God may need a 2 by 4 upside the 587 00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:40,960 back of my head. But no, that's the, you know, 588 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:45,840 just because we, we spend time around each other and we can see 589 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:49,600 doesn't mean the world does because they've been hearing the 590 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:53,760 same narrative, right, since they were kids. 591 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:59,600 And so the world, you know, they speak as of the world and the 592 00:40:59,600 --> 00:41:02,640 world hears them, right? So they, they have their 593 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:04,360 language and they know what it means. 594 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:07,560 And it's, it's really back to Charlie Kirk. 595 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:15,200 It's why it's, it's, it's why he was so dangerous to that side is 596 00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:21,960 because he had the patience to just speak truth without getting 597 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:24,800 angry, because that's the thing that he had, right. 598 00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:27,480 When you watch Charlie Kirk, he didn't yell at him. 599 00:41:28,720 --> 00:41:31,240 He was just and, and everybody said, well, he debated him and 600 00:41:31,240 --> 00:41:35,720 he was better. He just kept his cool and just 601 00:41:35,720 --> 00:41:40,840 shared truth, right? And that's that's our job is and 602 00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:44,080 if and if you understand you're on the winning team and your job 603 00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:47,640 on the winning team is to win as many souls as possible, then 604 00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:50,760 getting mad at the souls you're trying to win is a waste of 605 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:52,640 time. And that was Charlie. 606 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:55,520 I mean, that was truly Charlie's goal. 607 00:41:56,400 --> 00:42:02,280 Turning Point's goal is to share the gospel with as many as can 608 00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:05,320 hear it in a way that they can understand it right. 609 00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:08,960 And if answering those questions because because it wasn't The 610 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:14,520 thing is, is that the the person at the mic may not be. 611 00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:17,880 I mean, probably 90% of the time when the ones who lives got 612 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:23,160 changed, it was the one in the crowd that that heard the back 613 00:42:23,160 --> 00:42:27,000 and forth and one group that they agreed with, I agree with 614 00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:30,240 the one at the mic. And then the one the mic speaks 615 00:42:30,720 --> 00:42:33,160 like a lunatic. And the one that I don't agree 616 00:42:33,160 --> 00:42:38,160 with is speaking clearly and I understand that and that makes 617 00:42:38,160 --> 00:42:41,400 sense and that's logical. And now I got to go figure out 618 00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:44,560 what I really believe because I thought I knew what I believed, 619 00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:47,000 right? And as believers, that's our 620 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:50,880 job, right? Is to, is to have have the 621 00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:52,520 ability to have those conversations. 622 00:42:52,600 --> 00:43:03,600 And the only way to do that is to be in our word and not not as 623 00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:08,440 the, the prime product, right? If I am in my word, if I am in 624 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:14,280 my word, so that I can go out and argue my, my position, I 625 00:43:14,280 --> 00:43:18,440 failed again, because that is not why we get in our word, 626 00:43:18,600 --> 00:43:21,440 right? We get in our word to know him 627 00:43:21,440 --> 00:43:25,640 more. That's that's the reason that I 628 00:43:25,640 --> 00:43:28,320 pray, the reason that you guys hear this all the time, but the 629 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:32,040 reason I pray, the reason I'm in fellowship, the reason that I, I 630 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:37,560 read my Bible, the reason that I do any of my spiritual 631 00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:41,240 disciplines isn't the discipline. 632 00:43:41,720 --> 00:43:44,920 It's the time with Jesus. That's it. 633 00:43:45,720 --> 00:43:50,080 And if I'm doing it, if I'm doing it because I have to once 634 00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:53,440 again, back to marriage relationships, anybody want 635 00:43:53,440 --> 00:43:57,200 their spouse to spend time with them because he has to or she 636 00:43:57,200 --> 00:44:00,640 has to? That's that's not healthy right? 637 00:44:00,640 --> 00:44:04,040 Now, that doesn't mean that we don't have bad days, right? 638 00:44:04,040 --> 00:44:06,280 Pastor Steve says, you know, there are times I don't want to 639 00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:07,840 pray. You know what I do? 640 00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:12,360 I say, Lord, change my heart. And then I pray. 641 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:14,920 There are times I don't want to read my Bible. 642 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:18,440 You know what I do say, Lord, change my heart, and then I read 643 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:21,880 my Bible, right? And not, I mean, if that's an 644 00:44:21,880 --> 00:44:23,960 everyday thing, then you're going to need to spend some more 645 00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:27,760 time, right? But those days happen, you know, 646 00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:30,160 believe it or not, there are days that Faye doesn't want to 647 00:44:30,160 --> 00:44:31,600 spend time with me. I know that's hard to believe, 648 00:44:34,720 --> 00:44:37,680 but you know, God straightens her out and she's stuck with me. 649 00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:44,960 But the best thing about the Bible guys and I, I beat this 650 00:44:44,960 --> 00:44:47,480 up. It's not fuzzy, it's not ghosty, 651 00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:50,760 it's not feelings. Just says stuff. 652 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:55,920 And it it says stuff about the God of the universe, who he is 653 00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:04,440 and how we interact with him. And in that he teaches us about 654 00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:12,960 our life. 1st Corinthians 212 through 14 says, now we have 655 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:17,520 received sorry, now we have received not the spirit of the 656 00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:21,840 world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the 657 00:45:21,840 --> 00:45:24,960 things that have been freely given to us by God. 658 00:45:25,520 --> 00:45:30,480 These things we also speak, not in words, that which man's 659 00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:35,160 wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing 660 00:45:35,160 --> 00:45:38,840 spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not 661 00:45:38,840 --> 00:45:43,200 receive things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to 662 00:45:43,200 --> 00:45:46,520 him, nor can he know them because they are spiritually 663 00:45:46,520 --> 00:45:53,760 discerned. So as believers, guys, we need 664 00:45:53,760 --> 00:45:56,280 to be in the Word. But it isn't a works thing, 665 00:45:56,280 --> 00:45:57,440 right? It's not like picking up a 666 00:45:57,440 --> 00:46:02,520 textbook. It's it's Lord, I want to know 667 00:46:02,520 --> 00:46:08,400 you more and, and show me like, like bring the bring the words 668 00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:11,520 off the page. There's a movie out there called 669 00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:15,840 the beautiful Mind. It's a it's a Russell Crowe. 670 00:46:16,080 --> 00:46:20,320 I think if I remember right, Russell Crowe and he's a 671 00:46:20,320 --> 00:46:23,960 schizophrenic and it's a whole thing and he's a scientist and, 672 00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:28,440 and got numbers. But the in the in the movie, 673 00:46:28,440 --> 00:46:31,480 they do a really good thing of, of the numbers jumping off the 674 00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:35,680 chalkboard at him like he can. He, he sees formulas. 675 00:46:36,280 --> 00:46:39,240 Guys, when you're reading your word, those are the things 676 00:46:39,240 --> 00:46:40,880 you're asking the Lord for. Like what? 677 00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:45,480 Show me, show me who you are. Like show me, teach me your 678 00:46:45,480 --> 00:46:47,880 word, right? He isn't going to, he isn't 679 00:46:47,880 --> 00:46:53,240 going to run you off the deep end and teach you, teach you 680 00:46:53,240 --> 00:46:56,800 weird doctrines. He's just going to show you him 681 00:46:57,040 --> 00:46:58,480 right? He's going to, he's going to 682 00:46:58,480 --> 00:47:02,680 give you great, great moments that are just between you and 683 00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:07,960 him. And but he does that by you 684 00:47:07,960 --> 00:47:12,680 being in his word, right by you, you reading and and spending 685 00:47:12,680 --> 00:47:18,560 time with him because at that point you have the ability to 686 00:47:18,560 --> 00:47:24,360 see others right to to know where they are right, just 687 00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:27,760 because he gives you that discernment, right? 688 00:47:27,760 --> 00:47:32,360 He gives you. And it's by this right by this, 689 00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:36,360 the word of God, we are to discern the world around us. 690 00:47:38,200 --> 00:47:43,080 And but unless we are in the word, the flesh of the Word, 691 00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:45,720 we're not going to discern the world around us, right? 692 00:47:45,720 --> 00:47:47,240 We're we're going to have opinions about it. 693 00:47:47,240 --> 00:47:49,360 We're going to watch YouTube about it, but we're not going to 694 00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:52,720 we're not going to discern it. We're not going to see where God 695 00:47:52,720 --> 00:47:55,200 has us and what he has for us to do. 696 00:47:55,200 --> 00:47:58,720 Guys, this as much as America's dark and all that, it is not the 697 00:47:58,720 --> 00:48:02,280 darkest place on the planet that Christians live, right? 698 00:48:02,600 --> 00:48:05,720 We have all kinds of freedom to speak to all kinds of people. 699 00:48:06,600 --> 00:48:11,520 You know, there Nigeria is one right now that, you know, we 700 00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:14,760 could go out and we can go out and do a do a Friday night in 701 00:48:14,760 --> 00:48:20,240 Nigeria and get the church burnt down, you know, And so this 702 00:48:20,240 --> 00:48:24,000 isn't the darkest place to live, but it does take discernment to 703 00:48:24,000 --> 00:48:29,040 have those conversations, right to to listen to people and then 704 00:48:29,240 --> 00:48:35,480 share with them who Jesus is and what he wants to do in their 705 00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:38,480 life, right, because he's already done it in yours. 706 00:48:39,760 --> 00:48:42,800 So Lord, I slipped up this time. And Lord, just that you would 707 00:48:43,040 --> 00:48:46,280 truly, truly just fill this body with your spirit. 708 00:48:46,280 --> 00:48:50,520 Lord, give us a hunger and a thirst for you. 709 00:48:50,520 --> 00:48:54,960 Lord that you would guide and direct us, fill each and every 710 00:48:54,960 --> 00:48:59,880 one of us with your spirit to overflowing into into each area 711 00:48:59,880 --> 00:49:02,120 of our lives that we touch the world. 712 00:49:02,240 --> 00:49:07,000 Lord and Lord, that we would just shine light Into Darkness 713 00:49:08,840 --> 00:49:14,640 and that we would be able to speak from the housetops the 714 00:49:14,640 --> 00:49:16,960 things you speak to us in our hearts. 715 00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:19,680 And I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.