I've already mentioned this message to you last week, I
think it was, but I could not get away from going to it in
depth. And so I am, but I want to start
off in Matthew chapter 15. We'll start in verse one.
It's very important say this with me, say I desire to know
truth. God is truth, His Word is truth,
and I receive his word and not another.
Now this is important because it's very important for us to
see God's Word as truth. All right, Jesus said I am not a
the way, the truth and the life, no other way to the Father.
So he's not a way, he's not a truth.
It's not his truth, your truth. They're all truth.
So just pick a truth and it's not his life and you can have
life another way. No, there's only one way, only
one. And again, that is not narrow
minded, although that is narrow and I'm glad it's narrow because
broad or wide is the gateway that leads to death and
destruction, but narrow is the way that leads to life.
So it's not narrow minded. What it is is God was so
strategic. He's like, I know in a fallen
state, there's going to seem like a lot of ways and it will
be confusing. So you know what?
I'm just going to show the way. Get rid of confusion.
This is it.
This is the only way. So in essence, he said, let me
just erase this idea. That way you do not have to go
around trying to figure that. I'm just going to tell you the
straight and narrow. It's easily identifiable.
I mean, again, if you were to walk into a maze, the purpose of
a maze is to get you to turn and you don't know where you're
going. You have to figure it out.
But if you went into a maze, let's say hypothetically you,
you got to the entrance, you could go this way and you know
there's going to be some curves. You can, you can't see the end.
You could go this way. Same thing.
But then if? You're standing at the end.
You see the end, a straight path.
Now which way you going to go? Unfortunately, some are turning
to the right and some are turning to the left because they
want the challenge. Well, there's no challenge to
die. Amen.
Wisdom says go straight through Hallelujah.
Amen. And so that what you don't
realize is those mazes never actually end where you are
looking in the straight line. They keep you in the maze.
I said they keep you in the maze.
Well one of the ways that you get in a maze is based upon
Matthew chapter 15 starting in verse one.
It says it this way. Matthew 15 verse one it says
then some of the Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from
Jerusalem and said, why do your disciples break the traditions
of the elders? For they do not wash their hands
when they eat bread. Keep this up.
I need you to understand this verse.
This is saying the majority of the religious world has accepted
this statement as a truth and we all by a majority agree that
this is how God functions. Yet you do something that we who
all of us religious groups have agreed is a way is the way of
God, and your disciples are not following it.
In essence, Jesus was the minority and not the majority.
And in our society there can be a majority of a belief that
could not be a belief but be a tradition.
He goes on to say, and he answered and said to them, why
do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake
of your tradition? In essence, I'm glad that you
have a majority consensus that this is what God would do, but
I'm here to tell you it's not what God's saying and this is
the command. In essence, you worked so hard
to try to get people in a position that's away from God's
command, and I'm just here to show God's command.
He goes on to say again, why do you transgress the commandment
of God for the sake of your tradition?
What I want to speak on today has developed a tradition and it
is the IT is the foundational most elementary truth in
Scripture. Yet by the majority, it really
is a tradition and not a truth anymore.
Hallelujah, Amen. Now I need my, you know, people
who've been here a while that understand Scripture to help
this process. Do not get caught up in just
your eyes gazing, OK? Because when we say a few
things, some people are going to be like, huh?
And you need to go, Yep, all right, because you're wiser than
this. But we're going to let the
Scripture take care of itself. All right?
This is not a personal opinion. In order for me, well, let me
just jump into it. Let me just give you what it is.
This foundational truth is that we, most religions are saying,
most churches are saying, and that is you must be born again.
That is true. The question is, is are you born
again? That's the question.
Because what they consider the first step, I'm going to show
you it is the fifth step in salvation because there are four
things that have to take place and it happens in the unseen
before the scene of a confession that Jesus is Lord for you to be
saved. Are you hearing me all right, So
what we would consider the first step is actually the fifth step
and that is you must confess Jesus has Lord over your life.
Well, we know the Scripture, Romans chapter 10 verse 9 and
10. It says this that if you confess
with your mouth, Jesus says Lord and believe in your heart that
God raised him from the dead, you will be four with a heart, a
person what believes resulting in and with the mouth he
confesses resulting in and man, we're out and about trying to
tell people, look, you need to make Jesus word of your life.
You need to get right. He's paid the price.
It doesn't matter what you've done.
Just just call on the name of Jesus.
And we're trying to do this first before the other four are
even in play. It goes on to say down in verse
13. For whoever will call on the
name of the Lord will be saved. Now the word Lord is not even a
religious word. It means supreme and authority.
It's actually a direct result of his kingship.
Jesus is the King. He is the Lamb that was slain.
He took on our sin so that we could take on His righteousness.
He became everything, the payment that we needed in order
to have life. Because again, God made man to
have dominion and to rule like him.
But Adam fell from dominion, not heaven.
He lost a Kingdom, not a religion.
And as a result of that, Jesus came to give back what Adam
lost. Adam lost position.
He lost sonship and position as a result of this.
You have to acknowledge him as Lord.
In essence, you bow because it's what you do to kings.
And again, we are in the United States.
We are in a constitutional Republic that democratically
elects its officials. But in the Kingdom, there's no
elections. We didn't vote Jesus in power.
We can't vote Jesus out of power.
Jesus was in power before Adam fell.
He stayed in power after Adam fell.
He became a man so he could get back what Adam released as a man
so that man could have that back.
He's king and he's the King of and the Lord of.
Who are those kings we are? So as a result of that, when we
say we're confessing Him as Lord, we're bowing our knee, our
will, our intent to Him. Yet tradition tells us all we
have to do is call on the name to be saved.
But is that all we did? It better not have been.
It goes on to tell us, though, if we had done this correctly.
2nd Corinthians 517 let's us know therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, if it's a conditional statement.
So not everyone is in Christ. Even some who say they are in
Christ may not be in Christ. OK.
If therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature.
The old things what passed away, Behold, new things have come.
I do not live an old life in a new as a new creation.
I do not live an old life as a new creation.
So here's the problem. If step one to salvation is
confessing Christ as Lord to be saved and that's all that's
required, then what's the problem with Matthew Chapter 7
verses 21 to 23? Matthew Chapter 7 verse 21 to
23. Not everyone who says to me,
Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but but but
but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will
enter, many will say to me on that day.
Lord, Lord, didn't we prophecy in your name and in your name
cast out demons and in your name perform miracles?
But and then I will declare Jesus is talking.
I'm not talking. This is not my words.
Jesus says, then I will declare to them, I never knew you depart
from me, you who? What's that word practice?
What's that word? What's that word?
Lawlessness. Lawlessness is simply doing
something contrary than what God is saying.
That's lawlessness because if you're doing something other
than what the King has said, it's called lawlessness.
It's called lawlessness. But here's the thing, are you
practicing it? We're not talking about
accidentally, you know, every once in a while doing something
God's not told you. And you get quick to say, Lord,
forgive me, I should not have done that.
I'm talking about your living life after a confession that
Jesus is Lord. Like you never left the life you
just said you didn't want to be a part of.
And Jesus saying the mere confession that I am Lord does
not save you alone. It is not just a word without
being enforced from something in the unseen.
There must be something in the unseen.
And Romans chapter 10 does let us know.
It gives us this insight. It says very specifically that
for with the heart a person believes confession does not
make, does not bring salvation. It must start first in an unseen
place. And there are some things that
must take place in the unseen for this confession to actually
have roots so that you become a new creature and put away the
old way for good. For good, I said for good.
Amen. So we then can learn this from
the day Jesus was crucified. Really, that day is the greatest
example of salvation. And I'm not talking about
Jesus's blood, I'm talking about the conversation that occurred
at the cross. Because Romans does not go into
the detail. It doesn't give us the detail.
Even Acts on the day of Pentecost alludes to some things
but doesn't give us the details. But Luke gives us the details of
four steps that occur in the heart before a confession is
made. Now I preached this in 7 minutes
at Saint Paul AME. It deserved way more than 7
minutes and you're going to get way more, at least 7 * 7 at
least. Luke chapter 23 starting in
verse 39 to 43. Let's bring the account.
It says and one of the criminals hanging there was blaspheming
him saying are you not the Christ?
Meaning are you the king? Are you this king?
Are you the anointed one that's supposed to come and establish
his Kingdom that has no end. He goes on to say save yourself
and us. Now let me just stop there for a
moment. Please leave the scripture up.
This criminal hates Christ but wants self preservation.
This criminal has no desire to bow to him.
Now he's saying, are you the Christ?
Are you the one that's supposed to be called Lord?
In essence, I'll believe it if you save yourself and me.
Now this is no place where I want to bow to you.
I'm not submitting myself. I just don't want to die.
Here. Like this?
Are you hearing me now? The reason this is a problem is
because in today's society, especially in the Western
church, is that we have glossed over the heart of man to get to
a quick confession. And what we're doing is we're
telling this criminal, I hate church.
I don't want to go to church. I don't want to be under pastor
or five fold ministry. I don't want to have to be told
when to go and do this. And you know, I just want to go
to heaven when I die. That's what the criminal on the
other side sounds like. Well, you know what?
It's not about going to church. You know what it's not about?
I mean, you don't even know what you're talking about when you
say that anyway. However, I mean, we're like,
listen, all that matters is that you ask Jesus to come into your
heart. That's what we're saying about
the heart instead of you need to deal with your heart.
Why? And why is this?
Because listen, there's a way that seems right to a man, but
in the end lies death. Guess what?
Everyone outside the Kingdom is going to try to find a way
that's right to be with God, yet still be able to do what they
want to do. And God forbid you judge them on
that account, so much so that the church has picked up this
tradition. Well, now, you know, be careful.
They said that they they're saved.
OK, so I'll just take you at your word.
Well, is that what the Bible tells us?
Because Jesus said there's people said, Lord, Lord to me.
But here's the problem. If I'm Lord, then they're going
to do what I say. Because that's.
A natural that is evidence that he's Lord.
That's evidence that he's Lord. So there are many that are
calling on the Christ for self preservation because what are we
saying? There's nothing you can do to
earn it, deserve it, right? You can't do it yourself, so
just accept it that way. All that you're doing wrong
right now doesn't matter because Jesus has already paid the
price. And when someone says, well,
I'll take that, you mean I can basically do really what I want
to do anyway. Well, you know, you're not
supposed to. But here's the thing.
And what that seems right sounds good.
But is that what the Scripture actually says?
It is not what it says at all. So we've made coming into the
Kingdom of God a tradition. So much so then I'm not even
sure if those that are confessing are actually in
because here's one of the things that we would say about religion
that doesn't know Jesus at all, that they are being deceived and
we can name religions right now. In fact, I know of one
particular religion that I won't name.
But a person was in it and they said I thought I was going to be
with God when I died the whole time, only to find out they lied
to me. Now if you take man's word for
it only, it's going to be deceived.
This is why we say don't take my word for it.
You go into the scripture yourself to find it.
So This is why I'm going to use a lot of scripture.
Are you hearing me? Hallelujah.
OK, verse 40. But the other answered, rebuking
him. The other wasn't.
You tell them I know how you feel.
Oh, I know how you feel, brother.
I can identify with you right now.
But I can identify. I mean, we got sinners and
carnal Christians running around all over the place identifying
with one another and the hurts and pains.
Instead of identifying with Christ, let's just identify with
him. OK, let's go on he says.
And the other answer rebuking him, saying, do you not even
fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation
Jesus? And we indeed are suffering
justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for what we have
done. But this man has done nothing
wrong. And he was saying, Jesus,
Remember Me when you come into your Kingdom.
And Jesus said to that thief or criminal, truly I say to you
today you shall be with me in paradise.
How can you know that you know you will be with him?
I'm telling you what I'm appreciate that you can know
that you will be with him, no doubt, no anxiety, that on that
great day or a day when the trumpet sounds, you would hear
something like I just didn't know you because you were just
doing what seemed right to you. Even with my scripture, the
reason why Jesus rebukes the religious, He says you've
developed a tradition around my word so that you could live
life, which seems right to you. And we've got to be honest.
When we come into this place right here, we have to ask
ourselves, am I wanting to hear what allows me to do what I want
to do? Or am I coming to hear what God
wants to tell me? And it's probably going to
require me to have to change my thinking in order to line up
with what he's doing. I mean, the the amount of
immediate pride that transitioned supposedly from the
domain of darkness into the Kingdom of his beloved son that
a person would recognize that they have a need of the blood of
Jesus. And the minute they asked Jesus
to be Lord, God forbid you tell them you're going to have to do
something different now in this life.
Oh, don't tell me. Don't judge me.
What you've done is you've carried over what you think's
going to be right now here, well over here in the domain of
darkness. You're right was wrong.
Hopefully you realize that. And for many, I don't even know
if they realize. I believe that our society's
running into the same problem. That we have in India.
In India there are so many gods, so many gods, so many idols.
Some are huge, some are small, they're everywhere.
They are everywhere. And when you minister in India,
if I minister that Jesus Christ died for them, rose from the
grave, His blood has forgiven them of their sin.
Who wants to receive Jesus for the forgiveness of sin?
Everyone will raise their hand and run, no problem.
Why? Because they'll just take a
little figurine that you can find of a Jesus and purchase it
and put it in their house and put Jesus with every other God.
In essence, I'm covered. Look at all of them.
How in the world can I not go? I am following them all.
But what we have to say is you have to denounce the rest.
You can't serve him and them. You can't keep them.
We have a whole history book of of the nation of Israel.
Keeping other gods and the Lord's like I'm a jealous God.
I am the only God that's your man made, made-up gods.
I mean, you think I'm going to sit here and bow down to your
will that you've construed or made-up from that God that
you're Sir Fine, you won't That God let him deliver you then.
No, he's the only one. I mean, when did we lose
emphatic, absolute truth? This is not social media
opinion. It's not open for opinion.
It's. Actually not open for debate,
though you can debate it if you. Want so the first.
Thing that you have to do step one in the heart that gets you
to Step 5 to confess Christ as Lord is that you must fear God.
If a person does not have the fear of God, it will not lead
them to salvation. Say Amen.
Anyway, Ecclesiastes chapter 8 verses 12 to 13.
Ecclesiastes got this right. Look what it says.
Although a Sinner does evil 100 times and many length lengthens
his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear
God, who fear him openly. Verse 13 But it will not be well
for the evil man, and he will not lengthen his days like a
shadow, because he does not fear God.
Now I could preach on the fear of God the rest of the year.
And this is something that doesn't even resonate in most
churches anymore is the fear of God.
Do you understand you can stand in the presence?
Of God without fear. And justify everything you're
doing. That's what the one criminal
was. Come on, take yourself down.
Come on, stay. Look, I want to be.
I don't want to die like this. You don't want to die like this.
Look, let's just get off this cross.
If you're the guy, get down. Let's go.
Let's leave. Because again, I'm not following
you. I just don't want to die.
And there's many people that I just don't want to go to hell.
I'm not following you. I just don't want to go to hell.
I don't want to go to hell. I mean, who wants to go to the
Lake of fire? Nobody in her right mind wants
to go to the lake of fire and be tormented forever.
So if Jesus is the way out, great, Let me take that, put it
here in my pocket, and I'll live life the best way I can know.
It. That on that day I'm gonna pull
right out here in my pocket. Remember.
Remember when I? Said come into my heart and save
me and he's like, let me go check the records.
The fear of the Lord. Look what it says.
Also in Ecclesiastes 12, he ends this whole book this way.
It's powerful. He says the conclusion when all
has been heard is fear God and keep his commandments, because
this applies to every person, for God will bring every act to
judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or
evil. And I hear it right now by the
religious. Well, that's the old covenant.
No, that's just. Written in our.
History books it's not under old covenant.
Those truths are applicable today for.
Even in the, even in the new. Testament Peter says that Jesus
Christ is the judge of the living and the dead.
It says in Paul's writings to the Church, we all as believers
will stand before the judgment seat.
Of Christ. And those that have never called
on his name, that have died without him as Lord, the grave
will give up the dead, and they will go to the great white
throne, where they will be judged, and then later cast into
the Lake of fire. So this Ecclesiastes is a
revelation beyond. This dispensation.
Every person. That's why I have coined this
pray phrase, because God is not making you do anything because
God's not controlling you. God wants you to want him.
He wants you to want to serve Him.
He wants you to want life. He wants you to willfully
submit, and that's why I say you can do.
God will let you do whatever you want to do, but He will hold you
accountable to whatever you do. And there's nothing you're doing
he's not taking in account. Do you understand our modern day
salvation is fellowship without responsibility?
Everybody wants to have fellowship with the Lord, yet no
responsibility to Him. And that's why they don't come
to church anymore, why they want to fellowship with you without
having to be in church. We want fellowship without
accountability and responsibility.
It's the new. Trend You can get what you want.
You know what you get what you want.
You can listen to whatever you want to listen to, whomever you
want to listen to, whenever you want to listen to and it seems
right to you. Don't tell me that I can't have
a relationship with God. I'm not telling you.
I'm telling you what he says. Where is the fear of the Lord?
I said, Where is the fear of the Lord?
Where is the fear of the Lord? Because if you don't have the
fear of the Lord, then the next step can't even get in play,
because those who do not have the fear of the Lord will
continually do evil. Although in their eyes they
think it's right. In fact, Ezekiel, I believe it
was prophesied, he said now there's coming a day that what
they call good, they'll call what's good according to God,
evil, and they'll call what's evil according to God good.
And we're in that land today. We're in that global set mindset
right now. The second thing is that when
you develop the fear of God, then the next thing #2 that the
criminal can teach us. You're learning from prison
today, really from the one about to be executed.
All right, You, you, you have to.
And once you get the fear of God, then you will know that you
are guilty of deserve judgment, guilty, guilty as charged.
Look, it's all through scripture.
In fact, the Father is so holy that a human cannot stand in His
presence. The only one who?
Did was listen? Adam and Eve because they were
without sin at a time. Even Moses was in his glory, but
not in the same as Adam and Eve. Before the fall.
If you can, go to church and
feel no guilt for living wrong. Then you've moved to a place
that's teaching tradition. Now I'll tell you what those.
Traditional people will say after they leave that church
where guilt starts to show up. You know what I felt?
I felt condemned when I was there.
Guilt condemns. You.
Oh. Come on, put that passage back
up with a criminal. What did that criminal say to
them? To him?
He said. Do you not fear God?
He said. Do you not fear God since you
are under the same sentence of condemnation?
The Holy Spirit will convict. You of sin, it's one of his
assignments to convict the world of their sin.
When you are convicted of your sin, you know what a convict is.
They've been convicted of a crime.
And when the Holy Ghost comes through by the Spirit and says.
How are you? What are you living right now?
This is not justifiable in front of me.
I this can't be in my presence. This is not in my family.
And then all of a sudden you feel condemned because he
convicts. You we don't even want to use
these terms in the traditional salvation churches today because
God forbid we offend you. You're already living an
offended life. Your life is offensive to God.
Your whole life is offensive to God because you're not living
holy, because you don't get to pick how you get to live for
him. You don't get the you do not get
to declare to the King of kings and the Lord of Lords, the
creator of heaven enough. This is how I'm going to live.
And you're going to have to accept it.
It doesn't work like that. But when the fear of God comes
in your life, you're like man now I'm talking pre born again.
You're like I'm filthy rags. This is horrible.
I am guilty. This is not looking for.
A way out. You understand many people are
guilty. We see it in every.
Sector of society today, do you understand we would need no refs
if people self govern? And I even say this with anchor
faith in a mural varsity league because if you bump a person on
flag football too hard, you say you know what I was wrong.
You should be able to self govern in righteousness.
But what do we do? We want to get away with stuff
so we can win. Even though we know.
We're violating. Oh yeah, I'm preaching way
better than you shout but that's OK.
I thought I at least have 5 people stand up but that's fine.
Yeah, I mean, we're to kick over sacred cows today.
You understand, God's placing us the ability to rightly judge.
I mean, if the game's on the line and the ref misses the call
and you know. Many will walk away with a
trophy and in their heart they know he missed it.
Well, that's just comes with the game.
But righteous and integrity is saying we lost.
You were wrong. Come on, you all know it.
Yeah, we all know it. It's theirs.
How can we go out? How can we say we're champion
knowing the only reason is because you missed the call?
But it has seemed right to us. Well, you know, cuz it let me
tell you. Let me tell you how this goes.
Well, you know, they missed a couple on us too.
Oh, you know, I'm preaching good now.
You know I'm preaching better than you're shouting.
That's why you will allow lawlessness to manifest and see
it as righteous. Because it's.
Only do me because of the way they treat it.
But Jesus is like I'm righteous all the time. 100% of the time.
Never. Not now.
Unfortunately, Jesus is not calling your games.
Because he would never miss the call.
But he is calling your life, and he's never missing the call.
Because Jesus goes beyond. Your words.
He penetrates your heart inside you.
He knows your motive. He knows why you slithered
yourself down the aisle up to the altar to do a confession and
cry and ask God to forgive you. Much like Esau.
Only because you're a guy in church trying to get in the
pants of a girl that you've been dating.
And she says unless. You follow God and you're like,
fine, so you slithered your way down.
Same thing. People come into church to try
to exploit the church in all kinds of ways, slithing yourself
all over the place. You're doing this outward, but
God's like, I know why you. Just did that.
Oh, let me write that one down. Oh, I got that.
Oh yeah, no, I got it. It's in the book.
It's in the books. It's in the books, See, we don't
think it's in the books, people. It's in the books.
Even for believers, it's in the
books. Now I'm not saying the books
God's caring for true believers is going to cause you to go into
the lake of fire, but I'm telling you it does hinder this
reward system and that which is carrying over to an everlasting
eternity beyond what we are currently living in.
It's in the books. The only way you get it out of
the books is by the blood. The blood is the great eraser.
Whoa, I said. The blood is the great eraser,
but you do not get the blood's erasing power by a word only.
It must come with a heart deep conviction of I fear God.
And anything I do outside of God, I'm guilty.
I'm not making excuses here. I am.
Come take me. I I willfully surrender.
I mean, do you? Understand, if we could go into
the spirit, I would venture to say, and I almost wish I would
have had somebody. Now, Declan, you can help me.
Come on, Declan, help me. Come on, Declan.
Come on, Declan, Help me. Declan, won't you just come
right here? Won't you, Alec, you're going to
get born again, OK. All right, Come.
Sit down now. Declan, I'm Jesus.
I'm going to come to you. Come.
I'm going to come to you because he comes to us.
The Spirit comes to us and draws us to Jesus.
OK? I'm going to come to you to
bring you to the altar, but do whatever you can do to resist,
OK? All right.
Wow, that's a very strong foot. Now we would call this resisting
arrest because when the POPO comes because you are guilty and
they come to arrest you and then you resist the arrest.
Problem is enough of them typically show up and you go to
jail anyway. Are you hearing me?
And I believe many in the spirits, this is what they look
like when they come to give their lives to.
Jesus, thank you Declan, you were amazing.
We are resisting in the Spirit. In the outside we looking like
calm cucumbers, but on the inside we're resisting arrest.
We don't want our lives submitted, committed, where
we're cleaning out the garbage, cleaning out the mess, cleaning
out the bad relationships, cleaning out the formal way of
living. No, we want to say, you better
remember I didn't have to do nothing to get here, so sure
don't require me to do something after.
Hallelujah. Second Peter chapter 3, verse
seven. I may have to take this into
next week. It's getting so good.
Second, Peter 37 says this, but by his word, the present
heavens. And.
Earth are being reserved for fire.
Kept for the day of. Judgment and destruction of
ungodly men. It is not an entire.
Truth. When we tell people today God's
not mad at you, God is storing up wrath for the ungodly.
Just because God's not demonstrating his wrath towards
you now doesn't mean he's like, well, I hate that happened.
Well, really don't like they did that.
Who not really excited about that?
You think, well, why would he get upset?
Why? Because he sends Thaddeus by you
to tell you, hey, you know, there's another way of living.
And then you hear it and you're confronted with it.
And then God gets behind those words and talks to your heart
and you're like, no, I'm not going to do any.
And you harden your heart and you go out and he goes.
And then he sends a doctor fatigue by and pays your
mortgage because he's kind to you, because it's the kindness
of God that leads you to repentance.
And then he demonstrates himself.
You know, when Nick comes by and lays hands on you and you get
healed, but then you still snub your nose at him.
He's like. Storing up wrath now, as long as
you're here, every opportunity could be because it will be in
God. 'S book, he'll be able to say,
oh, let me as if it was going down there.
I'll show you all the ways I demonstrated my love towards you
so that you wouldn't be where you're at today.
But they said you weren't going to be mad at me.
Well, they lied. Come on.
See, kindness is not acceptance. Kindness is to bring you to
repentance and let me help you out.
Believers, some people you know that are like, man, they don't
deserve it. You're right, we didn't deserve
it. They don't deserve it.
But be kind when God tells you to be kind because it's the
kindness of God that leads them to repentance.
Revelations Oh, I like this book.
Revelations 212 says it this way.
And I saw the. Dead great and small, standing
before the throne. Thrones are in kingdoms, not
religions and the books were opened.
Listen, we are in a Kingdom. God does not fail to keep his
word In our modern day religions about Jesus, you would think he
may not do it. It just depends on any given
day. But in the Kingdom that does not
occur. He said, then another.
Book was open, which was the Book of Life, which is the book
of Life. And the dead were judged by what
was written in the books according to what they had done,
according to what they had done. Jump down to verse 15.
And if anyone's name was not found in the Book of Life, he
was thrown into the lake of fire.
Now if we read this in its full account, it would be Great White
Throne. The dead has come up who's never
confessed Jesus totally been in rebellion to him and living life
what seems right to them. He'll pull out the book called
the Lamb's Book of Life. He'll look.
For their name, ah, this is the citizenship of heaven.
Just as when you're born anywhere naturally, here your
name is written in that nation that you are citizen.
The Lamb's Book of Life is our. Citizens Registry.
It's your. It's your birth certificate in
the spirit. He'll look names not there
close. Then he'll pull out books.
It says why books 'cause he has recorded everything you've ever
done and he will judge you justly because of it.
On September 3rd, 1973, did you or did you not?
Oh, but now, Lord, you know, I said, oh, let me go into your
heart. Let's turn that on and He'll
wire that hidden speaker within your spirit, OK?
Sure, honey, we'll do that. I hate her.
God, I hate her so much. I hate she did that to me.
I hate she's doing that. Oh, I can't wait to get back to
her. I can't wait.
This is just going to. I'm going to find a way.
And that's all being recorded, all being transcribed.
Oh, you went on the trip with your wife?
But you hated it. The charges you didn't you love
your lot, your wife like Christ loved the church.
Oh, did I not give her stuff? Did not.
Oh, let me let's open up your hearts recording.
I hate that she's taking my money and stealing all the time
and doing what she wants to do with it.
I can't believe she OK. See, we think this is fairy.
Tale. Why?
Because it seems better to us to justify our secrets, but the
fear of the Lord won't let you have secrets.
Even what you speak inside, you'll go, oh, I shouldn't do
that. When you hear the have the fear
of the Lord and you start to speak those things inside,
you'll say, I am not going to release that.
That will not honor God. No.
What? What does your word say?
It is written. Let me say that instead.
Are you hearing me? Thank you Jesus.
So thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus.
So so far we've seen according to this criminal that before you
can get to a place where the Lord's going to say today you'll
be with me, you have to 1st fear God.
I'm going to be honest with you. I hope today you're questioning
the day you asked him now, because I would hate for you to
keep going through life thinking that because you came down one
time trying to avoid the lake of fire, you're good when you may
have deceived yourself. You are because the minute.
The fear of. God, you'll say.
Guilty as charged. I'm not fighting it.
You turn yourself in. You turn yourself in.
You willfully submit. You don't.
Fight it. I mean, people going to come
down. I mean, I've they'll come down
and then you never see them again.
You'll pray for them in a place of business.
You know they're not going to church.
Because they were lost and then you say.
You need to come to church with me.
Never see them again. Do they even fear God?
Or are they just sorry they're called?
Or is going to try to figure out a better way to do it.
So maybe next time they're not. And we judged the actual
convicts. PCI last night.
We went in there and ministered. Our team did. 25 people were
there and 25 people are there are guilty as charged.
And some of them are repeat offenders.
They think when they get out, they can do it a different way
without being caught because they've never really changed
from what they were doing. And yet believers are doing the
same thing. You know how we know?
Because they'll come to this church, then it surfed, so then
they leave this one and go to another one.
But then it surfaces because eventually somebody shows up to
preach that and then they go to another one until they land in
the one that doesn't even preach about it.
And the fear that God's not there.
And then everybody else is doing the same crimes against the
throne, all. Right.
I got 2 minutes to 12. I got two more points I could
close or we could go. All right, let's drive on then.
All right. You all right with that, Zach?
Is that OK? Looks like I'm fine.
I'm a little. Hungry.
But that's OK, I can hold it. The third thing that has to
happen that the criminal taught us is that you must acknowledge
your wrongdoing and repent. He said do you not fear God?
We're here and sentenced and condemned rightly.
He says put that verse passes back up.
He said we. Are only getting what we have
done, which means he's acknowledging I know what I did
and all indication is since Barabbas was the one released,
most likely these two thieves were a part of Barabbas's
rebellion and instead of Barabbas being the one in the
middle, the ringleader of this rebellion, they put Jesus as the
substitute. But the two on the side,
scholars believe, most likely were a part of his.
Which means the criminal could say, I know what you've done, I
was there. You can't lie to me and tell me
it didn't happen. It happened.
I was there. And you and I on this thing.
Is because we deserve to be on this thing so you have to
acknowledge it's not enough to fear God and feel guilty.
Then you have to start taking personal responsibility and say
I am wrong and there's nothing that's happened in life that I
can justify this because here's the thing, no matter what's
ever. Been done to you?
Prior to knowing Christ, you were trying to figure it out and
you never actually asked God how to overcome.
He wasn't in your relationship. God has a way of delivering the
righteous from all their trouble.
Hallelujah. But we were poor.
We didn't have anything, you know, I had to steal how to feed
my babies. But see with the Lord, the Lord
can cause your food that you have what little bit you have in
a cupboard to multiply till the next time you're paid.
Because he's done that for a widow woman that didn't have any
food for their kids and there wasn't even anything to steal.
Jesus is not limited in resource, and His way is always
a way of life. Not resulting in doing something
wrong, justifying it as right. So you have.
To acknowledge I'm wrong. I'm making no excuse.
I make no excuse and I made no excuse.
None. I'm this, I'm that.
I did that, I did this, I did that.
I couldn't name them all, but I knew I was in the category of it
all. And what I didn't know, I said
something. Ezekiel, look at this chapter 18
verses 3032. Therefore I will judge you, O
House of Israel. Each according to his conduct.
Declare the Lord God, repent and turn away from all your
transgression, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block
to you. Castaway from you all your
transgression which you have committed, and make yourself a
new heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, O House of
Israel? For I have no pleasure in the
death of anyone who dies, declares the Lord.
Before repent and live. So living cannot come before
repenting, and you cannot repent until you acknowledge you're
wrong. No more justification.
I'm wrong? And I repent.
Repent is not even a religious word.
We know it means just change your thinking.
You need to change your thing. You need to quit thinking that
these things you're doing is OK with God.
They are not. And it required the blood of
Jesus because of those things. And so just acknowledge they are
not and say, Lord forgive me. And I am going to start thinking
your thoughts your way so that I'm not over here doing wrong.
Stuff. Acts 2620.
The latter part. Acts 2620.
Just the latter part of that verse says this, that they
should repent and turn to God. Here it is performing deeds
appropriate to repentance. You will not find in Scripture.
You will not find in scripture that you can ask Jesus to be
Lord of your life. And have no corresponding
actions. You cannot that salvation does
not exist. Even John before Jesus started
preaching said repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Then when the. Pharisees, the religious, the
ones who say we have the word of God, we teach the word of God,
we are the ones who instruct the word of God.
He looks at them and says, why don't you live a life in keeping
with repentance? How come I see no fruit from the
things you're saying? In fact, Jesus even rebuked
them. He says yeah, they're out there
touting my words. Things that I've written through
Moses, the Law, and the prophets.
You need to do what they say, but do not do what they do
because their deeds are not in keeping with their words.
And do we think that Jesus is fooled with a modern day
salvation of coming down and asking God to come in our heart,
save us, say he's Lord by mouth only and never had the fear of
God, never felt guilty for the life we LED prior.
Profound guilt, guilt so much that we know we are really
punishable forever. And then and having that
acknowledgement, I'm not even going to make an excuse.
I won't do it. I am going to change and I'm
going to let him change me and when I get up I am not going to
be the same person and I will not let anyone change me.
Back. I'm not going to make an excuse.
I am going to go 100% all in following God.
You know, it's amazing how many people even now, and I do
believe obviously once they watch things online, are going
to really resist this teaching. And it's only because you want
God at your thoughts, not His. And here's the thing, and I get
it. Listen, do you?
Really think this is new. Everyone on the planet thinks
they're good enough at some point.
We all thought we were good enough.
That's why the Bible says there's a way that seems right
to a man. In fact, a whole dispensation
was around when men live based upon what they thought was
right. And that time period was the
time just before Noah and when God said man thinks he's right
and there's enough evidence of me and I've left enough about me
down there that people knew the sacrifice.
People knew that I was the creator of heaven and earth.
People understood that I'm going to let them live and see if they
can figure it out all by this. Can they be right by themselves
that the Lord steps out, looks over, He says I regret I.
Even made man. That's what the society will
look like because your right is so right to you, it actually
will lift you up in pride to the Father you actually have.
He is the devil and he is a liar and he was lifted up in pride
because he thought my way is better than God's way, but his
way is better. Are you hearing me?
His way is life #4 these all have to occur in your heart
before you can confess. This is true salvation.
This is a real relationship with God.
How can you say you have a relationship with God and have
no, no guilt, shame, no remorse for anything you've done?
How can you say you've been in the presence of God yet you
could say you're born again, but live life and do things that you
know are outside his word. Now, if you're like, well, I
really don't know. Well, why don't you know?
Well, because I don't read. Well, why don't you read?
Well, I don't have time. Well, is that OK with God?
I mean, we could go down this road forever, right?
Because now it's OK. God doesn't really care that you
read his word. I mean, he says seek.
He didn't say last. When you're in trouble on Easter
Sunday. Come on, help me.
Reverend Randy. Right.
It's not once a month, twice a year, you know, Christmas and
Easter, here we go. It's not that now I hear, I hear
the ones that seem right. I just can't believe he's saying
stuff like this. Wow.
You know, that seems so judgmental.
I'm not judging. I'm just preaching the word.
And the word does not allow, does not accommodate for this
kind of silly thinking. That's worldly thinking, trying
to get in the church. Oh man, thank you, Jesus.
So #4 the last one is this. Let's put that scripture back up
with a criminal. He's teaching us so many things
today because this guy really got born again.
How do we know? Because Jesus told him.
This is not subjective, so if there's ever been an example of
how you know you will be with him, this is the example.
Do you not fear God? We deserve this.
Judgment. We are wrong and we are not
making an excuse. And I don't know about you.
In fact, apparently I know about you.
You. Just stay on your side.
But for me? I'm changing my thinking.
This guy is the Christ. I don't need to see any other
evidence. I don't need him to come down.
He doesn't have to prove anything.
His words and actions are enough.
I was just like you, a blasphemer.
I was yelling at him while we were coming.
I was yelling at him when he was getting put on.
I was yelling at him when I was being put on.
But now I see his response. I see his.
Demeanor. I'm in his presence, I'm around
his atmosphere. And I realized that.
My God, man, God is real and I'm guilty and I'm wrong in the
audacity of you to talk to the. King like that I repent because.
He's goes on to say he says. We indeed are suffering justly,
for we receive what we've done. But this man has done nothing
wrong. This is righteousness.
I am by absolute righteousness, absolute justice, absolute
holiness, absolute truth. I'm by absolute life.
And so I'm asking, you know, I'm going to, I'm not going to ask
this Roman centurion down here. I'm not going to ask him to pull
pilot up here. I'm going to look to the one who
actually has the ability to determine life for me.
Jesus, when you enter into your Kingdom, will you Remember Me?
Because when he acknowledges his Kingdom, he acknowledges his
kingship. He says when you Jesus Remember
Me, when you, when you, that's you come into your who's his
Kingdom, King's dominion. Since you're the king, you're
the Christ, you're the king. Will you Remember Me?
Because I want you to be my king.
2nd Corinthians 521 says He made him who knew no sin to be sent
on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God
in him. The last verse is this Isaiah
4524. It says this.
And they will say to me, only in the Lord are righteousness and
strength. Men will come to him, and all
who are angry at him will be put to shame.
Once we acknowledge the fear of God, it will produce in us a
guilt that is we're unable to bear.
And we will know we are rightly condemned.
And then because of that, we'll recognize my own actions have
done this. I can blame no one.
I'm guilty as charged, and I'm wrong.
I'm wrong, I'm wrong. But I'm going to change.
I want to repent. I want to be different.
I don't want this anymore. And what I hear is that he took
on me so I could take on him. Hallelujah.
Which means if His righteousness allowed him to live as a man in
the earth, anointed of the Holy Ghost, and not sin until He took
it on at the cross, then if I yield my life to Him, then I can
take on His righteousness. I'll be a new creature in
Christ. My spirit will be like His
spirit. Then He will give me his spirit
to come and bear witness with my spirit that I'm a child of God.
Then He will endue me with that spirit so that I have power from
on high. And that same anointing that
came on Him will come on me in a measure that then by me
following the leading of the Spirit, as He followed the
leading of the Spirit while in the earth, then I can be
victorious, dominate every circumstance.
No longer will I be under the law of sin and death, but I'll
be under the law of the Spirit of life.
In. Christ Jesus.
And it was not unrighteousness that I did on my own, but it was
His righteousness that I clothed myself with.
And how can I walk around and act like and live unrighteous
when I am His righteousness? How in the world could I not
live a life in keeping with? This repentance that I have.
Because I'm a whole new species of being and this new person
would never for eternity. Be looking for an opportunity to
live in lawlessness and rebellion and doing things
contrary to the Kingdom, because when this occurs then we confess
Jesus. Your Lord, your Lord, I believe.
And that person cannot get up from their knees.
Or from that prayer. And be the same person, that
person. You don't have to beg to be in
church. You don't have to beg to be
discipled. You don't have to beg to want to
live righteous. You don't have to beg to quit.
Weights and sins that ensnare their life.
You don't have to beg them to let go of things that God starts
to reveal. Those are encumbrances.
They'll mess you up. They'll they won't let you have
the quality of life that you are now I'm trying to release the
real you get out of that stuff and that person like get rid of
it. Lord, thank you for showing.
It oh, I'm so thankful, dad, that you showed me that I'm want
that done. I don't want to do that anymore.
I don't have to do that. In fact, my spirit doesn't
because I'm alive unto you. I get to do you.
I get to follow you. I.
Nobody has to beg me, plead with me.
I mean, I love God. I want to do your word.
I want to yield to you.
I want to praise you. I want to pray.
I want to read your word. I want to be involved.
I want to tell others about you. I'm not hiding out, waiting
until I die. I want the world to know I'm
alive with Him. That is true salvation and the
others.