Acts chapter number four ended up this morning.
First of all, let me just say thank you to all of you, of course our church family.
Thank you for everything this week and all of you who chose to stay through the weekend.
We're glad you're with us.
And this morning I'm obviously not preaching through our normal Sunday morning series.
This is the last day of the Red Hot Preaching Conference.
And this is my contribution to the Red Hot Preaching Conference.
And this morning I'm preaching a sermon entitled, Band But Not Bound.
And we are dealing with a phenomenon today.
It's not new, but it's something we haven't seen in this way,
where churches like ours, churches like Verity Baptist Church,
and of course our friends, those that would be considered in the new IFB,
are being banned.
We're being banned all over the place.
And this has been happening to us actually for a while,
but now it's also been happening not only to us as Bible-believing Christians,
but it's been happening to even just normal conservative-type people.
And there's new terms and phrases that have came about to explain this.
One of the terms is cancel culture.
We've heard a lot about the cancel culture.
And if you're not familiar with that term, let me give you just a real quick definition just by way of introduction.
The cancel culture is defined as the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling
as a way of expressing disapproval or exerting social pressure.
Cancel culture refers to the mass withdrawal of support from public figures
or celebrities who have done things that aren't socially acceptable.
This practice of canceling or mass shaming often occurs on social media platforms
such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Not only is cancel culture a term that is being used now,
but also there's a term that's come into our vocabulary, the term deplatforming.
Let me just give you a definition for what it means to be deplatformed or deplatforming.
To deplatform someone is to remove their access to a channel or an account
which they use to deliver messages to an audience.
Deplatforming may involve not just banning the user or discontinuing service,
but also removing any existing content the user previously created on the site or service.
The term is usually used in reference to social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
where site owners have banned users whose communications have been deemed unacceptable.
And these are things that we're dealing with.
Our churches, this cancel culture, and this deplatforming.
But I want you to know that though the way we're seeing it today is different
because of course the way that media is used today is different.
Of course we have social media platforms and social media accounts
that allows us to reach masses through the internet.
The idea of the cancel culture is not new.
The cancel culture has been around for ages.
Now, whether it's been around for conservatives, whether it's been around for Republicans,
whether it's been around for politics, you know, you can debate that.
But the fact that it's been around for Bible-believing Christians is without a fact.
The cancel culture has been around through all of the ages.
The Bible says there is no new thing under the sun.
You're there in Acts 4.
Look down at verse number 16.
Let me just give you an example of the cancel culture in the first century.
Acts chapter 4 and verse 16.
The Bible says this saying,
What shall we do to these men?
And of course these are the enemies of the New Testament church.
What shall we do to these men?
For that indeed a notable miracle has been done by them
is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it.
Notice verse 17.
But that it spread no further among the people let us straightly threaten them
that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor to teach in the name of Jesus.
Here is an example of a first century attempt at cancel culture.
They brought the disciples and they threatened them.
They tried to persuade them.
They tried to manipulate them into no longer teaching and preaching the things that they had taught.
See, the cancel culture should not surprise us at all.
All throughout the Bible we have found when God's people attempt to do great things for God,
when there is a great opportunity, with great opportunity comes great opposition.
See, the Internet today has a lot of problems and there is a lot of sin in the Internet and we understand that.
But with the Internet when used properly there is great opportunity there.
There is great opportunity to reach people with the Gospel, reach people with the truth.
But with great opportunity always comes great opposition.
You don't have to turn there. In fact I would like you to go to Acts chapter 13 if you would.
Acts chapter 13 and I will read to you from 1 Corinthians 16, 19.
You go to Acts 13 and I will read to you from 1 Corinthians 16, 19.
1 Corinthians 16, 19 says this,
For a great door, this is the Apostle Paul speaking.
He says, For a great door and effectual is opened unto me.
He says, There is a great opportunity.
A great door and effectual is opened unto me.
And then he says this, And there are many adversaries.
See, with great opportunity comes great opposition.
With great attempting to do something great for God.
The devil is not just going to allow us to try to reach people with the truth without putting up a fight.
Now he is doing it to us but he has been doing it since the inception of the New Testament church.
I always think it is funny when Christians, either very liberal,
we Christians or so called Christians will look at us and say,
There must be something wrong with Pastor Shelley.
I mean what is wrong with Pastor Shelley?
He has got 80 homos protesting his church.
Not, you know, when we had a protest here in 2016,
the protest lasted for about 3 months.
Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night.
Our protest is a little different than Pastor Shelley's protest.
I am being told they are showing up every night.
I mean they are showing up Monday night too.
There is not even anybody in the building.
That is how smart they are.
They are showing up every night protesting an empty building.
And people say, Man, they really hate you.
There must be something. What is wrong with that guy?
What is wrong with Pastor Thompson who has been protesting?
What is wrong with Pastor Anderson?
It seems like everybody hates him.
What is wrong with these people?
And you know, I just kind of chuckle because I think to myself,
No, what is wrong with you?
All throughout the Bible, God's people have been persecuted.
And if you have never read the book of Acts,
if you have read the book of Acts,
you may have noticed that there has always been opposition.
There has always been a cancel culture.
There has always been those who are trying to stop the truth.
Acts 13, 44, let me give you an example.
Acts 13, 44, the Bible says this,
In the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together.
That is a great opportunity to hear the word of God.
Notice verse 45, great opposition.
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy.
That is like the old IFB today.
And spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
You say, oh, that is just one example.
Okay, look down at verse 49.
And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region, great opportunity, verse 50.
But the Jews stirred up devout and honorable women and the chief men of the city
and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, notice,
and expelled them out of the coast.
That is the cancel culture.
They canceled their account.
They deplatformed them.
But you can't preach here.
Expelled them out of their coast.
Go to Acts 14, look at verse 1.
Acts 14 and verse 1.
You're there in Acts 13, just flip over one page, Acts 14, 1.
And it came to pass in Iconium that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews.
And so spake, notice, that a great multitude, both of the Jews and also the Greeks,
believed, great opportunity, verse 2, great opposition.
But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and made their minds evil-affected against the brethren.
Go to Acts 17, verse 4.
Acts 17, verse 4.
Acts 17 and verse 4.
And some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas
and of the devout Greeks a great multitude and of the chief women not a few.
Look at verse 5.
But the Jews, which believed not, moved with envy,
took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort
and gathered a company and set all the city on an uproar
and assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out of the people.
See, people look at a church like ours and they'll say,
you guys put, you had Sacramento in an uproar.
You had all these thousands of protesters come out to your church.
What's wrong with you?
And the question I want to ask is, what's wrong with you?
Because when I read the Bible, that's what I see New Testament Christianity is.
Paul has all sorts of protests.
Paul has all sorts of persecutions.
Hey, maybe there's not something wrong with us.
Maybe there's something wrong with you and the fact that you're never being persecuted.
The fact that the world doesn't mind.
The fact that the devil doesn't care.
The fact that the devil's not threatened by your voice,
by your message, by your sermons.
That shows there's something wrong with you.
Acts 17, look at verse 12.
Therefore, many of them believed also of honorable women,
which were Greeks and of the men, not a few.
But the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge of the word of God,
was preached of Paul of Berea.
They came hither also.
Notice, these Jews weren't even from there.
They heard of that.
These are their groupies, not in a good way.
They came hither also and sort of the people.
People say, oh, you know, why do you have all these people on YouTube,
you know, these different YouTube channels,
and they're just, you know, always talking about you guys,
and they're just obsessed with you guys,
and they're always trying to expose you guys, you know.
That's not normal.
Well, maybe not for you because you're lame,
but Paul had Jews that were following him around.
Paul had people that were obsessed with him.
Paul had people that were, when the Jews of Thessalonica heard,
had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea,
they came hither also and stirred up the people.
See, the cancel culture, the opposition to the truth is not anything new.
And you say, what are you experiencing today?
We're experiencing New Testament Christianity,
not in the first century, but in the 21st century.
The cancel culture works hard to shut down Bible-believing Christians
and Bible-believing preaching because they don't want to hear it.
Go to Acts chapter 7, Acts chapter 7.
Let me give you an example from the New Testament,
but this is the same reaction that we're getting today.
Acts chapter 7 and verse 54.
This is, of course, the Spirit-filled sermon by Stephen, the first martyr.
Acts 7 and verse 54.
The Bible says this, when they, and they heard them.
I want you to notice, the Bible says they were cut to the heart.
They didn't like it.
They gnashed.
The word gnashed means to grind.
They're like, ugh, ugh, on him with their teeth.
Look at verse 57.
Then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears.
Notice, this is a reaction.
This is Stephen, the first martyr.
Stephen, the man of God in the first century is preaching the word of God.
They heard these things.
They were cut to the heart.
They gnashed on him with their teeth.
Verse 57, they cried out with a loud voice.
They stopped their ears.
I mean, think about that.
He's preaching and they don't want to hear it.
They cover their ears and they're grinding with their teeth.
They cry with a loud voice, stopped their teeth.
Notice, and ran upon him with one accord and cast him out of the city and stoned him.
And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet whose name was Saul.
Let me explain something to you.
There's no new thing under the sun.
In the first century, there was a preacher named Stephen who got up and preached the word of God.
And the reaction was this, ugh, ugh.
You know on Friday night there was a preacher named Stephen that got up and preached the word of God?
You know what the reaction was?
A bunch of queers going like this, ugh.
I don't want to hear it.
I don't like it.
Look, the cancel culture has been around forever.
Any time any man of God stands up to preach the word of God, the devil is there to try to stop it.
The devil is there to try to silence it.
The attacks on the new F.B. by the cancel culture have been going on for years and years and years and years.
Back in 2016, and you know the story, in 2016 we had a sermon that went mega viral.
The Christian response to the Orlando shooting got 80,000 views in just a matter of days.
And of course it was deleted and it was canceled.
And they turned that and tried to turn that into a thing against our church.
As a result, our church was protested.
It was reported, I didn't get one of the ushers to go out there and count, unfortunately.
But it was reported that we had 1,500 protesters at our church on that day.
And that protest lasted for months.
Back in 2019, we had a YouTube channel with 10,000 subscribers and it got deleted.
In September of 2020, Sure Foundation Baptist Church was protested by a bunch of homos for two weeks.
Right now, Steadfast Baptist Church is being protested every day by a group of sodomites.
First Works Baptist Church was bombed.
All of us, all of our churches have had multiple YouTube channels shut down, multiple videos deleted.
Our documentary, Psychopath Rubberbait, was removed from YouTube.
When it hit 80,000 views, they removed it.
We uploaded it again and when it hit 40,000 views, they removed it again.
We put out a video, Pastor Thompson and I made a vaccine video and we put it out.
It wasn't even up for a day, I don't think, just a few hours it was getting.
It already had thousands of views and they took it down and gave us a strike.
Recently, Pastor Anderson's YouTube channel with 130,000 subscribers was deleted from the internet.
Why? Because the council culture does not want us to get our message out.
They want to fight against us.
They want to silence us. They want to threaten us.
They don't want what we have to say to be heard.
Here's what's funny to me, is that the council culture goes out of its way.
It goes out of its way to belittle us and to fight against us.
They write articles that say Faith Forward Baptist Church runs 60 people.
Verity Baptist Church, the SACB reported Verity Baptist Church runs 30 people.
It's like, well if we run 30 people, what are you so scared about?
If Faith Forward is running 60 people, what are you so worried about?
If our message isn't catching on, if people aren't hearing it, if people aren't listening.
But you know what's funny is they'll go out of their way to deplatform and attack us
and yet the council culture will work hard to defend the perverts and the pedophiles.
Pastor Anderson in his sermon brought up this San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus
and he did a great job exposing that.
What's interesting, when I became aware of that and I had an archer,
people were sending me the links and those things.
What's interesting is that as I was reading articles about this,
it was funny to me how the media was falling all over themselves to defend these guys.
Let me just read to you some excerpts from some articles in regards to this.
This is an article entitled,
Members of SF Gay Men's Chorus Facing Death Threats Over Ser satirical Tongue-in-Cheek Video.
This is from the New York Daily News.
Notice the title is not members of SF Gay Men's Chorus are threatening to rape and molest children.
That's not the title.
It's facing death threats.
Here's what it says.
Members of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus are being targeted by a vicious campaign of online harassment.
We've never experienced that.
After releasing a satirical video in which they jokingly sing that they will convert your children.
In the extremely funny video, according to SFS,
singers of the critically acclaimed group go all out with tongue-in-cheek humor.
Defiantly singing that you think we're sinful.
You fight against our rights.
These are their words.
You say we lead lives you can't respect.
Later adding that they will convert your children.
The article goes on to explain about how it's all one big joke.
It's all being taken out of context.
Here's what they said.
But one joke, an obvious allusion to the old-time LGBTQ idea that gay men are out to convert all kids to somehow change their sexuality,
was fiercely misunderstood by many.
And it has generated a torrent of threats and vitriolic responses.
They give us the lyrics.
We'll convert your children happens bit by bit quietly and subtly and you will barely notice it.
According to the statement released by the group on Thursday, the misunderstood parody of anti-LGBTQ sentiments
has led to social media messages directed at members of the group to become increasingly alarming with the chorus,
which the chorus blames on the far-right conservative media.
The hate groups and conservatives literally twisted the meaning of the satire of the song, Chris Verdugo,
SFGMC's executive director, told the Advocate SFGMC headquarters have also been temporarily closed as a precaution.
I hope they never open.
Here's another article from the Mercury News.
SF Gay Men's Chorus says it got threats for We'll Convert Your Children's song.
Group Blasted, here's the subtitle,
Group Blasted by conservatives for We'll Convert Your Children's joke.
The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus is receiving significant backlash mostly from conservatives on social media
after posting a music video online jokingly detailing that the group will convert your children.
The SFGMC song was originally posted as a message from the gay community.
The outrage from conservative media appears focused on the lyrics about converting children and how we're coming for your children.
That's a quote.
The song is meant to be taken as tongue-in-cheek humor.
According to a message posted on the chorus' website, sfgmc.org,
the song quips that we'll convert your children to make them tolerant and fair,
but the song and its references to targeting children is anything but funny to some
and have reportedly led to some very disturbing responses.
SFGMC says that the lyrics are being taken out of context.
Here's what's funny.
I get up in 2016 and I said, hey, you asked me if I'm sad that 50 sodomites were killed today.
This is what I said.
I said, that's like asking me if I'm sad that 50 pedophiles were killed today.
No, I'm not sad.
I think it's great.
I think Orlando, Florida is a little safer tonight.
I said, hey, they're a bunch of pedophiles.
They're not reproducers.
They're recruiters.
They want to molest and destroy our children.
And they make me public enemy number one.
Then they get up and say the same thing.
They get up and say, you're right.
We are pedophiles.
We do want to target your children.
We do want to expose them to pornography and filth and we want to molest them and rape them.
And then the media is like, oh, it was a joke.
You're taking it out of context.
What's the big deal?
I mean, look, this is the battle we're fighting today.
The odds are stacked against us when it comes to the media.
They want to silence us.
And when they go too far, because, you know, this is what these sodomites do.
They're constantly testing the waters.
When they go too far, take things too far, then they just defend them.
Then they just, you know, they all get together and make sure, no, it was a joke.
And then all the articles are about the conservatives threatening them,
not about the extremely disturbing message that these omos are sending.
See, the cancel culture has been around for all ages.
And like the first century church.
See, we are dealing with this cancel culture.
And by the way, let me say this.
Go back to Acts chapter 4.
Have you noticed that it seems like everybody disagrees with us?
Now, I'm not saying everybody disagrees with us.
But doesn't it seem that way?
See, we have laws, and we need to understand this.
And I'm not saying we as the new IFB, because we're fighting the battle and we're doing what we can.
But conservative Bible-leaving Christians have lost the media fight in this country.
See, the Bible says this.
This is what Peter said when they told him, you've got to stop preaching, Acts 4, verse 18.
And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all, nor to teach in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God
to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
Notice what he says in verse 20.
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
By the way, that's a spiritual law. That's true.
People cannot speak but the things which they have seen and heard.
When you expose yourself to seeing and hearing certain things, it's going to find its way in your heart.
Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.
People can only speak about the things which they have seen and heard.
Now, Peter says that in a positive way about the Word of God.
But that's why it seems like today that everyone disagrees with us. Why?
It seems like everyone believes and everyone is tolerant about the fact that these homosexuals
need to be respected and protected and promoted.
You say, why is that? Here's why.
Because the media has done a good job. That's all they see and hear.
Every time they turn on the television, every time they go to a Hollywood movie,
every time they watch something, what are they seeing?
They're seeing a bunch of homos and they're seeing and they're hearing and they're being programmed
and they're being brainwashed and that's why they disagree with us.
The LGBT's use of media has been astounding.
And it's been going on for years and years and years and years and years.
See, back in the 80's and the 90's, they started using Hollywood and what was it?
The gays? They were the punchline of every joke.
It was just funny. It was just these funny individuals.
And by the way, that's what it's been like from the beginning.
You don't have to turn there, but let me read to you from Genesis 19. Remember Genesis 19?
Remember when God was going to destroy an entire city because of this sin?
God sends the angels in to bring Lot out.
Lot tries to bring his son-in-laws out, Genesis 19, 14.
And Lot went out and spake unto his sons-in-law, which married his daughters, and said,
Up, get you out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this.
But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law.
It was all a big joke.
No, it's funny. Will and Grace is funny.
It's just funny. It's a joke.
Three's Company is funny. It's just a big joke.
And in the 80's and 90's, they started bringing this stuff into the homes of Americans
and exposing them to it, and it was just funny.
And look, at that moment, every Baptist preacher should have stood up and said,
That's not funny.
The Bible says that it's a sin to mock at sin.
It's not funny. But they said, Ah, it's just a joke.
It's no big deal. And everybody would laugh at it.
And they'd make jokes about it. And it was just this big joke.
But you know, once they got everybody comfortable with it,
then they went from laughing at it to making us feel sorry for it.
Remember Brokeback Mountain? I never watched it.
Remember, that came out. What was the purpose of that movie?
I never watched it, but I was told that they beat the crap out of the sodomite at the end and kill him.
Sounds like the word of God.
But what was the point of the movie? To make you feel bad? Oh.
Now you watch the movies and they're the hero.
They're the protagonist. They're the savior. They're the main star.
See, the LGBTQ has used media to their advantage.
They've used media to brainwash people.
And the reason we get the reaction we do from people today is because they can but speak the things which they have seen and heard.
That's all they've seen and heard.
And you say, well, that's the media's fault. Yeah, you know, Hollywood has a part to play with that.
But that's fundamental Baptist's fault.
Why is that all they've seen and heard?
Why haven't they seen and heard the other side?
See, the world out there, all they see is the sights and sounds of Hollywood.
It is our job to make sure they hear the sights and sounds of Sodom.
It is our job that they learn what the Bible actually teaches about Sodomy.
It is our job that they actually learn and hear what the Bible says about these things.
See, we must get up and preach the truth.
That's going to require that we disobey the cancel culture.
Go to Acts 5. Look, it's been from the inception of the local New Testament church.
Acts 5, verse 28.
Acts 5, 28 is saying, did not we straightly command you?
Acts 4, 18, we read that.
Did not we straightly command you that you should not teach in this name?
And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men.
Look, when society tells us, that's hate speech, you're not allowed to say it, you're not allowed to think it,
there's portions of the Scriptures, you're not allowed to stand up and read publicly,
you say, what should our response be?
Our response should be, we ought to obey God rather than men.
We will preach the whole counsel of God.
You say, what do we do?
What do we do with this cancel culture?
Well, number one, we must defy the cancel culture.
We must disobey the cancel culture.
We must fight against the cancel culture.
It's nothing new. See, people today, they're like, ah, what's going on?
Look, New Testament Christians have been fighting the cancel culture from the beginning.
It's no different today. We've got to stand up and fight.
We've got to make our voice heard.
Go to 2 Corinthians chapter 2, if you would, you're there in Acts.
You've got Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians chapter 2.
I said number one this morning that we must defy the cancel culture.
We need Christians to decide, no, enough is enough. We've had enough.
We're done playing nice.
Look, they're not playing nice.
They don't give a rat's tail what you think about them.
They put a stinking video out.
They're not just telling you they're going to rape and molest your children.
They're singing about it!
That's how bold they are!
That's how strong they feel in this country today!
While Christians just say, oh, well, you know, we've got to let them in.
We've got to, you know, love everybody.
We need Christians to stand up and say, it's time to defy the cancel culture.
But let me say secondly, not only must we defy the cancel culture, we must devise against the cancel culture.
See, the devil, think what you want, but he's smart.
He's been around for a long time.
2 Corinthians 2, 11, notice what the Apostle Paul said.
He said, lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices.
You know that Satan has some devices against us?
The word devise means to plan a method, a trick, a particular aim.
You know, the devil's been plotting.
The devil's been plotting.
While Bible-leaving Christians were sitting at home watching wool and grace and laughing about it,
the devil's been plotting for years and years, and he's been bringing his plan about.
He's been bringing us down this road.
He has us just where he wants us, and let me tell you something,
it is our job not only to defy, but we're also going to have to start thinking a little bit.
Not only do we need to defy, but we need to devise.
He's devising against us. He's devising against us.
He's figured out a way to get Google to control.
He figured out a way to get everybody on social media and then figured out a way to get us off of social media.
He's a smart guy, and our job is to start thinking.
Look, you say, well, I don't know, you think we should start devising like the devil?
Well, go to Matthew chapter 10.
Matthew chapter 10. Remember who the devil is? Revelation 12.9.
You go to Matthew 10. Let me read to you from Revelation 12.9.
Revelation 12.9 is the passage that gives us all the names of the devil, all his identities.
Revelation 12.9 says, And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent.
Remember he was a serpent? He was a serpent in the Garden of Eden.
That old serpent called the devil, and Satan, which deceived the whole world,
he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
The Bible says that the devil is the old serpent.
You know what Jesus said in Matthew 10 and verse 16?
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.
We are sheep. We're not wolves.
But then he says this, Be ye therefore wise as serpents.
Like Satan? Well, Satan's devising against you. You might want to start devising against him.
Satan's plotting against you. You might want to start planning against him.
He says, Wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
The devil's plotting. We must be planning.
And look, the problem that we find ourselves in today when we look at this issue
is that we put out this message, this message of the gospel, like the choir is saying,
Go reach the world.
But it's not just the gospel. It's discipleship. It's the truth of God's word.
It's teaching people to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you.
We put this message out, and let me tell you something. It's a popular message.
Not everybody wants to hear it, and not most people want to hear it.
We understand straight is the way and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life,
and few there be that find it. We understand that, but it's a popular message.
Thousands of views and hundreds of thousands of views and millions of views
and people getting saved and people getting connected in church and lives being changed.
No, we've got to put a stop to this. Where are those Jews at?
Where are those JewTubes at?
I don't think you say that. Look, the Jews control the media.
No new thing under the sun. The same Jews that were fighting Paul in the book of Acts
are the same Jews that are fighting us today.
The problem is that when YouTube deletes our videos,
then most of the time those videos, and of course those are the most popular, most controversial videos,
they usually end up on alternative video hosting sites where they get very little traffic.
And that's what he wants.
He said, well, what's the solution? I don't know what the solution is.
You guys are smart. You need to help us figure it out.
We've came up with a plan here. I'm not saying there's a solution. We're just trying to be proactive.
We've came up with a plan here at Verity Baptist Church
where we have been pushing this thing of the banned but not bound email list.
You say, well, what's that going to do? Well, here's what it's going to do.
I just got kind of tired of creating YouTube accounts with 10,000 subscribers
and having them push a button and delete them.
5,000 subscribers having them push a button and delete it.
Right now we have 13,000 subscribers. They might not survive tonight.
And you say, well, what are you trying to do?
We're trying to capture the information right now before the service.
The staff gave me the number. I think we have 1,300 people on our email list.
We just launched it a little bit over a week ago.
The idea is that if we could have an email list with 1,000 subscribers, 10,000 subscribers, 20,000 subscribers,
then it would not matter if they delete our videos, if they delete our channels,
if they completely deplatform us and don't allow us on any social media.
It wouldn't matter because we could preach a sermon, put it on some obscure website,
and then send the link to 10,000 people. You say, what are you doing?
I'm just trying to devise against the devil. He's plotting against us.
I'm not saying it's a solution. I'm just saying let's be proactive.
Let's try to do something. Let's try to fight back. Let's not allow our voice to be silenced.
See, with this email list, when people sign up to this email list, and many of you have,
and I appreciate that, we send you out a weekly email of the most popular and controversial videos
that are banned from YouTube. And then what we're asking you is to help us share that content.
This email list, and by the way, it's not just a Verity Baptist Church thing.
We're sending all the banned and deleted videos from all of our friends.
You say, why do that? Here's why. Because we must not only defy the council culture,
we must devise against the council culture.
And I'd like to say thirdly this morning, we must divide against the council culture.
You know why God's plan has always been division?
What's God's plan for the local church? Go to Acts chapter 10.
God's plan for the local church, I know we ought to just create one big system,
one big denomination with a head at the top that controls everything.
No, that's not God's plan. God's plan is divide.
God says, I don't want one big church that controls everything.
He says, I want local New Testament churches that are all preaching the Word of God.
See, the same idea that God gave us for the local New Testament church,
we need to take that idea and send it and use it to get our message out.
I'm just saying we're going to have to start thinking and being proactive.
Look, our days on YouTube are numbered.
Say, how are we going to reach people? We're going to devise plans.
I'm not saying we've got the perfect plan or that there's not a better plan out there.
We're going to figure out ways to capture that information so no matter when they take us down,
we can let people know where we're at. We can send the links out.
But then, look, we need your help to help us share it.
When we send you that link, we need you to share it on your social media platforms.
The idea is that they can stop one of us, but they can't stop all of us.
Let me just give this disclaimer. You're going to have to be a little smart about it, okay?
You put some of this stuff on your social media, you might get fired, all right?
So just be mindful of where you put stuff, but you say,
I don't know, I'm not going to put anything on my social media.
Okay, well, can you at least forward the link to all your friends and family through email?
I'm just saying that our job is to get the message out.
You say, what did the local New Testament church do? Acts 10, look at verse 37.
Notice what their plan was. People are like, oh, you guys are just interested in views.
You just want to get all these views on YouTube and all these subscribers.
Here's the thing, we don't care about subscribers. We care about people. We care about reaching people.
Well, you shouldn't care about just getting all your information out there.
Okay, well, Acts 10, 37, that word I say, ye know, this is a New Testament church, Book of Acts,
which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached.
You know that the New Testament church had a plan of publishing their message,
the Word of God, the preaching of the Word of God throughout all Judea?
Go to Acts 13, look at verse 49. Acts 13, verse 49.
And the Word of the Lord, Acts 13, 49, and the Word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
You guys are just interested in getting, you know, getting your message out there.
Yeah, that's what the church is always, the local churches have always been interested in that.
We want to fill Sacramento with our doctrine.
We want to reach as many people as possible.
Look, we need to take a play out of the LGBT playbook.
You say, I don't think you should say that.
Well, remember, we're supposed to be wise as serpents, and I don't know any more serpents than those.
You say, Pastor, you don't understand, there's not a lot of us.
First of all, that's not true. There's 7,000 that I'm about to need a bail.
I understand it may feel like that, but let me tell you something.
You know that there's actually not a lot of them? There's not a lot of them.
You say, what'd they do? Here's what they did.
They came out loud, they came out proud.
They said, let's make noise, let's seem like we're the multitude, let's seem like everyone's for us,
though everyone's disgusted by us, let's just come out like everyone's for us.
And if we make enough noise, if we make enough noise, then we can take over.
And it worked.
You say, what are you saying, Pastor? Here's what I'm saying.
Some straight men need to come out of the closet on this queer issue.
See, the problem is that when the faggots came out of the closet, all the straight men went into the closet.
The problem is when the queers came out of the closet, all the independent federal Baptists went inside of the closet and shut the door.
They came out loud and proud, and we said, we better not say anything.
We don't want our church bombed. We better not say anything.
We don't want to be identified as a hate group.
You say, what's the goal? See, here's what the old IFB's trying to do.
You say, let's be quiet about it. Let's be calm about it. Let's just secretly try to teach people it's not working.
You say, they're loud. They're proud. They're singing. They're mocking us.
They're mocking the fact that they're destroying our children's lives.
Well, straight men are afraid and in a closet somewhere scared.
You say, what do we need to do? We need to come out loud and proud.
You say loud and proud about what? Loud and proud about the fact that we think it's disgusting, the fact that we hate them, the fact that they're reprobates, the fact that they're going to burn in hell, the fact that they're molesters.
You say, I don't think you can say that out loud. Well, we need to start saying it out loud.
We need to start making that message known. You say, but there's not a lot of us. There's more than you think.
And we start being loud, and we start being proud, and some of these straight men with some hair on their legs might pick out of that closet and say,
I'm not going to go to that Red Hot Preaching Conference, but I was watching the live stream and I was just kind of looking through the closet there.
And it looks like there's some guys that are saying the things I'm thinking.
I'm just telling you, we need to be loud and proud for the Word of God, loud and proud for what the Bible says.
Hey, we need to get out there. You say, what do we do with this? Subscribe and share.
Get the message out. Get the Word out. Publish the Word of God. Make it known that there are people out there that think it's disgusting.
There are Bible-leaving Christians out there who still believe the Word of God.
There are Bible-leaving Christians out there who still stand by God's Word.
There are Bible-leaving Christians out there that aren't afraid.
There are still seven thousand that have not bowed the knee to Baal.
You say, that's not going to work. It's worked since the first century.
They tried to stop the New Testament church. It didn't work.
Let me tell you something. When we preach the Word of God, they can't stop it.
No matter how much they try, they can't stop it. Go to Acts chapter 5.
In Acts chapter 5, we have a testimony from a man. His name is Gamaliel.
He's an unsaved man. He's not saved. He's a bad man. He's a Pharisee.
He actually trained Paul when Paul was a Pharisee that was persecuting the church.
Acts 5 and verse 33, the Bible says this,
When they heard that, they were cut to their heart and took counsel to slay them.
Then stood thereup one in the counsel a Pharisee named Gamaliel,
a doctor of the law, had in reputation, among all the people,
and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space, and said unto them.
Now, again, I realize this is an unsaved man.
But sometimes even unsaved people say some right things.
And I think this guy spoke the truth. Notice what he says.
He says, Ye men of Israel, this is a bad guy talking to his bad friends,
but he speaks the truth. He says, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves
what ye intend to do as touching these men.
For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody
to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves,
who were slain, and all as many as obeyed him were scattered and brought to naught.
After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing,
and drew away such people after him, he also perished,
and all even as many as obeyed him were dispersed.
And now I say unto you, refrain from these men, and let them alone.
For it is for if... Notice what he says. I want you to notice the last part of verse 38.
For if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught.
Again, an unsaved man, I understand that. But I agree with what he's saying.
He says, Look, refrain from these men and let them alone.
If this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught.
The word naught means nothing. It's not going to come to anything.
It'll just die out, like movements die out.
Then he says this in verse 39.
But if it be of God, but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it,
lest happily ye be found even to fight against God.
You say, Pastor, why don't you think that this movement of Christianity...
You say, the new IP movement. Look, I like the phrase new IP.
I don't mind it. I'll wear it proudly, but let me tell you something.
It's just New Testament Christianity.
Why don't you think it'll be overthrown? Because it is of God.
2 Timothy chapter 2, if you would. 2 Timothy chapter 2.
You find the T-books, they're all clustered together. 1 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy Titus, 2 Timothy chapter 2.
We must defy the counsel culture. We must devise against the counsel culture.
We must divide against the counsel culture.
We've got to get our message out there.
We've got to be loud and proud.
It needs to be heard. People need to understand.
Look, you say, what you guys are doing, you're not going to accomplish anything.
Look, I don't know. I'm just going to try. I'm going to attempt great things for God and expect great things from God.
Here's all I know. I just know that 10 years ago, or 11 years ago, 12 years ago,
there was a little church that probably at that time actually had 60 or something people
called Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona. They'd been around for 5 years.
I don't know how many they had when they were running 5 years, maybe 100 people or 120. I'm not sure.
I know this. We started a church here in Sacramento a little bit, almost 11 years ago.
A handful of people in a living room somewhere. Their church has grown. Our church has grown.
They've started churches. We've started churches. Our churches here in Sacramento started a church in Vancouver,
Sure Foundation Baptist Church, and we started a church in Boise, Idaho, Shield of Faith Baptist Church.
We started two churches in the Philippines, and we started a church in Fresno here in a month.
We're going to be ordaining Brother Przarnsky as the pastor and making that an independent Baptist church.
I'm just telling you this. What if every city in America had a church like Verity Baptist Church?
What if every city in America had a church like Faithful Word Baptist Church, Sure Foundation Baptist Church,
Steadfast Baptist Church, Shield of Faith, First Word? What if every city in America had a...
I didn't say a Baptist church. I said a church with a pastor that stood up and preached the Word of God, even Leviticus 19.
Even Genesis 19, Leviticus 18, Leviticus 20. You say people would hear it, yeah, and they'd be affected by it.
Look, all they hear, all they know is will and grace. That's all they know.
They watch TV and they're like, they're nice. We got to introduce them to what the Bible says.
Look, I'm a Bible-leaving Christian. You know what that means? The Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
Here's what that means. It means that I believe the Bible has the answer to everything.
You say, Pastor, what do you think about the homos? I just opened up the Bible. Let the Bible tell me.
I don't go to Hollywood. I just open up the Bible. You know, when I read the Bible, I get to Genesis 19.
You know what I learned? They're rapists, molesters, and predators. You know what I get? I get to Genesis 19.
You know what I learned? I learned they're rapists and they go both ways.
I get to Leviticus 18. You know what I learned? They're an abomination.
I get to Leviticus 20. You know what I learned? God wants to put to death.
I get to Romans 1. You know what I learned? That they're reprobates. Their conscience has been seared.
They're condemned to hell, never to be saved. That's what you say. You get mad at me.
I can bespeak the things which I have seen and heard.
It's not my fault that I haven't been watching the filth of Hollywood and I've actually been reading the Bible.
We need to expose people to the truth. People need to know, hey, you know what the Bible never says any one positive thing about homos?
Never not once? Your little will and grace will be put to death if God was in charge.
If it be of God, you cannot overthrow Him. See, today we're banned. Today we're bound.
Nothing new. Paul was bound. 2 Timothy 2, verse 9. Notice what Paul says, writing from prison.
Wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer. Paul says, I'm not the bad guy, but they treat me like the bad guy.
You know they treat us like the bad guy? We're the filth of the earth.
I mean, we're the worst things around, according to the media.
Paul says, wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer. He says, even unto bonds.
Paul says, they've bound me. They've arrested me. The council culture has gotten so serious they're literally not allowing me to leave.
He says, wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds. Paul says, they've bound me. I'm in bonds.
He says, even unto bonds. But then he says this, but the Word of God is not bound.
Let me tell you something. You can kill the messenger, but you won't kill the message.
And I'm talking about the Word of God, not the message, the piece of trash Bible perversion.
As long as we preach the Word of God, they can't stop us. You know that?
You know the Bible says, for the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword?
Piercing even to the dividing as thunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart?
Hey, look, the Word of God is powerful. They could stop me. They could bound me. They could kill me.
They could kill Pastor Anderson. They could kill Pastor Mejia. They could arrest Pastor Shelley.
They could arrest all of our friends, Pastor Thompson and Pastor Jones. They could stop us, but the Word of God is not bound.
The Word of God is quick and powerful. What shall we say then to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us? God's Word is powerful.
Isaiah 55, verse 11, you don't have to turn there. It says this,
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please.
And it shall prosper in the thing wherein I sent it.
They can't stop us. They could stop me, but they can't stop God's people.
They could stop preachers, but they can't stop God's preachers. They can't stop God's people.
They can stop God's messengers, but they can't stop the Word of God.
They tried. They tried in the first century. They've tried through the centuries. They've tried to burn our Bible.
They've tried to get rid of our Bible. They can't stop it.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the Word of our God shall stand forever.
We're like the military when they're taking a place, when they're charging after a place,
and they carry that flag as they're carrying it.
Maybe the individual carrying that flag might get shot or might fall,
and somebody comes behind them and picks that flag up.
Hey, I'm not pro-military. I'm just using that as an illustration.
That's us with the Word of God.
A young preacher named Steven Anderson grabbed the Word of God and started charging Tempe, Arizona.
A guy named Roger Jimenez picked up the Word of God and started charging Sacramento, California.
And men of God have picked up the Word of God and started charging their local area, their local city.
You say, sometimes we get hurt, and sometimes we stumble, and sometimes we fall, and sometimes we're bound,
and sometimes they delete us, and sometimes they cancel.
They can stop us, but when we fall, some other young man's going to pick this up and go forward.
They can't stop the Word of God.
So why don't you start preaching it?
Why don't you stand for it?
Why don't you come out of the closet?
You agree with us? You know you do.
Look, every straight man watching this right now,
you know you do.
You know it's disgusting.
You know it's vile.
We must defy the council culture.
We must disobey it.
We must devise against the council culture.
We're not going to stand back and say, well, they deleted our YouTube channel.
That was a nice run. Guess we'll go home now.
No, we'll just try something else.
We'll just do something else.
We're trying an email list. I don't know if it'll work. We're just going to try it.
You guys are real smart out there. You try to do something different. Let's try it.
The devil's plotting against us. Why don't we plan against him?
Let's figure out a way to get our message out.
Let's figure out a way to beat the algorithms.
Let's figure out a way to make sure. Let's flood our nation with the truth of God's word.
Let's go. Let's come out of the closet loud and proud.
We must divide against the council culture.
We just share it.
Look, I'm not saying you need to make this your one thing you talk to everybody about.
But when you're friends and family, do you hear about that Orlando shooting? Oh, that's so sad.
You're like, I'm not sad.
They're getting all these death threats because they put out this joke. I don't think it's funny.
I'm just saying it's time for us to make our voices heard.
Let's not be afraid of the council culture. It's been New Testament Christianity since the beginning.
Actually, it's a badge of honor. It means we're doing something right.
We're going to get to heaven one day and Paul's going to be like, let me tell you about my protest.
And I'll be like, yeah, and then let me tell you about my protest.
And then the old IFB guy down the street is like, well, I never had a protest.
We know.
It's time for us to preach the truth.
To come out.
You say they can stop you. They can't stop this.
If God be for us, who can be against us?
Let's bow our heads in the name of the word of prayer. Heavenly Father.
Thank you, Lord, for your word.
Thank you for the Bible.
Lord, I realize we are in a tough place today.
It seems like everybody's against us.
It seems like everybody wants to harm us.
It seems like nobody's for us.
But it's nothing new.
Elijah said years and years and years ago, I'm all alone.
God said there's 7,000 that haven't bowed their knee to Baal.
Lord, I pray you'd help us.
I pray that you'd raise some young men from this room right now.
Some young men who say, I'm going to pick up that Bible and I'm going to preach it.
I'm not going to give my life to making money or being comfortable.
I'm going to preach the word of God and fight against this council culture.
They may take over, but let them not do it without a fight.
In the matchless name of Christ, we pray. Amen.