403 through grace, I did the key this evening was to this evening 22 in the blood to to
Bring you one. I said this morning as a Shelley's preaching at faith word baptism first today preach a sermon this morning called LGBT
Terrorists, so that's one you're gonna want to go check out after this evening service
But blessed to have brother Ben filling in for us this evening
So make sure to give him your full attention this evening
We have our Bible memory passage on the front there Psalm chapter 58 verse 2
You can quote this to myself
Pastor Shelley or an usher if you're 18 or younger, you will get a prize after the Wednesday evening service
It's a pretty short chapter
So it's a great one that everyone could accomplish for sure on the inside of our bulletins
We have our service times listed there as well as our churchwide soul winning times that always meet here at the building
As well as our regional soul winning times with their respective there's there as usual
Please turn in your completed maps to the completed bin you went in the van turn those to the van bin and you went by yourself
Put those in the singles bin also. We have our July soul winning and baptismals baptism stats there
And also on the right if you'd please be praying for all of our expecting expecting ladies here at steadfast Baptist Church
And then our prayer list is listed there if you have any prayers that you'd like us to add to this list at any time
Please just email the church at steadfastbaptistkjd@gmail.com and we'll get that added for you and those are updated weekly
So if you'd like that to stay in longer, please email us every single week letting us know that that would help us out a lot
Upcoming events this Wednesday. We're looking forward to having pastor Anderson here
It's gonna be a great time and we're excited to hear him tear the house down this great preacher for sure
We have our mighty men's conference in August August 17th through the 19th
That's gonna be a great time as well. And there also is a sign-up sheet for that at the front of the building
October 12th through the 15th. We have our fire-breathing Baptist fellowship that we're gonna be hosting and we're very excited to be having this again
I think last time we had it was 20 2021. So it's gonna be great to be having that again this year
Listed there on the back is some church reminders. Make sure to familiarize yourself with those and at this time
We're gonna go ahead and turn to Psalm
148 Psalm
148 let's sing it out nice and loud together
Genesis chapter 25 Genesis chapter number 25 Genesis chapter number 25 the Bible reads then again Abraham took a wife
And her name was Keturah and she bare him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbeck and Shuah
and Jokshan begat Sheba and Dedan and the sons of Dedan were Asherim and Latushim and
Leumim and the sons of Midian, Ifa and Ifir, Hanuk and Abida and Deah
all these were the children of Keturah and Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac
but unto the sons of the concubines which Abraham had Abraham gave gifts and sent them away from Isaac his son while he yet lived
eastward unto the east country and these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived in
103 score and 15 years
then Abraham gave up the ghost and died in a good old age an old man and full of years and was gathered to his
people and his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Efron the son of Zohar the
Hittite which is before Mamre the field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth
there was Abraham buried and Sarah his wife and it came to pass after the death of Abraham that God blessed his son Isaac and
Isaac dwelt by the well Lehi Roy now these are the generations of Ishmael
Abraham's son whom Hagar the Egyptian Sarah's handmaid bear unto Abraham these
are the names of the sons of Ishmael by their names according to their
generations the firstborn of Ishmael Nabajoth Kadar Abdel Mibsum and Mishma
and Duma and Massa Adar and Timah Jeter Nefesh and Kadima these are the sons of
Ishmael and these are their names by their towns by their castles 12 princes
according to their nations and these are the years of the life of Ishmael in
hundred and thirty and seven years he gave up the ghost and died and was
gathered unto his people and they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur that is before
Egypt as thou goest toward Assyria and he died in the presence of all his
brethren these are the generations of Isaac Abraham's son Abraham beget Isaac
and Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebecca to wife the daughter of Bethuel
the Syrian of Padan Aram the sister to Laban the Syrian and Isaac entreated the
Lord for his wife because she was barren and the Lord was entreated of him and
Rebecca his wife conceived and the children struggled together within her
and she said if it be so why am I thus and she went to inquire of the Lord and
the Lord said unto her two nations are in thy womb and two manner of people
shall be separated from thy bowels and the one people shall be stronger than
the other people and the elder shall serve the younger and when her days to
be delivered were fulfilled behold there were twins in her womb and the first
came out red all over like in hairy garment and they called his name Esau and
after that his brother came out and his hand took hold on Esau's heel and his
name was called Jacob and Isaac was three score years old when she bare them
and the boys grew and Esau was a cunning hunter a man of the field and Jacob was
a plain man dwelling in tents and Isaac loved Esau because he did eat of his
venison but Rebecca loved Jacob and Jacob sawed potage and Esau came from
the field he was faint and Esau said to Jacob feed me I pray thee with that same
red potage for I am faint therefore was his name called Edom and Jacob said sell
me this day thy birthright and Esau said behold I am at the point to die and what
profit shall this birthright do to me and Jacob said swear to me this day he
swear unto him and he sold his birthright unto Jacob then Jacob gave
Esau bread and potage of lentils and he did eat and drink and rose up and went
his way thus Esau despised his birthright let's have a word prayer Lord
thank you for this evening service and thank you for brother Ben I pray that
she'd fill him with the Holy Spirit now to just give him boldness to preach your
word this evening help us to be attentive to the preaching of God's word
we love you and thank you for all that you do for us in Jesus name we pray amen
amen I want to open by thanking pastor Shelley for the opportunity to fill in
for him today and I'm getting over some kind of light cold or virus or something
so if I sound sick I apologize in advance for that you'll just have to bear
with me but in Genesis 25 where we are starting in verse 29 we'll pick up there
it says in Jacob sawed potage and Esau came from the field and he was faint
and Esau said to Jacob feed me I pray thee with that same red potage for I am
faint therefore was his name called Edom now Esau is faint he asks for potage to
alleviate the hunger here in verse 31 it says and Jacob said sell me this
day thy birthright so the response from Jacob is this let me get your birthright
and we can solve the issue here verse 32 and Esau said behold I am at the point
to die what profit shall this birthright do to me real dramatic from Esau
desperate verse 33 and Jacob said swear to me this day and he swear unto him and
he sold his birthright unto Jacob so for carnal gain Esau willing to sell his
birthright to alleviate his faintness and his hunger which is what that is
referring to he's looking for a quick solution to this problem he's looking
for a quick pasty solution to this situation that he finds himself in and
of course Jacob ends up selling his or I should say procuring his birthright look
at verse 34 then Jacob gave Esau bread and potage of lentils and he did eat and
drink and rose up and went his way thus Esau despised his birthright he didn't
regard it with any prestige and this is kind of a picture of how the Jews
rejected their Messiah and evidently didn't think about the consequences of
their actions there this was an impulsive decision by Esau this was a
short-sighted decision by Esau and it was one that could not be reversed in a
moment the birthright was sold for carnal gain and you know it doesn't
appear that Esau really evaluated this situation very well he didn't really
think about it he didn't deliberate his decision the Bible says he despised his
birthright like I said didn't treat it with very much regard and the
consequences he lost it now turn over to Proverbs chapter 19 Proverbs chapter 19
he didn't really think this through he makes a hasty decision and in an effort
to procure some food sells his birthright now in Proverbs chapter 19
this is where I will derive the title of my sermon in verse 2 notice what the
Bible says in Proverbs chapter 19 and verse 2 it says also that the soul be
without knowledge it is not good and he that hasteth with his feet sinners so
Esau he makes a hasty decision he was hasty he was short-sighted he was
impulsive and the Bible I believe is trying to teach us a lesson about this
in Proverbs 19 and trying to tell us that having this kind of attitude can
lead to sin I don't think it's a coincidence that the Bible says in
Proverbs 19 - that the soul be without knowledge it is not good and then right
after that he that is he that hasteth rather with his feet sin it he that
hasteth with his feet sin it and it says that right after describing an individual
who does not who does not have knowledge so what I take from the verse is this if
we have knowledge we won't have a hasty attitude and if we don't have a hasty or
short-sighted mentality then we won't put ourselves in a situation to commit sin
or do something we're going to regret for a long time to come now what am I
talking about when I use this word short-sighted or hasty or impulsive or
kind of like having a myopic view of life I'm talking about basically an
individual who makes decisions or makes choices without regard for the
consequences of those choices and I feel like in our society today this is
running rampant it's like people don't think things through they don't
deliberate the decisions they're about to make and so as a result they act
impulsively they put themselves in scenarios that they end up regretting in
some cases until the day that they die because they didn't think it through
first they didn't consider what the ramifications are going to be for their
choices for their actions and having a hasty attitude is defined in that way
someone who doesn't recognize or somebody who refuses to recognize what
the effects can be of their behavior without regard for the consequences
that's how they act and I believe the soul that does not have knowledge is
prone to hastiness prone to putting themselves in a regrettable position and
I think also that knowledge is the antidote to this attitude you know if
you're someone who struggles if you're someone who has a short-sighted view in
life if you're somebody who's nearsighted if you're somebody who is
hasty if you're somebody who's prone to making impulsive decisions struggling
with impulsive behavior I believe knowledge will help fix that for you now
the knowledge of what though obviously this is all general the knowledge of
what the knowledge of the consequences of your actions the knowledge of the
consequences of your actions and that's why the title of my sermon tonight is
consider the consequences consider the consequences and I believe if you apply
this expression to your life it'll help you to not make as many impulsive
decisions as many short-sighted decisions that you're going to be regretting
forever perhaps. You're far less likely to make bad decisions in your life if you consider
the consequences first. If you stop to think about what are the potential ramifications
if I do this, if I go down this road, if I make this decision, if I make this choice,
what can happen to me? What can happen to my family? What can happen to my children?
What can happen to the people I love, my friends, those around me? What can happen if I go down
this road? If more people thought about that, if more people deliberated on that for a moment
before just going along with what society is doing, before going along with a multitude
to do evil, I believe that you would have people making much smarter decisions in their
life. Turn if you would to Proverbs chapter 21. Proverbs chapter 21. Now I believe all
of us are susceptible to making short-sighted, impulsive decisions. But I think young people
especially sometimes struggle to look past their 20s. Sometimes they struggle to look
past the immediate future. You know, I can't even believe it. I'm turning 30 in November
and you know, some folks, yeah, they're like, really Ben? I feel old. All right, I'll be
honest. But there was a time where I couldn't think past my 20s as a teenager and all of
a sudden 30 is knocking on the door. It's right around the corner. And it's like, wow,
life really comes at you fast. Before you know it, young people, you'll be in my position.
Am I this old already? But time goes quickly and you need to make the most of it. You don't
want to put yourself when you're in the when you're when you're building the foundation
for your life. You don't want to put yourself in a situation that you'll regret in your
30s and your 40s and your 50s. And so this sermon, I really I want to talk to the kids.
But some of the things might not necessarily apply directly to them. I want to talk to
the single people in the room. I want to talk to those of you in your 20s. You know, I want
to talk to those of you who are you haven't been married yet. You haven't had kids yet,
perhaps. And you're still in those beginning stages of your life. You're still a baby practically.
Okay, you know, I'm getting old so I can say that now. But look at Proverbs 21. If you
would, Proverbs chapter 21, you're starting to build the foundation on which your life
will be built. And so you need to take heed to a sermon like this. You young people need
to listen up carefully. I know it's almost six o'clock. Maybe you went out soul winning.
It's 178 degrees outside or whatever. You might be tired. I get it. But just try and
pay attention because I think this will be useful for you. And I'm preaching it because
I care about everyone in the room. I just want to make sure that no one makes hasty
decisions that can ruin them. Proverbs 21 in verse five, it says, "The thoughts of the
diligent tend only to plentiousness, but of everyone that is hasty only to want." To be
short-sighted, to be hasty, to make decisions without regard for the consequences, folks,
you'll be left wanting. Unsatisfied, lacking, carefully think about the direction you're
going to go in your life. Look at Proverbs 25. Proverbs chapter 25 and verse 28. Proverbs
chapter 25 and verse 28. Here we have a verse that's talking about someone who lacks self-control
and it describes what this person really is in Proverbs 25. It says in verse 28, "He that
hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls."
This is someone who leaves themselves in a vulnerable position because they cannot control
themselves. And so as a result, they put themselves in a position to get hurt. And look, we're
tested in this area as a church often. All you have to do is walk in on some days, thankfully
not today, and your ability to control your spirit is tested. Can you do it? Can you maintain
control? And I think most people here do a great job with that. But to be short-sighted,
again, it's to be hasty. It's to make decisions without regard for the consequences. It's
to act without really deliberating first. And often these people, they lack self-control.
And as I said, they put themselves in a position that they look back on and think, "I really
wish I didn't do that, but I wasn't thinking straight." It's the heat of the moment. And
I wasn't thinking straight. They make catastrophic choices because of a lack of impulse control.
And I believe if you consider the consequences first, you'll be a lot less likely to do this
to yourself. Again, this is for everyone, but especially the young people in the room,
especially the young single men in the room, especially you who have so many years ahead
of you. I want to read to you an article about a teenager, and I think teenagers really do
struggle with this. This is a teenager who made a very stupid choice. Did not consider
the consequences, and folks, when you hear the story, you'll realize, "Wow, it doesn't
take a brain surgeon to figure out this was dumb." It says in the headline, "Louisiana
teen missing after jumping overboard on a dare on Bahama Sunset Cruise." An 18-year-old
boy from Louisiana was celebrating his recent high school graduation during a sunset cruise
in the Bahamas Wednesday when he reportedly jumped overboard on a dare, triggering a large-scale
search. On Wednesday evening, just hours after their arrival, Robbins and his friends went
on a sunset party cruise. According to witnesses, around 9.40 p.m., the 18-year-old, who was
apparently acting on a dare, took a plunge off the boat into the ocean near Athol Island.
And this individual was last seen splashing in the dark waters a few feet from the boat
before vanishing from view. And if you look at the video, you can see this online, if
you look at the video online of this incident, the kid jumps over and the video starts with
him already in the water in the dead of night, splashing around, and the kids are laughing.
The teenagers that are still on the vessel, they're laughing, "Oh, man, he actually jumped!
I can't believe it.
We were just kidding."
He acted on a dare.
Him and his buddies, they dared him, "Hey, why don't you jump over this boat?"
And he did it without even considering the consequences, which again, it doesn't take
a brain surgeon to figure out if you jump off a boat in the dead of night, you're going
to drown, and that's what happened to him.
So picture this for a moment.
It's pitch black.
You find yourself in the ocean by yourself, nobody around you, and the vessel that you
jumped off of is slowly inching further and further away from you.
You have no hope.
There could be sharks under you.
You don't know.
And the kid drowned.
He died.
And look, I don't take any joy in that.
It's too bad.
It's horrible.
But you know what, kids?
If you're listening right now, pay attention.
When some idiots, when some morons dare you to do something that's going to hurt you,
when they dare you to do something that could lead to you losing your life, how about you
consider the consequences first and realize they don't have your best interest in mind.
Be careful who you hang out with.
There are a lot of bad people, bad influences in this world that'll hurt you.
Don't burn yourself on the stove first before figuring out that it's hot.
He succumbed to peer pressure.
He did not consider the consequences before jumping off this vessel.
And peer pressure itself, folks, it can lead you to making some horrible choices in your
life.
Some horrible choices because you feel pressured to do something you normally wouldn't do because
a bunch of people are trying to convince you to do it.
And I think one of the top examples of this, turn to Titus 2 if you would, Titus chapter
2, would be this, drugs and alcohol.
And regarding drugs and alcohol, people who normally would have never tried it will do
it for the first time simply because their "friends" pressured them into trying a drink
for the first time, or pressured them into trying alcohol for the first time.
And they normally would have never done that.
They normally would have never had an alcoholic drink for the first time or smoked weed for
the first time.
It might not have been something they even had a proclivity to do, but yet because of
the people they were hanging out with, all of a sudden they tried it because they were
pressured into doing it.
And the reason why I put air quotes around "friend" is because any "friend" who would
pressure you to try drinking for the first time or to try drugs for the first time is
not your friend, that is an enemy.
Run away, kids, from that person.
Run away, young people, from that person.
Stay the hell away from them because you don't know what they're going to influence you to
do that can hurt you for many years to come.
What's the title of the sermon?
Consider the consequences.
Why?
To help you stop making bad, short-sighted decisions that you regret.
You know, if I take my glasses off, I can't see you guys anymore.
You're just blobs because I'm literally short-sighted, like I can't see past, like here, which comes
in handy in some situations.
But you know, here's the thing.
In one moment, one choice, one second, one hour could destroy your life.
I don't want that to be you.
Titus 2, look what it says.
The Bible is so clear on this.
Titus 2, verse 2, Titus 2, verse 2, it says that the aged men be what?
Sober, sober, it says.
Verse 3, the aged women likewise, that they be in behavior, as becometh holiness, not
false accusers, not given to much wine.
Skip to verse 4, verse 4, that they teach, excuse me, that they may teach the young women
to be sober, it says.
S-O-B-R, sober, I'm not sure how much more clear the Bible has to be about this subject.
And you know what?
I don't care if it's a drop of alcohol, I don't care if you're just taking a puff of
that cigarette or marijuana, whatever the case may be, you run away screaming from that
scenario.
Look what it says in verse 6, young men likewise exhort to be what?
Sober minded.
We need to make this the standard for the next generation because it's drugs and alcohol
that are ruining people and it's a shame.
People who have the potential to be something great in their life end up ruining their life
because they tried a drink for the first time, because they tried a drug for the first time.
All of a sudden they're addicted.
All of a sudden their life spirals out of control.
They might even die early.
Why?
It all started with one drink.
It all started with one smoke.
The Bible emphasizes soberness.
Be sober.
It says it over and over and over again.
Do you want to adhere to the word of God or not?
Do you have a reverence for the word of God or not?
And if you do, take this seriously.
Be sober, the Bible says.
Somebody comes up to you, hey, why don't you try this for the first time?
No, no, no, no, no.
My Bible says be sober.
And I'm going to follow Christ, not you.
The drug of choice for a lot of people is marijuana.
And you know, for young people, this is cool to do marijuana.
It's fun.
It's cool.
It's harmless.
That's not the biblical worldview, my friend.
The Bible said be sober, didn't it?
Oh, but God made it.
It's like, he didn't make it for you to smoke it.
Hello, anybody home here?
Say, well, what are the consequences of marijuana?
How about mental illness?
It's been linked.
The Wall Street Journal actually admitted this, that smoking weed can lead to mental illness.
It fries your brain.
It makes you stupid.
All you have to do is be around.
You want to talk about the consequences of smoking pot, all you have to do is hang out
with them for five minutes and you see how utterly stupid they are.
They're idiots.
They act like morons.
Oh man, you ever think about, man, how the sky, man, it's like, it has the clouds and
everything and like, it's like blue, man.
It's like philosophy, dude, you know?
It's like you're brain dead.
Why do you want to hang out with someone like that?
Why would you want to be around someone?
Why would you want to be that person?
The Bible says we should chase after wisdom and knowledge, not smoking dope, weed, marijuana,
being a pothead.
You know, in college, I had roommates like this.
All they cared about is smoking weed.
And you know what?
These idiot rappers, Snoop Dogg, smoke weed every day or whatever.
That's all they care about.
Smoke weed every day.
You're a loser if that's your attitude.
You're a loser.
Zero respect for you.
You say, "Well, that's me.
I like smoking weed every day."
Zero respect for you.
You're dumb.
You're brain dead.
You're stupid.
Cut it out.
It doesn't make you cool.
It's not cool.
Being mentally ill is not cool.
Getting addicted to smoking is not cool, folks.
But anyway, so these roommates I had in my college, unfortunately, I roomed with them
for a little while, and all they did was smoke weed every day.
That's all they cared about.
They flunked the classes to smoking weed.
And so one day, they got ransacked, because they pissed off the wrong dealer.
The dealer knocked on the door with a gun in hand and ransacked them.
I didn't witness this, but I know what happened.
I was in my room with the door locked, and I was just like, I don't know what I was doing.
But it happened while I was there, but I was in my room.
And these people came in with guns, ransacked the guy.
And I walked out after it was over, and they're like, my roommates are telling me somebody
showed up with a gun and ransacked the apartment.
And that was it.
I was gone.
I'm walking to my parents' house.
But my point is, when you get into drugs, when you start smoking this garbage, who are
you putting yourself in the company of?
Who are your friends?
Who are the people that you're making contact with?
Low life scum.
Consider the consequences before you take that first smoke.
Consider what you're going to do to your life.
You're going to fry your brain.
You're going to be an idiot.
You're going to act like a complete moron.
Is that who you really want to be?
Ephesians 5, you don't have to turn there, it says, "And be not drunk with wine, where
is an excess, but be filled with the Spirit."
The Bible tells us regarding alcohol, we should not be drunk with it, but rather be filled
with the Spirit of God.
And as Bible-believing Christians would to God, that our young people would say, "I want
to be filled with the Spirit, not poison.
I want to be filled with the Spirit of God and learn about the things of God and go to
church and be zealous for the things of God and not go down a rabbit trail that's going
to destroy my life.
And alcohol will destroy your life.
Drugs will destroy your life.
Don't sit there and just nod off and think, "Oh, I've heard this a million times before."
Take heed to the warning.
It'll destroy your life.
Run away.
Stay the hell away from drugs and from alcohol.
And if you're faced with this decision, if somebody comes up to you and tempts you to
try it for the first time, consider the consequences.
Consider the consequences, and it'll help you not to make a short-sighted decision and
try it for the first time.
It'll help you see what can happen in the future, and it'll help you reject it.
I have another article here, 18-month-old dies when parents leave her in hot car overnight
after Fourth of July party, Florida authorities say.
A mother and a father were charged with manslaughter in their daughter's death after Florida authorities
say they left their 18-month-old in a car after having returned home from a Fourth of
July party.
Joel and Jasmine Rondon, 33, went to a holiday celebration in Lakeland with their three children,
all under age nine, and did not return home until 3 a.m. Wednesday, the Polk County Sheriff's
Office said.
Jasmine told Joel to bring in the 18-month-old while she took the other two children inside.
Upon their return, the Sheriff's Office said Joel brought stuff inside their home, and
when he went back outside, he saw all four doors to the Hyundai Elantra closed and assumed
Jasmine had gotten the toddler out, the Sheriff's Office said.
The couple went to bed and did not inquire about their 18-month-old until Joel asked
one of the older children to check on the toddler at about 11 a.m.
The Sheriff's Office confirmed this.
After the toddler was not found inside the house, Joel found her still strapped in her
car seat, unresponsive.
Joel and Jasmine submitted to drug tests later in the evening and both tested positive for
marijuana and alcohol, authorities said.
Joel also tested positive for meth, the Sheriff's Office said.
Is that who you want to be?
Is that who you want to be remembered for?
Leaving an 18-month-old in the car because you were too drunk and high to remember to
take them out after spending your Fourth of July partying until 3 a.m.?
This is mortifying.
This is embarrassing that we have things like this happening in our society, and let me
tell you what's to blame.
Stupid people making stupid, short-sighted decisions.
Take heed, realize what can happen to you, consider the consequences.
Consider the consequences.
You don't want to be a lowlife punk who ends up on the news for doing something so detestable
like this.
Consider the consequences.
This is a microcosm of what happens when people who shouldn't even be parents take drugs and
alcohol and their kid is gone now, mortifying, disgusting in fact.
Consider the consequences, liver damage.
Consider the consequences, cardiovascular and respiratory issues.
Consider the consequences, gastrointestinal disorders.
Consider the consequences of weakened immune system.
Consider the consequences, deterioration of organ function.
Oh, this all sounds fun, doesn't it?
Does this sound cool?
Does anybody in the room think this sounds cool right now?
Consider the consequences, anxiety, depression, psychosis because drugs fry your brain.
All you have to do is visit a big city and look at, even just here, and look at the homeless
people who do not have a brain anymore.
They don't know what planet they live on.
Driving while intoxicated.
Does that sound fun?
Being an innocent person because you were intoxicated.
Like an idiot.
Mental illness, like I mentioned earlier.
Impaired cognitive function.
An increased risk of assault because you do not have any awareness of your surroundings.
Does this sound cool?
Does this sound fun?
Obviously not.
Consider the consequences before you have that first drink, before you have that first
drug.
Consider the consequences and it'll help you do what you ought to do, which is decline
it and run away screaming in the other direction.
You say, "Well, Ben, you're kind of scaring the kids."
Yeah, that's the point.
Yeah, good.
They should be.
They should be afraid.
They should be afraid of making a decision like this that'll ruin their life because
again, it's not just one drink.
It's not just one smoke.
It can lead to a downward spiral that ruins your life.
Consider the consequences and you'll realize, "You know what?
I don't want to be an addict.
I don't want to do something dumb.
I don't want to take these substances."
I'm going another direction.
I'm turning away.
Consider the consequences.
Turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.
First Thessalonians chapter 4.
What's the title of the sermon?
Consider the consequences.
Why?
So you're far less likely to make hasty decisions that have the potential to ruin your life,
that have the potential to ruin your life.
And here's another shortsighted decision that people make, especially younger people, teenagers
in their 20s, really, those in their 20s.
And a lot of folks are doing this, adults, and I get it, it's preached about a lot,
but it's worth mentioning again, and it's fornication.
This is a shortsighted decision, and in fact, there is an individual in the Bible who went
down this road, and we'll see the ramifications of that.
But 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, notice verse 3, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 3.
The Bible says, "For this is the will of God."
If you're a Bible-believing Christian, you should probably care about the will of God.
I think we can all agree on that.
It says even your sanctification or separation that you should abstain from fornication.
Now what am I talking about?
I'm talking about a marriage relationship before marriage, and the Bible says we should
abstain from this.
We should abstain.
We should flee from this.
That is God's will for your life that you flee from this.
It is a short-sighted decision, and you ought to consider the consequences when you're faced
with the choice to commit this sin, this wicked sin.
Listen to Genesis 35, and I'll show you an individual who did not consider the consequences
in a really weird story.
It's weird.
And you'll see what I mean.
Genesis chapter 35, and I'm talking about Reuben.
Genesis chapter 35, and look at verse 21 when you get there, in Genesis chapter 35 and verse
21.
Now, Jacob had two wives and two concubines, Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah.
And here we have something that occurred between Reuben and Bilhah.
It's weird.
Look at verse 21.
"And Israel journeyed and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar."
Verse 22.
"And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah
his father's concubine, and Israel heard it."
Now the sons of Jacob were 12.
Reuben lays with Bilhah.
I don't know who put the moves on who, but this is weird.
This is gross.
This is like shameful, humiliating, it's sick, I mean it's his father's concubine.
And Reuben lays with her.
He commits fornication.
Now look at chapter 49, Genesis chapter 49.
There's a consequence for this action.
Elsewhere in the Bible we see that the consequence for this action is literally God sending a
plague to kill people.
So there's one consequence, but here we have another one, Genesis chapter 49.
Jacob is on his deathbed here.
He's blessing his sons, and it says in verse 3, "Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might,
and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power, unstable
as water.
Thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed, then defilest thou
it.
He went up to my couch."
The Bible reprimands Reuben for laying with Bilhah.
The Bible says Israel heard it, again, embarrassing, shameful, weird, and there are ramifications
for this.
We see that he's judged, but we can go even further if you look at 1 Chronicles chapter
5, if you would go there, 1 Chronicles chapter 5, and we can see the lasting effects of this
decision.
This is a short-sighted decision.
When you think to do something in the heat of the moment, you could end up regretting
it.
Now, I get it.
Sometimes people really think hard and they still make a bad decision.
I understand that.
But the chances of you making a bad choice are drastically lowered when you consider
the consequences.
And here are the consequences for Reuben in 1 Chronicles 5.
It says, "Now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, for he was," we're in verse 1,
"for he was the firstborn, but for as much as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright
was given under the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel."
So he lost his birthright, a valuable possession, gone, because of the choice that he made to
lay with Bilhah.
And it says in verse, we'll keep reading, in verse 1, "His birthright was given under
the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel, and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after
the birthright, for Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler,
but the birthright was Joseph."
So the birthright, with respect to the inheritance, it went to Joseph.
And here's the thing, Reuben, he had four sons, right?
I'm not saying that everything was long, but this is a lasting damage that happened here.
This is lasting damage because of a hasty, short-sighted, stupid, horrible decision that
he makes.
So when you choose to sin, and you don't deliberate, if you don't consider the consequences,
you could do something that leads to lasting damage.
And that's what happens here, Israel judged Reuben.
Israel judged Reuben.
And make no mistake, God will judge you, young people, unmarried people, if this is the direction
you choose to go down in your life.
God will judge.
The Bible says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, and He hates
fornication.
He hates those who would take something that should be exclusive to marriage and commit
that act before marriage.
He hates that.
He judges that.
He killed people for it.
Now let me be clear.
I'm not talking about the law of Moses, but I'm talking about divine judgment, divine
chastisement, a supernatural chastisement.
It can happen to you.
Consider the consequences.
If you choose to do this, if you choose to commit this sin, consider the consequences.
You can be judged.
Reuben was.
Hebrews 3, you don't have to turn there, I'll quote this for you, which says, "But Christ
as a son over his own house, whose house are we?
If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end, we are the
house of God."
And in Hebrews 3, it tells us in verse 6, I just quoted it for you, you didn't have
to go there.
But it says that we're the house of God, whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence
until the end.
Some people get tripped up with this, but think about it.
What does the Bible tell us in 1 Corinthians 3, 17?
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.
If you fall into a wicked sin like fornication, you can't tell me you're a Christian who's
holding fast, you won't be the house of God in the sense that He can destroy you.
He can destroy your body.
He can give you a disease.
He can judge you.
He can judge your flesh to the point that your temple is destroyed because it's a sin
that you're committing against your own body.
The temple of God, you're defiling the temple of God.
Consider the consequences.
1 Corinthians 5 tells us another consequence of this.
How about church discipline?
How humiliating would that be?
Church discipline, kicked out until you repent and get it right.
Nobody would want to experience that.
Consider the consequences when you're faced with the short-sighted decision to commit this
act.
Humiliation.
In Reuben's case, Israel heard it.
Embarrassing.
Weird.
How about an unwanted pregnancy?
Judah had that happen to him.
STDs.
Consider the consequences.
Like I said, you could get kicked out of church.
Consider the consequences.
How about this one?
Like fear into the hearts of everyone in the room.
The judgment of God.
It is a fearful thing to fall into his hands, the Bible tells us in Hebrews chapter 10.
And young people, those of you not married yet, you should be afraid of committing this
sin.
You should be scared to death of committing this sin.
And when faced with the opportunity, run away like Joseph did.
Run away.
Even if you're being enticed, run away as fast as you can.
Consider the consequences and it will help you to make the right choice if you're faced
with the temptation, which is all around us, I get it.
But the temptation, the legitimate opportunity to commit this sin.
And if you consider the consequences, I believe it will help you realize it's not worth it.
It's not worth it to go down this road.
It's not worth it to sin egregiously against God.
It is not worth it.
Consider the consequences and it will help remind you of the fact that it's simply not
worth it.
And here's a message to the ladies in the room who are maybe not married yet.
Hey, there are a lot of guys out there where all they want is that, the fornication that
I'm talking about.
And some of you, you might be dating.
You're still in that period of life where you're looking for a husband.
You're looking for a spouse.
And let me give you a word of advice.
If this guy that you're dating, if he's unwilling to put one of these, if he's unwilling to
put one of these on your finger, he's worthless.
If he's not willing to put a ring on your finger, he's worthless because he only wants
one thing.
If he's unwilling to put a ring on your finger, he's going to use you and toss you aside like
trash.
If he wants nothing to do with that but only wants a physical relationship, he's going
to use you for that and toss you away like you have no value.
But let me tell you something, the Bible teaches that you do have value.
The Bible teaches that your pureness, it is valuable.
Don't just toss it away for the first guy that tries to take it from you.
If they don't want to put one of these on your finger, that's not someone you should
be committing yourself to.
Consider the consequences first, and I believe it will help you to flee fornication.
Here's another one if you would turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 7, Ecclesiastes chapter 7.
How about uncontrolled anger?
Uncontrolled anger.
The Bible tells us, "He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly," as you turn to Ecclesiastes
7, "He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly, and a man of wicked devices is hated."
Righteous anger or having a propensity to snap at people, making the short-sighted, hasty
decision to be prone to snapping in anger constantly.
This can lead you down a road from which there is no return.
And I'll get into what I mean specifically, but obviously there is a righteous anger,
right?
I'm not condemning all anger.
But the Bible does tell us that we should love our enemies.
The Bible does speak negatively about an angry man.
It tells us, you know, cease from anger and forsake wrath, the Bible says.
So there's a type of anger that is unrighteous that we should flee from.
And you have to control yourself when you feel like you're about to get angry when you
really shouldn't.
Ecclesiastes 7, look what it says in verse 9, Ecclesiastes 7 and verse 9, it says, "Be
not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger resteth in the bosom of fools."
Don't be hasty to get angry.
And we see that this is linked with foolishness.
This is linked with foolishness.
Being hasty to get angry is linked to foolishness.
It's a short-sighted decision to snap, to lose all control and do something really bad
that you might feel the effects of for many years to come.
Now, people do this all the time.
And here's an example of unrighteous anger.
Here's an example of a situation in which people aren't in control and they make a short-sighted,
hasty decision that could lead to them having a criminal record, for example.
How about this?
Road rage.
Let me read this to you.
You say, "Somebody already preached about that."
Well, you know, no one said that I couldn't too, okay?
It says here, "Did you know that each year in Texas, there are thousands of accidents
involving road rage?
In 2022 alone, there were 2,510 road rage related accidents in the state, according
to data we analyzed from the Texas Department of Transportation."
One example here I have from USA Today, 50-year-old Ronald Butler was driving his four children
to a birthday party in Milwaukee when he leaned out the window to tell another driver to slow
down and was fatally shot.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cites this, "From 2006 to 2015, road rage
related fatal car accidents went up by 500 percent, 500 percent."
Road rage is a product of uncontrollable anger.
It is the product of having a short-sighted mentality where you blow a fuse the second
you're upset with someone and then, like this moron, commits murder.
Or maybe you get into a physical altercation on the side of the road, which is embarrassing.
I mean, what is wrong with you?
That's what toddlers push and shove each other.
And there's adults out there acting like literal toddlers because, oh, I got cut off.
So what?
How about you just move on with your life?
Are you so prideful that if somebody does something so minute out on the road, are you
so prideful that you can't just let it go?
You have to get out of your vehicle and scream at them, do a symbol with your hand that I
won't do right now, but I think you know what I'm talking about.
And there's times where I'm driving and it's like I'm merging into another lane and I'm
not in the wrong, all right?
Of course some of you are like, "Well, how do I know that?"
I'm not.
I'm driving normal and I look behind me and the guy's flipping me off and like cursing
me out.
I'm like, "What's wrong with you?
Just chill out."
And I'm legitimately concerned that if I do one thing wrong potentially, that it could
legitimately lead to someone chasing me around the city.
It happened to somebody in this room.
He didn't do anything wrong.
He's just driving.
He merges lanes and some nut job, some crazy person, chases him around Houston looking
to take his life.
That's how insane people are because they don't have any control over themselves.
They don't have any control over their anger.
They have a hasty spirit.
They're making shortsighted decisions every day to get angry and to snap at people without
realizing it's not worth it.
Consider the consequences.
Do you want a criminal record that you have to deal with for the rest of your life because
you punched somebody on the side of the road because they didn't use their signal?
Give me a break.
You think with everything going on in America, is that really the most important thing?
How prideful are you?
Just move on with your life.
That is just so embarrassing.
It is so embarrassing.
You know, I'm driving one day and I see two pickup trucks pull into a gas station.
The drivers get out and they're about ready to duel with their fists.
Over what?
It's vain.
What's the point?
Control yourself.
Control your anger.
Just relax, all right?
Everything's gonna be fine.
Folks, consider the consequences
before you become someone who snaps at people constantly
and can't control your anger.
This could affect your relationships.
You can find yourself snapping at your friends,
snapping at your family, snapping at your wife,
snapping at your kids or your husband,
because you can't control yourself.
You're unable to restrain your anger.
Consider the consequences before giving
into unrighteous anger.
Consider the consequences before you give
into that feeling boiling up inside of bitterness.
How about you just love your enemies?
How about you just love those who do harm to you personally?
That's what Jesus Christ told us to do.
Turn, if you would, to Leviticus 19, Leviticus 19.
Consider the consequences.
I believe you'll be far less likely to engage in confrontations that will benefit no one.
And you might end up with a criminal record.
And that'll be embarrassing to try to explain to a future employer.
"Well, the guy didn't use his signal and I punched him."
Really?
Leviticus 19, here's another short-sighted decision.
Young people might make this.
Tattoos.
Luke 19, I'm sorry, Leviticus 19 verse 28, Leviticus 19 verse 28.
I realize this was mentioned last week.
I'm adding to it.
Leviticus 19 verse 28, it says, "He shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead,
nor print any marks upon you.
I am the Lord."
Now, what part of that, you know, Jeff Bourbon and James White, we had a sermon on Calvinism
in the morning, Apologia Church, what don't they understand about this?
It's pretty clear to me.
Don't print marks upon you.
This is a short-sighted decision.
People think when they're in their 20s or even as a teenager or 30s or whatever the
case may be, "Oh, I'll get a tattoo.
It looks kind of cool."
Okay, hold on a second though.
But what about when you're 60?
What about when you're 70?
What about when you're 80?
Is that sleeve tattoo, the biker tattoo you got on your arm really going to look that
cool when you're a grandpa?
The answer is no.
And you say, "Well, I got a tattoo."
I'm not against you.
I'm not trying to make you ... I'm not trying to condemn you or anything.
It's a mistake.
You made it in the past.
You move on.
And now you use that experience to warn others, "Hey, don't do what I did when I was younger."
That's the reality.
But my point is this.
Tattoos, they can fade.
They can blur.
They can stretch.
And a lot of them just look ugly.
How about you consider the consequences before you go down to the tattoo parlor and get,
I don't know, a moose head or something printed on your body?
Canadians out there or whatever.
I mean, there's some really weird designs.
Pastor talked about a burger or something.
It's like, what is wrong?
Why?
What are you doing to yourself?
Consider the consequences.
That's not going anywhere.
Oh, but I can get rid of it.
No, you can't.
You can't.
Look, this is what they do.
They try and melt your flesh and then call it erasing the tattoo.
Do you really want to be in a position where you have to have your flesh melted to erase
some stupid tattoo you got on your arm?
No.
It's there forever, folks.
Consider the consequences.
Some people say, "Yeah, but I got my girlfriend's name on my neck, tattooed on my neck."
It's like, "Have you thought that through, buddy?
What if she dumps you?
How are you going to explain that to your future wife?"
Well, you know, we were young and dumb.
Well, don't be young and dumb.
That's the purpose of the sermon.
Consider the consequences.
A lot of people, they date someone and then they put the tattoo on their body of that
person's name.
That's weird.
Stop.
Stop doing this stuff.
Consider the consequences.
It's like people forget that this is permanent, it seems like, that you can't erase it.
It's on there until the day you die and melting your flesh, it's not going to effectively
get rid of it.
Research from the UK, US, Australia, and Canada, the only places that matter, honestly, and
survey, I'm just, I'm kidding, only the US matters.
Research from the UK, US, Australia, Canada, and surveys by notable organizations report
that 78% of tattooed people regret at least one of them.
They regret at least one of them, and I bet you that figure is probably even higher.
They regret it.
So consider the consequences, how about this, regret.
Consider the consequences, how about this, skin infections, look it up.
Consider the consequences, how about this, allergic reactions to the ink.
Consider the consequences, I already talked about it, it's permanent.
You're putting Chinese lettering, you don't even know what it means.
What if it means, you know, I got ants in my shoes, in Chinese.
You want that on you forever?
Consider the consequences, it is permanent.
Before you make the short-sighted impulsive decision to go out and get a tattoo because
it's so cool, everyone else is doing it.
Consider the consequences and I believe you'll be a lot less likely to make a destructive
decision like that.
You'll be a lot less likely to make a decision you will regret.
You will regret it, especially if it's a really weird tattoo.
You will regret it.
And let's move on.
Let's see how much time I got here.
All right.
Let's look at 2 Corinthians 6.
I'm going to wind down the sermon soon, 2 Corinthians chapter 6.
Here's another short-sighted decision and I'll go through this one quickly for the sake
of time.
Here's a short-sighted decision that people make without considering the consequences
being unevenly yoked in marriage.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 14, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath
light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that
believeth with an infidel."
I believe this passage can be applied in multiple ways.
You could talk about friendships, you could talk about different areas of your life, but
an important one would be marriage.
You want to be evenly yoked in marriage, and this is why God emphasizes in the Old Testament
that the children of Israel don't go out and join in marriage with heathen nations, not
because he cares about their physical attributes, but rather because he cares about their spirituality,
the fact that they're weird heretics, they worship false gods, and in doing so, if Israel
were to join with those nations in marriage, those false gods, that false religion would
infect the nation, and it already, we've seen examples of this happening.
Think of Solomon, the Bible says that outlandish women caused him to sin.
He was unevenly yoked, obviously the issue is tenfold there, in that he married multiple
times, many, many, many, hundreds of them.
But they were also not godly women, many of them weren't, and so you have a situation
where he's being led down the wrong path regarding religion, and to appease his wives getting
mixed up in false religion.
And I don't want you, young people who are not married yet, I don't want you to be the
next person calling into a Q&A live stream and asking a question like, "Hey, you know,
my wife is chasing me around the kitchen with a butcher knife and she's screaming, 'Hail
Satan,' and I don't know what to do."
And look, I feel bad for these kind of people.
But you see it, they call into the Q&A and they're married to somebody truly awful.
And I believe the reason for that is it's an unevenly yoked marriage.
They didn't take care to make sure this individual was saved before marrying them.
And for you single people in the room, if you find someone who's interested in you,
men, and she has green hair and she's a libtard, you might want to pass on that.
Because you're not...
Now look, if she gets saved, hypothetically, great.
But if she wants to remain unsaved, wants nothing to do with the Bible, and for whatever
reason is interested in you, you might want to say no to that proposition.
You might want to try another option.
You might want to try and meet someone who you can get saved or that is saved, that agrees
with you on the fundamentals of the faith, that agrees with you on the Bible, that agrees
with you on the lifestyle you want to live.
You know, I believe, and I had a couple say this to me, and I loved it.
They said, "You know what, marriage should be between two people who are best friends."
And this woman told me, "My spouse is my best friend."
And I loved that.
"Your spouse should be your best friend, but can two walk together except they be agreed?"
And how can a person that you marry be your best friend if they're not even saved?
If they don't believe the Bible?
If they hate Steadfast Baptist Church?
If they hate fundamentalism?
If you're so separate in this area, it'll affect your marriage negatively.
Consider the consequences before getting entangled in an unevenly yoked marriage.
You might end up in a horrible marriage with fighting every single day.
You might end up in a horrible marriage where you don't see things eye to eye.
You're constantly arguing about the Bible.
You're constantly arguing about crucial elements of the Christian life.
Maybe it even leads to divorce.
Do you want to be someone who cannot serve God with your spouse because you're in an
unevenly yoked marriage?
No.
And so be careful, single people.
Be careful.
This is a lifelong decision.
Don't rush into it.
When the person gets them saved or ensure that they're saved, I made sure with my wife
before we got married, I told her, "Hey, I want to serve God with my life."
And I made sure that she was willing to follow me in any direction that I go spiritually.
And she said, "Absolutely.
I'll follow you wherever you lead me."
And that was all I needed to hear because we were just made for each other.
And I really badly wanted to marry her but I wanted to make sure before doing so that
we were on the same page spiritually and we are.
She loves the new IFB so much I had to kind of reign her in sometimes.
But she really, she loves this movement and I feel so blessed to be in that type of marriage.
But you have to make sure before you get married that you're not entering an unevenly yoked
marriage.
Be careful who you marry.
Carefully deliberate and think about that decision and consider the consequences of
rushing into something with someone who might take you out of serving God, who might lead
to you not serving the Lord, who could cause you to stop serving God.
You know, having a great marriage is so important in the Christian life.
And in doing so, you can serve the Lord freely with a best friend by your side, and that
is a beautiful thing.
It is a beautiful thing.
I'm not saying I agree with my wife on every single thing.
We have some differences, like on food.
She's not totally, you know, we're not in 100% agreement.
She hates McDonald's, and that's okay.
But you know what?
When it comes to the King James Bible, she loves the King James Bible.
When it comes to salvation, you better believe she loves the doctor of salvation by grace
through faith alone, eternal security, hating reprobates.
No matter whatever the case may be, she's on board with the essentials.
She's on board with the things that I care about the most.
And look for a woman, man, look for a husband, ladies, that you know is going to be on board
with you about the most important elements of life.
Why are we on this earth?
To serve God.
And you ought to be able to do it with the person by your side who loves the Lord the
same way you do.
Now look, I realize that not everyone is in this scenario.
And I would say just be the best spouse that you can be then.
If your husband or your wife is not as on fire for God as you and that's your situation
right now, just be on fire for the Lord yourself.
Be the best spouse you can be and maybe in doing so, you can influence them for the better.
Maybe your actions can influence them to change and to be better and to start loving God.
Don't make the short-sighted decision though of entering into any marriage and just settling
for a green-haired freak because, "Well, you know, she's interested and I don't want to
be single anymore."
No, consider the consequences of a horrible marriage that you might enter into in haste.
Let's wrap it up.
This is the final point that I have.
I was going to talk about laziness, but we're out of time.
This is the last point that I have.
Even if you would to 2 Timothy 4, and we'll wrap it up.
2 Timothy 4.
How about this one?
Quitting the Christian life.
And this is it.
I'll be done.
Now I want you to think about the scope of eternity.
In the scope of eternity, the life we're living in right now, the Bible refers to it as a
vapor.
It goes by, like I said earlier, it goes by so quickly.
You only have, for some people, 70 years, 80 years, 90 years, whatever the case may be.
And after that time is up, what do you have?
All of eternity.
And think about how short sighted it is to quit on the Christian life because you wanted
to enjoy things that gratify the flesh for another 20 or 30 years, however long you have
left to live.
Think of how short sighted that is when you have all of eternity to look forward to and
that's what you should be investing in.
Consider the consequences of quitting on God before making such a horrible decision, and
I believe it will help you not to make a horrible decision.
The Bible says, I had you turn to 2 Timothy 4, but I want to quote this for you, laying
up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay
hold on eternal life, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
We need to as Bible believing Christians have a zeal for laying hold on eternal life, living
for eternity, living for the life that is to come, living for the Lord Jesus Christ,
living for the word of God, living to do things that will be rewarded for, for all of eternity.
That's what we should be focused on and if you're not, you have a short sighted attitude
and I would ask you, I would beg you to please consider the consequences of quitting, consider
the consequences of backsliding, consider the consequences of sitting at home and eating
Cheetos all day and doing nothing for the Lord and realize, hey, you're missing out.
You're missing out on blessings, you're missing out on rewards.
The Bible says in 2 Timothy 4 verse 9, "Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me for
Demas," verse 10, "for Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world."
Having loved this present world.
Young people, I've been talking to you frequently through the sermon and I want to make this
clear the world is not cool and it's not worth it. It's not worth loving this
present world because it's not cool. There's something really very wrong with
this world. Very wrong with this world and it's getting worse and worse every
year and young people, teenagers, they often they want to be rebels. Often they
want to think that they're so cool. They want to be cool. They want to be the cool
kids. They want to hang out with the cool kids. They want to be the cool kids. Let
me tell you what is the coolest thing you can do. You want to be a rebel? You want to
be counter-cultural? How about you be a straight-laced Bible believing Christian, my friend? That
is straight-laced. That is counter-culture in a society that's getting weirder and weirder
by the second. You truly want to be involved in a counter-cultural movement? I've got one
for you. The new IFB. Fundamentalism. Actually believing every word of the Bible. Leaving
a straight, laced, conservative, clean, pure, separated from this world lifestyle. There's
nothing cooler than that. That's rock and roll in 2023. It is. And kids, they have this
proclivity. I want to be cool. I want to be different. Believe the Bible. That's the counter-culture
in the modern era. Believing the Bible. And my request for you is this. Hey, consider
the consequences of going the opposite direction and quitting on God. When you get older, a
lot of the kids in this room, they'll have the choice. One day, you're going to move
out of your parents' house, and the choice will be yours. Will you follow the teachings
of your parents? Will you love the Lord Jesus Christ? Will you keep going to church? Will
you keep going soul-winning? Will you keep serving God? Will you teach your future children
the things and pass down the things your parents taught you out of the Word of God? Or are
you going to backslide? Are you going to quit? And in doing so, you'll miss out on rewards.
In doing so, God might choose to judge you. The Bible talks about this in Hebrews chapter
10, a certain fiery brand of divine chastisement. Consider the consequences, God's judgment.
Consider the consequences. Consider the consequences. Missing out on rewards. 1 Corinthians 9 talks
about this. The apostle Paul describes his anxiety over being a castaway. Consider the
consequences of being a castaway, losing out on rewards, blessings and divine chastisement
if you choose to quit on the Lord. Let's go to Ecclesiastes 10 and that will be it. Ecclesiastes
chapter 10. The Bible says, "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments
and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whosoever
shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Do
you want to be the least or do you want to be great? The choice is yours, but consider
the consequences before you quit on God because you'll end up being the least forever. Consider
the consequences. I believe they'll help you realize, "Hey, you know what? I want to serve
the Lord with my life." If you consider the consequences, it'll help you realize it is
worth it to invest in eternity. It is worth it to get some souls saved. It is worth it.
I don't want to miss out on eternal rewards. I want to obtain a better resurrection. I
want to obtain a better resurrection. If you consider the consequences, I believe you'll
be a lot more likely to have that attitude. This is the last verse and we're done. Ecclesiastes
10, notice verse 1. Ecclesiastes 10, notice verse 1. "Dead flies cause the ointment of
the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor, so doth a little folly him that is in reputation
for wisdom and honor." You can spend years building up a reputation for yourself, you
can spend years doing that which is right, and in one moment that reputation can be crushed
because of a hasty, short-sighted decision in which you did not consider the consequences.
And so I would urge you to really take this expression and apply it to your life. Even
a little folly, even one mistake, one impulsive decision, one hasty choice can ruin it all
for you. Consider the consequences. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for this
church and I just pray, Lord, that you would help everyone in this room, including the
young people especially, to consider the consequences so that we don't make hasty, short-sighted
decisions that have the potential to ruin our lives. Lord, help us to closely and carefully
deliberate the decisions we make, Lord, so we can serve you and not be derailed by a
silly, silly decision. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
All right. For our final song of the evening, we're going to go to 441, "Great is thy faithfulness."
441, "Great is thy faithfulness." Song 441, "Great is thy faithfulness."