Thank you.
Hymn number 246. Hymn number 246. Hymn number 246 redeemed.
Hymn number 246. Hymn number 246 redeemed.
Hymn number 6.
Can you tell me what is behind it?
I can read the number on page number 130.
Show me the number on page number 130.
I can read the number on page 130 or on page 130.
Now you know.
Now you know the numbers again.
I am hearing it again.
Page number 130, page number 130.
K'a'a'kele sa'ina kawitā.
First sa'a'aputā'a.
K'a'kele sa'ina kawitā.
First sa'a'aputā'a.
Ready, sing.
K'a'kele sa'ina kawitā.
K'a'an desi azaisumila.
Kaalita sa'i kānyām pulu.
Kaau i kā'ukaisa'u.
Satsinu pūpai nāmīwa.
Kātsaṁ pūla mālāhika.
Kīhāyasva mālāhā.
Āmeśya sa'aisumila.
Kāne'lesa gawitā.
Āmeśya sa'i kānuliwa.
Kīhāyasva mālāhā.
Kānuli sa'a'umuhaisumila.
Kīhāyasva mālāhā.
Kākṛṣaṁ bhavasādhi.
Śiṁhṛṣu bhiṣṇi madhvair.
Āmeśta gawitā.
Āmeśya sa'i kānuliwa.
Kālīnāṁ pāyāpā.
Kāyātīma pūlihā.
Kālīnāṁ pāyāpā.
Śaṁhūta tīmūtu.
Āmeśta gawitā.
Śaṁhāyāpā.
Āmeśta gawitā.
Āmeśta saṁhūta gawitā.
Amen.
Everyone.
And that's like twice in the last month, I forgot. Announcements, right?
So, take out your bullets and we'll go through a couple more.
And let's first count up salvations.
Anybody have any salvations to report from this past week?
Any salvations? Anybody?
Three? All right.
Anybody else? Any salvation? Five?
Yeah. Anybody else?
All right. Great work, everybody.
We will have soul winning at 2.15.
The first sermon was long. The second sermon, I'm going to make sure, is short.
It's shorter. We're going to be able to have lunch by 1 p.m., I promise.
A couple other things real quickly.
We do have choir practice here today.
And so that will be obviously after soul winning.
Next week is our Christmas service.
And so I'm still going to preach two sermons.
Okay? It's only a once a year anniversary thing when I only do one sermon.
Okay? Still be two sermons.
I will try to get us done a little bit early so we have more time for fellowship.
We're still going to have soul winning and everything,
but we're going to be having a jump house for the kids.
We'll bring that up again.
And the pink elephant gift exchange.
And so that's going to be a great time. Let me know if you have any questions.
Also, we do have a couple baptisms after the service.
If you're also here today and you want to get baptized,
you can get, you know, men get dressed up here,
women in the ladies restroom.
But as the last song is going on,
you can start getting prepared for baptism
even before the end of the service.
So I believe that's it for announcements.
We'll have Brother Rafi lead us in another song.
He number 237,
he number 237,
the cleansing wave.
He number 237,
he number 237,
the cleansing wave.
He number 237,
he number 237,
the cleansing wave.
He number 237,
the cleansing wave.
He number 237,
the cleansing wave.
Now we sing it again.
Oh, now I see the crimson wave.
The fountain deep and wide.
Jesus my Lord,
I do just see,
going to his foot inside.
The crimson stream,
I see,
I see
I see,
I see, I see,
Oh praise the Lord, he blesteth me, he blesteth me.
I see the new creation rise, I hear the speaking God.
He speaks, alluding to our sins in the cleansing blood.
God blesteth me, I see, I see, I blesteth me.
Oh praise the Lord, he blesteth me, he blesteth me.
I rise to walk in His love of the world and sing.
We rise in His name and presence would be near.
God blesteth me, I see, I see, I blesteth me.
Oh praise the Lord, he blesteth me, he blesteth me.
God blesteth me, I see, I see, I blesteth me.
Oh praise the Lord, he blesteth me, he blesteth me.
Amen.
Amen. For a scripture reading, please open your Bibles to the book of Psalm.
Right in the middle of your Bible, Psalm 34.
Psalm 34.
And as our custom, we will be reading the entire chapter, Psalm 34.
Please say amen if you're there.
Amen.
Psalm 34 verse 1.
Amen.
Okay.
And the best indication is that when you're boasting, it ought to be about what God has
done and not about what you do, okay?
Now, go to John 3, let me give you an example of what not to do, John 3.
The bible says that, Let another man praise thee, not your own lips.
Nobody likes to hear you if you boast about yourself.
Like, look at me and look at what I've accomplished.
Let's say, for example, you meet somebody and then they're like, man, you know what?
I am such a smart person. I'm so successful. Do you know how much money I people like that are annoying, right?
When you're just boasting about yourself and yet it's very common in Baptist churches. You say what are you talking about brother Stuckey?
Well, it's common behind the pulpit with repentance preachers that boast about themselves
Rather than boasting about God right and notice what it says in John 3 verse 33
He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true now
To be saved. You've got to receive Jesus Christ as many as received him to them gave you power to become the sons of God
Even to them that believe on his name. What do you need to really receive about Jesus Christ?
Well, you have to receive his testimony. What is that? Well, what's John 3 about whosoever believeth in him, right?
What you need to receive is the belief that Jesus died for you and was buried and rose again
And when you believe that you receive that what happens you are sealed
With the Holy Spirit of truth, it says here hath set to his seal that God is true
So what the Bible is showing you here is you're sealed with the Holy Spirit of truth
When you receive the testimony of the Lord
How do people get saved? We explained that Jesus Christ came here
He lived the perfect life born of the Virgin Mary died for you paid for your sins was buried
He rose again and if people receive that boom they get saved
That's salvation right and yet you got a lot of repentance preachers and their boast is all about themselves
Right, they'll stand up behind the pulpit and say well I used to be a drunk
I used to be a drug addict and a drug dealer
I mean I was the most rotten sinner in the world
You wouldn't even believe the things I used to do, but you know what when I got saved boom
I gave it all to God. I repented of all my sins and bless God now. I'm serving him and
Number one that's not salvation
Salvation is receiving the testimony of the Lord number two. Why are you bragging about the sins you did I?
Used to be you wouldn't even believe the things I mean this is literally how some people preach
They will talk about I was the worst sinner, and then I gave it all to God all they're doing though
Is bragging about themselves?
And look don't misunderstand me if you used to drink alcohol, and you don't anymore praise the Lord for that
That's great
number one that has nothing to do with salvation and
Number two don't brag about the things that you've done
Right make your boast in the Lord about what God has done, and who he is and not yourself
Right now. I don't stand up here and just brag about myself all the time look at all the things
I've accomplished and what I do if I did it would be obnoxious
It would be annoying because when you're preaching a sermon you're supposed to be talking about the Lord and you know what when you're preaching the gospel
You're supposed to be talking about what the Lord has done
Not about you. How does that help an unsaved person? Well? You know what I used to drink and now I don't drink
How does that help an unsaved person?
What an unsaved person needs is the testimony of the Lord that Jesus Christ came here?
He died was buried and rose again, and they received that and that is how they get saved look your personal testimony
Has nothing to do with salvation, and you know what I've been at churches
Ministries before when I first got saved in college, and they would have testimony time and somebody would come up here
And they'd give their testimony, and so here's the typical testimony, and I'm not going to spend 15 minutes giving a stupid testimony, okay?
Of the sort of testimony they give but they'd stand up here, and they'd say well
You know what I was raised in church, and they're supposed to be talking about their testimony of salvation
And they stand up here and not not here
But at a different bad church or whatever they'd stand up, and then they'd start talking about their testimony of salvation well
You know what I was raised in church. I used to go all the time
I was you know part of the children's ministries, and I was trying to serve God, but I went to
College, and you know I started to drink and it started to stray from God and what I came back to God
And then everyone starts clapping and me and my friends used to look at each other did we miss the when he got saved
Like when did he get saved? I mean did it was he already saying when's it?
When's his salvation and it's like what what they're showing out of their own mouth is they believe salvation is walking with God
Like if you're going to church you must be saved if you're not going to church
You're not safe that has nothing to do with salvation and all it is is bragging about what you've done
That is nothing to do with salvation
What salvation is is receiving the testimony of the Lord and when you do that you've set to your seal that God is true
You're in dwell with the Holy Spirit of truth, and you will always be in dwell with the Holy Spirit of truth
Go back to Psalm 34 Psalm 34 Psalm 34
Now let me tell you what would be an acceptable thing to do not not when you're soul winning
Not when you're getting people saved, but let's say somebody receives the testimony of the Lord
They get saved what you could do after they get saved is say you know what you ought to come to this church
It'll really help you change your life. I've made a lot of changes since I started coming here
Anyway, this church and the preaching and the fellowship will help you make some changes in your life now
Make sure that that is not attached at all to salvation that they're not confused about it
It's after they've already gotten saved
But it's good to try to motivate people to come to church and say hey this church can help you make changes
Be very careful though that you're still boasting about you know the Lord and not your own self like this is how great
I am but say hey, you know what this church and this preaching will help you change your life
Okay, but we got to make sure that we don't try to link any of this to salvation and confuse people because salvation is about
What you believe about Jesus Christ and mark my word
There are people that are drug addicts and drug dealers that we're gonna see in heaven one day
How can you say that brother Stuckey because salvation is what you believe?
Now is that a sin absolutely do we preach against those sins absolutely
But at the same time there are drunks that are gonna be right there with us in heaven
You know what praise the Lord that Jesus died for everybody
Not just for those that have started going to church or those that have gotten baptized or those that read the Bible
But that Jesus actually died for everybody and he loves us so much that even if we don't deserve it
We still get to go to heaven if we believe
last I checked
None of us deserve to go to heaven
Now yeah, it's great if you're not a drug dealer praise the Lord for that, but does that mean that you've kept all the commandments
Right
And what did Bible say about lying lying is enough to send you to hell
Is there anyone who wants to stand up here today and say I've never lied brother Stuckey
Well, if that's what you say, there's a lie right there
right Psalm 34 verse 3 Oh
Magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together and isn't this what we do at church?
We're magnifying the Lord and his name and lifting him up and talking about how great he is
Right. We're not singing songs, you know about you know
Other people were praising the Lord and look there's a lot of great people throughout the Bible
We're not
praising these other people in the Bible were praising the Lord in the songs that we sing and we're
Magnifying the Lord and whenever we might preach on a character in the Bible
You know
We're still directing it toward the Lord and not that one person as if he's some sort of like
Superhero or something because we're not gonna worship any man
Okay, a lot of great people have existed in this world
We're still directing those sermons to the Lord and what he has done verse 4
I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears
They looked unto him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed
This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all of his troubles now in verse 6
I believe he's being a bit
You know
Symbolic here or metaphorical when he says this poor man because what I think he's he's trying to help describe to us is
You know picture somebody who's very poor. He has no money
Maybe he's in great debt and he's in trouble and he has no money to deliver himself or save himself from his troubles
And problems because you know, if you have a lot of money in life
It can help you get out of various problems, right? You know, if you have money people give you whatever you want, right?
Well, here's some money and they'll give you something right?
But what he's saying is that in a spiritual sense we really don't have anything to offer to God
That we deserve it or that we could deliver ourselves
I mean if we could deliver ourselves, we would do that, but we can't right what he's saying
Is this poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all of his troubles
So all God requires to deliver us is that we cry out to him
That we just cry out to God for help now. I don't really believe this is linked to salvation
I don't think that's what it means saved him out of all of his troubles because of course you could make that application
Because hell is a big trouble, right? It's a terrible thing. I don't really think that's the point though
I for sake of time, but if you remember the story of Elisha and his servants
They basically wake up in the morning and I've mentioned this recently like what I personally believe even though the Bible doesn't directly say it
I think Elisha Elisha
Woke up early and probably had his morning time with God. I think he was reading the scriptures
He was praying and he got in the right mindset and the servant
There's kind of this picture that he wakes up and he sees all these problems
He sees the enemy trying to destroy them. He comes to Elisha
It doesn't say he woke Elisha out of sleep because great men in the Bible
They always wake up early great men great women. They rise up early in the morning
So I believe Elisha was already way awake and had done his morning time with God and the servant comes to Elisha
Alas my master. What shall we do? And then what Elisha says?
It's it's the the song in our hymnal, you know open mine eyes that I may see he says basically
You know open his eyes and he can see that you know what we have God's help to deliver us
It doesn't say that God's gonna provide some help
but the help is actually already there and see what the Bible says is the angel of the Lord and
Campeth round about them that fear him and
Deliver them now I do believe
My personal opinion the Bible actually teaches that as a saved person you do have one guardian angel
I think the book of Luke teaches that and if you're you know, the Bible says that for everybody
But then after you're saved, I believe you retain that angel that is like actually there, you know to help you
But not only just that one angel
But I do believe that God is here to help us in our lives if you're serving God and doing right
You know what if something tragically happens, it's not like it was a fluke accident
It's because God obviously allowed it for some reason because God is there to actually protect you and help you out
Now if you're not fearing God because you can be saved and not fear God
The Bible does not say that every saved person fears God and you know
We also have an unsaved person in the Bible that does fear God Cornelius
Cornelius in all of his house feared God as unsaved people you can be saved and not fear God
You say how could you be saved and not fear God when you're breaking God's commandments you don't fear God
right
When we're doing wrong, we're obviously not fearing God and all of us from time to time
We make commit sins and do wrong
We're not fearing God at that moment because we think we're gonna get away with our sin or whatever
Right, but if you're living a life of sin, you're obviously not fearing God because you're thinking wait
nothing's gonna happen to me right, but the Bible says the angel encamps round about those that fear him and
Deliver them and God is there to help you and protect you and deliver you when you run into difficult situations
Bible says at the end of the day safety is of the Lord
And you know what?
I found is as a saved person when I'm right with God and I'm serving God and doing right
I really don't have a lot of fear in my life
I live a life of confidence and faith and I'm not afraid of something that might happen to me
But you know if you're not serving God and you're kind of backslidden a little bit
Which all of us are from time to time all of us walk in the flesh from time to time
Then all of a sudden you start getting afraid of everything
And you know what honestly there's there's good reason for it because if you're serving God
God is going to be there to protect you if you're not serving God
Who knows what's gonna happen?
Right, you know probably many of us in this room can probably point to times in our lives where God protected us and helped us
In a difficult situation. I remember being going home from church in West Virginia and you know many years ago and
I was driving on the highway and when you're driving on the highway in the US you're going very very fast
Okay, I'm trying to convert. I don't naturally convert to miles and kilometers
You know per hour, but I think it's basically you know you're going like 75 miles per hour, so it's like a hundred twenty
kilometers per hour which is pretty fast right if you get an accident boom
You know you could die when you're going that speed and my back tire my back left tire just blew immediately
It's not that I got a flat and my car started to slow down
It just it sounded like a gunshot and my car swerving all over the highway
But you know what I got to the side of the road in a matter of a couple seconds my car didn't flip even
Though you know it felt like it was going to and it's like you know what I was okay
Right now. I'm not saying that God wouldn't have protected me if I was was not doing right
But what I'm saying is I was doing right and serving God at that time
I mean you know what God protected me
And I do believe that if you're serving God and doing right you can have that confidence that God is there for you
And he's there to protect you verse 8
Oh taste and see that the Lord is good
Blessed is the man that trusteth in him now to be saved. You've got to put your trust on Jesus Christ
Right we say money walla or magti walla long caje su Christo, but it doesn't mean you're trusting God with every moment of your life
Right because you obviously put all your trust on Jesus to be saved if you're saved
You've got to put 100% you know many times
There's certain things in the Bible where God says you know what do this and we're just like you know what I like
Like what I'm doing
I feel like this is going to work out better for me
And we trust in man's wisdom or what other people tell us rather than trusting what God says
Well the Bible says the person that puts this as their trust and lets the Bible guide their life
That person is going to have a blessed life
You know there's benefits to serving God
It's not just that you're obeying God, but it's going to be miserable. It's going to be terrible
You're missing out on so much actually if you do what God says it's going to be a blessed life
It's going to be a happy life. You're going to be great joy. There's many benefits to serving God and doing right
It says in verse 9 oh fear the Lord ye his saints for there's no one to them that fear him now
You say brother Stuckey. What is a saint?
Well, I'll tell you what a saint is not a
Saint is not somebody that died 500 years ago that you know Pope devil Francis just
Determined is a saint
Okay, a saint according the Bible is someone that believes someone that's saved
And this is given all the way back in the Old Testament
So it's true back then as well because they got saved they put their trust in the future coming of the Lord
We put our trust in the Lord that already came and died for us
But the Bible says here that you know, oh fear the Lord ye his saints
So once again if God's commanding us to fear God, it's not automatic
Right because many people preach. Well, if you're really saved you're gonna start walking the walk
Well, why does God have to always command you to walk the walk then if fearing God is automatic
Why would God have to command you and say hey fear the Lord?
He says that because we have free will to make our own choices and
Just simply being saved does not mean you're gonna fear God and I would say that if we were to make an accurate
determination of people that actually fear God of saved people
I would say it's the minority of people in 2021 that are saved that actually fear God
Right because people live their lives and they don't even care what God says
They don't even strive to do what God says that shows a lack of fear of God
One of the benefits of fearing God though according to verse 9 is this for there is no want to them that fear him
There's no want to them that fear him now
What is something that you desire now? What does that mean? Well go to Philippians chapter 4 Philippians 4
Philippians 4
And this is actually described, you know a couple times we'll see this here in the Bible
But really the main reference is in terms of your financial provision
Although I do believe you could apply it to other things
But notice what it says in Philippians 4 verse 11
Philippians chapter 4
And you know, there's a famous passage of Scripture we often turn here
but notice what it says in Philippians 4 verse 11, not that I speak in respect of
Once right he uses the same terminology
For I have learned in whatsoever state. I am there with to be content
I know both how to be a base and I know how to bound everywhere and in all things
I'm instructed both to be full and to be hungry
Both to abound and to suffer need now when he talks about one here in Philippians 4 verse 11
He's applying this to his financial provision
and he says I know how to abound and have basically everything and not have any
Concerns financially and I know how to be a based or be humbled and he said, you know what?
I'm instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need
Now what's interesting is Paul says I have learned to be content
And what Paul is stating is it did not come naturally for him
Anyway, honestly when we think about it
It makes sense because Paul was pretty successful before he was saved in a financial sense, right?
No, we don't know, you know, I whether you know how much money he had or whatever
But he was very high up in his religion. He was successful
He had all of his needs what he's stating though is this I used to have all my needs
But now I'm traveling around and starting churches and sometimes I'm like, alright. Well, I guess I'm sleeping on a rock tonight, right?
I'm trying to figure out and he said, you know what I learned to be a based
He's like I used to have a lot of stuff and now that I don't have it
You know what? I had to learn that because it didn't come naturally
Now one application I make is you know when I move from the United States to the Philippines because there's a lot of differences
But one of the major differences is the size of the place you live
Like what's considered a small house in the u.s. Is considered a very large house here
And so for example, you know my wife and I we bought a house in Sacramento, California
And by American standards, it was very small. It was
Smaller than anybody I knew and it was like I think was around 700 square feet
It was just under you know, 70 square meters, which is very small in America
Now some of you are like that that doesn't sound so small, right?
But in America, that's very small and so I remember, you know
We moved in there and you know
Then our son was born and I remember just thinking inside my mind like man
I wish our place is a little bit better. We have so much stuff
And you know what the reason why you feel that way is because you know
Your happiness is oftentimes determined based on who you're around and since other people had nicer houses
You know, we'd have dinner over at some one of the church families houses. They have all these nice things
You're like man. I wish I could have that their cars nicer than mine their house is nicer than mine
look if we're honest all of us can be covetous or envious, you know from time to time and
It's just like, you know being around that I was like man, you know, but then when we moved here
You know, especially when we're living here in passing
It's just like our place was like less than half that and then we ended up having two kids instead of just having one
And it's just like our place that we live now and on place is bigger than where we lived in passing
But I remember just you know, it's not bigger than where we lived in Sacramento
But I'm just like I'm very content now because we had a smaller place and now it's bigger
But you know, it's interesting that when I lived in the US because you compare yourself to other people
You're just like man. I wish I could have the place that they had
right and what Paul's saying is this, you know what I used to have a nicer life in terms of my
physical provision and financial provision and he's like, you know what I ended up kind of giving that away and
You know what? I had to learn to be content
And you know what? Honestly, it's you know, I I like seeing you know when godly people in the Bible show
Character flaws or where they where they show that they're not super human
Because you see them do some amazing things and you you sort of feel like man
This is like Superman or something right like a like a great example is
Elijah in first Kings 18, I mean he tears down those false prophets of Baal
You're like man, nothing could ever depress this person then in the next chapter
Jezebel threatens him and he's like, oh, I don't even want to live anymore
Just let me die God and he's miserable and it's like honestly though
That's encouraging because all of us have moments where we backside we mess up
We have areas where we're striving to do better and it's like it's encouraging to me when you see those problems
Because it makes me feel like well if they could learn to get past their problems then I can too
Right, I think of Joseph in the Old Testament now when you read the book of Genesis like
Joseph, you know when he first sees his brothers again, I don't believe he just immediately forgives them personally
I don't see that when I'm reading the story
I think that he has some you know bitterness toward them
But at the end he certainly forgives them right he fully forgives them and you know, he's weeping at that moment and everything like that
I mean he fully forgives them and it's just like that's encouraging because you see someone who yeah, it was difficult
But he ever overcame it right. I mean other than the Lord Jesus Christ. There's nobody who's perfect
You might have a character like Daniel that it doesn't mention them sinning
But obviously he did sin because there is none righteous
No, not one and sometimes you see these frailties in these these people their weaknesses their problems and it encourages you that you know
What if they were just a man and they could do something mighty for God? I'm just a man
I'm just a woman I can do something great for God in 2021
Right. It's not like God uses people that are perfect. We're all sinners
We make mistakes, but if you really want to serve God God can use you in a big way
Now we're go back to Psalm 34 Psalm 34
So here's the thing if you're not content right now in 2021 learn to be content I
Mean
An easy way to apply this to think about this obviously for lions their food is their sustenance and their financial provision so to speak
For us what it's saying is this if we fear God and are doing what's right?
There's not gonna be anything that we want that we desire that we feel like we need because when you're fearing God
You're not focused on the things that you don't have I
Mean any one of us if we can just think about the things we don't have and just meditate upon that we would be miserable
Right. None of us are Bill Gates
Right. None of us are that rich
There are things we probably want that we do not have
Right and you know
Obviously all of us from time to time. We might have this attitude. I wish I could have that I
Wish I could have that but we don't have it
And the secret is just quit meditating upon it
And if you fear God and you're serving him you end up being content. Just the fact that you're obeying God
Okay
Psalm 34 verse 11
Come eat children harken unto me. I will teach you the fear of the Lord
What man is he that desireth life and love with many days that he may see good now in verse 12?
What he's basically saying is, you know who desires to have a long life in a good life
Right wouldn't everybody say I want to live a long life. I want to have a good life
I want to be blessed and have nice things and and be happy. I want to have joy
I want you know, my kids to grow up and serve God and do right. I want to have a good life
Well, what does the Bible say is the secret verse 13 keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile
Now, I don't think verse 13 is really what you'd expect the Bible to say
Right in verse 12 it says, you know who desires
You know life and loving many days and that he's gonna see good and have a good life
You wouldn't expect the answer to be, you know, keep your tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile
You know, there's many ways that we can apply this when it comes to our tongue many sins that we can fall into
Okay now quickly turn with me go to James chapter 3
James 3
But
There are many sins of the tongue and honestly, you know what someone could preach a sermon series on that
You know, I don't have that on my list coming up
So one of you guys that preach on Wednesday if you want to go for the sins of the tongue
Part one part two part three or whatever, but there's many sins of the tongue that we can fall into one is
Gossip, right? That's a major sin of the tongue
right
Another thing is complaining. That's something that makes God pretty angry in the Old Testament right complaining something that's annoying
It's obnoxious. People don't like to hear it, but people oftentimes fall into the pattern of complaining and everything like that
You know people could talk. I mean it says speaking no guile people could speak about sinful things, right?
People oftentimes they talk about all the worldliness and the sin that's out there in the world and you know
Basically, you know praise it and things like that
I mean there's many ways you could use your tongue for bad and you say well
How does how does that affect all of you though? How does that affect you from living a good life?
Well, because what the Bible teaches is the tongue is like a fire and
It will spread to your entire body
So if you cannot control your tongue
What's going to end up happening is your whole body is going to be filled full of sin and problems
It says in James 3 go to verse 6 for sake of time
actually verse 5 verse 5
Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth
The tongue is a little member a little body part, right? It's not a big body part
Who would think that this tongue could do so much damage and yet our tongues cause a lot of damage
they cause a lot of problems right and
Boasteth great things. I mean, isn't it true that most people every man praises himself, right?
Everybody talks about how great they are
Right and then it says in verse 5 behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth
So it Lincoln's the tongue to basically like a fire. Okay. What's the Bible trying to say?
Well think about a wildfire
Every major fire that's out there. It started with something very small
There's it's always in California, you know where Verdi Baptist is in Sacramento
There's always wildfires throughout the year, especially these last several years. There's been a lot of wildfires
But you know those wildfires started with something small
Oftentimes with these wildfires, they'll trace it back and they'll say well somebody smoked a cigarette and threw it out and ended up being like
Right, and it's just like sometimes something very small can end up causing so much problems
But all of those fires started with just a very little flame
And what the Bible says in verse 6 is this and the tongue is a fire a world of iniquity
so it so is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body and
Seteth on fire the course of nature and it is set on fire of hell
What the Bible says is this tongue defiles the entire body?
So look if you just say whatever comes out in your head. Just let it come out of your mouth everything you're thinking about
Everything that's inside of there. You're gonna end up living a life full of sin. It's gonna destroy yourself
Because pretty soon once you can just say whatever you want and not feel bad about it pretty soon
You're gonna start to do the things that you think as well and not think anything of it go back to Psalm 34 Psalm 34
Psalm 34
The sad thing is the tongue is it's small but it's very dangerous but it's very hard
to control
We tend to just say what we're thinking out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak it
That's just kind of what happens
Right. So really if you really want to get control your tongue
You got to get down to the root of the problem will get to your heart
Change your heart because you know when you think stuff it eventually is gonna come out of your mouth
That's just the way it works, right?
Psalm 34 verse 14
Depart from evil and do good seek peace and pursue it
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open onto their cry
The face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth
So the Bible makes a comparison between those that are saved and those that are the evildoers and you want God's ears
So to speak are open on to our cry
Meaning when we cry out to God God is ready and willing to listen to what we have to say
If we cry out to God because what the Bible also teaches in the book of James is one of the big reasons
We don't have things in life
It's because we don't ask for them
It's really that simple. I
Mean it seems so stupid when I'm preaching this and when you're hearing this doesn't it seem don't we seem so silly and
Yet many times you just don't ask for stuff because we're just too lazy or like wow
Does it really make a difference and stuff like that?
It's like brother Stuckey. Why are the lights out? Well, we didn't turn them on. It's that simple
Brother Stuckey my computer. It's it's yet. Just hit the power button. It's gonna be okay, right?
It's really that simple when it comes to getting our prayers answered number one
We need to pray to God. We need to cry out to God and God is ready and willing to listen to us
it says in in
verse 17
The righteous cry and the Lord hearth and deliver them out of all their troubles
the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saith such as be of a such as be of a
Contrite spirit so it mentions a broken heart and it mentions a contrite spirit now when it says
He saved as such as be of a contrite spirit
These are people that are already spiritually saved and what he's stating is the spiritually saved person that is willing to humble themselves
God will physically save them from various problems and dangers in their life
Okay, but it mentions a broken heart in a contrite spirit now go to
Isaiah 57 let me show you another verse
Now
I would say that
most people when they get saved probably do feel pretty bad and
feel very guilty
But we need to be very careful that just because we
Experience something does not mean this is universal across the board with people to get saved
There could be people in this room that when you got saved you cried. I didn't cry when I got saved
Well, I don't know if you're saved brother Stuckey because you didn't shed any tears and
See sometimes we feel like well, this is how I got saved
So everybody like when I got saved
I literally went down on my knees and prayed and asked Jesus Christ to save me
But you don't have to do that to be saved
You don't have to go down to your knees and pray and ask Jesus to save you. It's just what I did
Right, we need to be very careful because sometimes people just kind of assume that what took place with them is just universal across the board
Well when I got saved I felt really bad and wanted to give up all my sin
That's great that you did but that doesn't mean that the Bible says you have to be willing to give up all your sin to be
Saved that could be your experience when you got saved
For me. I was perfectly willing to hold on to my rock music and movies when I got saved, right?
I was I mean if I was told well
You know what? You got to be willing to give this up and this is like now I probably I'm like man
It's been a lot of money on that stuff, right?
God doesn't require that though. What are your cars is for us to believe on Jesus Christ?
So don't let anybody take you to a to tell you all in my testimony
This is what I did that doesn't mean that everybody did that though or that it's required
What's required is to put all your trust on Jesus Christ now as a 57 verse 15 notice this for thus saith the high and lofty one
Isaiah 57 verse 50
15
For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy. I
dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a
Contrite and humble spirit
So here mentions a contrite spirit in a humble spirit other places not just in Psalm 34, but other places we see a
Contrite in a broken spirit and so what the Bible is trying to show us is that broken is is very similar
To being humble because when you think of being broken, it's basically when you're being humbled where it's like God
Please help me because you're asking God to deliver you and help you
Well, that's a humble thing you're doing because you're admitting that you can't help yourself or you can't save yourself
and so Bob says God wants to save those that are of a contrite and broken or contrite and
Humble spirit and of course when we pray to God
One of the major things we're doing is humbling herself
Because if we feel like we can do it on our own there's no need to pray
But obviously we're going to God we realize you know what I need God's help in order to fix these problems in my life
It's a very, you know humble thing that you're doing go back to Psalm 34. We'll close up some 34
So spiritually what saves us is putting our trust putting our belief on Jesus Christ
We believe on Jesus Christ we get saved. It's eternal life. It's forever. It's that simple
But
The determination of whether or not we're blessed in this life
Under the blessing or cursing of God. What's not whether or not you're saved
It's whether or not you obey
Right that has nothing to do with getting to heaven and see many times people try to merge all this stuff together
It's like in terms of going to heaven or hell. It's as simple as believe on Jesus
But in terms of God blessing you in this life
It's called you got to do what he says
Anyway, that makes perfect sense because if you have children in this room
What's the determination of whether or not you're gonna bless them especially when they're young are they obeying you?
Right. I mean if my son, you know throws a big fit and yells at me and everything like that
And then he's like daddy. I want ice cream. No
Not gonna happen son
Right. It's like you better be right with me if you're gonna ask for ice cream. Otherwise, I'm not gonna give it
Same way with God. I mean you better be obeying what he says and doing right and when you do mess up
What do you need to do?
You need to come to God with a broken and humble and contrite spirit and say God I messed up
Forgive me. Give me another chance cleanse me help me or whatever. Okay
Psalm 34 verse 19 many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord deliver them out of them all
He keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken
Evil shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be
Desolate and those people that you know are wicked people they hate the righteous
Right the Bible says and they that hate the righteous
You know what?
If you're serving God if you're saved there are gonna be people that hate you
People that are reprobates and children of the devil they will hate you and if you're serving God
You're definitely gonna have enemies. They're gonna be people that do not like you
They do not like what you stand for you say why is that brother Stuckey? Well, most people aren't saved
most people don't have their belief on Jesus Christ and
You know what in the Philippines in 2021? I've asked recently we were talking about this in Pampanga
I was I asked the question, you know, what percentage of people here and in you know
The Philippines do you think are homeless what percentage of guys and their percentage? I was the most optimistic
I had the optimistic outlook of only 10%
Right in terms of Metro Manila and Anjali City because I live in Anjali City our churches in Anjali City
But met and mine was the low one, right?
But the range from people was 10 to 40% and I thought 40 was a little bit high. I
Hope that's not true, right?
But I could certainly believe it's more than 10%
I mean honestly when I said 10% and I was like, but then when I really thought about I was like
Yeah, you know what? Honestly, it's probably probably more than that
I mean, how many times do you start preaching the gospel to a group of people this happened to me yesterday?
I walked up to a group of five people and then I realized oh man all three of these guys are
Homos all three of them and then of course you're in the difficult situation
Well, there's two girls here that I don't think you know, or I mean, maybe they'll be willing to listen and get saved
But it's like at the same time, you know, you got these, you know homos that are just you know
Being obnoxious and everything like that. It's just like puts you in a difficult situation
But that happens a lot you go to a group of people and then all of a sudden
It's like there's a lot of people that are homos and I would say that in Metro Manila
Maybe not in every province, but I would say Metro Manila and in Anhale City. I think it's more than 10%
I think I was honestly I had the most optimistic outlook. I had the low end
Honestly, I think I was wrong. All right, I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong. Okay, I think it is probably
higher that's a scary thing and
People like that, you know what they don't like us
They don't like us
Say why don't they like you? Well, they don't like God
they hate God and
When you state what God says they don't like you either and honestly, even if you don't state it
Just the fact that you go to church. I mean you go out soul winning later today
You know what those sorts of people they're gonna hate you just seeing you they can't stand the Word of God
I mean have you ever had this you go soul winning and then all of a sudden, you know
You talk to someone they're not interested you knock the next door. Oh, nobody's home there, right? Nobody's home
And it's just like you know what many times those people are just lying. They just don't want you to knock those next doors
It's like what's your problem? I mean if you're not interested, that's fine, but they hate what we're doing
Now what I often do in those situations not all not always it depends on the situation
But what I often do because you're trying to avoid fights
Even if they're not receptive you don't want to get into a fight because that could prevent any opportunities
I say oh, well, thank you. Let me just double-check it for myself
I just say something like that and it's like you know
What I found is that sometimes you say that and then the person's like arguing with you and yelling at you
And it's just like, you know, what's that person's problem? And then of course somebody opens the door
Imagine that somebody's home Wow, and I remember one time I did this and then that person wasn't interested
But then afterwards, you know, they closed the door
I walk away and I told you not to open that door. It's like you told me nobody was home
It's just like, you know, what in the world you say what is that? Well, they hate what we're doing
They hate what we're doing. I
Mean, I mean do you do you think and look I'm not I'm not just talking to the home about the homos
I mean do you think that Muslims are happy when we're going out preaching the gospel?
Because when I run into them, they're usually very anti Bible now, there are some exceptions but many times they're just angry
Right. You're just trying to invite him to church and they just ignore you right?
I've seen that many times especially when we went to resolve park you walk up. They just ignore you
Right, no matter what you say. They're just ignoring you and and if they do say something oftentimes
We're Muslims and they're really mad right now. There's exceptions. I'm not saying it's always like that, but it's it's it's very common
Well, they don't like us spreading the message that Jesus is a son of God do they?
Right, but it's not just when we're going soul winning
It's also the things that we promote and you know, what most people do not agree with what we promote
They don't like what we have to say they don't agree with our stands. They don't agree with these sermons. They don't agree with this
Now correct me if I'm wrong. I mean I do have my contacts and I can see right now
There's a lot of people in this room
Right. I mean there's plenty of people here. It seems like a lot of people like this type of preaching
I mean 2021 is a pretty crazy place in Metro Manila, but it seems like a lot of people like this preaching
Right, but there's a lot of people that hate this preaching
They hate what we stand for they hate what we believe and you simply going to this church could cause you to have enemies
with your Catholic relatives
They could be mad. I mean you could you could have a lot of enemies with Baptists as well a
lot of Baptists hate our church
It's like I I mean it's it's like but it's just the way it is a lot of Baptist churches
We're like the biggest enemy, you know with Baptist churches here in Metro, Manila. They hate our church
And it's like they don't agree with the things that we stand for and you know
The big issue that we disagree with them on is usually over repentance of sins
Well, we're never taking a gray area on that situation
Never a gray area whatsoever brother segue. We're ever gonna do a joint evangelism thing with some other church
Well, not if they're preaching repentance of sins
And
It's a big issue
Work salvation versus faith alone. That's the difference whether they see it or not
And it's just like you know what it's a big issue in 2021 and you know
The vast majority of Baptist churches preach Calvinism and repentance of sins in 2021. Guess what? They don't like our church
They don't like what I have to say about Calvinism
Now, I love what I have to say about Calvinism. It's always my longest sermon
It's like oh wow, the first sermons on Calvinism. All right, we're gonna have lunch at 2 p.m. Here today, right?
That's the way it works. But anyways verse 22. Let's close up here
The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate and the Bible says that
The the wicked those that hate us are gonna be desolate when you think of desolate, you know
Oftentimes you say desolate wilderness. You could think of a desert where there's basically no life to it
Okay, but the Bible says that for us that trust in him, you know, we're not gonna be desolate
Okay, when you're serving God and doing right God's gonna provide your needs. He's gonna bless you
He's gonna help you doesn't mean your life's gonna be perfect
It doesn't mean that you're not gonna have any problems
But absolutely walking in the path of God and trying to serve God is gonna bless you in many ways in life
So what's the message here fear the Lord? What does it mean to fear the Lord? Well fear God and keep his commandments
For this is the whole duty of man. Let's close in order prayer dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for allowing us to be here today
And I just ask you to help us to apply this sermon to our lives including myself
Help me to do a better job fearing you and help all of us to fear you
Keep your commandments and do right. We ask you to continue to bless our church. We just pray this in Jesus name
Amen, and so if you're here to be baptized today you can get ready now ladies back in that room and men up here in the
front
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