where we just read that he would never forsake the Lord and yet just a few
passages later we see him denying the Lord so the first group of people I want
to look at this evening is the fakes right it's fakes and flakes and of
course probably the first one that comes to mind when you think about a fake in
the Bible is Judas I mean he's the quintessential fake in Scripture and
he's the really the worst one now I believe there's other people that are
fake that aren't necessarily Judases but the worst fakes are the Judases right
because they're there when they they usually when they go they leave you know
a path of destruction a wake of destruction behind them you know Judas
came in crept in was fake was a phony was a fraud and then when he left you
know he went betrayed Christ literally and we understand that these things had
to pat come to pass but he also serves an example that's what these people are
like when they come in and they're fake when they're finally exposed when they
go they try to do as much destruction as they can on the way out and they
typically attack you know the the leader you know they attacked the Judas
attacked Christ the fakes when they go out they make the the man of God they
make the pastor you know the leadership a target on their way out now if you
would keep something in John 13 just turn back to John 6 we're gonna be in
John throughout the sermon just so keep something there John 13 and we have to
understand that there are fakes you know and people what always gets me is when
people are so surprised they say oh I can't believe this person turned out to
be a phony this person turned out to be a Judas you know and then what's even
you know because the Bible just tells us over and over again that the you know
evil men and seducers are gonna wax worse and worse deceiving and being
deceived that that evil men are going to creep in underwears of our own selves
also shall shall men arise you know teaching damnable heresies to draw away
disciples after them you know the Bible tells us over and over again it gives
example after example of people who come into ministries getting work involved in
the work of God and just turn out to be complete phonies and fakes and it
happens over and over and we've seen it you know if you've been around not just
this church other churches that we know where people come in and then they turn
out to be something that they're not okay and in despite that despite all the
warnings and scripture despite all the real-life examples that we've seen and
know of you know people still turn and criticize churches criticize leadership
and say oh I can't believe you didn't know you know I can't you know they
blame somehow they blame the the pastor or the ministry the leadership for with
some other guy turned out to be a fake well that's that's the whole point of
being a fake you know they fool everyone okay and you know and the only person
that was not fooled by Judas was the Lord I mean you know the story when
they're when they're all going around the table and saying is it I is it I he
says it's it's to him like I didn't give the difference give this off to and
immediately gave it to Judas and everyone's just like and like they just
totally he's like basically just you know pointing it like it's Judas you
know it's this guy and they still don't get it okay because usually these fakes
are so good they're so smooth they're so good at what they're doing because a lot
of times they're psychopaths you know they're so good at what they're doing
that they fool everyone around them you know now they couldn't fool the Lord
because he's got right he knows the inward thoughts he knows man inside and
out you can't hide anything from him okay but look there in John 6 I mean
just to just for a proof text that Jesus knew he said John 6 verse 64 it says but
there are some of you that believe not right and he says for Jesus knew from
the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him
so he knew right away from the beginning that Judas was a fake and yet he allowed
him to be a part of his mystery when he named the twelve disciples you know
Judas was listed and he's not even really when you read those those those
passages and Matthew Mark and Luke you know he's not the last disciple named
right he's like hey I'm gonna go ahead and have this phony this fraud in there
right and why did he do that well one so that the scripture could be fulfilled we
understand that but also I believe he allowed that to happen because he wanted
to give us an example of what we can expect as in the ministry what we can
expect as Christians that there are going to be Judases who creep in among
us to do destruction and he's showing us here what they're like he said they
believe that there are some of you that believe not for he knew from the
beginning who they were that believed not now is that what you just said hey I
don't believe but I want to be a disciple that wouldn't make any sense
Judas is putting himself out there as somebody that believed trying to pass
himself off as the real deal and it wasn't till he you know Satan and
entered into him literally that he was revealed to be what he was a fake okay
so that's what a fake is basically you know people who pretend to be something
that they are not and if you would jump down to verse 68 it says then Simon
Peter answered and said Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of
eternal life and we believe and ensure that thou art the Christ of the Son of
the Living God so you have Peter here making his confession saying look I
believe we believe you are the Son of the Living God Jesus answered him verse
70 have not I chosen you 12 and one of you is a devil again there he knew verse
71 he spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon for he it was that should betray
him being one of the 12 so you have people who are saying look we all
believe you know Peters including Judas Judas in that you know in that in that
description they're saying look we believe that thou art the Christ of
the Son of the God you don't hear Judas go I don't know he's right there we're
going yep mm-hmm yeah he's he's right there just nodding his head some other
guy who was you know was saying oh we didn't elect Pastor Jonathan Shelley and
he's just sitting got a video of him right you don't see Judas piping up and
say no not me I don't believe no he's passing himself off to be something that
he's not he's a fake he's a Judas he's a phony now if you would go to John
chapter 13 where we were John chapter 13 and look he has so many people fooled
right that's what these people do there you can't you have to that's the bad the
worst thing about you know about the fakes you know the flakes you know we'll
talk about them in a minute they're there they're you know we don't want to
be flaky either but you know at least then you you can kind of tell if
somebody's flaky right we we could probably even identify and see flakiness
in ourselves but you know fakes these Judases that creep in they are so smooth
and they are so you know they might give you a red flag here and there but
they fool everybody around them look at verse 29 for some of them thought
because Judas had the bag that Jesus had sent him by those things that he that we
have need of against the feast or that he should give something to the poor so
notice in this verse we're gonna learn something about these type of fake
people the Judases okay what it you know say why would anyone creep into a church
and pretend to be a Christian let alone why would someone creep into a church
and be an independent fundamental Baptist Christian you know why would
someone to creep into a church like this you know and try to do to pretend to be
something that they're not you know because when you're pretending to make
these be like us you know you're not exactly making yourself into you know
mr. or mrs. popular right here so you say what what's their motivation here you
know what a lot of times their motivation is money that's it it's
money and churches are soft targets because Christianity teaches us look be
forgiving be loving be patient be kind give people the benefit of the doubt you
know and and unfortunately that makes us into soft targets for some of the worst
types of people pedophiles fakes phonies Judases just the worst elements of
society that want to creep into a church because they know that they could
probably go undetected because people are just going to go ahead and assume
the best about people so what's their motivation what's money that's what see
here in verse 29 some of them thought Judas because Judas had the bag and it's
not talking about you know their toothbrushes you know it had the bag
that Jesus had said and buy those things which we have need of against the feast
or they should get something to the poor that bag is what had the money in it and
it you know that says a lot about what the Lord thinks about money when he knows
he already knows who the Judas is he's like here Judas you hold the money give
the money to the to the betrayer to the devil from the beginning give the money
that you know because that's all he's concerned about and here's the thing you
know real men of God real people who love the Lord they hate covetousness you
know money is a dirty thing you know literally you ever you ever had to count
like a large quantity of money it literally stinks it's like literally
smells bad you're like I like the smell of money it's like it's some of those
just dirtiest nastiest stuff there is right but people you know obviously they
want the power and the things you can do with it right they're not attracted to
its actual smell but look real men of God they hate at least they better not
behave man you like the smell of money you got you got problems you probably
have a cat anyway it's another story but you know real men of God they hate
covetousness you know they're that complete opposite of the Judas they're
not fixated on money you know and I'm glad that you know the men of God that I
know are not fixated on money I'm glad I'm not in a church where you know they
have to make sure that we're you know having all these monthly business
meetings and counting every day just scrutinizing every little thing you know
when you're in a real church that's doing the work of God when you have men
of God who hate covetousness you don't have to sit here and worry about what's
happening with the money you know and a lot of times you can just see what's
happening with money look at this building look at the sound equipment
look at that Baptist Street look at this nice sign look at this great pulpit look
at these chairs you know look at all the stuff that's around you that's where you
so where it's at what's going on with the money look around look at the look
at the you know what's the pumpkin patch you're going to whatever the maze or
whatever what is that I might be coming back for that one remind me when that is
no you know hey it's free right all the materials are getting handed out the
field trips that are being made the missions things that we do that's where
all that money goes and real men of God they hate covetous they're not in it for
the money but who isn't for the money the Judases and isn't it funny when
these Judases and they try to attack that's what they're all about you know
we were talking this morning before service you know it's projecting is what
it is they're just projecting what's in their own heart they're just all about
the money where's the money what happened the money who's doing what
with the money it's like all you're you're obsessed with money it's funny
that you're turning out to be a Judas just like the Judas in the Bible who is
given the bag because that's he's obsessed about money go over to Exodus
chapter 18 keep something in John but Exodus chapter 18 you know it's actually
you know it's not just that men of God you know it's good if they don't if
they're not that was just it's it's actually a commandment that they can't
be covered it's literally a requirement for the bishop and the deacon it says
not given to wine first time you three no strike you're not greedy a filthy
Lucre but patient not a brawler not covetous not greedy and filthy Lucre not
just getting up and say I'm just gonna tell you what you want to hear I'm just
gonna say what everybody wants to hear so we can build a big church and get a
bunch of people in here and I can get your money you know that's what goes
along in a lot of these churches you don't want to want to know why real life
church down there it's probably filled to the brim or you know people's church
right here with with Pastor Wapner presiding down here it's so big and
filled because he's not gonna get up and tell you you know a bunch of hard things
out of the Word of God he's gonna bring him in and he's gonna what he's gonna
itch he's gonna itch the earlobe right he's gonna give him a little ear massage
when they come to church that's what's going on you know we're told that you
know that they shall depart from the faith having itching ears they're gonna
keep to themselves teachers having itching ears what does it mean to have
an itching ear you're saying you know you know scratch my ear tell me what I
want to hear tell me God's not mad at me you know write the book God's not angry
at you Joyce Meyer you know national best bestseller probably made millions
right that's filthy lucre that's all she's after is your money you know or
you know your best life now Joel Steve I wonder I wonder how many millions of
dollars he made off that book you know and again it's just he's greedy of
filthy lucre okay look the man of God it's required it's not just a good
personality trait for him to have he literally cannot be greedy of filthy
lucre because otherwise he will not do the job of reproving rebuking and
exhorting with all long-suffering and doctrine likewise must the deacons you
know I'm not I don't get I'm not I don't get out from under this you know must be
grave not double-tongued not giving too much wine not greedy of filthy lucre you
know they're not to be covetous it says in Titus chapter 1 the bishop must be
blameless as the steward of God not self-wooled not soon angry not given a
wine no striker there it is again not given to filthy lucre not covetous 1st
Peter chapter 5 and it's just all over the all over the place he said in verse
2 feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by
constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind look if you
had a pastor who was greedy and covetous you know what you do he would get filthy
lucre you know there's a lot easier ways to get people's money besides
embezzlement you know there's a legal way to do it it's called filthy lucre
you know you don't have to commit fraud and to get people's money today so how
do you do that like I just said all these churches around here they're
getting filled to the brim all around their mega churches just people I mean
they literally charge people to go to church to some of these things oh these
preachers go on tour you want to take it to Joel Osteen's you know little show
it's gonna cost you you're gonna have to dig deep they'll turn you upside down
and shake you until they get every dime they can out of you you know there's
there's other ways if you had a man of God who was just covetous you know you
do you go after your people and run people off and take their money with
them that's how I know that your pastor is not a covetous man because he's not
taking the easier out of filthy lucre look there in Exodus chapter 18 verse 21
moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men such as fear God you
know there's that first requirement look you got a man who fears God you got
something good that's the start right there isn't it once you start fearing
God in your life all these other things start to just fall into place fear God
you know fear the Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom okay
but fools despise knowledge and instruction men of truth
hating covetousness you know this was back when you know Moses was trying to
do everything on his own and Jethro his father-in-law says hey you need to
appoint you know of the people to be rulers of thousands of hundreds of
fifties you know point captains over the people to help with the work and what
kind of people did he say to find he said find people that fear God men of
truth that hate covetousness that people that aren't gonna be in it just for the
money because you know who's in it for the money the fakes the Judases of this
world they'll say the right things to come across as genuine and that's what
these fakes do and that's why they're so hard often to pick out because and look
that's why it's pointless to go around trying to find a fake you can't do it
because they're good at it I mean you might have a red flag we all you know
whenever these fakes get exposed we always kind of say well you know never
did like that guy anyway I always had a weird feeling about him you know it's
like yeah you're such a sleuth you spiritual Sherlock over there right but
the fact is is that not everybody can you know you can't and so don't go on
some reprobate hunt or something like that trying to find you know who these
these wicked people are you're not gonna find them they're gonna creep in and
they're gonna you know they'll they will eventually expose themselves for what
they are and then they'll be dealt with they say the right things to come across
as genuine look at Matthew chapter 26 Matthew chapter number 26 actually know
what I'm sorry go back to John back to John and that's what isn't that what
Judas did when he's going around and saying well into that when Jesus says
well into that man by whom the Son of the Son of Man is betrayed and it had
begun for that man if he had not been born then Judas was betrayed and aunt
which was which betrayed him answered said master is it I now you can look at
that at one or two ways you could say maybe Judas didn't know he was a juice I
tend to think he did you know although maybe maybe not you know I've also
thought a lot of times these Judas is they don't even know that they are
they're just being they're controlled of the devil they don't even know and
people look at you funny when you say that that they were controlled of the
devil that the devil I mean it's not what happened with him Satan literally
enters into Judas before he doesn't does his dirty work and people look at you
cross-eyed like you like you're like I thought we were Christians here you know
I thought we believed in spiritual things I thought we believed the Bible
and the Bible talks a lot about Satan and angels and demons and possession
that's all in there folks this isn't just you know I'm not just turning on
this it's October it's time to go to Halloween theme here you know I'm not
Walmart up here you know it's it's it's what the Bible says year-round that that
you know and that's just makes me think maybe Judas didn't know you know I'm
sure he had no doubt about it when he was done but you maybe that you know a
lot of times these people come in I mean how else do you explain a bunch of
people all showing up in the same church around the same time at all falling to
the same false doctrine how do you explain that that just happens or is it
that Satan you know allows people to creep into churches and they don't even
know that the devil has their eye on them and then when he's ready to spring
a trap he just springs it you know you can make the argument that's not the
case but you know it wouldn't surprise me if it is it makes me think that a lot
of people don't even know that they are Judas but look once they expose
themselves to be a Judas there's no there's no faking it after that they
can't you know once the mass comes off you know their their their plans have
been spoiled again by those dastardly kids you know it's just the way it works
look at John chapter 13 verse 27 after that and after the the SOP entered in
Satan entered into him Judas right then said Jesus unto him that doest that thou
doest do quickly look Satan literally entered into him and then he went out
and betrayed Christ you know these people get taken over by the devil I
believe that go to John chapter 12 John chapter 12 you know another fake we'll
move on from the Judas you got cover that one right out of the bat because
that's usually the most you know just obvious one you would think of say hey
who's a big phony in the Bible it's like Judas right and he's the worst you know
he's really the worst one but you know that I believe there are fakes that come
in people who are just fake it only in the sense that they're just phony in
their spirituality they just make themselves to come across as more
spiritual as they actually are and a lot of times because they think that they're
more spiritual than they actually and you got to be patient with these people
and let them kind of you know come off their high horse and let their feet
touch the ground a little bit more before you know and so they can actually
get some real genuine spirituality about them but you know who am I talking about
these hyper spiritual types people are just over the board hyper spiritual you
look at John 12 you know and again Judas you know he's an example of this now I'm
not saying everybody that's hyper spiritual is a Judas okay but Judas is a
great example of this he said in there verse 4 John 12 then saith one of his
disciples Judas Iscariot Simon's son which should betray him why was not this
ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor remember when they broke the
ointment and they put it on Jesus you know and he's and he's here with this
indignation right and in and you know she's she's anointing him against his
burial Jesus said Jesus said it was an honorable thing right and that she would
be you know that wherever the Gospels preached she would be made mention of
okay but he said you know what do you have Judas doing here why I was not this
ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor hmm this is a hyper spiritual
type right why do you have to buy Panda Express for the soul winners can't they
just bring their own sack lunch hmm why can't they just live a more simple plain
life like I do you know that's a hyper spiritual attitude you know that and
and that's what we see here and what's their real motive well for Judas that he
said not that he cared for the poor it's he doesn't care for the poor but because
he was a thief and had the bag and it bear what was there put there in look
not everyone that's gonna have this hyper spiritual attitude means they're
just there to you know their Judas is in this sense like they just want to betray
and get money and it's a lot of times they're just they are they they're fake
and one of the things that they say they just say things that sound right
they just say things you know that are gonna make them look spiritual you know
and what are some examples of this well we'll go over to Matthew 23 Matthew
chapter 23 one area I think is in prayer regarding prayer look you know the Bible
says that we are to enter into our closet and pray and our father would
see it in secret will reward us openly they were to pray in secret and our
father would see it in secret right and to not go out and and you know stand on
corners like the hypocrites and the Pharisees and just make long public
prayers look obviously we have public prayer people pray before the service
people pray at the close of the service you know we might pray with the brother
or sister over the phone or in person or something like that but you don't ever
notice sometimes people they'll just want everyone to stop what they're doing
for prayer look I get it we get together for a meal we're gonna pray okay but
sometimes you know I'll just be perfectly honest sometimes I sit down to
eat and and you know I just kind of say thank you Lord my heart and I don't just
stop everything I'm doing and just make a prayer and people say oh you know a
lot of times it can almost turn into like like a vain repetition with you're
just praying before every meal I'm all for praying for a meal don't get me
wrong you know we're gonna go out to dinner we'll probably pray before the
meal you know but if I forget if we all just get caught up in conversation and
we're just having a good time fellowshipping and we're just talking
about things and we're just getting into it the meal shows up next thing you
know foods going in the mouth you all have that friend you know who it is
right oh man I got to tell the story we were out to eat we got this one brother
I won't name any names I know they're gonna watch hopefully but you know
they'll know who they are okay we were all out to eat tacos right because
that's what you do when you're in Tucson eat Mexican food best so we were out
there and we're all sitting around before soul winning we got a big plate
of tacos and I'm watching this brother across from me and he's just kind of
eyeing the other brother down at the end and he's waiting and he's waiting and he
literally waits till he gets the taco to like right here just like just just
about to put it in he goes let's pray and it was just everyone just busted up
laughing like I just knew he's like just this low-key savage brother in the Lord
you know it's it's awesome to watch him work but you know we all sometimes we do
that you know but some people just are like for eating before he prayed and
please allow him not to have heartburn or indigestion and and help not to choke
on his food for being such a just a base carnal heathen over there it's hard to
even believe that he saved Lord please forgive that's I'm saying he's over the
top this hyper spirituality you know everyone's getting in the in the
vehicles everyone's in the van ready to go out ready to go soul-winning you know
like as if we're not you know if that's not sign that we're spiritual enough I
mean I don't know what else is I don't see a lot of other people that are
lining up to go knock on strangers doors and you know try to preach them the
gospel before it gets slammed in their face you know that's a probably usually
a pretty good sign look I'm all for praying before we go out on some road
trip or something like that but look when we're when we're about to get on
the freeway and it suddenly dawns on you that we haven't prayed that's probably
not the best time to ask the driver to close his eyes and bow his head and say
hey whoa we forgot to pray before we leave can we do that now it's like yeah
go ahead you're praying dear Lord Jesus take the wheel you know that's what
you're praying but that tight that's the type of fake spirituality that I'm
talking about here people who just want to call every little infraction you know
they're just out there you miss one little prayer here it's like you know
you're just you're not even spiritual do you even love the Lord you know all
these types of things how about you know if you're there in Matthew 23 I mean why
do they do they say why would someone do that verse 5 but all their works they do
for to be seen of men they make their broad their phylacteries and large the
borders of their garments and love the uppermost rooms at feasts and chief
priests in the synagogues and in greetings and markets and to be called
men of men rabbi rabbi they want to make long prayers don't they they want to be
seen of men they want everybody else to know at the dinner table they want
everyone else to know in the soul-winning van you want everyone else
to know that I thought it was me it was my idea to pray look when people do that
I just say yeah go ahead what don't you think we should pray my just always say
go ahead pray you know maybe maybe they are genuine and sincere but sometimes I
think is this just you being hyper spiritual is this you just wanting to
make sure everyone knows that you know and look if next time you're out
soul-winning of the brother he says well let's pray before we go pray with him
okay it's not being hyper spiritual there okay you know the difference
though right you know these people another way this shows up a lot of times
is you know how about this when they say they're gonna pray for you and then they
don't a lot of times you wouldn't know whether or not they're being fake in
that regard but the Lord knows you know you express something you tell them
someone's going in your life they say well I'll pray for you and then they the
rest of the week they just don't even remember and you know a lot of times you
can tell us because they've never asked you about it again you know you could
tell if someone's praying for you as if they want an update every so often hey
I've been praying about that thing for you is how's that going right when
someone asked me that you know if they want an update on something that they
said they're gonna pray for me why I say that guy's praying for me he actually
meant what he said he's not being fake he's not being a hyper spiritual he
really does go home and you know he's not doing it out you know openly he's
getting down in his own private personal time with the Lord and bringing my name
before the throne I praise God for that you know we want that people when you
say you're gonna pray for somebody do it and if you're not gonna pray for him
then don't say you're going to you know just to sound like you care because
that's fake you know and people can perceive fake and nobody likes fake
people okay how about another way that people are fake is in their manner of
speaking you know literally in the way they talk or sometimes in the way they
write you know and I can testify this to this maybe a little bit more than others
because of the fact that you know I deal with a lot of the emails a faithful word
and I'm telling you there's some people you would think that it was the Apostle
Paul writing I mean it's just like greetings the name of the Most High God
and his blessed son the Lord Jesus and like look I believe all those things
about God but this is an email this isn't a pest this is you're not writing
to the seven churches you know in Asia this is this is you or you're just
trying to tell me why you know some weird conspiracy theory or something and
they're starting out with this just it's like you're opening up the book of
Ephesians or first Timothy you know where it's just as greeting from Paul you
know Paul an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ unto Timothy my own son in the
face faith grace mercy and peace you know from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ it's just like dude and then a lot of times you know what
happens you guess what they asked for money a lot of times it's some guy you
know it's like someone in India no offense if you're from India you know
it's this long just greeting and then it's like if you would find it in your
heart to to give us some money we'd really appreciate it right and and they
read and they or excuse me they write and they talk in this this hyper
spiritual talk you know people that come in they're just like hallelujah praise
the Lord God bless you brother it's fake and people see right through it you know
I greet the brethren hey how you doing what's wrong with that greetings the
name of our most high of the most high God brother it's so blessed to see you
today I'll say you're blessed to see me today I might say that but that's as far
as I'll take it right so that's another type of fake you know so again we have
you know I'm just coming look we could go on and on about this type of thing
you have fake people who are just evil wicked Judas's who are out there to do
harm to the body of Christ they're just there for you know the money they're
after greedy they're for filthy lucre they're covetous right but then you also
have fake people who you know aren't necessarily bad people they're just have
these you know delusions of grandeur a little bit they're just these they're a
little puffed up and think you know think of themselves a little more highly
than they ought to okay and look a lot of times those people they calm down you
know and I've had people come to me say oh this guy this guy's a phony this guy's
a Judas this guy's right it's like no that guy probably you know just got
saved and is really excited right and maybe you just need to let him just cool
his jets a little bit you know he'll touch down to earth eventually you know
and maybe eventually someone will have to take him aside and kind of explain a
few things right but you know all fake people doesn't necessarily mean they're
bad now the other group of people I talk about are the flakes right the flakes
people and look this is probably one that could apply more to you and I
because we all have I think a tendency it's just part of human nature to be
flaky okay and I'm not talking about a problem with your dandruff right what I'm
talking about is people you know who say they're gonna do something and don't do
it essentially right people who are basically the opposite you know of a
faithful man you know a faithful man lets his actions do the talking he
doesn't have to tell you what he's gonna do or say he's gonna do something you
know a lot of times he just does it and you're not this and you don't have you
say that guy's on a flake he's he's faithful he's committed he's solid you
know and and it's the opposite of that is what we're talking about we're
talking about flakes people who quit a lot of time you know they flake out they
quit after giving the impression that they won't right people say you know
and what's a great example of this well if you go back to Matthew 26 Matthew
chapter 26 I don't think I had you in John keep something in John we go to
Matthew 26 you know an example of this is Peter okay now look you know I feel
like and where time I pick on these guys I feel like I'm just gonna get it when I
get to heaven like he's just gonna grab me by the ear and just take me aside me
like look you preach some things but the fact is you know and let me so let me
just disclaim to give a disclaimer is that you know not everyone has to like
not everyone is a that steps down from the ministry is a flake okay not
everyone that gets out of the ministry is a flake often they are okay a lot of
people get in and they find out that they can't hack it and and they quit
even though they could keep going look some people have to get out of ministry
because one they probably never should have been there to begin with or two
it's just not working out for them something changes in their life I get
that okay but there's a lot of people who flake out of the ministry not just
in leadership right people flake out in church all the time people come to
church and they're like I love this church I can't wait to be in this church
for the rest of my I'm gonna raise my family here you know I'm gonna I'm gonna
you know I'm gonna serve here I just want to be faithful this church and it's
like short time later it's like where is that person you forget their name
eventually and that happens all the time you know who the people that I know
they're most faithful faithful are the people who usually don't brag about it
the people who just you know just show up and just let their walk do the
talking you know the Bible says most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness
right I'm gonna be in this church you know I'm gonna I'm gonna go start that
church I'm gonna go out there just I'm gonna take on the world I'm gonna turn
the whole you know this whole region upside down for Christ and then you know
they're on some stupid YouTube channel attacking the ministry they're a part of
your flake that's flaking out in the ministry happens all the time but a
faithful man who can find you know it's telling you that the faithful man is
hard to find isn't it but you know what you know what the people you can find
them it's just you know you're just not gonna hear them is the thing you'll find
them it's the guy that's not sitting there talking a big talk he's just going
in week in week out raising his family loving the Lord serving the Lord being a
church being faithful he's not he doesn't have to talk his walk does all
the talking for him you know a flake is someone who makes these plans but they
can never follow through they keep talking about what they're gonna do and
a lot of times when you confront them they turn into another type of flake a
snowflake right where you confront them they just kind of get offended and run
away you know and go suck their thumb and cry in a corner with their blankie
and look there's a lot of that today I'm getting ahead of myself but you know
I was started to talk about Peter I better clarify this because he's gonna
let me have it but in Matthew 26 verse 33 I would say Peter flaked but I would
not call him they flaked he definitely flaked out it's in the Bible okay I mean
he said verse 33 Peter answered and said him though all men shall be offended
because of thee yet I will never be offended Jesus said him verily I say
unto thee that this night before the crop cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice
Peter said him though I would should die with thee yet I will not deny thee
likewise also said all his disciples so Peter wasn't alone in this you know we
often figures pick on Peter over this but there's other disciples were just as
flaky as he were as he was right and he's saying look I'm gonna die with you
I'll never forsake you and then just in a matter of moments you know they're
they're scattered short time later Peter's just denying the Lord and it's
and it's a maid it's a little it's a it's a young woman that's coming to him
and calling him up saying I know not the man and starts cursing right so yeah he
flaked out but what I call Peter a flake no because we know that he got right you
know the Lord loved him and went after him and he got back in the ministry and
went on to do great things for God but it just shows you that this is part of
all of our nature you know we all have a tendency to be flaky if we're not
careful you know you know what's it what's a more practical example of this
that might hit home a little bit is that honey do list right guys where's the
Amen's come on man gets quiet whenever I pick on you guys right hey I got one too
all right I got what's probably longer than yours
honey could you do this yeah I'll do that I'll do that
flaky you don't do it right gotta do that do what you say you're gonna do
right that's the you know and that's something we need to work on because
that's part of human nature I'm using that as an example to show us that we
all kind of have this flakiness about us so we got to keep that in check because
if we let it get out of hand you know you could end up being it just known as
a total flake somebody just quits you want to flake out on God right it's one
thing to flake out on replacing the you know filter and air conditioning or
not doing the oil change at 3,000 miles or something like that it's another
thing to flake out on God it's nothing to say that oh I'm gonna die with you
Lord oh I'm gonna be in this church until the end pastor you're gonna bury
me one day or I'll be at your funeral you know you're gonna preach all my kids
weddings you know just it's like okay let's just how about next week you get
here and then the week after that we'll see how you're doing okay it's people
who talk but they never walk I should have had you go to go to Proverbs chapter
actually go to Psalms 37 Psalms 37 the Bible says in all labor there is profit
but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury you know the person that's going
to be profitable is the person who actually labors person actually says
that that does what they say they're gonna do and maybe they don't even say
it they just labor they say there's no point in me just telling people I'm
just gonna go do this and get it done and there's gonna be profit there but
the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury you know this is something I've
discovered in you know I like books about self-improvement and things but I
found out that can be kind of a toxic thing you know to dwell on to I'm not
against self-improvement don't get me wrong but what I really what I found
myself doing is it was a lot easier to just you know to contemplate my
self-improvement you know you got to have that ideal schedule and then you
sit there and you make that ideal schedule and you feel like you
accomplished something because you made the ideal schedule you know I'm saying
you haven't lived the schedule you haven't gotten up at whatever you know
ungodly hour you set for yourself to do like your first five
I'm gonna go down to the pool and take an ice bath and then you know I'm gonna
read my Bible for six hours it's just like you put it but you feel like you
accomplished everything just because you sat down and planned it that's the
talk of the lips tending only to penury there's no profit there you know who's
gonna profit the guy who actually gets up and does those things the man and the
woman who get up and say I'm not just gonna talk about living for the Lord or
doing these things I'm gonna do I'm just gonna get up and do them that's where
the real profit is you know the talk lips tendeth only to pin your people who
talk about reading the entire Bible never do this is the year I'm gonna do
it another year goes by didn't do it people who talk about soul winning but
never go when's that soul winning time who do I talk to you who should I get
with how do you do it it's like just show up just go be a silent partner you
know don't just don't just talk and ask and bring it up why don't you just show
up you know put some labor in and we'll get you there we'll make you profitable
how about this one people who take money but never deliver people who say oh I'm
gonna make this great documentary about the flat earth take a bunch of money and
then never deliver you basically steal money they're flakes you know and they
coincidentally might also be fakes of the worst kind the Bible says the wicked
borrow it and payeth not again but the righteous show with mercy and give it
that's Psalms 37 21 if that's where I need to go so look go go to Proverbs 25
Proverbs chapter 25 you don't want it you know we don't want to be fakes
obviously and and probably chances are nobody in this room is you know we're
not but here's the thing we can all be a flake if we're not careful we don't want
to be known as that flaky guy right the guy who quit the guy who left the church
the guy who quits the church over some stupid thing over some Judas right don't
be the flake and here's the thing if you are the flake you know if you're saying
brother what you got to bring up them honey do lists you know why'd you got to
go there you know don't be a snowflake you know if you're getting called on
your flakiness a little bit don't be a snowflake okay what's a snowflake people
who can't handle being a rebuke people who can't handle being told they're
wrong to stop doing something and look this is just taking over it's just a
generation like I feel like my generation I'm not gonna tell you old I
am I'm gonna tell you my generation you probably know I'm 40 I'll be 41 in
December that's the truth you know and I'm you know that right on that cusp you
know born in 1980 between and what is it Gen X and who came after that doesn't
matter millennials and Gen Xers I'm like right on that cusp right and I feel like
that the one that came after me which would be Millennials right they came
after Gen X is that right and whatever went to now it's like it just went
downhill really fast after that with this whole I can't be told I'm wrong
everything and that's where we're at in this society and this cancel culture
that we're living in where oh that offended me you know that statue offends
me you know and I could care less about people's idols anyway I mean they want
to tear it down tear it down they want to leave it up leave it up I really
don't care but look that's where we are in this country where every little thing
offends people you have to walk on eggshells or you don't you know but
that's what they want you to do just be on just be careful to not say the wrong
thing or whatever because you're gonna offend people and they're gonna cry
about it you don't want to be that type of person and I'm gonna tell you right
now if you're gonna be in church where the Bible is being preached where you
have a man of God that loves you and cares enough to you to come he's gonna
come to you and say to tell you if you're doing wrong when you're doing
wrong you're gonna have that brother and sister in Christ say look I noticed
you're going down this path it's not good you need to stop it that person is
doing that out of love you know you know the wounds the faithful are the wounds
of a friend but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful is what the Bible says
it's it's part of the preacher's job okay and look I've seen it you know I've
had this my last boss before I came Deacon you know at a shop I worked at we
had this young kid in there and like he's just being lazy he's not doing his
job and my boss like he would rebuke him and stuff he would tell him to get
after it and he would just be like he would tell me he's like I have to be so
careful with him I feel like I have to just treat him so delicately I'm talking
about like a 20-something year old young man who just can't he's like he looks at
me like I ran his puppy over or something he looks at me like some kick
dog you know he almost he's like I almost feel bad and this is coming from
like you know this marine you know who's just it's hard for marine to be
soft it's not exactly in their nature to be these sensitive types right and you
know if here's this let me just say this if you can handle being rebuked if you
can be handle this and not be a snowflake you'll go far you'll go far in
the Christian life look you'll go far in the job today because I mean you know
employers they're not just looking for somebody to just say they're sorry and
take things well they want somebody who's just gonna fix the problem and not
sit there and I feel like I have to hold their hand and have a therapy session
with them hey you messed up fix it yes sir all right problems over you know
people that can't take rebukes don't go far out in the real world they won't go
far in a church that actually gets up preaches the Bible either because it's
only a matter of time to that passage gets turned to that scripture gets
turned to that sermon gets preached where you just think that the pastor the
preacher wrote it just for you and you know what that is it's called the Holy
Spirit that's who wrote that sermon you know I'll write sermons and I'll get up
and start preaching them and I'll realize somebody's there and be like
they're gonna get so offended about this like what have you done what do you what
are you doing to me Lord you know then I realize this is gonna apply to their
situation this is gonna applied right to this person I didn't set out to do
that the Holy Spirit did that I wasn't even thinking about it I write something
I go to preach it there there it's like oh this will be fun you know they're
gonna they're gonna have some things to say after the sermon or you know what or
maybe they won't maybe let's say you know what he's right and I need to fix
that and I need to get that right because I'm not gonna be a snowflake you
know I'm not gonna flake out I'm not gonna just get upset at the preacher I'm
gonna fix what's wrong and get it right look it's only a matter of time it's
literally the preacher's job to get up and rebuke you it's literally his job
so why do you go to church so I get my face ripped so you sign up for that you
volunteer for that yep I go there to be told what I'm doing wrong so I can get
it right it keeps me in check it's good the Bible says in 2nd Timothy 4 Paul he
said I charged thee before God said why does the preacher have to be so mean why
does he have to get on my sin because he has a charge before God you know I'm
more worried about upsetting God than I am you that's any good preacher that's
how he feels about it so look if that's what the Bible says it's gonna upset
some people I'd rather make you mad I'd rather make everybody in this room mad
then and then hold back and have God mad at me he said I charged thee before God
and the Lord Jesus Christ you shall judge the quick and the dead at his
appearing in his kingdom preach the word be instant in season out of season
reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine he said
reprove and rebuke that's two negatives reprove being told hey you're wrong
rebuke is hey you're wrong right it's like a stronger reproof reproof right
then you have the exhort which is that's the encouraging thing you know that but
that's only one-third of the what Timothy's told to do and he says to do
it with all long-suffering and doctor why does he say it to do with long
suffering because one thing I've noticed as a preacher is that you have to keep
preaching the same thing over and over and over again read your Bibles go to
church the whole soul wedding you know love your wives be obedient to your
husband's you have to preach all these things over and over and over again one
because you have new people coming in all the time but a lot of times it's
just because people don't get it the first time you know and we need to make
sure that we're not being snowflakes and also you don't want to be somebody who
harbors bitterness towards other people you know a lot of times it's you know
obvious be honest it's good for the preachers get up preach these things and
get him off his chest a lot of times this is therapy for me to get up there
and just let you know hey I'm upset about what you did or what you're not
doing or whatever but I would rather do that than sit there and just harbor
bitterness towards somebody I mean if you have a problem with somebody you
know just go tell them okay all right did I have you go to problems chapter
25 and look if people can't handle it someone comes to you and says hey you
offended me in this way or you're doing something wrong you know if you can't
handle it you're a flake there I said it if you just get all offended you're
probably a snowflake and and the Bible tells us to to rebuke others it tells us
and look I'm not saying we need to have a radar on like I'm gonna get so-and-so
today oh you do what about your offerings how's your offerings that's
all you do you don't want to have a just pinging people for a chance to rebuke
them but look just through human relationships just being around each
other people are gonna rub each other the wrong way someone's gonna say or do
something and offended you it's better just clear the air with people and just
air it out and get over it it's amazing how how people get you know men
especially I think are good at this and it seems like you ever notice two guys
can I mean they can get in a scrap I mean they can just go to come to blows
or that they're rolling on the ground and they're just you know they're
calling each other names they're going at it and then they get up they're like
hey what do they do they cleared the air now I'm not saying that so you should
handle it all right I just know that's how guys are sometimes right but you
know sometimes ladies they tend to hold on to things a little bit more look
that's just something I've noticed you know being married and being around in
the ministry of notice people kind of sometimes they'll they'll Harbor things
instead of just going and saying hey you know this or that they'll just say it's
like something that happened a year ago okay look it's it's better see see she
knows she knows I'm saying is true right it's out there it's better to
clear the air the Bible says in saw Leviticus 19 thou shalt not hate thy
brother and thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor and not
suffer sin upon him you know if you see your brother going down some sinful path
rebuke him say I notice you're quitting church you know I saw you walking out
of that bar you know or next door here whatever this weed shop down here it's
a sin okay you got to be sober that is a sin you know hey I saw you doing this
I saw you doing that I noticed this it's not right you should get that right you
know the Bible tells us do that so don't be a snowflake if somebody comes and
tells you something like that the psalmist said in 1 4 and Psalms 24 let
the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me it shall
be an excellent oil which shall not break my head you ever you ever
discipline your children they act like they're gonna die sometimes I'll be
working home I'll hear my son it's like did he just step in a bear trap is there
an animal wild animal loose in the house I'm only embarrassing because he's not
here I wouldn't do it if he's here maybe I wouldn't I wait till he's older but
it's just like what in the world is going on out there what happened
the way he's reacting right they act like they're gonna die look he says
look it shall be an excellent oil which not will shall not break my head it's
not gonna kill me if someone comes to me and says look you need to fix this you
know and that for the longest time I'll just say you know let me just you know
in case you think I'm just you know preach from a high horse here or
something for the longest time and then early on in my Christian life my only
redeeming quality is that I could handle being reviewed probably cuz I was just
so used to it I remember one time my pastor was just laying into me and he's
just stopped he goes did you get yelled at a lot as a kid he's like cuz I I lay
into you and it's like it has no effect you just gloss over cuz I was just like
desensitized to being reviewed right but for a long time you know I learned how
to take rebuke and that honestly was probably my only one of my only redeeming
qualities for a long time in the Christian life is that I could mess up
and make mistakes and I get called on the car before I'd say well I'll fix
that I'm sorry and move on I mean I'm heat my old pastor he was a roofer and
he did siding and roofing and I he'd take me on he probably should have fired
me like six times but he kept me on because he's trying to teach me some
things I remember this one time I'm just telling the story for some levity
but he sent me out there to take to do we had this one part of the building
that was like a cement block that came out of the house and you can't put
siding on that you got a bend metal to put around it you got to bend the tin
okay so he sent me hey take this roll of tin here's the measurements go down to
the the supply house they got a break down there and bend this tin and make it
fit over that so we can cover it up make it look nice man I spent like three
hours down there I mean I was precise I had the measuring tape out I was down to
the sixteenth of an inch I had that thing broken and I came back and I put
it on there and it was like a glove I mean it was perfect and I'm all proud
of myself just like putting that thing on there just thinking he's gonna love
this man attaboy Corbin yeah you did it right he's gonna give you a raise and I
don't mean a ladder right and then up from behind me I hear his voice that is
the stupidest thing I've ever seen anybody do on a job site in my life I'm
thinking who's he talking to I turn around he's just red face coming right
up to me like that's the stupidest thing I've ever seen that I mean is that
animate if he had a hat he'd have thrown on the ground and start jumping on it
I'm like what's wrong he's like you don't know what's wrong I'm like no he's
like it's inside out I bent it where the wrong color was out it was like such an
obvious mistake it didn't even match the signing they don't paint both sides
of the tin they just assume you know which side needs to stick out save the
paint use your brains that's what that's called right and he's just like look I
can't pay to go back there for three hours and do that again just put it on
there made me feel better when somebody else hit with a hammer put a dent in it
I wish none of it had ever happened but you know but and I and again and then
later that same pass that same boss that I had was trying to get me a job with
somebody else and this is how he sold me he can he can he can handle a rebuke so
why should I hire him when he messes up you can tell him and that doesn't sound
very good for a resume coincidentally I never got hired
what if that had anything to do with it I did think like well at least I got
that going for me at least when I mess up I could admit it but you know what
there's so many people out there today they can't they're flakes they're snow
flakes I didn't do anything who are you to tell me I did anything wrong it's
like there is no right or wrong anymore everything's offensive everything's
wrong everything's racist everything's this everything's you know the patriarchy
and everything else it's just big sensitive snowflakes out there they need
to get over it and handle being told hey you're wrong that's basically what the
Bible is it's just one big long story of like you're wrong it's just showing hey
mankind is wrong they've got it wrong they'll never have it right it's just
one big long rebuke that's basically what the Bible is just God telling us
how we're wrong and how to do things right where were we here look we can't
do anything about the fakes right proverbs 25 yeah okay well end of that
thought look there it says a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold and
pictures of silver isn't that isn't it the Bible just so poetic doesn't that
just sound nice apples of gold and pictures of silver that's what a word
fitly spoken is right and you read that you think that's like somebody speaking
very eloquently somebody saying just the right thing to impress somebody right
it's like that perfect greeting card that you wrote the perfect little note
in it's like man they're gonna read that and they're just gonna think man they
have a way with words what a wordsmith that guy is well read the rest of it you
know it sighs in and it says it and as an earring of gold and an ornament of
fine gold so was a wise reprover upon an obedient ear he's talking that word
fitly spoken is reproof that's what he's talking about there he's not talking
about being eloquent he's talking about the wise reprover speaking to somebody
who has an obedient ear look when the wise reprover comes and speaks like
that's like an apple of gold in a picture of silver right you know where
that silver where that submissive obedient ear that's ready to receive
that gold of the wise reprover that's the type of people we need to be to not
be flaky people people who can't handle being rebuked you know the Bible puts a
premium on it it's saying this is a fine thing it's saying this is a precious
thing when you have this combination of somebody's welling has the wisdom to do
the reproof and somebody who is wise enough to receive it and take it well
and not be a fake not to be a flake rather snowflake look we can't do
anything about the fakes they're going to come you know the by Paul warns us
you know that grievous wolves are entering among you not sparing the flock
you know that wasn't a one-off that's something that's gonna happen you know I
know this church in particular we're kind of you guys are kind of coming out
of a storm where you had to deal with some flakes and some fakes but look
there's another batch coming you know that's one thing I've always noticed
with you know these these internet trolls and these bozos that write the
church it's just like it's just they come in waves it's like one group where
it's just like you see their name archive archive or do any read it archive
archive because I know their names I've read enough of their emails and
eventually they get the message they got some fans out there right eventually
they get the message you move on but you know what it doesn't stop it's just like
this whole other batch just moves in and it's like gotta learn their name and
then it's archive archive archive right there's always and look there you got
through this storm there's another one that's coming there's another group of
people that are gonna come in and it's the same thing if there's more wolves
right that's why the pastor it's not it's his job to pastor is to sit there
and to guard the flock continuously he has to keep moving the wolves along
moving the wolves along you can't do anything about it eventually they're
going to just expose themselves you have to wait for that and they will expose
themselves you ever notice in Jude chapter 1 how it describes these people
it describes these people as what raging waves of the sea raging waves of the sea
do you ever wonder if you're near an ocean you ever been by like work the
waves are just breaking and the water is hitting you and you're like what was
that you do that is it raining you know did a bird fly over do I got some of my
face like man I got hit by a wave right there's just no mistaking it that's all
these people are described they're raging waves of the sea and what do they
foam out their own shame eventually it all just washes up on shore eventually
it's all there for everybody to see eventually they expose themselves for
being the fakes and the phonies and the frauds that they are and look you can't
do anything about it but you know what you can do something about it's not
being a flake not being somebody who's gonna get carried away with the air of
the wicked you know believe some false report about your preacher and then just
go go off into and flake out into into the world and it's unfortunate but
that's that's gonna happen you know you can't control that either but you can
control it and keep it from happening to you by being by being somebody who has
an obedient ear by being somebody who's willing to hear reproof and to be told
that they're wrong and to not be caught up in all these things look we can do
something about being flaky ourselves but we can't do anything about these
fake people that come in so you know that that's really the thrust of the
message is look don't be a flake do what you say you're gonna do let's go
ahead pray dear Lord begin thank you for this time together that we've had thank
you these folks up here in sure foundation I pray again that you bless
them bless pastor Thompson bless this work Lord I pray that you would just use
this place again to just spread the gospel and Lord help us to be an
obedient people to your word Lord and help us to be obedient to those that
you've said over us those that have the rule over us as the scripture says and
help us to not receive false accusations or false reports and Lord help us to not
be a flaky people or that we would be people who that are faithful people that
do what we say we're gonna do we ask these things in Christ's name amen
all right well see