Now in this chapter, in Galatians chapter 4, and really the whole book of Galatians,
but the part that we're focusing on here in chapter 4 and part of chapter 5,
Paul is dealing with a problem that happened in this church in Galatia.
What happened was there was a faction developing in the church
that was teaching a works type of a salvation.
They were trying to, and it wasn't all works, it was kind of a faith plus works, you know.
They were saying, well, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is great,
but you also have to be circumcised.
Or, well, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is wonderful, but in order to be saved,
you also have to keep the law.
And Paul here is writing this epistle to deal with that and saying,
no, we're not in bondage under the law.
We are saved by grace, through faith.
Jesus paid it all.
All the MIO's sin had left a crimson stain.
He washed it white as snow.
He said, we are not the children of the bondwoman.
We're the children of the promise.
What promise?
And this is the promise that he had promised us, 1 John 2.4, even eternal life.
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.
That whosoever believeth in him, John 3.15, should not perish, but have eternal life.
And so the gospel is whosoever believeth.
But there is a faction developing here.
There was a group that was infiltrating the churches there
that were teaching people that they had to follow the law of Moses
and to be circumcised in order to be saved.
Now any time you add anything to the gospel, as it said in chapter 5 there,
you make it of none effect.
He said, if you're adding circumcision, now the gospel is of none effect.
Now Christ is no effect.
You're not even saved.
He said, if it be of grace, then is it no more works?
Otherwise, grace is no more grace.
But if it be of works, then is it no more grace?
Otherwise, work is no more work.
You can't mix the two.
It's either free or it costs you something.
It's either grace or it's works.
It's either faith, belief, or it's the works of the flesh.
But he said here an interesting statement.
Look at the end of the chapter here.
In Galatians 4, verse number...
Let me find the place where I want to start reading.
Verse number 28.
Now we brethren, Galatians 4 and 28,
as Isaac was, are the children of promise?
But as then, he that was born after the flesh
persecuted him that was born after the spirit.
Even so it is now.
Nevertheless, let's take the scripture and watch this part.
Cast out the bond woman and her son,
for the son of the bond woman shall not be heir
with the son of the free one.
So then brethren, we are not children of the bond woman,
but of the free.
And then look at Galatians 5 and I'll get into the sermon.
It says, this persuasion cometh not even the call of you,
a little leaven, leaveneth the whole lot.
Now I want to preach to you this morning
on the subject of the local church.
And really this is kind of a doctrinal sermon.
Maybe something that I would usually preach on a Sunday night,
but I kind of mix things up all the time.
And so we're preaching this morning
on the subject of the local church.
Let me start out by saying this.
The local church is the assembly, the congregation,
the Bible calls it, of believers.
You see, the unbeliever and the believer,
they don't have any part together.
And what happens is,
when church becomes a place filled with unbelievers,
that leaven will begin to leaven the whole lot.
That will destroy the unity of the local church.
One of the most important things about church is the unity.
Who's ever heard this word? Fellowship.
Put up your hand, you know that word?
A lot of times we use that word,
but we don't fully understand it.
We think of fellowship as,
oh, after the service we're going to eat sandwiches
and spend time together.
Fellowship is talking about something
that I have in common with you.
That's what fellowship means.
I mean, if we're going to have fellowship,
we're going to have something in common.
We have a common ground.
We have a certain unity that brings us together.
Now, nobody's exactly the same.
There are all different people in this room
that come from all different backgrounds
and different upbringings, different nations.
Some people were not even born in the United States.
My wife was raised in Germany,
and I was raised in California,
and different people are from Chicago,
from Toledo, Ohio, wherever the case may be.
But there's one thing that gives us fellowship.
There's one thing that gives us unity,
and that is our belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior
and the fact that we believe
that every word of God is pure.
Hey, that brings us together.
That gives us fellowship.
That gives people different races,
fellowship with one another,
different financial classes
can have great fellowship with one another,
and unity together on the common ground of the Word of God.
See, this house is built upon a rock,
and that rock is Jesus Christ,
and it can withstand all the different torrents
that will attack us,
the rain, the storm, the flood of this world.
Hey, we have this rock of the Bible
on which to anchor our soul,
and that's where we derive our unity.
Now, the early church in Jerusalem had unity.
Remember in Acts 2 verse 1
where the Bible said
when the day of Pentecost was fully come,
they were all with one accord in one place?
But you can't have unity.
Listen to me, this is a very doctrinal sermon.
You can't have unity in a church
that's filled with unbelievers.
It's not unity.
What fellowship hath light with darkness?
What part hath Christ with Belial?
What part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
He said, Wherefore, come out from among them
and be ye separate, saith the Lord.
And text not the unclean thing,
and I will receive you and I will be a father of you,
and ye should be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord.
The whole point of church
is a congregation that's separate from the Word.
It's born-again, baptized believers
who set themselves apart
and they assemble together apart from the world,
and the only way that church can have unity
is if it's filled with believers.
I mean, it seems basic,
but these are the things that aren't believed or taught anymore.
Because you understand that people
have begun to gear church toward the unbelievers.
Their goal is to bring in the unbeliever.
Let's bring in the unbelievers into church.
Now, it sounds great on the surface,
but we're going to see this morning
that it's not what the Bible teaches.
It sounds wonderful to say,
Man, let's get these unbelievers in here
and get them saved, right?
Hey, that sounds great.
Let's bring in all the unbelievers we can
and get them saved, right?
It sounds great.
Wrong.
You're missing the point here.
The Bible says,
and if you would notice what he says
in verse number four, chapter verse three, he says,
Nevertheless what saith the spirit,
cast out the bondwoman in her sight.
Now, this parable, he's teaching them,
you need to get rid of this element
that's crept into your church
that's teaching work of salvation.
That's what he's saying.
I mean, you've got to get the context of the story.
He describes how people are bringing in false teaching.
He says, get them out.
They can't compare it with you.
This is not going to produce unity.
This is not going to produce
a oneness of spirit in your church.
Now, I've often said this
about faithful Word Baptist Church.
This is a church of unity.
Now, is this church perfect?
No.
But I'll tell you the one word
that describes our church is unity.
I mean, there aren't any factions in our church.
I mean, in our church,
we have a group of people who,
I mean, think about when we went down to Gila Bend.
Look how many people went down there.
Everybody will oversee, went down there,
worked hard, and we had a great group down there
of winning souls all day long.
Why?
Because they have a unity of purpose.
Everybody in this church loves to win souls.
Everybody believes the Bible is the Word of God.
Everybody believes salvation by the grace of God.
That is what church is supposed to be all about.
Fellowship.
Unity.
Now, he says here,
you can't have the believer and the unbeliever
together worshiping together in church.
It doesn't work.
Now, you say,
were you against unbelievers coming through?
No, not at all.
The Bible talks about in 1 Corinthians 14
that sometimes an unbeliever will come into church.
But notice, it's the exception.
I mean, an unbeliever comes in,
and boy, he sees, hears the preaching,
and wow, he's convinced of all.
And you know what?
We are constantly winning through the Lord
before and after the service.
You know, visitors are coming.
We'll talk to them before the service,
after the service, try and get them saved.
Wonderful!
But is our church geared toward unbelievers?
Are we trying to create an atmosphere
to fill our church with unbelievers?
No, we're not.
You see, when the unbeliever comes in
to faith or Baptist church, he's outnumbered.
Because 90% of the people here
are going to be saved, born again,
and so have God.
And that's where we get our unity.
But look, if you would,
at Ephesians chapter 4,
and look at verse number 12.
Ephesians chapter 4,
you're in Galatians,
just go back to one book,
or I'm sorry,
toward the end of your Bible,
Ephesians chapter number 4,
and we're going to see this taught
very clearly in the Bible.
In Ephesians chapter 4, verse 12,
the Bible reads,
For the perfecting,
I'm sorry, verse 11,
And he gave some apostles,
and some prophets,
and some evangelists,
and some pastors and teachers,
for the perfecting of the saints.
So what is the purpose
of the pastor and the teacher?
To perfect the saints, right?
It says,
For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ.
So what's the purpose of church here?
What's the purpose of pastors and teachers?
To build up God's people,
the saints, Christians.
Look at the next verse.
Till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God
unto a perfect man,
unto the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ,
that we henceforth be no more children.
Notice it's all about us.
Do you see that?
That we, henceforth be no more children,
tossed to and fro,
and carried about with every wind of doctrine
by the sleight of men,
and cunning crappiness whereby they lie
and wait to deceive.
But speaking the truth in love,
may grow up into him in all things,
which is the head, even Christ.
From whom the whole body fitly joined together
and compacted by that which every joint supply,
according to the effectual working
and the measure of every part,
make an increase of the body
unto the edifying of itself in love.
Do you see that?
The church's purpose
is to edify itself,
to build itself,
to build God's people,
to build Christians,
to build believers.
You see, when I get up
and decide what I'm going to preach
on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night,
I'm not thinking about,
oh, this will be great for unbelievers.
Wow, this will be great for the visitor that might come.
Wow, somebody told me a visitor's coming.
This will be great for them.
I don't hear the sermon toward unbelievers.
I don't hear the sermon toward the visitors.
Hey, I hear the sermon toward the church
that God told me to hear.
If God gave this church a pastor
to edify the saints,
to build up the body of Christ,
to perfect the saints,
to do the work of the ministry,
that's what I'm going to do.
Now, you'll not come to this church
and find me every Sunday morning
preaching salvation, salvation.
And believe me,
there are many independent Baptist churches today
where you go to the sermon
and every Sunday morning it's the same thing.
Come down the aisle and get saved.
Be saved.
This is how to be saved.
Look, do you want to hear the same sermon 500 times?
Plan of salvation, plan of salvation, plan of salvation.
Say, well, we need to keep hearing it.
We need to be stirred up about it.
If you want to hear the plan of salvation,
eat one of these croissant sandwiches
with me after the service.
I'll take you out slowly.
You'll hear the plan of salvation for hours
as we knock doors to preach in the gospel field
because God said,
go ye therefore into all the world
and preach the gospel and every preaching.
God said,
go ye therefore and teach all nations
that might baptize in the name of the Father
and the Son and the Holy Ghost, amen.
He said, go, get them saved.
But the local church is a place of believers
and it's a place where you are fed spiritually.
It's a place where you get what you need.
Now, you don't need to be saved again.
God said you must be born again,
not you must be born again and again and again and again.
And we tell that to these Pentecostals
and assemblies of God and Nazarenes who think that,
well now I'm saved, now I'm not.
Now I'm saved, now I'm not.
Hey, I've been saved once for all,
O sinner, receive it.
Once for all, O brother, believe it.
Hey, salvation's once for all.
The Bible says that,
verily, verily, I say to you,
he that heareth my word
and believeth on him to send me,
hath everlasting life
and shall not come into condemnation,
but is passed from death to life.
Tis done the great transaction is done.
I am my Lord's and he is mine.
There's no reason to be saved again.
And so if I'm preaching to a crowd of God's people,
the Lord again baptized believers,
I'm not going to sit here and preach.
You need to be saved.
No, you know what you need to do?
You need to get right with God.
You need to learn the Bible.
You need to start praying.
You need to start solely.
You need to go out and preach the Gospel.
You need to love your neighbors yourself.
You need to get the filth out of your life.
You need to get the sin out of your life.
There's a lot that you need to do.
Getting saved is not one of them.
Because you're already saved.
Oh, but there's one visitor that might not be saved.
Why do I gear my service toward one visitor
when it's a local church?
He said, I'm not seeing it.
Okay.
Well, turn back and look at 1 Corinthians 1.
And let's see what the church is according to God.
Look at 1 Corinthians 1.
You see, people all over America are saying
these churches are starving to be taught the Bible.
They're starving to learn Bible doctrine.
And what are they getting
by this church service that's geared toward unbelievers?
You say, well, what's wrong with that?
Any people saved is the most important thing.
It sure is the most important thing,
but it's not the only thing.
Look at verse number 2 of 1 Corinthians 1.
The Bible says this.
Unto, this is who the letter is being addressed to.
Unto the church of God,
which is at Corinth,
comma.
So he's going to restate it again here.
To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus
called to be saints.
That's who is part of the church.
Do you see that?
He said, I'm writing to the church of Corinth.
Here's who I'm talking about.
I'm talking about those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus
called to be saints.
And he said, not only that,
I'm also writing to all of them
in every place called upon in the name of Jesus Christ,
our Lord, Lord of all of theirs and others.
He said, that's who I'm writing to, Christians.
He said, I'm addressing it to the church
and the church is a place of believers.
Same thing pretty much in 2 Corinthians chapter 1.
You know, you see the same thing.
Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God,
and Timothy, our brother,
unto the church of God,
which is at Corinth with all the saints,
which are in all of Chiah.
1 Thessalonians 1, 1.
You don't have to turn there.
Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus,
unto the church of the Thessalonians,
which is in God the Father
and in our Lord Jesus Christ.
You see, all throughout the Bible,
you see that the church is a place of believers.
So we hear the service of believers.
You say, why the music?
Why the old hymns?
Why the great songs of the faith?
Because it's geared toward Christians.
It's geared toward believers.
You say, oh man,
that's not what the world wants to hear.
It's not for the world.
The whole point is to be different.
The whole point is to come out from among them.
If I wanted a bunch of rock and roll,
I'd go to a rock concert.
But if I come to church,
I'm here to hear God's kind of music.
You say, what's God's kind of music?
Songs, hymns, and spiritual songs.
Not some kind of a worldly, rocky,
you know, this kind of stuff
where we take the world's music
and then we put Jesus' words to it.
God said, be not conformed to this world.
But be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
You see, I don't want to be conformed to the world.
I don't want to be patterned after the world.
I don't want to use the world's music
as my format.
I want to use God's format.
But see, why is it that churches all across this city,
you go to church,
what are you going to hear with a bunch of rock music?
What are you going to hear about it?
And I'm feeling it now.
Why?
Why is it that there's a rock band?
Why is there an electric guitar?
I'll tell you why there's an electric guitar.
Because that's what the world has, an electric guitar.
We've got to be just like them.
Why is it that they have girls up there
swinging and swang and oohing and aahing?
I went to a church when I was a teenager.
It was a Baptist church.
And they had the worship leader.
And the worship leader was up there singing
behind the microphone.
And he had these three girls off to the side
with three microphones.
And they were literally like, oooh.
They were the backup singers.
So they didn't sing the words to the song.
The worship leader was singing the words.
They were just doing the oohs, the aahs,
you know what I mean?
Like this.
You know, they were doing the backup vocals.
It was ridiculous.
That's not what the Bible says in the midst
of the congregation,
while I sing praise unto thee.
Not in the midst of congregation,
I will ooh and aah like the world.
You know, but we have a church service
that's become geared toward the world,
toward the unsaved.
And we wonder why Christians aren't growing.
We wonder why they can't get them out of soul winning.
It's amazing how our church goes out of soul winning.
It's amazing how when we say,
let's go soul winning, people go.
Why?
Because we sing spiritual songs.
We have spiritual preaching.
We have preaching that's geared toward Christians.
Music that's geared toward Christians.
We have our whole service geared toward you.
And you know, I don't often think of specific people
when I'm preparing my sermon.
I just prepare a sermon
that I think everybody in our church needs to hear.
But if I do sometimes think of specific people in my mind
while I'm writing the sermon,
you know who I'm thinking about?
It's the most faithful people to this church
who have been coming the longest,
who are the most grown in their Christian life,
who are the most spiritual.
That's who I'm going to gear the sermon toward.
I'm not gearing it toward Johnny Come Lately.
I'm not gearing my sermon
toward somebody who's a worldly Christian.
You see, church is a place of fellowship and unity
the whole point of church is to be different than the world.
But if you would, look at 1 Samuel 10.
You see, our church is not seeker-sensitive.
Have you noticed that?
Our church is not seeker-sensitive.
Our church is not non-denominational.
Now, truth of the matter is
we're not part of any denomination
because we're independent baptism.
We are truly independent of any affiliation, any form.
We are as independent as they come.
But we're not a non-denominational church.
We're not a seeker-sensitive church.
You see, this whole non-denominational movement is ridiculous.
Let me just explain it to you real quick.
OK, non-denominational movement
is churches that are part of denominations
is the first part that I don't understand
because here I am, an independent Baptist.
Our church is not affiliated with any denomination.
And yet there are churches all over the state
that say, we're non-denominational.
Yet if you look them up in the phone book,
they're under the heading, Southern Baptist,
Assemblies of God,
Church of Christ.
And they say, we're non-denominational.
OK, then why are you a member of the Assemblies of God of America?
Why are you a member of the Southern Baptist Convention?
Why are you a member of the Assemblies of God of America?
And wait a minute.
No, no, no, no. You don't understand.
Our church doesn't have a Baptist in the name.
Look, man, if it looks like a duck,
and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.
So because you take it out of the name,
that makes you no longer Assemblies of God?
That makes you no longer a Baptist?
And here's the thing about every non-denominational church in the world.
You go to their website,
they have a statement of faith and a church constitution.
Or if it's not on the website, it's in the back office somewhere.
They have a church constitution,
and they have a statement of faith that tells you
exactly what they believe about everything.
It'll tell you, this is what we believe about salvation.
This is what we believe about separation.
This is what we believe about the gift of tongues.
And this is what we believe about eternal security,
or lack thereof.
This is what we believe.
So how are they non-denominational?
Well, I'll tell you why.
Because the difference is that they don't want to tell you what they believe.
Now I'm going to tell you what I believe.
If you came here by mistake this morning,
you'd say, oh man, I don't know what I'm doing here.
Look outside, there was a big sign on the way in that said,
Faithful Word, Baptist Church.
It didn't say Faithful Word, non-denominational church.
It didn't say Faithful Word, Church of the Rock concert.
It didn't say Rock Church.
Rock on Baptist Church.
It didn't say, all Bibles are welcome.
No, it said, King James Bible only.
You say, why? Why is it King James Bible only?
You say, is somebody not allowed to come with another Bible?
They can come with another Bible.
And if I see them with another Bible, all kindly and politely walk up to them and say,
hey, great to have you here.
Let me give you a King James Bible so you can follow along,
and then you can follow along with what I'm preaching.
And let me give you one.
There's about 20 of them on the bookshelf out there.
They're all free.
Go ahead and grab them.
Read it.
Love it.
Study it.
Live by every word of God.
No, this is not a free-for-all.
All Bible versions are welcome.
All denominations are welcome.
It doesn't matter if you're a Methodist or a Catholic or a Presbyterian or a Nazirite
or something.
No, let me tell you something.
If you're a Catholic, get saved or get out.
If you're a Semitic God, get saved or get out of here.
If you're a Presbyterian, get saved or get out of here.
If you're a Methodist, get saved or get out of here.
We don't need the bond woman and her children bringing bondage into our church.
This is a church of people that are free-born sons of God.
See, this is a place of liberty.
We don't tell people that if you don't live right, you're going to go to hell.
We don't believe that here.
You're in the wrong place.
We believe that if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that shall be saved.
Don't bring in false doctrine into this church.
We don't want you around.
Go ahead and don't bring your rosary beads.
Don't bring your lose your salvation.
Now I'm saying, no, I'm not.
Don't bring in your rock music.
Don't bring in your tongue speaking.
Don't come in here and start flopping around on the aisle.
Hey, this is the house of God.
And this is a Baptist church that's going to stay that way.
Unity.
You say, why?
Because unity is so important, that's why.
You say, good night.
You're the most divisive creature I've ever heard.
You're talking about unity.
No, no, no.
You don't understand.
I'm talking about unity in this place.
That's all I'm talking about.
We're not going to be unified with the whole United States.
We're not going to be unified with the whole world.
We're not going to be unified with unbelievers.
We're going to be unified with God's people.
That's what church is all about.
Thank God for the faithful word of the Baptist church.
You know why I love this church?
Because I come to this church and I always like the music.
Always.
Who here doesn't like the music?
Put up your hand.
Who here likes the music?
Unity.
All right.
Hey, you walk in and, man, I always like the music.
And you know what?
Not only that, the preaching is never namby-pamby.
It's never watered down.
It's never politically correct.
That's what I love about it.
I get so sick of these watered down churches.
A pastor a couple weeks ago, where some of my family members go, in California, he
got up in the pulpit and said, you know, they just ruled on the gay marriage
state.
He got up and said this.
He said, well, I have nothing against gay people.
In an independent, fundamental, King James only Baptist church.
He said, I have nothing against gay people.
I'm getting the tape, by the way.
And I heard that from two different people that
were told to be completely separate.
Two witnesses were in that service.
He said, I have nothing against gay people.
He said, now, I don't agree with the fact
that they should get married.
And I don't agree with that ruling.
But he said, I don't think we should treat them any different
than anybody else.
I don't have anything against them.
You know what?
If I want that, I'll just, listen, pal.
If I want that, I'll just turn on the TV.
I'll go dig it out of the trash and reassemble it,
from where I destroyed it seven years ago.
You know what?
I'll just go ahead and dig out my stupid TV
and listen to a bunch of unbelievers,
because that's what they'll tell me.
Or if I want that, I'll just go down
to the Southern Baptist church.
If I want that, I'll go down to Na Na Na John
down the street and have him preach to me for a while.
If I wanted that kind of garbage,
I'll just turn on the radio and listen
to a bunch of money-grabbing phony creatures
telling me to send in your check now.
Send in your money now.
Hey, your money pairs with you.
Take your money and get out of here.
If you want to hear that kind of namby-tamby,
sissified, liberal preaching,
hey, the Bible says,
he that lieth with mankind
as he lied with womankind,
both of them have committed an abomination
they shall surely be put to death.
That sounds like you're supposed
to dream a little bit different.
Don't treat them any different.
I have nothing against them.
I have nothing against some pedophile sodomite.
You better know I've got something against them.
You better know I've got something
against a guy who walks down the street
dressed like a woman.
You better know I've got something
against some effeminate, queer little sissy
flaunting his flamboyant self
up and down the streets of America,
destroying our country,
bringing down the wrath of God on this nation.
You better know I've got something against him.
And if you don't,
I wonder if you're even on the Lord's side.
I wonder if you're even on the right side of things.
You say, good night,
I can't believe you preached like this.
Your church isn't going to grow.
Well, look down at the survival
in 1 Samuel chapter number 10.
Look at verse 25.
The Bible says in verse 25,
Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom
and wrote it in a book,
and laid it up before the Lord.
And Samuel set all the people away,
every man to his house.
And Saul also went home to Gibeah,
and watch this,
and there went with him a band of men
whose hearts God had fetched.
You see,
God is the one who builds the church.
Jesus Christ said,
upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Now, God's the one who builds the church.
It's not my job to build a church.
You know, if I came here to build a church,
I'm the wrong person.
I mean, if God sent me to be a church owner
to build a church,
He sent the wrong person.
Do I sound like a church builder?
Because I'm not.
You know what I am?
A preacher.
You know what I am?
A prophet.
And you know what I am?
More than both of those two things,
a soldier.
That's why the first day I got to town,
December 26, 2005,
I was at knock-on doors
and he gave me the prize.
And the next day I was at knock-on doors.
And the next day, and the next day,
and the next day, and the next day,
and the next day,
daily in the temple at every house,
they ceased not to preach Jesus Christ.
I was at knock-on doors,
winning him a prize,
winning him a prize.
And you know what?
The first Sunday morning,
and your husband was in the service
on the very first Sunday morning,
December 25, 2005,
your husband was in the service,
and I preached a sermon called
Who Art Thou?
Where they asked John the Baptist,
Who are you?
And I said,
Let me tell you who I am.
Let me tell you what kind of church
I'm preaching right now.
I said,
This is a church where the truth's
not watered down,
where the Bible's preached,
where it's thus saith the Lord,
where we don't care if it's popular,
we don't care if people like it.
This is faithful word,
Baptist church,
and it hasn't changed its thing.
Thank God for one church
that we know it's not going to change.
One church where we know
it's not all about putting our finger
up in the air
and seeing which way the wind blows.
You know what?
These bunch of sodomites
are taking over America.
You know,
I was saying in the Bible,
if you don't know,
You know,
I was saying in the Bible,
you know,
the first war that was ever fought
in the Bible?
The things they know.
I didn't know,
I hadn't really thought about it.
The first war that was ever fought in the Bible.
It's going to be in Genesis, right?
Go back,
way back in the Bible.
The first war that was ever fought
was against Adam and Gomorrah
in Genesis 7, 14.
That's the first war in the Bible.
This is interesting.
A little tidbit,
a little bit of trivia there,
a little bit of a break
now to get back into the Bible.
Okay.
Genesis 14,
the first war that was ever fought.
And you know what,
you know what the war is against today?
The Sodomites,
the God-eaters.
They're destroying our country
and nobody cares.
And if an independent fundamental Baptist pastor
can't stand up
without making you uncomfortable,
when he sits there and says
that God put the death penalty on the Sodomites
because he knows
that they're not reproducers,
they're recruiters
and that they want your children
and it's in the news every day
and you can go ahead
and bury your head in the sand
but they're out recruiting
day in and day out.
These bunch of Sodomite perverts,
hey, if you can't see that,
if you can't understand that,
then we're all going to be overrun by them.
They're multiplying like magnets.
They're multiplying by the drones.
Say, why are you so mad about it?
Because I saw them yesterday
and the day before
and the day before that
shaking their little booty
up and down the street
and I'm taking it.
And I'm going to say
there's one place
where we can agree on one thing
that they're the enemy.
But,
and you know,
you say, man,
we're the enemy.
We're the enemy.
But,
and I, you know,
you say, man,
a lot of discernment.
Just buckle up and
let me tell you something.
When I was at
Hyles Anderson College,
we had a special
preacher come in.
David Gibbs.
And David Gibbs came in
and taught us for one week
about how to build
our church constitution
and how to,
how to, you know,
deal with legal issues.
And he sat us down
and he said this.
He said,
and I have the notes.
I can prove it to you.
I was in the class
and I have the notes
and they handed us out.
He said this.
He said,
you need to write in your
church constitution
that homosexuals are welcome.
That is what he said.
You can get,
the whole class is on tape.
They videotaped the whole thing.
I've got my notes.
He said,
you need to write in
your church constitution
that homosexuals are welcome.
They just have to behave
themselves,
but they can continue
to attend your church.
I don't know what
he meant by that.
But he said,
write down they have
to behave themselves.
But you need to put
in your constitution
that homosexuals are welcome.
He said,
they can't be a
Sunday school teacher
or a deacon,
but they're welcome
to come to your church.
And he said,
don't you want
sinners to come
to your church?
What kind of,
and you know he does
this weird thing
where he like stares
at everybody
who want to run like this.
He's like,
don't you want sinners
to come to your church?
I mean,
don't you want
unstating people
coming to your church?
What kind of a preacher
are you?
I don't know what kind
I am,
but I'm not your guy.
I don't want some home.
You think I want
some faggot sitting
next to the mic
getting in the service?
You're wrong.
I grew up in
and compromised
watered down
independent Baptist churches
all my life
and I came to
start a church
because I was tired of it.
That's why I started
my own church.
Sick of it.
Done with it.
I'm done sitting
next to fairies
and queers in church
and telling them
they're welcome.
They're not welcome.
They're filthy.
They're abominable.
They need to be
cast out.
Cast out the bomb
on their son.
Look at 1 Corinthians
chapter number five.
Let's,
let's get into the Bible here.
Let the Bible speak for itself.
I said what I want to say.
Now let's see
what the Bible says.
Look at 1 Corinthians
chapter number five.
Now we saw,
first of all,
we established that
church is a place
of believers.
It's a,
it's an assembly
of God's people.
It's Christians.
It's geared
toward Christians.
The preaching
is for Christians.
The music
is to build up
to Christians.
The fellowship
is with a Christian
with another Christian.
With a Baptist
with another Baptist,
by the way.
And that's what
the Bible says in
1 Corinthians chapter five.
Again,
in verse six.
Your glorying
is not good.
Know ye not
that a little leaven
leavened the whole lump?
Purge out therefore
the old leaven.
Get it out,
he's saying.
Look at verse nine.
I wrote unto you
in an epistle
not to company
with fornicators.
Do you see that?
Let alone
a sodomite,
which is way worse.
But see,
there's no death penalty
in the Bible
on fornication.
Okay?
Now that's a wicked
standard.
But the death penalty
was not enough for you.
But he said,
I wrote unto you
in an epistle
not to company
with fornicators.
Yet not altogether
with the fornicators
of this world,
or with the covetous,
or with the extortioners,
or with idolaters,
for then must ye need
to go out of the world.
He's saying,
look,
you misunderstood me.
I'm not saying that
you can never hang around
with somebody who's
a fornicator,
or a covetous,
or an idol.
He said,
you misunderstood me.
He said,
if that were the case,
you'd have to go
with one of these Jim Jones
people, he said.
That's not what I meant.
But look,
here's where he clarifies.
Watch this.
But now I have written
unto you
not to keep company.
Look at verse 11.
If any man that is
called a brother,
you see that?
Any man that is called
a brother
be a fornicator.
He's saying,
look,
you're going to be around
people that are fornicators.
That's fine.
You know,
I'm around
ungodly people all the time.
I don't treat them
ungodly.
I assume.
You know,
fornicators,
he says,
you know,
but if they're called
a brother,
and they're a fornicator,
or a covetous,
or an idolater,
or a railer,
or a drunkard,
or an extortioner,
with such and one
know not to eat.
But what about
to judge them also
that are without?
Do not ye judge them
that are within?
But them that are
without not judging?
Watch this.
Face it.
Face the truth.
Therefore,
put away from
among yourselves
that wicked person.
You see that?
If we had
some Christian
coming to our church,
and I'm not talking about
somebody who just
got saved last week.
I mean,
look,
if somebody just got
saved,
it's going to take
them time to grow.
We understand that,
okay?
I mean,
people who've gotten
saved in this church
and they were living
with somebody they're
not married to,
you know,
the fornicator,
right?
Give them time to grow,
you know,
and we're not going
to throw them out.
But somebody who's
called a brother,
okay,
somebody who's
called a brother.
Am I reading wrong?
Let's look at it again.
Let me make sure
I write it right.
Therefore,
put away from
among yourselves
that wicked person.
What wicked person?
The person who's
a born-again,
believing Christian,
who's known as a Christian.
I mean,
they've been a Christian
for some time.
They're a believer
in Jesus Christ.
And yet,
they're a drunk.
Yet,
they're a fornicator.
Yet,
they're covetous.
Yet,
they're idolaters.
He says,
put away from
your brother.
And Paul said,
you need to get
that guy thrown
out of your church.
You can't have
that guy in your church.
Your kids are
looking at him.
They're going to
begin to emulate him.
It's their hero.
Get him out of there.
Now, you say,
well, how do you
throw him out?
Well,
I never had
to throw anybody out
because people
who are
ungodly,
backslid,
worldly Christians
don't like to
come to church
and hear this
kind of preaching.
They just leave
and throw themselves out
because they don't
like to preach.
And that's fine with me.
You say,
oh,
I need to preach
the Bible.
This is the Bible.
Let me introduce you.
Let me introduce you
to the Bible.
Sir,
Bible.
Bible,
who are you?
This is the Bible.
Okay,
meet the Bible.
Okay?
Put away from
among yourselves
that wicked person.
Have no fellowship
with the
unproofable works
of darkness,
but rather
approve them.
What part
hath he
that believeth
with an infidel?
The pastor
is for the
edification
of the body
of Christ,
perfecting
of the saints.
That's the
Bible.
That's not
me talking.
Now,
sometimes you go
to the Bible,
you know,
it's like trying,
you know,
we talk a little bit,
but here
the Bible
is just
to say
whatever it wants
or not concerned.
Now,
look at
2 Timothy
chapter number 2.
2 Timothy
chapter number 2
and look at
verse number 19.
2 Timothy
chapter 2
verse 19.
So,
let's do
a quick review.
What's the
purpose of
church?
It's to
build up
believers.
It's for the
edification
of the body,
not to
impress a
visitor,
you know,
not to
get somebody
saved.
It's
called
the
unbeliever.
You're
sitting there.
I mean,
we
spend
hours,
and you
know,
when it gets
really hot,
when it gets
like
115,
we have
our soul winning
marathon
in August
every year
and we go
out in the
hottest days
of the year
and we
spend three
days out
in the
highest
days of the
year.
You know
why?
Because we
love people
365 days a
year.
Because we
go out and
win people
to Christ like
crazy.
Say,
where are
they going?
Some of them,
believe it or
not, don't want
to come to a
church like this.
But that's
fine with us.
Because this is how we like it.
And so,
this is how it's
going to be.
We just like it the
way it is.
So we're going to keep
it this way.
But look at 2 Timothy 2 verse 19.
The Bible says this,
Nevertheless, the
foundation of God
stands assured,
having this
seal,
the Lord
knoweth them
that are
his.
And, watch this,
let everyone
in the name of
Christ depart
from iniquity.
Now there are many, many people,
but look at the
next verse,
he says,
all of the
Bible is
finding itself,
but in a
great house,
and some to
honor and some
to dishonor.
If a man
therefore
hurts himself
from peace,
he shall be
a vessel unto
honor.
Sanctified and
neat for the
master's
use and
prepared unto
every good
work.
What's he saying here?
He's saying, look,
Jesus is saying,
let everyone
in the name of
the name of
Christ depart
from iniquity.
If you're
saved, you need
to get the
sin out of
Christ.
There are some
vessels of
gold and
silver and
some of
wood and
earth.
He's saying,
not every
Christian brings
honor and
glory to
God.
Some Christians
are living
in fornication.
Some Christians
are living in
adultery.
Some Christians
are idolaters.
Some Christians
are living in
God's
life.
But look what
he says,
he shall be a
vessel of
honor.
But what's
he saying?
If you're
going to hang
around those
worldly,
ungodly
Christians,
you will be
like them.
You'll be a
vessel of dishonor
also unless
you purge
yourself from
these.
You see, the
church is
number one a
place for
believers only.
Now anybody's
welcome to visit,
but we don't
sit there and
pray.
Isn't that
terrible?
Can you believe
this sermon?
Unbelievable,
isn't it?
We don't
want a bunch of
ungodly
worldly Christians.
You think I
want to hang
around?
I don't.
I don't even
want to eat
a meal with
them.
That's what
the Bible said.
I might
eat a meal with
some drunken
Christian.
No thanks.
I don't
want to sit
down and eat
a meal with
them.
I don't
want to
eat a
meal with
them.
I
don't
want to
eat a
meal with
them.
I
don't
want to
eat a
meal with
them.
I
don't
want to
eat a
meal with
them.
I
don't
want to
eat a
meal with
them.
I
don't
want to
eat a
meal with
them.
I
don't
want to
eat a
meal with
them.
I
don't
want to
eat a
meal with
them.
I
don't
want to
eat a
meal with
them.
I
don't
want to
eat a
meal with
them.
That he may
be ashamed,
yet count him
not as an
enemy, but
admonish him
as a
brother.
So here
we're talking
about Christians
who are
disobedient to
the word
God, they're
living in sin,
they're living
in filth, he
says don't
have any
company with
them.
Withdraw
yourself from
them.
He says
I love you, I
do anything
for you, but
you know what,
I just can't
get around.
I can't get
around somebody
who's a
born again
Christian who's
hanging around
with a bunch
of queers,
you know,
or who's
living in sin,
fornication.
Now the
reason this
sermon sounds
extreme is
because we're
living in 2008
when churches
have become
nothing more
than a feel
of the
iniquity of
your life,
then you'll
be blessed.
Purge yourself
of your
worldly,
ungodly
friends,
you'll
be blessed.
Come to a
church where
we sing
praises to
God that
lift up
Jesus Christ
that are
heavy and
Bible doctrine,
you'll
be blessed.
Go out and
win souls
with me this
afternoon,
with the
church.
Now if you
go to a
non-denominational
church,
you'll feel
blessed,
but you
won't be
blessed.
I'd rather
be blessed
than feel
blessed.
I'd rather
feel the
swift kick
in the pants
than be
blessed.
That's why
I come here.
But anyway,
you see
how we
become,
and turn if
you would to
1 Corinthians
2.
You know what
the title of
my sermon is?
This church isn't
for everybody.
It's not for
Methodists,
it's not for
Presbyterians,
it's not for
Catholics,
it's not for
Mormons,
it's not for
Jehovah's Witnesses,
it's not for
unbelievers,
it's not for
Muslims,
it's not for
Buddhists,
it's not even
for fornicating
drunken Christians
either.
It's for
people who love
the Lord.
This is where
the confusion
comes from,
and let's settle
it right now.
Look at 1 Corinthians
chapter 9
verse 16.
The Bible reads,
But though I
preach the gospel,
I am nothing
to glory of,
for necessity
is laid upon me.
Yea,
woe is
unto me if
I preach not
the gospel,
for if I do
this thing
willingly I
have a reward,
but if against
my will a
dispensation of
the gospel
is committed
to something,
like a coke dispenser.
And you know,
theologians have
invented these periods
of time called
dispensations.
Look,
that's not
what dispense means.
I mean,
how long are you
going to spend
in front of that
soap dispenser?
You know,
how long are you
really going to spend
in front of the
coke machine?
It's a dispenser.
It's giving you
something.
That's what
dispense means.
If I were to
dispense some
money right now,
if I want some
money,
that's what
dispense means.
But,
you know,
it seems like
churches can
make words mean
whatever they
want them to mean.
But the Bible
says here,
a dispensation
of the
gospel is
committed to me.
He says,
God has
given me
the responsibility
to give out
the gospel,
to dispense
the gospel.
When it talks
about the
dispensation
of God's
grace,
there's
none that do it
good,
no,
not one.
But look
what it says here,
let's keep
reading.
It says,
dispensation
of the
gospel is
committed to
me,
verse 18.
What is
my reward
then?
Verily
that when
I preach
the gospel
I may
make the
gospel of
Christ
without charge
that I
might
gain the
Jews,
to them
that are
under the
law,
as under
the law,
that I
might gain
them that
are under
the law,
to them
that are
without law,
as without
law,
being not
without law,
I say I'm
still falling
God's
laws,
but under
the law
to Christ,
that I
might be
partaking
there with
me.
But what does
that have
to do with
church?
Nothing.
He's saying
when it
comes to
winning people
to Christ
I'm going
to get
down right
where they
are,
I'm going
to be like
them,
to the
Jew,
I'm going
to be like
a Jew,
to the
lawless,
and the
church will
become all
things to
all men.
No it
won't.
No it
won't.
Do you see
the difference
here?
If you
think that
church is
about getting
people saved,
that's when
you're going
to say well
we need to
become all
things to
all men,
and you're
wrong.
Now when it
comes to winning
souls,
what it
means to
our culture
is because
they think
church is
about getting
people saved
and it's
not.
People don't
need to
come to
church to
be saved.
The Bible
doesn't say
believe on
the Lord Jesus
Christ and
come to
church and
thou shalt be
saved.
To be
saved they
just have
to believe.
We'll take
it.
You know
what?
I'm not
going to go
down there
with my nose
up in the
air.
I'm going
to get right
down there
with them.
I'm going
to be like
them.
I want to
become all
things to
all men
that I might
by all
means save
some.
I'll do
what it
takes to
get them
saved.
And we're
going to be
like the Bible
and like
God.
Okay, we're
not going to
go out and
be like
everybody else
and then come
to church and
bring all
their culture
with us.
We're not
going to
bring their
music.
We don't
need their
clothing styles.
We don't
need the
fads and
the fashions
of the world.
I don't
want to talk
about the
church.
I want to
talk about
getting
people
saved,
which is
out there
in the
world,
not in
the house
of God.
But look
if you
went to
Luke chapter
14.
This is
the last
place we'll
turn.
Luke chapter
number 14.
Luke chapter
number 14.
The Bible
says in
Luke 14
13,
the Bible
reads,
But when thou
makest
a feast,
call the
poor,
the
maimed,
the lame,
the blind,
and thou
shalt be
blessed.
For they
cannot
recompense
thee,
for thou
shalt be
recompensed
at the
resurrection
of the
just.
Now
so this
is Jesus'
response to
a man who
says,
man,
blessed is
he that
shall he
meet in the
kingdom of God.
That's
going to be
great to be
dying up in
heaven.
What a feast
that's going
to be.
What an
exciting time
that's going
to be.
Well that's
what Jesus
says.
Then said he
unto him,
a certain
I pray thee
have me
excused.
And another
said I
bought five
yoke of
oxen and
I go
proof and
I pray thee
have me
excused.
And another
said I
married a
wife and
therefore I
cannot
come.
So that
servant came
and showed
his Lord
these things.
Then the
master of
the house
brought
in the
highways and
hedges and
compelled them
he's
saying try
to push
them into
doing it.
He said
compelled them
to be
safe.
I'm sorry
compelled them
to come in
that my
house may
be filled
for I
say unto
you that
none of
these men
which were
bidden
shall taste
my
life.
Whoever will
come let's
just bring
them in.
That's not
what it's
saying because
you've got to
get the
context here.
He's talking
about the
real feast up
in heaven.
Okay.
That's the
great suffering
and notice
he said all
things are
now ready.
Jesus already
paid the
whole thing.
You don't have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have to
bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have to
bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have to
bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have to
bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
You have
to bring
baptism in
your good
heart.
So that's
it.
Let's
take a
break.
Cause
we need
some
others.
Hi
My name
is
have this place be like an oasis from the world.
Now where we come in here, just find more of the world,
more rock bands, more dirty talk, more licentious living,
more, you fill in the blank.
We come here to get away from that.
We come here to get a break from the world.
We come here to take a breath of fresh air and say,
people who love God, people who aren't compromisers,
people who aren't liberals, people who aren't contrary
to God's word, people who love God.
I love this church.
Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Father, please just bless us now as we go.