WEBVTT 11:51.900 --> 12:00.420 service if you would grab a hymnal and turn to 336 constantly abiding hymn number 12:00.420 --> 12:06.600 336 336 constantly abiding 12:16.400 --> 12:19.500 336 we'll sing there starting on that first verse 15:30.300 --> 15:35.760 heads with me. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day, for another opportunity to gather 15:35.760 --> 15:39.400 together freely and sing praises and learn from your word. Lord, I thank you for leading 15:39.400 --> 15:43.600 us to those that were receptive to the two salvations that we had this evening and for 15:43.600 --> 15:47.880 the seeds that were planted. I pray that you would keep us all safe after the service this 15:47.880 --> 15:51.880 evening through the weather and that you would also open our ears during the service for 15:51.880 --> 15:56.040 the message and fill pasture with your spirit. These things we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 15:57.200 --> 16:02.240 for our next hymn number 405, the banner of the cross. 16:05.040 --> 16:11.760 Hymn number 405, 405, the banner of the cross. 16:16.600 --> 16:20.600 405 singing out and start there on the first. 16:20.600 --> 16:25.200 There's a royal banner given for this 16:25.200 --> 16:29.200 slave to the soldiers of 19... 18:59.800 --> 19:06.360 church this time go through our announcements this evening we are there in second timothy 19:06.360 --> 19:14.120 chapter one verse 16 for our bible memory passage on the front and of course many of us just got 19:14.120 --> 19:20.040 back from the anti-israel conference at steadfast baptist church and it was a really really great 19:20.040 --> 19:25.720 conference so if you did not yet check out those sermons please do watch those lots of great doctrine 19:26.300 --> 19:28.220 and preaching this weekend. 19:28.220 --> 19:29.800 And quite honestly, Pastor Shelley just noticed 19:29.800 --> 19:31.000 how to throw a great conference. 19:31.000 --> 19:32.500 So it was a lot of fun as well. 19:32.500 --> 19:34.240 I didn't get to make it the whole time, 19:34.240 --> 19:37.140 but for the part I was there, it was a great, great time. 19:37.140 --> 19:38.260 So definitely check that out. 19:38.260 --> 19:40.500 And if you can make it to a conference in the future, 19:40.500 --> 19:42.580 I would definitely highly recommend it. 19:42.580 --> 19:44.200 If you'll open up your bulletins there. 19:44.500 --> 19:54.500 On the left side, our service times are listed Sunday morning at 10.30, Sunday evening at 4.30, and our Wednesday Bible study at 7. 19:54.500 --> 20:04.200 Below there are all of our church soul winning times with the newest edition of the Tuesday Ladies Time at 10.30 a.m. meeting here at the church. 20:04.500 --> 20:05.860 And we have our year to date, 20:05.860 --> 20:08.980 soul winning statistics, both locally and abroad 20:08.980 --> 20:13.520 in the Philippines, bringing us to 1,013 for the year. 20:13.520 --> 20:15.020 We have our year, or I'm sorry, 20:15.020 --> 20:16.420 we have our visitor card there, 20:16.420 --> 20:19.620 as well as our online giving information. 20:19.620 --> 20:21.800 And then if you'll go to the back, please, 20:21.800 --> 20:23.400 we have our upcoming events. 20:23.420 --> 20:23.400 We have our upcoming events. 20:23.400 --> 20:28.600 June 14th brother Ben Naim from steadfast will be preaching both services 20:28.680 --> 20:32.660 So make sure to come out and support brother Ben. He's a great preacher 20:32.660 --> 20:36.980 I know he's gonna bring a really edifying message to you guys. So don't miss church that day 20:37.400 --> 20:42.740 June 17th through the 20th is the European soul winning conference in Germany and 20:43.180 --> 20:45.020 It's still not too late if you want to go 20:45.020 --> 20:50.340 But even if you can't go please be praying for that conference just that we can make a big impact on the soul winners that are 20:50.340 --> 20:51.140 there 20:51.140 --> 20:51.400 motivated 20:51.400 --> 20:54.200 people to preach the gospel in Europe. 20:54.600 --> 21:01.160 Then July 11th, we'll be doing another soul-wanting marathon in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. 21:01.160 --> 21:06.520 Of course, we want to start filling up that map back there, doing all the little towns in Oklahoma. 21:06.520 --> 21:12.200 And so that's next on the list. If you'll turn over again, our prayer list is listed there. 21:12.920 --> 21:18.760 The most recent update is Jennifer's mother Piper is going to be returning to work soon. 21:18.760 --> 21:22.200 And so she's just asking for prayer that she would have full strength. 21:22.600 --> 21:25.180 and recovery going back to work. 21:25.180 --> 21:27.760 And as always, if you have any new prayer requests 21:27.760 --> 21:29.840 or any updates, just email the church 21:29.840 --> 21:32.280 and we'll get that reflected on the bulletin. 21:32.280 --> 21:34.220 But before we go to our third song together, 21:34.220 --> 21:35.620 let's go ahead and have a word of prayer 21:35.620 --> 21:36.900 as a church family tonight. 21:37.600 --> 21:42.020 Lord, thank you so much for the blessing of prayer, being able to come before your throne 21:42.020 --> 21:43.920 and bring our requests to you. 21:43.920 --> 21:47.720 I pray that you'd answer all of these prayers this evening according to your will. 21:47.720 --> 21:51.080 I pray that you'd bless this service that we're having for you, Lord. 21:51.080 --> 21:55.640 I pray that the preaching would be Spirit-filled and the fellowship and the singing that all 21:55.640 --> 21:57.880 that we do tonight is for your honor and glory. 21:57.880 --> 22:03.040 I pray also for the pregnancies that are reflected here on the bulletin, Miss Jennifer and my 22:03.040 --> 22:04.720 sister-in-law, Reagan. 22:04.720 --> 22:05.600 I pray that those babies. 22:05.600 --> 22:09.560 would just grow and be healthy and strong and you just allow them to have 22:09.560 --> 22:15.440 very good pregnancies Lord. I also pray for the Lemons family that baby Uriah in 22:15.440 --> 22:20.440 the womb would grow strong and just his body would be as strong as possible ready 22:20.440 --> 22:24.100 for that surgery that that surgery would go very well. 22:24.300 --> 22:28.940 that that child would just be safe and just pray that you bless that situation 22:28.940 --> 22:35.020 Lord any way that you can also pray for my wife for her surgery recovery that 22:35.020 --> 22:38.900 she would just get through the pain and that her body would fully heal Lord 22:39.400 --> 22:45.080 We also want to pray for the Zumbara family that you just help them with their moving desire that 22:45.080 --> 22:50.120 you just allow everything to line up for them Lord and I pray that you bring them to us Lord. 22:50.120 --> 22:55.240 We do pray for more soul winners and their soul winning family Lord I pray that you would allow 22:55.240 --> 23:01.160 them to get here without a hitch Lord. Also we want to pray for brother Cameron's health that 23:01.160 --> 23:02.500 you please bless him. 23:02.800 --> 23:07.920 I pray for Piper that she would just allow her to have a successful return to work, that 23:07.920 --> 23:12.560 her knee would be strong, that she'd help her on her path to full recovery, Lord. 23:13.000 --> 23:17.280 I also want to pray for Brother Eric in the Philippines that you'd keep him safe and healthy 23:17.280 --> 23:21.860 and help him to keep working hard over there, that the door of opportunity would stay open 23:21.860 --> 23:23.700 for the gospel there. 23:23.700 --> 23:28.620 And please also bless Pastor Stuckey and Brother Duncan Urbanek as well, and all the great 23:28.620 --> 23:30.860 works that are being done abroad over there, Lord. 23:30.860 --> 23:33.400 I pray that you would enable those men and use them mightily. 23:33.900 --> 23:38.440 Pray for brother of Theodore's mother that she'd be fully healed of her cancer Lord 23:38.900 --> 23:46.260 Also, we pray for brother miles that his health would improve and that you bless miss Rhea in caretaking and Lord 23:46.260 --> 23:50.500 We love you very much. We pray all these things in Jesus name. Amen. All right at this time 23:50.500 --> 23:52.500 We'll go to our third song together 23:56.200 --> 24:02.280 For our third song, grab your white handouts and turn to Psalm 150. 24:04.200 --> 24:10.040 Psalm 150, 150 in your white handouts. 24:18.100 --> 24:20.440 Psalm 150. 24:27.800 --> 24:29.800 We'll sing there on the first. 24:29.800 --> 24:36.300 Rage be the Lord, rage God in His sanctuary, 24:36.300 --> 24:38.300 Rage here in the... 25:55.600 --> 26:00.720 offering plates are being passed, turn if you would to Ecclesiastes chapter 8. 26:00.720 --> 26:02.960 Ecclesiastes chapter number 8. 26:53.800 --> 26:59.040 As he asked these chapter 8, Who is as the wise man, and who knoweth the interpretation 26:59.040 --> 27:00.040 of a thing? 27:00.040 --> 27:04.780 A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. 27:04.780 --> 27:09.520 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. 27:09.520 --> 27:15.480 Be not hasty to go out of his sight, stand not in an evil thing, for he doeth whatsoever 27:15.480 --> 27:16.920 pleaseth him. 27:16.920 --> 27:21.700 Where the word of a king is, there is power, and who may say unto him, What doest thou? 27:21.800 --> 27:28.680 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing, and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment. 27:29.000 --> 27:36.480 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment therefore the misery of man is great upon him for he knoweth not that which 27:36.480 --> 27:43.240 Shall be for who can tell him when it shall be there is no man that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit 27:43.400 --> 27:50.900 Neither hath the power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that war neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given 27:50.900 --> 27:56.680 To it all this have I seen and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the Sun 27:57.200 --> 28:00.880 There is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt. 28:01.760 --> 28:06.320 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, 28:06.320 --> 28:10.400 and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This is also vanity. 28:10.960 --> 28:15.440 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, 28:15.440 --> 28:19.360 therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 28:19.800 --> 28:25.100 Though a sinner do evil and hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know 28:25.100 --> 28:29.280 that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him. 28:29.280 --> 28:33.160 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are 28:33.160 --> 28:36.200 as a shadow, because he feareth not before God. 28:36.600 --> 28:41.160 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth 28:41.160 --> 28:46.040 according to the work of the wicked. Again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to 28:46.040 --> 28:51.960 the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. Then I commended mirth, because a man 28:51.960 --> 28:57.800 hath no better thing under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be merry. For that shall abide 28:57.800 --> 29:03.880 with him of his labor all the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. 29:04.400 --> 29:09.600 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth, 29:09.600 --> 29:14.960 for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes, then I beheld all the work 29:14.960 --> 29:20.720 of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun, because though a man labor 29:20.720 --> 29:26.720 to seek it out, yet he shall not find it. Yea, further, though a wise man think to know it, 29:26.720 --> 29:28.560 yet shall he not be able to find it. 29:29.500 --> 29:30.500 Let's pray. 29:30.500 --> 29:35.500 Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day, for the soul winning and for the opportunity 29:35.500 --> 29:36.500 to come to church today. 29:36.500 --> 29:40.500 I pray that you would fill Pastor Oz with your spirit and have us to your soul. 29:43.600 --> 29:47.100 Amen. Ecclesiastes chapter number 8 verse 1, the Bible reads, 29:47.100 --> 29:49.600 Who is as the wise man? 29:49.600 --> 29:52.600 And who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? 29:52.600 --> 29:56.100 A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine. 29:56.300 --> 30:00.040 And the boldness of his face shall be changed. 30:00.040 --> 30:03.580 So here the Bible is talking about the wise man and talking about how you can kind of 30:03.580 --> 30:08.980 tell what's going on with a person by their face, by their countenance. 30:08.980 --> 30:12.580 And the Bible talks about how boldness really here is coming from actually knowing what 30:12.580 --> 30:14.580 you are talking about. 30:14.580 --> 30:19.220 And it's very interesting here that the Bible uses this phrase, how it maketh his face to 30:19.220 --> 30:20.500 shine. 30:20.500 --> 30:23.440 When you read that, you should automatically be thinking about Moses. 30:23.440 --> 30:24.280 when he came down. 30:24.300 --> 30:27.720 from the mount. Let's look at that really quickly. Of course, keep your place there 30:27.720 --> 30:34.680 and go to Exodus chapter 34, Exodus chapter number 34. Right. So we just read about how 30:34.680 --> 30:41.820 a man's wisdom makes his face to shine. Notice what it says there in Exodus chapter number 30:41.820 --> 30:48.340 34 in verse number 29 it says and it came to pass from. 30:49.600 --> 30:56.080 with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that 30:56.080 --> 31:03.040 Moses whisked not, that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him." 31:03.040 --> 31:07.920 So notice that when Moses was around God, his face shone. 31:08.200 --> 31:13.560 And of course this could be a spiritual picture about how the more time we spend with the 31:13.560 --> 31:18.800 Lord, the more time we are going to shine spiritually, the more wisdom you're going 31:18.800 --> 31:19.800 to have. 31:19.800 --> 31:24.240 And of course he's holding there the tablets representing the Word of God. 31:24.240 --> 31:29.640 And how is it today that we spend time with God, get to know God, get wisdom from God? 31:29.640 --> 31:32.360 It's by reading his Word. 31:32.360 --> 31:36.200 So those today who are the most wise, who are the ones that are shining bright. 31:36.200 --> 31:40.200 in this world are those who read the most Bible. 31:40.700 --> 31:45.100 And I like that idea of like shining your face shining you being bright, you know 31:45.260 --> 31:47.260 This doesn't make me think of like presbyterians 31:48.220 --> 31:52.300 And methodists and really just lame churches that are doing nothing, you know 31:52.300 --> 31:54.300 It makes me think about christians that are on fire 31:54.620 --> 32:00.140 Christians that are shining bright makes me think about the independent baptist movement, right real soul winners 32:00.620 --> 32:07.740 Real preachers real christians going out and doing great works. This is shining from spending time with god 32:08.300 --> 32:08.700 also 32:08.700 --> 32:15.020 So go if you would to it's Acts chapter number six acts chapter number six when you think 32:15.020 --> 32:22.280 about someone's face being different as a result of their wisdom act chapter number 32:22.280 --> 32:30.660 six look at verse number eight the Bible says this and Stephen full of faith and power did 32:30.660 --> 32:35.800 great wonders and miracles among the people so notice how he's a man that's full of the 32:35.800 --> 32:36.400 Holy Ghost. 32:36.800 --> 32:39.000 full of faith, full of power. 32:39.000 --> 32:41.600 Notice what the Bible says about him in verse 15. 32:41.600 --> 32:42.760 And all that sat. 32:43.000 --> 32:50.780 Council looking steadfastly on him saw his face as it had been the face of an angel 32:51.200 --> 32:53.200 Right. So there's there was something about 32:53.620 --> 32:58.980 Steven's face that people picked up on that like okay, man, this guy is serious 32:58.980 --> 33:06.140 This guy means business this guy knows what he's talking about and he went on to preach a great sermon all of acts 33:06.140 --> 33:10.440 chapter number seven basically is him just recounting the entire history of 33:11.000 --> 33:16.460 the Bible basically by memory preaching against the Jews telling them hey you guys rejected 33:16.460 --> 33:21.200 the Lord Jesus you guys have rejected all the prophets he preaches this great sermon 33:21.200 --> 33:26.540 and ends up being a martyr ends up being stone but you notice how it's interesting to me 33:26.540 --> 33:31.360 how the Bible says there that they looked on his face saw his face as it had been the 33:31.360 --> 33:32.960 face of an angel. 33:33.400 --> 33:38.900 So you know what we need today is we need Christians that are going to be bold in their preaching, right? 33:38.900 --> 33:42.180 So when you go out soul winning you want to go out with boldness 33:42.480 --> 33:48.680 You want to go out with that shining face if you will that bold countenance and not show up to people's door 33:48.680 --> 33:53.940 You know timid scared acting like you shouldn't really be there. No. No, you have the Word of God 33:54.340 --> 34:00.060 You've been spending time with the Lord. Hopefully. Hopefully you're out there filled with the spirit and you can go out there with 34:00.600 --> 34:01.400 boldness 34:01.400 --> 34:04.920 And you know what that boldness does not come from yourself 34:04.920 --> 34:10.320 It does not come from your own personality because my personality is being an introvert 34:10.700 --> 34:16.720 But you know what you can be a great soul winner if you are filled with the spirit if you're spending time with the Lord 34:16.720 --> 34:19.440 If you're close to him, you can have that great boldness 34:20.240 --> 34:25.460 Go back to Ecclesiastes chapter number 8 Ecclesiastes chapter 8 verse number 2 34:25.460 --> 34:28.960 He says I counsel thee to keep the King's commandment 34:29.400 --> 34:34.940 that in regard of the oath of God so when talking about a wise man 34:35.400 --> 34:39.960 Something a wise person does is they keep the King's commandment, right? 34:39.960 --> 34:43.880 Because this is not just oh, it's someone's preference to be obedient 34:43.880 --> 34:48.080 No, the Bible says let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, right? 34:48.080 --> 34:54.360 That God has ordained the powers that be and when we subject ourselves to human authority, we're ultimately 34:54.880 --> 34:56.880 subjecting ourselves to God 34:57.300 --> 35:00.500 because God has instituted that authority. 35:00.500 --> 35:02.260 So when we're going through life, 35:02.260 --> 35:04.700 you know, Pastor Shelley put it to this way to me once, 35:04.700 --> 35:08.060 is that every decision in life is obeying God, right? 35:08.060 --> 35:10.900 But then we filter that through obeying people, right? 35:10.900 --> 35:13.700 Because God has given us real human authority. 35:13.700 --> 35:15.460 And he's like, hey, you want to be a wise man? 35:15.460 --> 35:16.900 I've got some advice for you. 35:16.900 --> 35:18.500 Keep the King's commandment. 35:19.300 --> 35:23.540 Right, and sometimes today we have this mentality, especially among young people usually, of this 35:23.540 --> 35:30.180 anarchy, this anti-all government, and look, I'm anti-bad government, I'm anti-tyrannical 35:30.180 --> 35:36.660 government, I'm anti-abuse of power government, but being just anti-government is a wicked mindset. 35:37.000 --> 35:41.740 It's actually an attribute that reprobates have where the Bible says that they despise 35:42.160 --> 35:47.180 Dominion whereas the wise man. He's like hey you want to be wise. I've got some advice for you 35:47.180 --> 35:50.040 I counsel you to keep the King's commandment 35:50.400 --> 35:53.400 We should be striving to live peaceably with all men. 35:53.400 --> 35:57.400 We should be as Christians law-abiding people, people that, 35:57.400 --> 36:00.400 hey, you know what, if it's not a sin, we're going to obey the King's commandment. 36:00.400 --> 36:03.400 And of course, we don't live under a monarchy. 36:03.400 --> 36:06.400 But you know what? A lot of people in history lived under a monarchy. 36:07.100 --> 36:12.800 And you know, I'm thankful for the form of government we have here because we have, you know, separation of powers 36:12.800 --> 36:15.980 We have that highest law of the land the US Constitution 36:15.980 --> 36:20.620 A lot of people didn't have that was just whatever the king said you had to do and you know 36:20.620 --> 36:25.980 There are some human relationships that are like that in our lives. How about your boss at work, right? 36:25.980 --> 36:29.700 There may not be a hierarchy a separation of powers depending on where you work 36:29.700 --> 36:34.120 It could just be your boss is in charge of you and you need to just obey what they say to do 36:34.600 --> 36:43.600 Wives are to obey their husbands and you know there's no committee, there's no separation of powers, there's no constitution, it's just obey your husband. 36:43.600 --> 36:46.600 That's what the Bible says. Kids, obey your parents. 36:46.600 --> 36:50.600 And you know what, your life will just be easier when you are in subjection to authority. 36:50.600 --> 37:02.500 People who are constantly rebelling against authority are constantly having issues, problems, fighting, criminal records, you know, obedience in general is going to keep you safe in life. 37:03.600 --> 37:07.600 Now, look at what it says in verse number three, gives some more practical advice here. 37:07.600 --> 37:11.620 It says, be not hasty to go out of His sight. 37:11.620 --> 37:14.460 That's talking about leaving the King's sight. 37:14.460 --> 37:19.560 Stand not in an evil thing, for He doeth whatsoever pleaseth Him. 37:19.560 --> 37:24.860 So notice how the Bible emphasizes, number one, keeping the King's commandments. 37:24.860 --> 37:26.300 That's obedience, right? 37:26.300 --> 37:30.000 But the Bible also emphasizes giving respect. 37:30.100 --> 37:35.300 Because what's the practical thing he's telling you to do here be not hasty to go out of his sight 37:35.620 --> 37:40.580 Meaning like hey if you're in the presence of the king or of an authority, right? 37:40.740 --> 37:44.340 If you've got the authority's attention or the authority has your attention 37:44.740 --> 37:47.060 You don't want to be just hasty to walk away 37:47.700 --> 37:53.240 To just shuffle off to get out of that conversation. Don't be hasty to get out of his sight 37:53.500 --> 37:55.620 It's like, how would this look like at work? 37:55.620 --> 37:58.280 You know, let's say that your boss comes into your office 37:58.280 --> 38:01.220 or your boss calls you to him and he wants to talk to you 38:01.220 --> 38:02.060 about some stuff. 38:02.060 --> 38:03.760 He gives you a list of tasks. 38:03.800 --> 38:09.100 Don't just like get that list and just be like alright. I'll get on this see ya you say like hey boss anything else 38:09.420 --> 38:16.080 Anything else I could help you with right you want to ask permission to leave this conversation because he's in charge right so he has 38:16.340 --> 38:20.700 Authority he might have other things to talk about it's just a very practical application 38:20.700 --> 38:24.180 But I mean that's what the Bible says there be not hasty to go out of his sight 38:24.860 --> 38:30.160 Stand not in an evil thing obviously you should fear authority as well if you're caught doing something wicked 38:30.700 --> 38:33.700 for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him." 38:33.700 --> 38:36.700 And of course, we can also apply this to God. 38:36.900 --> 38:41.220 Right how hey we shouldn't just be hasty and getting away from our spiritual life 38:41.540 --> 38:47.220 Just hasty through our bible reading hasty through our prayer hasty at church get out as soon as we can 38:47.460 --> 38:49.860 No, we want to spend lots of time with god, right? 38:50.100 --> 38:52.580 And if we're reading the bible, hey, he's instructing us 38:52.740 --> 38:56.900 He's commanding us and we want to be soaking that in and not just skimming the page 38:57.220 --> 39:01.800 Trying to just check something off a list, but really letting his commandments soak in here 39:02.400 --> 39:09.760 Also, remember stand not in an evil thing for he doeth whatsoever please of him right God's in charge and God sees everything 39:09.760 --> 39:17.180 God hears everything God knows everything so we ought to be afraid to be standing in an evil thing because we know that God can punish us 39:18.120 --> 39:24.240 Notice what it says in verse number four. It says where the word of a king is there is power 39:25.000 --> 39:31.700 Who may say unto him what doest thou right so you want to be afraid of the king because with his words is 39:32.240 --> 39:36.280 Power and no one's gonna go up to the king and be like what are you doing right? 39:36.280 --> 39:40.120 That would be extremely inappropriate and a good way to get yourself in trouble 39:40.360 --> 39:44.700 Right get yourself in trouble at work with the boss or any authority in your life 39:45.000 --> 39:49.860 But another way I want to think about this is in regards to us as soul winners 39:49.860 --> 39:52.040 Keep your place there go to Revelation chapter number one 39:53.200 --> 40:00.100 Revelation chapter number one the Bible says in Ecclesiastes that where the word of a king is there is power, right? 40:00.180 --> 40:02.180 Now what does the Bible say in Revelation 1? 40:03.040 --> 40:05.480 It says in verse 5 and from Jesus Christ 40:06.220 --> 40:13.860 Who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth? 40:14.260 --> 40:18.660 Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood 40:19.300 --> 40:26.340 Notice this, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father. 40:26.800 --> 40:30.400 To him be glory and dominion forever and ever 40:31.040 --> 40:36.640 Amen. So in a sense, of course, Jesus Christ is that what king of kings? 40:37.120 --> 40:41.840 He's the prince of the kings of the earth. He's the ruler of all rulers 40:42.240 --> 40:47.600 But he has also made us kings and priests spiritually on the earth 40:48.000 --> 40:53.680 Now, how is it that we're kings? Is it because you know our words have power? No, it's because we have his word 40:54.200 --> 40:59.960 Whereas in Ecclesiastes it said what where the word of a king is there is what power? 41:00.640 --> 41:06.680 So, you know we as Christians again tying this to soul winning. You don't want to go soul winning acting like oh 41:06.680 --> 41:11.740 Maybe I shouldn't be here. Am I allowed to be here? Oh, you know being all timid being all shy 41:11.740 --> 41:18.480 It's like hey, we're Kings and we have authority we have power, right? It's like do you have permission to be here? 41:18.520 --> 41:19.900 Yes, we do 41:20.000 --> 41:24.960 Because Jesus said to go forth into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature 41:25.600 --> 41:30.960 Right, so we do have that authority and you know what we have authority to preach the gospel 41:31.440 --> 41:37.540 We have authority to preach all the counsel of god. Why because it's god's word. It's the king's words that we have 41:37.700 --> 41:40.700 There is no higher power than Jesus Christ. 41:40.700 --> 41:44.700 So when we're preaching His words, that's the ultimate authority. 41:44.700 --> 41:47.700 Hey, by the way, the Catholics and the Orthodox really don't like that. 41:47.700 --> 41:50.700 The idea of the Bible being the final authority. 41:50.700 --> 41:53.700 But you know what? Jesus is King of Kings. 41:53.700 --> 41:55.600 And guess what? Jesus is the Word. 41:55.800 --> 42:00.840 So we as Christians, we should not be shy or timid or worried about bringing the Bible into, 42:00.840 --> 42:06.680 you know, the public sphere, bringing the Bible into the public domain, bringing the Bible into 42:06.680 --> 42:11.080 conversations out in this world. You know, we ought to be bold as Christians with our faith. 42:11.800 --> 42:14.920 And you know, hey, I'm not afraid to preach the Bible anywhere. 42:14.920 --> 42:18.280 I'll go in the middle of a Catholic church and preach against idolatry. 42:18.280 --> 42:22.440 And you know, it might stir up some of the demons and devils and false prophets and 42:22.440 --> 42:25.400 faggots out there and dresses calling themselves priests. 42:25.400 --> 42:28.840 But you know what? Guess what? I'm a king. I have the word of God. 42:28.840 --> 42:33.160 I'm a priest of God, not like these fake priests at the Catholic church. 42:34.280 --> 42:37.240 Notice what it says in verse number five of Ecclesiastes eight. 42:38.600 --> 42:44.740 It says who so keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing and a wise man's heart 42:45.480 --> 42:47.480 discerneth both time and 42:48.400 --> 42:53.920 Judgment so here's another thing that the wise person does is a wise person has discernment 42:54.700 --> 42:56.860 What is he discerning? He's discerning time 42:56.940 --> 43:01.980 We already read in Ecclesiastes 3 how there's a time for every purpose under the Sun 43:02.100 --> 43:07.900 right a time to kill a time to heal a time to mourn a time to dance a time to do all those different things and 43:09.380 --> 43:15.940 Judgment why verse 6 because to every purpose there is a time and judgment 43:16.340 --> 43:22.120 This is interesting. Therefore the misery of man is great upon him 43:23.200 --> 43:31.200 For he knoweth not what shall be for who can tell him when it shall be what is that it that he's talking about here 43:31.200 --> 43:34.320 Well, I think he's talking about death. Why do I say that keep reading verse number eight? 43:34.640 --> 43:39.040 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit 43:39.280 --> 43:44.520 Neither hath he power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that war 43:45.000 --> 43:51.400 Neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. So notice the wise man. He's 43:51.760 --> 43:57.760 He's contemplating he has discernment. He's thinking about what's appropriate. He's thinking about time 43:57.760 --> 44:03.000 He's thinking about judgment because of the fact that we know that our life is finite 44:03.240 --> 44:06.440 That someday our lives on this earth will end 44:06.440 --> 44:12.600 We only have a short amount of time to accomplish works for God because there's no person 44:13.000 --> 44:15.960 that has power over the spirit to retain the spirit. 44:15.960 --> 44:18.480 Right, so it's not like when someone is dying, 44:18.480 --> 44:20.240 you can just like will yourself. 44:20.240 --> 44:22.000 Oh man, you know, I just need more time. 44:22.000 --> 44:23.920 You just like will yourself to live. 44:23.920 --> 44:25.580 You know, if you ever had surgery before, 44:25.580 --> 44:27.920 you can't will yourself to stay conscious 44:27.920 --> 44:29.420 when you're going under. 44:29.420 --> 44:31.200 You know, I remember when I was a teenager, 44:31.200 --> 44:32.440 I think I've said this before, 44:32.440 --> 44:34.040 how I had this like medical episode 44:34.040 --> 44:36.240 where I stopped breathing, my dad gave me CPR. 44:36.240 --> 44:38.500 I couldn't just like will myself to stay conscious. 44:38.500 --> 44:40.100 It was just like, it was going dark. 44:40.300 --> 44:44.140 And it's like there's coming a day for all of us where we are going to face our death 44:44.860 --> 44:49.660 Unless the lord comes before that right, you know those that are alive and remain will meet the lord in the air 44:49.980 --> 44:56.060 But you know what? It's a very high likelihood that we will meet our death someday and there's no getting around that 44:56.060 --> 45:01.740 There's no stopping that there's no discharge in that war and I think that's why it says in verse number six 45:02.220 --> 45:07.020 It says therefore the misery of man is great upon him 45:07.500 --> 45:14.140 You know human beings in general just fear and tremble and hate thinking about the fact that we're going to die someday 45:14.940 --> 45:19.900 Right because the world you know either they're not sure that they're saved which means they're not saved 45:20.220 --> 45:22.620 Right if they haven't put their faith in jesus christ and they're like, oh man 45:22.700 --> 45:26.940 I hope i've been a good enough person and so they kind of have this dread about facing death 45:27.020 --> 45:28.600 You know, have I done enough good? 45:28.700 --> 45:32.860 Or they're just thinking man, you know, I'm gonna cease to exist and that thought can kind of scare them 45:33.180 --> 45:37.900 Whatever their beliefs are a lot of people in this world. They have that misery of facing death 45:38.460 --> 45:43.740 But that word is very interesting that the bible uses there because keep your place there and go to first chrithians 15 45:44.460 --> 45:46.460 You know for us as christians 45:47.020 --> 45:53.260 We should not just be filled with this feeling of misery at this idea that we're going to die someday 45:53.660 --> 45:55.980 Because for us death is game 45:57.000 --> 46:02.000 For us, death is only a positive for us, right? 46:02.000 --> 46:05.000 Because we are gonna get to see the Lord Jesus Christ. 46:05.000 --> 46:07.000 We're going to be in heaven. 46:07.000 --> 46:10.000 We're gonna be able to be fed by the Lord Jesus Christ. 46:10.000 --> 46:11.000 How about this? 46:11.000 --> 46:14.000 We're gonna get to be reunited with loved ones that are saved. 46:14.100 --> 46:19.220 Throughout all ages, the people that are saved, we get to have eternal communion with those people. 46:19.220 --> 46:22.980 We get mansions in heaven. We have glorified bodies someday. 46:22.980 --> 46:26.500 Like, dying as a Christian is no harm, no foul for us. 46:27.380 --> 46:30.820 Now, it could still be a tragedy for the ones we leave behind, right? 46:30.820 --> 46:33.700 Obviously, it'd be horrible for them for the time being. 46:33.700 --> 46:36.900 But even that isn't as bad as how the world views death. 46:36.900 --> 46:40.260 Because if our loved ones are saved, we're reunited again someday. 46:40.700 --> 46:46.300 Right, so we shouldn't just be filled with this misery of death, but look what the Bible says 46:47.260 --> 46:50.380 And let me make sure that i'm going to the right verse here first chrithians 46:51.020 --> 46:53.020 15 we'll give verse number 13 46:53.900 --> 46:55.820 It says this in verse 13 46:55.820 --> 47:01.340 But if there be no resurrection of the dead then is christ not risen? 47:02.140 --> 47:06.940 And if christ be not risen then is our preaching vein 47:07.500 --> 47:10.100 And your faith is also vain. 47:10.100 --> 47:13.400 Now, Ecclesiastes is explaining to us what? 47:13.400 --> 47:16.400 That everything under the sun is vain. 47:16.400 --> 47:23.560 Right? Wealth, pleasure, wine, you know, all the things that man's heart lusts after is 47:23.560 --> 47:25.080 vain and empty. 47:25.080 --> 47:29.660 But of course, the book ends by telling us, fear God and keep his commandments for this 47:29.660 --> 47:31.740 is the whole duty of man. 47:31.740 --> 47:35.380 We know that our labor is not in vain in the Lord. 47:35.380 --> 47:39.680 But here the Bible saying, hey, if there's no resurrection of the dead, though, that 47:39.680 --> 47:43.440 means that Jesus Christ did not rise again from the dead. 47:43.440 --> 47:44.400 Jesus Christ! 47:44.400 --> 47:49.560 did not rise again from the dead, then our preaching would be vain, would be empty. 47:49.560 --> 47:53.320 Now wouldn't that fill you with dread and misery? 47:53.320 --> 47:55.040 Because it's like, you know, we're already awake. 47:55.040 --> 48:00.720 It's like we already know that life under the sun is vain and meaningless and pointless. 48:00.720 --> 48:06.720 And we already know that if we chase after riches, pleasure, women, drugs, alcohol, you 48:06.720 --> 48:08.440 will never be satisfied. 48:08.800 --> 48:11.120 So what do we have in this life? 48:11.120 --> 48:13.420 We have our preaching, our faith, 48:13.420 --> 48:15.340 and we know that that is not vain, right? 48:15.340 --> 48:16.880 But just this thought experiment, 48:16.880 --> 48:19.000 imagine if it was though. 48:19.000 --> 48:19.980 You know what I would be? 48:19.980 --> 48:21.580 Miserable. 48:21.580 --> 48:23.420 Because it's like there's no win. 48:23.420 --> 48:25.060 Everything under the sun sucks. 48:25.060 --> 48:26.600 Oh, and then there's nothing true 48:26.600 --> 48:27.920 with the Lord Jesus Christ as well. 48:27.920 --> 48:29.200 That would just be horrible. 48:29.400 --> 48:36.160 But notice what it says there in verse number 15 yay, and we are found false witnesses of God 48:36.600 --> 48:43.220 Because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ whom he raised not up if 48:43.720 --> 48:45.720 So be that the dead rise not 48:46.400 --> 48:53.720 For if the dead is not then is Christ then is not Christ raised and if Christ be not raised your fate is vain 48:54.080 --> 48:56.320 Ye are yet in your sins 48:57.100 --> 49:02.440 Right, so this is also a good point about how if you do not believe that Jesus Christ rose again 49:02.620 --> 49:09.640 You are not saved and it does not matter if you give lip service to Jesus being a good prophet 49:10.060 --> 49:14.200 Muslims if you don't believe he rose again, you are yet in your sins 49:14.820 --> 49:16.660 Okay, keep reading 49:16.660 --> 49:22.360 It says verse 18 then they also which are falling asleep in Christ are perished 49:23.000 --> 49:28.600 Follow along with a thought experiment here if Christ isn't raised then those loved ones that we're thinking. Oh lord 49:28.600 --> 49:32.760 I can't wait to see him again someday. I'm so happy. I'll get to see him again someday then thinking 49:32.760 --> 49:37.400 I'll never see them again. You know that is that that is a horrific thought 49:38.320 --> 49:39.400 Because it's just you know 49:39.400 --> 49:46.760 It's so sweet in life as a Christian knowing that if someone is saved and they breathe their last they breathe their next in heaven 49:47.200 --> 49:48.900 And they will live eternally. 49:48.900 --> 49:52.200 And if we live on this earth for 60, 70, 80 more years, 49:52.200 --> 49:55.460 we get to be with them again for all of eternity. 49:55.460 --> 49:57.600 But just imagine that hopeless feeling of, 49:57.600 --> 50:00.080 oh, I'll never see them again. 50:00.080 --> 50:02.380 That's a miserable thought. 50:02.380 --> 50:07.240 Verse 19, if in this life only we have hope in Christ, 50:07.240 --> 50:09.940 we are of all men most what? 50:09.940 --> 50:10.780 Miserable. 50:11.600 --> 50:18.800 But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept 50:19.160 --> 50:24.680 For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead 50:25.100 --> 50:29.840 For as an atom all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive 50:30.600 --> 50:34.040 But every man in his order, Christ the firstfruits, 50:34.040 --> 50:37.540 afterward they that are Christ at his coming. 50:37.540 --> 50:38.780 See, here's the great part. 50:38.780 --> 50:41.920 We don't have to be of all men most miserable. 50:41.920 --> 50:43.060 You know what he's implying there? 50:43.060 --> 50:44.420 Everyone's already miserable, 50:44.420 --> 50:47.680 but we're gonna be of all men most miserable. 50:47.680 --> 50:48.600 But here's the thing. 50:48.600 --> 50:51.760 Jesus Christ did rise again from the dead. 50:51.760 --> 50:52.760 And you know what that means? 50:52.760 --> 50:55.160 If you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, 50:55.160 --> 50:57.340 you will never die. 50:57.800 --> 51:02.920 So why would I sit here and have just this miserable life of oh man time and judgment 51:03.080 --> 51:05.560 I don't know when i'm gonna die. I know that day's coming 51:06.040 --> 51:09.080 Right, and I can't have power over my spirit in the day of death 51:09.320 --> 51:13.240 I can't will myself to live one day longer than i'm going to live 51:13.480 --> 51:18.040 But guess what? I don't have to fret. I don't have to worry because I have eternal life 51:18.840 --> 51:23.020 And it's so great as a christian to know that you have eternal life 51:23.900 --> 51:29.680 1 John 5 13 these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know 51:29.960 --> 51:33.760 That you have everlasting life and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God 51:33.880 --> 51:40.760 You know people call that prideful. Let me tell you what's prideful is not believing what the Bible says. That's actually prideful 51:41.100 --> 51:46.040 If the Bible says you can know that you have everlasting life if you believe in Jesus Christ 51:46.040 --> 51:51.940 And I just say I agree with you God. You're right. Yeah, I do know that because I know it's not by my works 51:51.940 --> 51:54.980 I know it's the fact that Jesus rose again 51:55.620 --> 51:59.080 Everything hinges on that because Jesus Christ rose again 51:59.080 --> 52:06.180 Hey, I have no misery thoughts of misery when it comes to my death now, obviously no one's looking forward to death 52:06.800 --> 52:08.800 Everyone, whether you're a Christian or not, 52:08.800 --> 52:12.240 we spend our whole lives trying to avoid death, right? 52:12.240 --> 52:16.880 We eat healthy, we exercise, we drive a certain speed, 52:16.880 --> 52:18.960 we don't drive other speeds, right? 52:18.960 --> 52:22.060 You know, we're providing income, or we're getting shelter. 52:22.060 --> 52:25.600 Like everyone in life is trying to live as long as they can. 52:25.600 --> 52:27.520 And I'm not saying you should just like start living 52:27.520 --> 52:29.120 carelessly or anything like that, 52:29.120 --> 52:30.240 but here's what I am saying, 52:30.240 --> 52:32.060 we should not be scared of death. 52:32.900 --> 52:40.260 Because guess what? We are on the winning side. We already have the victory that has overcome the world our faith in Jesus Christ 52:40.500 --> 52:43.620 Jesus Christ has the keys of hell and of death. He's conquered it for us 52:44.180 --> 52:46.740 So hey, we will never die go to eclesiastes 52:47.920 --> 52:49.920 Eclesiastes chapter number eight 52:51.700 --> 52:59.080 Let's read that again verse six because to every purpose there is time and judgment therefore the misery of man is great upon him 52:59.500 --> 53:03.420 For he knoweth not that which shall be, for who can tell him when it shall be? 53:03.420 --> 53:08.140 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit, neither hath he power 53:08.140 --> 53:14.380 in the day of death, and there is no discharge in that war, neither shall wickedness deliver those 53:14.380 --> 53:16.200 that are given to it. 53:16.300 --> 53:23.260 Right, so that that is kind of a strange statement because who would think that doing wickedness would deliver you from death? 53:23.580 --> 53:29.200 But yet there's constantly people in this world that will do evil to try to you know, avoid consequences 53:29.740 --> 53:33.340 For their other evil actions, right you do something bad and it's oh 53:33.340 --> 53:38.700 I need to cover this up to save my bacon or whatever and the bible saying hey wickedness is never going to deliver you 53:39.020 --> 53:42.720 You know, it's never worth it to do wrong. It's just not 53:43.600 --> 53:49.280 Verse number 9, he says, All this have I seen, and applied mine heart unto every work that 53:49.280 --> 53:51.080 is done under the sun. 53:51.080 --> 53:53.920 There is a time wherein one man ruleth over another. 53:54.400 --> 53:58.960 to his own hurt. So here's another vanity under the sun. You know, people think that, 53:58.960 --> 54:04.960 oh man, to be a leader, to be in charge, to be powerful, but there's some people that rule over 54:04.960 --> 54:09.840 others to their own hurt, right? Being in charge isn't always what it's cracked up to be. Not 54:09.840 --> 54:14.960 everyone who's a ruler is just living a better life and just has it so much easier than everyone 54:14.960 --> 54:19.040 else. Sometimes people ruling over others do so to their own hurt. 54:19.900 --> 54:23.980 Verse number 10 says this, and so I saw the notice, 54:23.980 --> 54:27.780 wicked, buried, who had come and gone 54:27.780 --> 54:30.180 from the place of the holy. 54:30.180 --> 54:34.100 And they were forgotten in the city, where they had so done. 54:34.100 --> 54:36.700 This is also vanity. 54:36.700 --> 54:38.460 Here's another thing that's vain, 54:38.460 --> 54:40.020 is that there's all these people. 54:40.600 --> 54:42.620 who spend their whole life, notice, 54:42.620 --> 54:45.580 going to and from the holy, 54:45.580 --> 54:47.180 but what does the Bible call them? 54:47.180 --> 54:48.740 Wicked, right? 54:48.740 --> 54:50.740 It makes me think about how the Lord Jesus Christ said, 54:50.740 --> 54:52.700 hey, many will say to me in that day, 54:52.700 --> 54:55.300 Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? 54:55.300 --> 54:57.100 And in thy name have cast out devils, 54:57.100 --> 54:59.140 and in thy name done many wonderful works, 54:59.140 --> 55:00.380 and then will I profess unto them, 55:00.380 --> 55:02.820 I never knew you, depart from me, 55:02.820 --> 55:04.100 ye that work what? 55:04.100 --> 55:05.020 Iniquity. 55:05.100 --> 55:11.500 Right, so you got people that they're spending their life going to and from the holy makes me think about unsaved people who are very religiously 55:11.500 --> 55:18.140 Devoted right didn't we talk about that how some people are very zealous for their false religion yet. The Bible still calls them wicked 55:18.560 --> 55:25.660 Do you see that it says and so I saw the wicked buried who had come and gone from the place of the holy 55:25.720 --> 55:27.500 So they spend their life 55:27.500 --> 55:29.000 in church, right? 55:29.000 --> 55:30.500 So today, what could this look like? 55:30.500 --> 55:32.500 You know, the Mormon missionaries that go out 55:32.500 --> 55:35.000 at 18 years old and go on their mission. 55:35.400 --> 55:37.000 and they go evangelizing. 55:37.000 --> 55:38.200 What does this look like? 55:38.200 --> 55:40.400 It looks like the Catholic lady that goes to her church 55:40.400 --> 55:43.300 at 2 p.m. on a Saturday and gets down on her knees 55:43.300 --> 55:45.200 and starts praying to her false God. 55:45.200 --> 55:47.200 It looks like, you know, the Catholic priest 55:47.200 --> 55:49.600 that's dedicated his life to ministry, 55:49.600 --> 55:52.600 who's given up, you know, being married or something like that, 55:52.600 --> 55:54.100 in his service for God. 55:54.100 --> 55:55.000 But guess what? 55:55.000 --> 55:56.900 You know, having zeal isn't enough. 55:56.900 --> 55:58.500 It's having the right religion. 55:58.500 --> 56:01.220 It's having the truth, it's believing the truth. 56:01.220 --> 56:03.140 And there's a lot of people who spend their lives 56:03.140 --> 56:04.860 going to and from the holy place, 56:04.860 --> 56:08.100 and then they get buried, and the Bible says they're wicked. 56:08.100 --> 56:10.820 They're in hell, they're not saved. 56:10.820 --> 56:12.660 You know, that's a vanity, isn't it? 56:12.660 --> 56:14.720 Boy, what a vain thing to spend your whole life 56:14.720 --> 56:16.220 in a false religion. 56:16.220 --> 56:19.900 And one of the hardest things to do is to convince people 56:19.900 --> 56:23.100 who have been in a false religion for a very long time. 56:23.900 --> 56:28.700 Have you ever noticed that, you know, it's almost better to run into someone with like no religious background at all 56:29.180 --> 56:31.980 Than to someone who has a religious background for a very long time 56:32.620 --> 56:36.140 And have you ever noticed how young people are way more receptive than older people? 56:36.860 --> 56:38.860 Here's one of the reasons why pride 56:39.820 --> 56:46.700 Is it's like wait a second. You can't tell me that the last 40 50 60 years of my life has been in complete 56:46.860 --> 56:49.740 Vanity and a waste and it's like that is what i'm telling you 56:50.600 --> 56:58.200 If you spend 50, 60 years as a Jehovah's Witness, as a Mormon, as a Catholic, in the Church of Christ, 56:58.200 --> 57:03.700 being one of these, you know, crazy repentant sins, Pentecostals, it's all in vain. 57:04.000 --> 57:07.420 And here's the thing, vanity is actually best case scenario. 57:07.420 --> 57:11.900 Really what you've been doing is you've been serving the devil, you know, you've been heaping 57:11.900 --> 57:13.620 wrath onto yourself. 57:13.620 --> 57:17.100 Really if you've been going out on a Mormon mission trip, you haven't just been, you know, 57:17.100 --> 57:21.300 doing vanity, having emptiness, you've been making people two-fold more the child of hell 57:21.300 --> 57:21.820 than yourself. 57:22.400 --> 57:24.160 You've been making God angry. 57:24.160 --> 57:27.520 You've been turning up the temperature in hell for yourself. 57:27.520 --> 57:29.560 But for some people, it's so hard for them to say, 57:29.560 --> 57:32.320 hey, all of this was vain, all of this was a waste. 57:32.320 --> 57:34.520 Man, I need to just cut my losses 57:34.520 --> 57:36.160 and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 57:36.160 --> 57:37.000 But guess what? 57:37.000 --> 57:39.800 That is so much better than burning in hell. 57:39.800 --> 57:41.820 You know, I'm never gonna be in this situation 57:41.820 --> 57:42.660 because I'm saved, 57:42.660 --> 57:46.800 but I would rather live 99 years of my life unsaved 57:46.800 --> 57:48.200 and then get saved at the end. 57:48.400 --> 57:50.560 Then you just gotta hold on to your pride, 57:50.560 --> 57:52.100 be Catholic to the bitter end, 57:52.100 --> 57:55.440 and then burn in hell for all of eternity. 57:55.440 --> 57:57.600 What vanity that is. 58:00.100 --> 58:04.220 Also, one thing I want to point out about this verse. 58:04.220 --> 58:06.260 So in the King James, notice what it says. 58:06.260 --> 58:11.860 It says, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. 58:11.860 --> 58:13.300 This is also vanity. 58:13.300 --> 58:14.140 All throughout this book. 58:14.700 --> 58:21.140 Solomon has been explaining like this vanity of just like being forgotten you could tell it's just something that that bothers him this idea of 58:21.140 --> 58:22.340 Living this life 58:22.340 --> 58:28.580 Doing good works and then just being forgotten and the Bible makes it clear that the the name of the wicked shall rot 58:28.820 --> 58:32.220 You see the unsaved will be forgotten. That's very true 58:32.420 --> 58:36.460 But what's weird about this is that in the modern versions they completely change this verse 58:36.900 --> 58:39.620 So in the ESV and it's the same in the NIV 58:40.400 --> 58:46.640 Instead of them being forgotten in the city. It says this and they were praised in the city 58:47.600 --> 58:53.200 Notice how that's completely different this idea of like oh, there's no big changes in the modern versions 58:53.480 --> 58:59.360 Nothing changes the meaning this is a change of meaning guess what when you have a change of words you have a change of meaning 58:59.900 --> 59:04.860 Okay, there's a big difference between a the wicked they're all gonna be forgotten 59:04.860 --> 59:05.500 You know what? 59:05.500 --> 59:12.860 That's actually powerful because a lot of people in there the pride of man don't want to be forgotten and maybe some people be like 59:12.860 --> 59:13.020 Hey 59:13.020 --> 59:18.660 I need to get saved so that I can have eternal life and not just be forgotten and not to be rotting in hell 59:18.780 --> 59:24.380 For all of eternity where no one's gonna care about me ever again that actually is powerful, but it's like oh 59:24.900 --> 59:27.100 They were praised in the city 59:28.100 --> 59:31.620 That's ridiculous. That's not what the Bible says. That's just completely different 59:32.340 --> 59:34.500 No, you know what the wicked they're going to be all 59:35.120 --> 59:36.660 forgotten 59:36.660 --> 59:39.780 And you know think about in isaiah chapter 14 59:40.340 --> 59:43.400 Talks about the king of babalon who I believe is nebuchadnezzar 59:44.020 --> 59:48.740 How when he dies and goes for hell it goes to hell the bible says that you know 59:48.820 --> 59:53.460 Hell is moved for him to meet him at his coming how people are going to see him and be like, whoa 59:53.900 --> 59:56.100 This is the guy that was ruling the nations. 59:56.100 --> 59:58.700 This is the guy that was so powerful. 59:58.700 --> 01:00:01.100 Now you're becoming weak as one of us. 01:00:01.100 --> 01:00:03.740 Right, and of course that's also a picture of the devil. 01:00:03.740 --> 01:00:06.140 Meaning it doesn't matter how much power, 01:00:06.140 --> 01:00:08.380 how much prestige, how much fame, 01:00:08.380 --> 01:00:11.100 how much influence you had on this world. 01:00:11.100 --> 01:00:13.460 When you go to hell, you're gonna be nothing. 01:00:13.460 --> 01:00:14.280 You know what you're gonna be? 01:00:14.280 --> 01:00:15.700 You're gonna be this little worm. 01:00:15.800 --> 01:00:21.960 Your worm die if not the Bible says you're just gonna be this little disgusting burning corpse for all of eternity 01:00:22.200 --> 01:00:26.520 You know, you're gonna be nothing you're gonna be forgotten and you know that should scare the unsaved 01:00:27.400 --> 01:00:30.360 That they're gonna be forgotten not that oh they were praised in the city 01:00:31.160 --> 01:00:33.160 Has nothing to do with what this chapter's saying 01:00:34.200 --> 01:00:36.200 Verse number 11 the bible says this because 01:00:37.000 --> 01:00:40.860 Sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily 01:00:41.200 --> 01:00:48.160 Therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. So the Bible explains here that when 01:00:48.880 --> 01:00:56.280 Punishment is not doled out against wickedness against sinners. It just emboldens people to be more wicked 01:00:56.900 --> 01:01:00.500 Right, so we need discipline, we need judgment, 01:01:00.500 --> 01:01:03.940 we need punishment, we need capital punishment laws 01:01:03.940 --> 01:01:06.860 in this world, and not only do we need punishment, 01:01:06.860 --> 01:01:10.140 we need punishment that's executed speedily. 01:01:10.140 --> 01:01:14.540 Right, because if there's punishment given 20 years later, 01:01:14.540 --> 01:01:17.700 30 years later, that doesn't really scare people that bad. 01:01:18.500 --> 01:01:24.300 When people see like, oh, you know, your first count of being a child sex offender, you get 01:01:24.300 --> 01:01:25.300 ten years in jail. 01:01:25.300 --> 01:01:27.620 Oh, and then your second count, you get fifteen more. 01:01:27.620 --> 01:01:31.100 Oh, and then maybe your third count, you'll be put to death or something like that. 01:01:31.100 --> 01:01:31.980 That doesn't really scare people. 01:01:32.500 --> 01:01:36.580 And on that third count, by the way, you're going to be in on death row for 20 years, 01:01:36.580 --> 01:01:38.580 25 years, 30 years. 01:01:38.580 --> 01:01:40.180 You know, that doesn't scare people. 01:01:40.180 --> 01:01:43.180 But you know what might scare people, even if they're wicked, even if they want to do 01:01:43.180 --> 01:01:48.260 wicked stuff, is if someone, you know, was with a child, abused a child, and then it's 01:01:48.260 --> 01:01:52.580 like, all right, we got the evidence, we got the trial, and they just execute that sucker 01:01:52.580 --> 01:01:54.260 on live TV. 01:01:54.260 --> 01:01:55.500 That would probably deter people. 01:01:56.000 --> 01:01:58.800 And you know, there's this liberal talking point out there that says, 01:01:58.800 --> 01:02:01.400 oh, you know, capital punishment doesn't work. 01:02:01.400 --> 01:02:06.800 It's like, okay, if you keep someone alive for 50 years after their murder, 01:02:06.800 --> 01:02:08.900 yeah, maybe that's not a great deterrent, 01:02:08.900 --> 01:02:12.100 but I guarantee you if someone commits a sin worthy of death, 01:02:12.100 --> 01:02:13.900 and within the next six months, 01:02:13.900 --> 01:02:16.200 they're hanging from a rope in the public square, 01:02:16.200 --> 01:02:17.600 I bet you that'd be different. 01:02:17.800 --> 01:02:22.300 Bet you doubt scare some people, you know, we used to have in America public 01:02:23.000 --> 01:02:28.200 Executions why is it because people back then really liked watching gore 01:02:28.680 --> 01:02:31.360 Is it because people back then just wanted to watch someone die? 01:02:31.520 --> 01:02:39.540 No is because we as a society knew that fear of God is a good thing and fear of righteous authority is a good thing 01:02:39.880 --> 01:02:44.480 When people do wicked evil things there needs to be a public example of them 01:02:45.000 --> 01:02:48.600 And it's like, man, our country used to be really hardcore. 01:02:48.600 --> 01:02:53.000 You know, your beloved George Washington, you should read about how he was in combat. 01:02:53.000 --> 01:02:56.680 When people turned tail and ran away from the battle, sometimes he just shot and killed 01:02:56.680 --> 01:02:57.680 them. 01:02:57.680 --> 01:03:00.320 He just ordered that they were just killed for running away from the battle. 01:03:00.320 --> 01:03:01.320 Why? 01:03:01.320 --> 01:03:02.640 So that other men didn't do that. 01:03:02.640 --> 01:03:03.640 Right? 01:03:03.640 --> 01:03:06.120 And it's like, that's not even a capital crime. 01:03:06.120 --> 01:03:09.080 How do you think our country was towards sodomites and pedophiles? 01:03:09.600 --> 01:03:14.800 I mean, if cowards were being killed by the American Revolutionary crowd, 01:03:14.800 --> 01:03:17.120 how much do you think the pedophiles would have been treated? 01:03:18.160 --> 01:03:23.520 I mean, we had capital punishment laws in this country for all sorts of different biblical things. 01:03:23.520 --> 01:03:25.120 You know what? That is a good thing. 01:03:25.840 --> 01:03:29.200 We as Christians should be for the death penalty. 01:03:29.200 --> 01:03:31.200 Why? Because we just want to see a bunch of people die? 01:03:31.200 --> 01:03:32.880 No, because we want to see less people die. 01:03:33.500 --> 01:03:36.460 Because here's the thing, if murderers are put to death, 01:03:36.460 --> 01:03:39.900 that probably would keep a lot of people flying straight 01:03:39.900 --> 01:03:41.460 and scared straight, right? 01:03:41.460 --> 01:03:43.740 If rapists were put to death, 01:03:43.740 --> 01:03:46.100 that'd be a very serious thing in our country. 01:03:46.100 --> 01:03:47.900 So I'm all for the death penalty. 01:03:47.900 --> 01:03:49.820 We should be for the death penalty. 01:03:49.820 --> 01:03:53.020 And you can apply this principle just to every area of life 01:03:53.020 --> 01:03:54.540 where there is authority. 01:03:54.800 --> 01:04:00.160 Right so in the church we have first corinthians 5 where there are certain sins that are not to be tolerated 01:04:00.880 --> 01:04:05.520 What happens in a church when a pastor when a congregation just allows? 01:04:06.080 --> 01:04:07.420 people to just 01:04:07.420 --> 01:04:11.140 Disobey and defy the word of god and just be an open fornication 01:04:11.920 --> 01:04:13.840 Be an open railer 01:04:13.840 --> 01:04:18.480 Just going around falsely accusing everyone what happens if you allow that kind of stuff in your church, you know 01:04:18.480 --> 01:04:20.300 It turns into a cesspool 01:04:20.400 --> 01:04:25.060 Just turns into a terrible environment a little leaven leaven it the whole lump 01:04:25.080 --> 01:04:30.800 What we need is we need that punishment to be executed speedily, right? 01:04:30.800 --> 01:04:37.620 Hey, if you've ever had kids, you know what I'm saying is true because kids constantly are pushing the boundary and kids 01:04:37.620 --> 01:04:42.800 You know if you just tell kids hey, this is a rule, but there's no like punishment for that rule 01:04:42.800 --> 01:04:45.440 Let me help you something kids will never follow that rule 01:04:46.000 --> 01:04:49.420 Because kids are sinners foolishness is bound in the heart of the child 01:04:49.420 --> 01:04:56.380 But the rod of correction shall drive it far from them notice. It doesn't say the timeout shall draw it far from them 01:04:57.120 --> 01:05:02.000 The stern look shall drive it far from them. No, it's the rod of correction 01:05:02.160 --> 01:05:04.560 You know we need to spank our children 01:05:04.920 --> 01:05:10.220 That is a loving thing to do. You know when you spare your rod the Bible says you hate your son 01:05:11.000 --> 01:05:16.420 Any position in life any society that just gets away from punishment. That's just light on crime 01:05:16.420 --> 01:05:22.320 You know, that's actually a pretty hateful society because it's hateful towards the victims that people will have 01:05:23.100 --> 01:05:29.720 Now verse 12. I definitely think is connected to the idea we're talking about because notice this this is though a sinner do evil and 01:05:29.840 --> 01:05:32.740 hundred times and his days be prolonged 01:05:33.300 --> 01:05:39.900 Yet, surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him." 01:05:39.900 --> 01:05:42.940 Here's the thing, God is very long-suffering. 01:05:43.600 --> 01:05:50.000 You know what? It's a shame that people abuse that because it's such a beautiful attribute of our God that he is long-suffering 01:05:50.680 --> 01:05:55.920 That he doesn't deal with us according to our sins that you know, he's super merciful to us 01:05:56.040 --> 01:06:01.840 You know, we are always getting a good deal from God because what we deserve is hell, right? 01:06:01.840 --> 01:06:03.840 But here's the thing even the wicked 01:06:04.400 --> 01:06:09.720 Oftentimes, I mean look what it says there. It says that though a sinner do evil in hundred times and his days be prolonged 01:06:10.300 --> 01:06:15.180 So this person does it sound like judgment is being executed speedily upon him? 01:06:16.060 --> 01:06:21.900 No, he's doing evil a hundred times and he's saying man. My days are being prolonged man 01:06:21.900 --> 01:06:26.060 You know, i'm living a really wicked life and look at all the money I have look at all the prosperity 01:06:26.060 --> 01:06:31.420 I have hey look i'm making it into old age. Hey, i'm an old age and I have good health 01:06:31.420 --> 01:06:37.440 Surely god can't be mad at me. But here's the thing you're just you're just not realizing the fact that god is long suffering 01:06:38.100 --> 01:06:43.100 But here's the thing, God eventually will settle all scores. 01:06:43.100 --> 01:06:50.100 And people are so stupid to take advantage of the goodness and long suffering of God, 01:06:50.100 --> 01:06:52.100 both saved and unsaved alike. 01:06:52.100 --> 01:06:54.100 You know, how about us as the saved? 01:06:54.100 --> 01:06:56.100 The Bible says, Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. 01:06:56.200 --> 01:06:59.640 and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 01:06:59.640 --> 01:07:03.560 Right? So we as God's children, we will be punished for our sins. 01:07:03.560 --> 01:07:05.400 Hey, God is not mocked. 01:07:05.400 --> 01:07:08.920 Whatsoever man soweth, that shall he also reap. 01:07:08.920 --> 01:07:12.520 And sometimes in life, Christians will be doing something wicked, 01:07:12.520 --> 01:07:18.040 they'll be guilty of a sin, and they'll see themselves seemingly get away with it. 01:07:18.040 --> 01:07:20.360 Right? You know, they don't get things right, and they're like, 01:07:20.360 --> 01:07:22.120 hey, nothing happened to me. 01:07:22.700 --> 01:07:27.540 You know, I committed that sin, nothing happened to me, everything's good, no one knows about 01:07:27.540 --> 01:07:28.540 it. 01:07:28.540 --> 01:07:33.220 And so what they end up doing, because punishment hasn't been executed on them speedily, is 01:07:33.220 --> 01:07:36.700 they harden their heart and say, hey, I can keep doing this. 01:07:36.700 --> 01:07:38.920 I can keep getting away with this. 01:07:38.920 --> 01:07:40.380 That is foolish. 01:07:40.900 --> 01:07:46.260 What you should do in that moment where you sin you feel like man, you know, god didn't punish me 01:07:46.260 --> 01:07:51.780 They say god I understand that was wrong. Please be merciful to me. You know, I know that I did wrong there 01:07:51.780 --> 01:07:53.540 And i'm gonna fix this issue 01:07:53.540 --> 01:07:56.020 You know if you actually want god's mercy, that's the way to do it 01:07:56.100 --> 01:08:03.160 But if you just harden your heart if you harden your neck eventually god's going to have to come down on us because he loves us 01:08:03.800 --> 01:08:10.040 Because he wants to use us he wants to see us prosper and thrive and he knows we can't do that by being wicked 01:08:10.040 --> 01:08:13.640 And so again, you know, I brought this up a few sermons ago 01:08:13.640 --> 01:08:19.320 I was listening to pastor Reyes preach and he was talking about how you know when he sins he just hopes that God 01:08:19.320 --> 01:08:20.700 Punishes him right away 01:08:21.000 --> 01:08:25.080 Because, you know, when you sin and God just deals with you immediately, it's like, okay, 01:08:25.080 --> 01:08:26.960 let's get things right, let's move on. 01:08:26.960 --> 01:08:33.160 What's scary is when you see a Christian being wicked for a long period of time and it seems 01:08:33.160 --> 01:08:36.360 like they're getting away with it, that's one of two things that's happening. 01:08:36.360 --> 01:08:42.080 Either they're not saved, because the Bible says that he chases every son whom he receiveth, 01:08:42.080 --> 01:08:46.440 either they're not saved or they're going to be a big punishment coming their way. 01:08:47.200 --> 01:08:51.360 And so look, one of the big themes of this chapter is fearing God. 01:08:51.760 --> 01:08:55.840 And so even in your life, if you do something wrong 01:08:56.080 --> 01:08:59.500 and that punishment or that judgment did not come on you speedily, 01:08:59.920 --> 01:09:02.880 don't sit there and double down on your sin and keep going. 01:09:03.040 --> 01:09:04.460 Get things right. 01:09:05.000 --> 01:09:10.500 You know, if you're a stupid teenager and you got pulled over for going 120 miles an hour 01:09:10.500 --> 01:09:15.000 and you didn't get thrown in jail, thank God that you didn't get thrown in jail 01:09:15.000 --> 01:09:17.000 and stop driving like a moron. 01:09:17.000 --> 01:09:20.300 But what does an idiot do is, you know, they take the warning 01:09:20.300 --> 01:09:22.500 or they take the ticket rather than going to jail 01:09:22.500 --> 01:09:26.000 and they're like, sweet, I didn't go to jail, I could do it again, right? 01:09:26.000 --> 01:09:31.000 Or people will do drugs and they're like, hey, haven't overdosed yet. 01:09:31.400 --> 01:09:37.780 Haven't lost my mind yet, but that's called God being gracious to you. Don't push it until that actually happens 01:09:37.780 --> 01:09:42.580 Hey, I drove drunk and I didn't kill anyone. I didn't crash into anyone. Hey, I committed fornication 01:09:42.580 --> 01:09:49.180 I didn't get anyone pregnant. I didn't get any diseases. Let me tell you stop at any road. You're on the road of sin 01:09:49.580 --> 01:09:53.960 Stop immediately because when you keep going it's like you're testing God 01:09:54.700 --> 01:09:57.300 And it's the same thing with authorities, right? 01:09:57.300 --> 01:10:02.300 You know, don't try to, oh, how much can I get away with my boss? 01:10:02.300 --> 01:10:04.000 How much can I push the line? 01:10:04.000 --> 01:10:06.600 How much can I, you know, get one over on him? 01:10:06.600 --> 01:10:08.200 How much can I deceive him? 01:10:08.200 --> 01:10:12.000 Or how much can I, you know, backtalk my husband before he finally does something? 01:10:12.000 --> 01:10:15.400 How much can I push the line, you know, for my parents? 01:10:15.400 --> 01:10:17.400 It's like, don't live your life that way. 01:10:17.900 --> 01:10:23.180 It's like authority, hey, you gotta drop the hammer sometimes, you gotta execute judgment speedily, 01:10:23.180 --> 01:10:26.780 but you know what? Not always because God does not always do that with us. 01:10:27.660 --> 01:10:32.460 So if you're getting grace from an authority or you're getting grace from God, don't abuse that 01:10:32.460 --> 01:10:38.380 grace. Be thankful for it. Wow, thank you God. I deserve way worse than that. Hey, I'm gonna 01:10:38.380 --> 01:10:41.660 fly right going forward. Super important concept. 01:10:42.700 --> 01:10:47.860 But I love how he says this, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that 01:10:47.860 --> 01:10:50.060 fear God which fear before him. 01:10:50.060 --> 01:10:55.740 So regardless of your circumstances, if you're doing wickedly, man, your day is coming. 01:10:55.740 --> 01:10:59.540 And regardless of your circumstances, if you're righteous, you know what, it will be well 01:10:59.540 --> 01:11:01.220 with you in the long run. 01:11:01.700 --> 01:11:07.820 Sometimes people get discouraged being like man. It looks like this person is getting away with it. They're wicked. They're thriving 01:11:07.820 --> 01:11:12.240 I'm over here with integrity and character and trying to do what's right, you know, we're all sinners 01:11:12.240 --> 01:11:13.660 But it's like we're striving to do what's right 01:11:13.660 --> 01:11:16.980 We're striving to serve God and then you see you have all these problems 01:11:16.980 --> 01:11:22.480 But hold on in the long run it shall be well with those that fear God 01:11:23.180 --> 01:11:27.540 Verse 13, but it shall not be well with the wicked 01:11:28.000 --> 01:11:34.520 Neither shall he prolong his days which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God 01:11:34.600 --> 01:11:40.360 See the foolish wicked people of this world that aren't saved. They're like man. I'm really prolonging my days 01:11:40.360 --> 01:11:44.360 Oh, yeah, I'm living a wicked life and I'm in my 90s. I've got good health 01:11:44.360 --> 01:11:46.360 I made it all the way being a wicked person 01:11:46.480 --> 01:11:51.340 But you know what our life is like a vapor or as a gas you just put it. It's a shadow 01:11:51.840 --> 01:11:53.700 Meaning it's just real quick, right? 01:11:53.800 --> 01:11:57.000 And so really you prolonged your days to 90 years. 01:11:57.000 --> 01:11:59.840 How does 90 billion years in hell sound? 01:11:59.840 --> 01:12:01.000 Right, so here's the thing. 01:12:01.000 --> 01:12:04.480 In the long run, the wicked are never getting away with it, 01:12:04.480 --> 01:12:07.600 which is why it's so foolish to be envious at the wicked. 01:12:08.100 --> 01:12:14.020 You know, Psalm 37 and Psalm 73 talks about being envious at the wicked, envious at the 01:12:14.020 --> 01:12:19.620 foolish, seeing people in prosperity. And the psalmist talks about how, you know, he his heart 01:12:19.620 --> 01:12:24.660 was troubled and his foot had almost slipped when he saw the prosperity of the wicked. 01:12:24.660 --> 01:12:29.460 But then he went into the house of God and he what remembered their end, right? He's thinking, 01:12:29.460 --> 01:12:33.540 oh yeah, eventually they're going to get what's coming to them. And you know, the saved eventually 01:12:33.540 --> 01:12:35.540 we're going to get what's coming to us as well. 01:12:36.200 --> 01:12:44.380 Verse number 14 says this, there is a vanity which is done, notice this, upon the earth 01:12:44.380 --> 01:12:48.860 that there be just men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked. 01:12:48.860 --> 01:12:53.920 Again, there be wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. 01:12:53.920 --> 01:12:57.540 I said that this also is vanity. 01:12:57.540 --> 01:12:59.940 So again, he's just like, man, sometimes I see. 01:13:00.200 --> 01:13:03.200 wicked people and what's happening in their life, 01:13:03.200 --> 01:13:05.320 you would think this person's very righteous. 01:13:05.320 --> 01:13:06.620 Because some people just think like, 01:13:06.620 --> 01:13:08.480 good things happen, you're righteous. 01:13:08.480 --> 01:13:10.100 Bad things happen, you're wicked. 01:13:10.300 --> 01:13:12.700 And people will just see the wicked thriving and be like, 01:13:12.700 --> 01:13:14.500 you know, it's like this person is righteous. 01:13:14.500 --> 01:13:17.200 Why is good things happening to this person? 01:13:17.200 --> 01:13:19.400 And then this soul winner over here, you know, 01:13:19.400 --> 01:13:22.800 loses a family member, becomes a widow, loses a child, 01:13:22.800 --> 01:13:24.800 has cancer, has all these issues. 01:13:24.800 --> 01:13:26.500 And it's just like, why is this happening? 01:13:26.500 --> 01:13:27.900 But notice what the Bible said there. 01:13:27.900 --> 01:13:32.800 There's a vanity which is done on, sorry, upon the earth. 01:13:33.600 --> 01:13:34.880 You know what that means? 01:13:34.880 --> 01:13:37.920 This vanity that happens on earth, 01:13:37.920 --> 01:13:39.960 where things are bad for the righteous sometimes 01:13:39.960 --> 01:13:41.000 and things are good for the wicked, 01:13:41.000 --> 01:13:43.160 that's only how it is on this earth. 01:13:43.160 --> 01:13:46.600 Because there's coming a day where it will not be that way. 01:13:46.600 --> 01:13:48.400 And so what do we gotta do? 01:13:48.400 --> 01:13:52.180 We have to have faith in God to live righteously, 01:13:52.180 --> 01:13:55.360 to keep God's commandments, to have integrity, 01:13:55.360 --> 01:13:59.600 to do what's right regardless of the results that we see. 01:14:00.000 --> 01:14:04.000 Now look, I love results and you know, we're gonna strive to get results. 01:14:04.000 --> 01:14:07.000 But what's more important is what's doing right. 01:14:07.000 --> 01:14:11.000 Doing what's right, keeping God's commandments, and it's like look, you know, 01:14:11.000 --> 01:14:16.000 I don't get up every morning and read how, you know, a book, how to build a church, 01:14:16.000 --> 01:14:18.000 church building books. I read the Bible. 01:14:18.000 --> 01:14:23.000 And if the church grows, praise God. And if it doesn't, I'm gonna still preach the Bible. 01:14:23.000 --> 01:14:26.000 And people say, hey, you know that soul winning doesn't build a church? 01:14:26.000 --> 01:14:27.700 Yeah, I know. I don't care. 01:14:27.900 --> 01:14:29.700 I don't go so many to build a church. 01:14:29.700 --> 01:14:33.220 I go so many because Jesus said to go, that's why. 01:14:33.220 --> 01:14:34.780 Oh, but is it effective? 01:14:34.780 --> 01:14:37.400 First of all, that doesn't matter if God said to do it. 01:14:37.600 --> 01:14:39.480 If God said to go, we're gonna go. 01:14:39.480 --> 01:14:41.080 Second of all, yeah, it's effective. 01:14:41.080 --> 01:14:43.760 That's why he told us to do it, okay? 01:14:43.760 --> 01:14:45.280 Yes, we are getting people saved. 01:14:45.280 --> 01:14:46.760 We're getting tons of people saved. 01:14:46.760 --> 01:14:47.600 And you know what? 01:14:47.600 --> 01:14:49.640 The world might look at Acre Baptist Church 01:14:49.640 --> 01:14:51.880 and say, well, that's not a very successful church, 01:14:51.880 --> 01:14:52.720 but you know what? 01:14:52.720 --> 01:14:54.520 You put on your spiritual glasses, 01:14:54.520 --> 01:14:56.640 and I'd like to see what the Presbyterians, 01:14:56.640 --> 01:14:59.440 the Lesbiterians, the Methodists, the Catholics, 01:14:59.440 --> 01:15:00.880 how many people they're getting saved. 01:15:00.880 --> 01:15:02.280 Oh yeah, zero. 01:15:02.900 --> 01:15:04.740 Oh, but you guys have a small church. 01:15:04.740 --> 01:15:07.580 OK, again, upon this earth, sometimes things 01:15:07.580 --> 01:15:08.740 are going to look backwards. 01:15:08.740 --> 01:15:11.200 But boy, oh boy, all scores are going to be settled someday. 01:15:11.600 --> 01:15:17.200 Go to Revelation chapter number 20 Revelation chapter number 20. And so again, you know, it's so important 01:15:17.200 --> 01:15:20.640 One of the biggest themes of this book is for us to get our eyes 01:15:21.200 --> 01:15:27.040 Upon the heavenly right because yeah things under the sun are vain and things under the sun are pain in the neck 01:15:27.120 --> 01:15:31.360 And things under the sun aren't fair sometimes but guess what all this is temporary 01:15:31.920 --> 01:15:34.480 Because boy, oh boy there is coming a day. Look at this right here 01:15:35.440 --> 01:15:36.700 verse number 11 01:15:37.500 --> 01:15:42.100 Revelation 20 and I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it 01:15:42.520 --> 01:15:49.040 From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them 01:15:49.360 --> 01:15:51.360 Sounds like this is an important event 01:15:51.360 --> 01:15:57.720 Just like everything in the universe just goes away and we're just before God the great white throne 01:15:58.040 --> 01:16:02.480 This is the main event of the universe nothing that exists is doing anything else 01:16:03.200 --> 01:16:09.120 Then at this moment at the great white throne notice what it says in verse 12 and I saw the dead 01:16:09.800 --> 01:16:14.680 small and great stand before God and the books were opened and 01:16:15.040 --> 01:16:21.280 Another book was open which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things 01:16:21.560 --> 01:16:24.520 Which were written in the books according to their works 01:16:24.640 --> 01:16:28.800 You know the Bible talks about a resurrection of life and a resurrection of damnation 01:16:29.300 --> 01:16:32.500 You know that every single person who's ever lived will be resurrected someday? 01:16:32.500 --> 01:16:38.100 Even the unsaved? They'll be resurrected in their dead body. 01:16:38.100 --> 01:16:43.200 Now this resurrection is unto damnation because it says there that the books are open 01:16:43.200 --> 01:16:46.900 and God's judging out of those things which were written in the books. 01:16:46.900 --> 01:16:49.400 Notice this, according to their works. 01:16:49.900 --> 01:16:55.000 It's very interesting, people who want to be justified by their works, God's going to 01:16:55.000 --> 01:16:56.580 give them their reward. 01:16:56.580 --> 01:16:57.780 God's going to give them what they want. 01:16:57.780 --> 01:16:59.420 Oh, you want to be judged by your works? 01:16:59.420 --> 01:17:03.540 Okay, God's going to open up the books and He's going to judge you by your works. 01:17:03.540 --> 01:17:05.180 And you know what He's going to see? 01:17:05.180 --> 01:17:07.820 For all of sin and come short of the glory of God. 01:17:07.820 --> 01:17:10.180 That if you've sinned in one point, you're guilty of all. 01:17:10.600 --> 01:17:14.040 that there's not a just man upon the earth which doeth good and sinneth not. 01:17:14.040 --> 01:17:16.680 And every fool in this world that rejected the gospel, 01:17:16.680 --> 01:17:19.320 thinking that they're going to get their way to heaven by their own works, 01:17:19.320 --> 01:17:22.840 they are going to fail at this judgment. They're going to be judged. 01:17:22.840 --> 01:17:25.240 Notice verse 13, this is that resurrection I'm talking about. 01:17:25.240 --> 01:17:28.760 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, 01:17:28.760 --> 01:17:33.000 and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. 01:17:33.100 --> 01:17:36.200 And they were judged, every man according to their works. 01:17:36.200 --> 01:17:38.320 This is kind of crazy to think about. 01:17:38.320 --> 01:17:42.400 But you know, think about through the thousands of years of this earth's history, 01:17:42.400 --> 01:17:47.100 how many people have died in the sea, how many shipwrecks, how many bodies are in the sea, 01:17:47.100 --> 01:17:51.320 and all of those bodies will be resurrected to be brought before the great white throne. 01:17:51.320 --> 01:17:53.960 And every single person who's ever gone to hell, 01:17:53.960 --> 01:17:59.800 death and hell delivers up the dead that are in them to stand before this great white throne. 01:18:00.200 --> 01:18:03.640 But, when they're judged according to their works, here's what happens in verse 14, 01:18:03.640 --> 01:18:08.200 and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. 01:18:08.200 --> 01:18:10.620 This is the second death. 01:18:10.620 --> 01:18:17.500 And was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. 01:18:17.500 --> 01:18:23.000 So notice this final great white throne judgment, it's both a bodily and spiritual judgment. 01:18:23.400 --> 01:18:29.500 where your resurrected dead body is gonna be cast into the lake of fire and you'll be burning there for all of eternity. 01:18:29.500 --> 01:18:33.500 You know, it sounds to me like the wicked is not gonna get away with it. 01:18:33.500 --> 01:18:34.700 So when the Bible says, 01:18:34.700 --> 01:18:37.400 it shall not be well with the wicked, 01:18:37.400 --> 01:18:42.300 don't lose faith in God when you see the wicked prospering upon the earth, 01:18:42.300 --> 01:18:44.400 because this day is coming. 01:18:44.400 --> 01:18:48.100 And you know, I thank God that I'm not gonna be judged according to my works, 01:18:48.100 --> 01:18:50.400 I'm gonna be judged according to Jesus' works. 01:18:50.600 --> 01:18:53.840 that His righteousness has been imputed to me, 01:18:53.840 --> 01:18:56.600 that I've already been declared righteous, 01:18:56.600 --> 01:18:59.800 I've been justified by the blood of Jesus Christ. 01:18:59.800 --> 01:19:01.040 You know, that's the only reason 01:19:01.040 --> 01:19:02.540 that we're not going to hell too, 01:19:02.540 --> 01:19:05.000 because we're not good people, we didn't keep the law, 01:19:05.000 --> 01:19:07.500 all we did was put all of our faith in Jesus Christ, 01:19:07.500 --> 01:19:09.380 and so thank God we don't have to endure 01:19:09.380 --> 01:19:12.740 this horrible punishment of the lake of fire. 01:19:12.740 --> 01:19:14.880 Go back to Ecclesiastes chapter number eight. 01:19:15.200 --> 01:19:17.800 But you know, I just think it's interesting there how it says in verse 14, 01:19:17.800 --> 01:19:21.600 there is a vanity which is done upon the earth because it's important to remember that, 01:19:21.600 --> 01:19:24.200 that this vanity will only be upon this earth. 01:19:24.200 --> 01:19:26.900 But in heaven, all scores will be settled. 01:19:27.600 --> 01:19:31.420 Verse 15, then I commended mirth. 01:19:31.420 --> 01:19:32.420 Remember what mirth is? 01:19:32.420 --> 01:19:35.440 It's like joy, pleasure, happiness. 01:19:35.440 --> 01:19:40.600 He says, I commended mirth because a man hath no better thing under the sun than to eat 01:19:40.600 --> 01:19:45.480 and to drink and to be merry for that shall abide with him of all his, of his labor, the 01:19:45.480 --> 01:19:48.660 days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. 01:19:48.660 --> 01:19:53.000 So he says, Hey, you know, there actually is something to be said for enjoying life. 01:19:53.500 --> 01:19:55.500 Enjoying the little things in life 01:19:55.620 --> 01:20:00.480 Commending mirth why because you know sometimes under the Sun sometimes in this earth 01:20:00.480 --> 01:20:05.620 You're gonna be righteous, and you're gonna be suffering as if you were a wicked person and sometimes the wicked are gonna be living as 01:20:05.620 --> 01:20:10.620 If they're righteous, so hey, you know if God's given you some mirth to enjoy might as well. Just enjoy that 01:20:11.000 --> 01:20:15.820 Because life is very unpredictable things can change in your life so quickly 01:20:16.000 --> 01:20:21.720 Where you feel like things are going well in your life and the next thing you know your life looks as if you're being punished by God 01:20:22.160 --> 01:20:26.140 Right and so you know hey eat some good food enjoy some good food 01:20:26.600 --> 01:20:31.320 Enjoy some good drink, enjoy some sparkling cider, enjoy some fruit punch or whatever, 01:20:31.320 --> 01:20:36.360 enjoy some soda even if you like that, enjoy some coffee, for sure enjoy some coffee. 01:20:36.360 --> 01:20:39.400 But you know don't don't get this attitude where you have to be so you know ascetic 01:20:39.960 --> 01:20:43.400 that you can't sit here and enjoy life you know pleasure is sin. 01:20:44.280 --> 01:20:49.480 You know for me one of the things I have no problem spending a good amount of my paycheck on is good food. 01:20:49.800 --> 01:20:53.000 I mean, like, my grocery bill is pretty high, but you know what? 01:20:53.000 --> 01:20:55.600 It's like, hey, it's the mirth that God's given me. 01:20:55.600 --> 01:20:58.000 He's given us some good food on this earth to enjoy. 01:20:58.000 --> 01:21:01.500 I don't have to eat GMO processed garbage every day of my life. 01:21:01.500 --> 01:21:05.100 I could actually enjoy some food, because hey, you know, if I enjoy a steak tonight, 01:21:05.100 --> 01:21:06.200 who knows, I could die tomorrow. 01:21:06.200 --> 01:21:10.400 So, I might as well just enjoy the mirth that God has given me. 01:21:10.400 --> 01:21:13.200 Then it says in verse number 16, 01:21:13.200 --> 01:21:15.520 when I applied mine heart to no wisdom? 01:21:15.800 --> 01:21:19.240 and to see the business that is done upon the earth. 01:21:19.240 --> 01:21:26.520 For also there is that neither day nor night seeeth sleep with his eyes." Boy, talk about torture. 01:21:26.520 --> 01:21:29.720 Hey, you know, there's some people upon this earth that they just never get any sleep, 01:21:29.720 --> 01:21:32.440 never get any rest. That's horrible. Verse 17. 01:21:33.080 --> 01:21:39.240 Then I beheld all the work of God that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. 01:21:39.800 --> 01:21:41.720 Because though a man labor to seek it out, 01:21:42.200 --> 01:21:45.600 Yet he shall not find it, yea, further. 01:21:45.600 --> 01:21:47.760 Though a wise man think to know it, 01:21:47.760 --> 01:21:50.900 yet shall he not be able to find it." 01:21:50.900 --> 01:21:54.500 You know, Solomon was the wisest man of his day. 01:21:55.000 --> 01:21:58.040 And he's explaining to you that look if you diligently 01:21:58.520 --> 01:22:03.560 Try to study the business of this world how things work what happens under the sun 01:22:03.800 --> 01:22:08.600 You are never going to fully understand the work of god and even a wise man such as himself 01:22:08.920 --> 01:22:13.480 Even if you think to know it you still cannot fully understand how life works 01:22:13.720 --> 01:22:19.420 You know what? We just need to be okay with this idea that we are not going to understand everything in life 01:22:20.000 --> 01:22:24.340 There are going to be times in your life where you look at your life or you look at someone else's life 01:22:24.340 --> 01:22:26.540 And you just think like how is this fair? 01:22:27.140 --> 01:22:32.280 Why is this happening to them? Why is this happening to me? Hey, I've been doing right 01:22:32.280 --> 01:22:36.300 Why is this happening or or man they were so young? Why do they have to die young? 01:22:36.660 --> 01:22:40.960 Why do they have to lose their spouse young? Why do they have to get cancer? Why did all this happen? 01:22:40.960 --> 01:22:46.420 And you know it's all been saying I don't know and you don't know and we won't know 01:22:46.800 --> 01:22:51.600 You know what? It's okay not to know everything and you don't have to have this demand of God 01:22:52.000 --> 01:22:57.060 Where it's like God I must understand everything that you do. You know, there's this thing called faith 01:22:57.560 --> 01:23:04.740 The Bible says without faith it is impossible to please him. You know, like what is like the main application? 01:23:04.740 --> 01:23:08.460 I think of this chapter is that we need to learn to live by faith 01:23:09.300 --> 01:23:12.300 And guess what? You should not look at your life and say, 01:23:12.300 --> 01:23:15.300 are things going well for me? That must mean I'm righteous. 01:23:15.300 --> 01:23:17.300 Are things going bad? That must mean I'm wicked. 01:23:17.300 --> 01:23:20.300 No, forget about how things look under the sun, 01:23:20.300 --> 01:23:23.300 and just ask yourself, am I doing what the Bible says? 01:23:23.300 --> 01:23:26.300 Hey, forget how many people are in the building, 01:23:26.300 --> 01:23:29.300 what the tithes look like, what your bank account looks like. 01:23:29.300 --> 01:23:32.300 It's like, are we doing what the Bible says? 01:23:32.600 --> 01:23:37.640 Forget about what your health is like forget about what your relationships are like, you know what ask yourself 01:23:37.640 --> 01:23:41.080 Am I doing what the Bible says that's actually living by faith 01:23:41.640 --> 01:23:44.760 And it's like, you know, why does God allow bad things to happen? 01:23:44.760 --> 01:23:45.120 well 01:23:45.120 --> 01:23:47.920 sometimes he allows it to happen to just test to see what you're made of and 01:23:48.200 --> 01:23:54.000 To test and see if you will actually still believe in him and you know, like think about Job, right? 01:23:54.600 --> 01:23:59.120 Did Job deserve what happened to him? No, he was the most righteous man 01:23:59.600 --> 01:24:03.120 and he lost all of his kids, he lost all of his money, 01:24:03.120 --> 01:24:07.040 he lost his health, he's covered with boils, 01:24:07.040 --> 01:24:09.240 scratching himself with a pot shirt, 01:24:09.240 --> 01:24:12.560 and his wife is like, curse God and die. 01:24:12.560 --> 01:24:13.600 And you know what Job said? 01:24:13.600 --> 01:24:17.820 Though he slay me, yet will I trust him. 01:24:17.820 --> 01:24:19.960 That's not a man that's like, well, 01:24:19.960 --> 01:24:21.240 I'm just looking at my circumstances 01:24:21.240 --> 01:24:22.720 and that's how I'll judge what's right in life. 01:24:22.720 --> 01:24:25.600 No, he's like, though you kill me, God, I will still love you. 01:24:25.800 --> 01:24:32.440 I will still serve you. You know, let us have that attitude. Hey be thou faithful unto death 01:24:33.160 --> 01:24:37.800 And if god tells us to be faithful unto death, I think he could tell us to be faithful unto 01:24:37.800 --> 01:24:42.360 your financial issues your your family issues your health issues, right 01:24:42.920 --> 01:24:49.340 Live by faith. Don't judge everything by the circumstances under the sun. Let's pray lord. Thank you so much for your word 01:24:50.000 --> 01:24:54.240 I pray that you just continue to give us good lessons from Ecclesiastes. 01:24:54.240 --> 01:24:58.800 I pray that you would just bless the fellowship this evening and bring us all home safely. 01:24:58.800 --> 01:25:00.720 We love you in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 01:25:08.400 --> 01:25:14.000 Our last hymn this evening in your hymnals will be number 363. 01:25:16.400 --> 01:25:22.400 Hymn number 363, Wonderful Words of Life. 01:25:22.400 --> 01:25:24.400 363. 01:25:35.800 --> 01:25:40.840 363. We'll sing there starting on the first.