you
trusting Jesus.
149, we'll sing there starting right on the first.
Sing.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day,
for another opportunity that we can just gather together
freely, Lord, that I just pray that we would not take this
for granted, that we would be appreciative of the time
that we can gather in your house to sing praises
in your name and to learn from your word.
I pray for this service that you would just be with us,
that everything would be done decently and in order,
that your hand of protection would be upon us
and that you'd fill us with your spirit.
These things we pray in Jesus' name, amen.
All right, for our next song, 167, all hail the power of Jesus' name.
167, 167, all hail the power of Jesus' name.
167 there on the first.
This is the grace week for this chapter,
so we got a whole week left to memorize this,
and then next Sunday there will be a prize,
probably gonna be some gift cards for this chapter,
but I also did custom order some stuff,
but the company is just taking forever,
so that will come in a few weeks as well.
And on the inside, if you'll notice,
our service times are listed there, Sunday morning at 10.30,
Sunday evening at 4.30,
and our Wednesday study through Proverbs is at seven o'clock.
We have all of our soul-winning times listed below.
All those meet here at the church building.
Had our SWAT team soul-winning yesterday,
which if you don't know what that is,
that's our soul-winning action team.
Whenever there's a homicide or tragedy around our community,
we like to send soul-winners to that area immediately after.
And praise the Lord, the soul-winners there
had two salvation yesterday.
And yesterday, I was actually in Texas.
I was soloing with Steadfast Baptist Church.
And really cool story, Praise God,
yesterday I was able to get my first ever Hindu saved,
which that's very, very rare.
And so that was a lot of fun.
The reason I was down there is because the Steadfast guys
down there have a church softball team
and I got to play down there
because there was a church that they were playing against
that made a video against Steadfast Baptist Church in 2022.
because of the sermons that were going viral and they were calling out our church.
So I was like, you know what? I'm driving down there for that one.
And we beat them 12 to 4. So who's talking now?
Right? A lot of fun. So had a great time this weekend.
We do have below that our church statistics for soul winning for the year.
Praise God, 839 salvations so far.
The guys in the Philippines are doing a really great job
I did ask brother Eric when they get back for him to preach an evening sermon just basically about their trip
So I'm really looking forward to hearing how things have gone for them over there
And just some lessons learned from that trip below that we do have our upcoming events
This evening is our men's preaching night. Make sure you got a shirt and tie and we have three guys preaching
It'll be 20 minute time lengths for this evening and immediately after that. We'll have a potluck
Then this upcoming Saturday is the tinker air show. Hope you guys will join us for that should be a lot of fun
Brother Ben naeem from steadfast is gonna be in town this Saturday
He'll be joining us for that event and also preaching for us both services on Sundays
We're looking forward to having him August 27th through the 31st is the fire breathing Baptist fellowship at steadfast
And then October 6th through the 11th is the Bahamas
mission trip
Man, I'm excited for that trip.
I even got a awesome white guy hat.
It's like this gigantic hat that has solar powered fans.
So I'm just, I'm ready for the Bahamas.
I could just stay outside all day now.
It's gonna be great.
Got on the right our prayer list.
had a couple praise reports as well this week.
Praise Lord, brother Alex got the job he was praying for
and brother Travis had his test go really well.
So we're really thankful for God's answered prayer for that.
We do also have our visitor card information
and online giving information if you would like to do that.
It's gonna be it for announcements this morning.
We'll go ahead and go to our third song.
All right, our third song this morning, 182.
wonderful story of love 182 182 wonderful story of love 182 will sing
and good singing this morning.
As the offering plates are being passed,
turn if you would to Daniel chapter number three.
Daniel chapter number three.
Daniel chapter 3
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold whose height was three score cubits and the bret's thereof six cubits
And he set it up. He set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes the governors and the captains the judges the treasures
And the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar, the king, had set up.
Then the princes, the governors, the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered together under the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar, the king, had set up.
To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute,
harp, sack-butt, sultry, dulcimer, and all kinds of music,
ye fall down and worship the golden image
that Nebuchadnezzar, the king, hath set up.
And whoso falleth not down, and worshipeth,
shall the same hour be cast into the midst
of a burning fiery furnace.
Therefore, at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet flute, harp,
sackbutt, sultry, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages
fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar, the king, had set up.
Wherefore, at that time, certain Chaldeans came near and accused the Jews, they spake
Thou, O King, hast made a decree that every man shall hear the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbutt, sultry, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music shall
fall down and worship the golden image, and whoso falleth not down and worshipeth
that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
There are certain Jews who now has to set over the affairs of the province of Babylon
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These men, O king, have not regarded thee.
They serve not thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou has set up.
Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
Then they brought these men before the king
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, is it true, O Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego,
do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
Now if ye be ready, that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbutt,
sultry, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fault down and worship the image which
But if you worship not, you shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered, and said unto the king,
O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace,
and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King.
But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship
the golden image which thou hast set up.
And the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Therefore, he spake and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was want to be heated.
And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
were bound in their coats, their hosin, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast in the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Therefore, because the king's commandment was urgent, and their furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fires slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
The Nebuchadnezzar, the king, was astonished, and rose up in haste and spake and said unto the counselors,
Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?
And he answered and said unto the king, True, O king,
He answered and said low I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire
And they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the son of God
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spake and said Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
East servants of the most high God come forth and come hither
Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came forth
the mist of the of the fire and the in the princes governors and captains and
the king's counselors being gathered together saw these men upon whom's
upon whose bodies the fire had no power nor was in hair of their head
singed neither were their coats changed nor the smell of fire had passed on them
Then Nadakid Nezor spake and said bless me the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
who hath
sent his angel and
Delivered his servants that trusted in him
And I've changed the king's word and yielded their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any God
except their own God
Therefore I make it a creed that every people nation and language
Which shall which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dung hill
Because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Let's pray.
Gracious Heavenly Father, thankful to you.
We gather in your house, Lord.
Thankful to hear your word preached.
And I pray, Lord, this time to help keep the distractions to the minimum.
Pray that you build past your odds with your spirit, Lord, helping to edify us and strengthen our faith in Jesus' name.
Amen. All right. Well, we are in Daniel chapter 3, probably one of the most famous and well-loved stories in the Bible of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego being thrown into the burning fiery furnace and escaping.
And let's get some context here. Let's read in verse number 14.
The Bible says, Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? Do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
You know, if you were paying attention in the reading Nebuchadnezzar set up this big image and he made this decree that basically whenever he starts playing this music, everyone has to fall down on their face and worship this image that Nebuchadnezzar made.
And of course they these three men here don't do it and it's told him, hey, these guys aren't worshiping your God.
He's saying like, is this true?
Then he gives him another chance in verse 15.
Now if you be ready.
that at what time you hear the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbutt,
sultry and dulcimer and all kinds of music,
you fall down and worship the image,
which I have made well.
But if you worship not,
you shall be cast the same hour into the
midst of a burning fiery furnace.
And who is that God that shall
deliver you out of my hands?
You know, you don't want to just read stories in the Bible and not actually put yourself
into the story and really try to visualize what's happening here.
You know, here we are in our comfortable, nice lives here in Oklahoma in 2025.
We're in a nice air-conditioned building just reading a story from the Bible, but actually
put yourself into these guys' shoes.
They were just told that they were going to be burned to death if they did not worship
this false God.
You know, that's higher stakes than you and I have ever faced in our lives.
And you know our church has gone through some very light persecution and steadfast has gone
through some very light persecution, but none of us have resisted unto blood, right? None of us
have gotten to this point, this ultimatum put before us like worship the devil, renounce Christianity,
or be burned alive. But that was a real situation that these three men really face. And it's
important to think about that as you read this story and their response in verse 16, Shadrach,
answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar,
we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us
from the burning fiery furnace,
and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king,
but if not.
be it known unto the O King that we will not serve thy gods,
nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."
So even though these three men are given another chance,
like they already had shown some resolve and some grit,
to know that this was what they were supposed to do.
According to the law of the Babylonians,
they were supposed to bow down and worship.
They already showed some resolve.
They're saying, no, we're not going to do that.
And even when they're personally confronted
and given another chance saying, hey, we'll spare your life,
if you worship this image, they said, hold on,
we're not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Meaning they had already predetermined in their mind
that they were going to resolve to do right.
They're not wavering here.
They're not on the shifting sands.
Basically, whatever the cost.
They were going to do right and of course they believe that God could deliver them and that God would deliver them.
But they had this mentality like, hey, even if he doesn't, we're still not going to bow.
We're still not going to change. Beautiful, beautiful story. Look at verse 19. It says.
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Therefore, he spake and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was want to be heated.
So Nebuchadnezzar is coming at them with a vengeance.
He's personally offended that these guys did not obey his decree and so he's like, let's just crank up the heat.
We're gonna turn up this furnace seven times hotter than it normally is. You know, he means business here.
And it says in verse 20,
and he commanded the most mighty men
that were with him in his army
to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
Then these three men were bound in their coats,
their hosen, their hats, and their other garments,
and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Therefore, because the king's commandment was urgent and the furnace exceeding hot, the
flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, fell down, bound into the midst
of the burning fiery furnace.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished and rose up in haste and spake and said unto
his counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?
He answered and said,
Lo, I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire,
and they have no hurt,
and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
So God performs this amazing miracle
where Nebuchadnezzar, he's heated up the furnace
seven times hotter.
then it was ever said they actually get thrown into the furnace.
It's not like they, you know,
escaped physically from going in. No, they weren't spared.
They were thrown into the furnace and it was so hot that the men who even took up
these three men, the servants of King Nebuchadnezzar, they just burned up.
I mean, they just like disintegrated from the heat of how hot it was.
And then they look in and they see there wasn't three men in there.
There was four and the fourth was like unto the Son of God.
Of course, I believe this is a pre New Testament appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ, right?
God in the fire saving these three men from that fate.
And the title of my sermon this morning is this, you never know until you try.
You never know until you try.
I mean, unless God performs a miracle, if we're being thrown into a fiery furnace that's seven
times hotter than it normally is, we are going to die, right? It's just certain death and God
performed this miracle for them. But why? I think a lot of it had to do with their attitude that
they have, that they were willing to try to serve God and willing to try to please the Lord no matter
the cost.
They weren't just thinking like, well, we'll do right as long as it's not dangerous for us.
We'll do right as long as there's no consequences.
They just had the attitude of, hey, we're going to do right no matter what.
And so I want to give you three lessons from this story this morning.
And number one, resolve to do right, no matter the cost.
This is a mentality that you have to have
and that you have to internalize deeply inside of you
before you get to situations like this.
Because when we read in the story,
what is it that they said?
They said, hey, we're not careful to answer thee
in this matter.
Right? Meaning that they're not like full of care, full of anxiety, full of stress,
full of, you know, debating in their mind of which way they're going to go.
They had already resolved to do right no matter what.
And today we have a whole generation of Christians where many people
will only serve God if it's very convenient for them.
Many people will only serve God and only show up to church on Sunday if they've had a full 910 1112 hours of sleep
And you know if they're at all tired, they're gonna skip church on Sunday morning
Or you know, they won't go to a good church because it's more than 20 minutes away from their house and in here in Oklahoma
I've noticed this because we're blessed to live in an area where traffic isn't that bad when I'm out soul-inning and people ask
Hey, how far is your church? I'm like, oh, you know, just 20 minutes away. They're like, oh, yeah, that's so far
It's like what are you talking about?
20 minutes, 20 minutes in your nice air conditioned car is too much for you to serve God.
Are you out of your mind?
You know there's people in DFW where for example when I live there on Wednesdays
It was like an hour and 15 minutes there an hour and 15 minutes back with traffic
And look I'm not even complaining about that because going to a great church is worth it and serving God
It's like hey if there's men that are really willing to be burned in the fire and be thrown into the fire to not bow
It's like can I drive a couple minutes to church? Can I show up and go soul winning?
Can I, you know, open the Bible and follow along in a sermon?
Can I tithe to my local New Testament church?
Can I stop complaining about everything in the Christian life?
Like, we are just so spoiled and we have life so good
that sometimes it's good to remind ourselves
of what some real steadfast Christians look like.
That people were resolved to do right no matter what.
Let's read that again, verse 16.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king,
O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
You know what that means?
They had resolved to do right no matter what.
And today in our culture, there's things that are unpopular that we preach and we just have to make the decision right now before we even see the reaction before we see the final outcome of our battles.
We just have to beforehand resolve to do right no matter what.
And you know, I believe that God is more willing.
and more likely to bless people and allow people to escape the trials and tribulations
of our life when you have this attitude, rather than, well, I'll try to serve God if it goes
well for me.
I'll try to do what's right if it's favorable for me.
You see a lot of people like this, and of course, if you already knew the future and
if you already knew everything was going to turn out favorably for you, then of course
you would always take those courses of action.
But you know what?
God is pleased when he looks down at his people seeing having faith in him look at verse 17
If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace
And he will deliver us out of thine hand. Oh king
But if not, be it known unto the O'King that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."
So if you try to get inside of their head and the mentality they had, they understood that God could deliver them,
and they were confident that God would deliver them, but they had this mentality that even if he didn't,
you know what they're saying? Even if we're facing certain death.
Even if we're seeing the end of our lives,
even if we're seeing failure in this situation,
we are still not going to serve thy gods.
Hey, that is a steadfast attitude right there.
That is the attitude that God's people need.
And I'll read for you Luke 14 verse 33.
Jesus said this.
So likewise, whosoever he be of you, that forsake if not all that he have, he cannot be my disciple.
See, getting saved is easy, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
But to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, he said, hey, you have to forsake everything.
And oftentimes, you know, in our lives, God doesn't necessarily ask us or in practicality force us to forsake all that we have.
But what should we do is we should be willing to forsake all that we have.
Hey, if we have to forsake familial ties,
ties, friendships, being liked,
having a nice cushy career,
whatever it is that God asks us to do in service for him,
we should be willing to do that, even up to death.
Doesn't the Bible say in Revelation,
be thou faithful unto death, death,
and I will give thee a crown of life?
You know, that's just not words in your Bible.
That's reality for a lot of people.
And even in 2025 in this world,
you know, we're not experiencing heavy persecution here,
but in places like North Korea,
in places like India, in places like China,
there are literally Christians being killed
in this time period that we're living in.
You know, there's a guy named Brother Moses who goes to Faithward Baptist Church and he
was formerly in Germany.
He had to flee Germany, fleeing persecution.
And he was originally from India and he knows someone who's a preacher of the gospel in
India, has the right gospel, good guy, who was murdered for his preaching.
And it's like, what do we have to go through?
Get on the news every once in a while.
You know, have our family members dislike us sometimes
or our friends.
It's like, there's preachers in this world
that are being murdered for preaching the Bible.
But you know what?
God blesses a man that says,
I'm gonna preach the Bible no matter what the cost is.
God blesses a church that's gonna stand on the truth
of God's word no matter what the cost is,
even unto death.
Go to James chapter number one
and keep your place in Daniel three.
We'll come back to it.
James chapter number one.
And I just want you to see this principle again.
James 1, verse number two.
The Bible says, my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations,
knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
So there's always a silver lining as Christians for all of the battles that we go through,
all of the trials and tribulations, and one of those things is that if you're trusting
in the Lord and God brings you through trials, it gives you patience, right?
or trepidation or worries because you've seen God come through before and you know I've
noticed that there's a difference between Christians who have been in a church that
have gone through some battles versus the guy who just got saved who's just around this
stuff for the first time.
One tends to have a lot more patience than the other.
But it says in verse 4,
but let patience have her perfect work,
that you may be perfect and entire,
wanting nothing.
If any of you lack wisdom,
let them ask of God,
that give it to all men liberally,
and abrade if not,
and it shall be given him.
But verse 6 is the key,
notice this,
but let him ask in faith,
nothing wavering.
For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed.
For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.
So, notice, God wants you to ask him for things.
God wants you to be delivered through your trials.
He wants you to have patience by going through tribulation.
But notice, the mentality that you have to have is that you have to purpose to do right
no matter what, then ask God.
See, we shouldn't come to God and be like, Lord, I really want to serve you.
I really want to be in an independent fundamental Baptist church that's right on the Gospel,
But I don't want to have any familial relationships.
You know what you should do is say like,
Lord, I'm sold out.
I'll do whatever it takes.
I'll be wherever you need me to be.
I'll live wherever you need me to live.
I'll preach whatever I need to preach.
But Lord, please help me through my trials.
He's more likely to bless that person
because he sees that even if he doesn't
deliver you out of the things
that you want to be delivered out of,
you're still going to do right anyways.
And you know, this is important for me.
I've been through some battles before.
I didn't want to have this mentality where it's like, well, you know,
I'll keep preaching what's right just as long as the sodomites leave my house
and stop driving around my house and honking at us and threatening us. No,
it's just like God, I'm here. I'm going to do what's right.
Please give me the strength to continue doing what's right.
But no matter what,
even if they're here for five years, 10 years, I want to resolve to do what's
right.
And then I believe that God's more likely to deliver you through the tribulations
when you have that attitude.
But today we have a lot of Christians where again it's just I'll serve God if it's convenient.
I'll go to a church, if it just feeds the flesh and tickles my fancy and it's really
fun and it's really nice, that's not the attitude that you should have in Christianity.
Christianity is a fight.
We are good soldiers of Jesus Christ and you know what a good soldier doesn't do?
A good soldier is not like, well, you know, I'll fight today if the weather is good and
if we don't have to go over any big mountains and if we're not getting shot at at the enemy.
It's like, what kind of soldier is that?
It's like the good soldiers like, hey man, I hope things go well, but if it doesn't,
here I am.
I'm still going to stand.
I'm still going to fight.
It's the same exact thing in Christianity.
Now let's look at some examples of men who had this attitude because this is all over
the Bible.
Go to Daniel chapter number one.
We already saw it with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
To me, that's like the biggest example of someone just resolving to do right, no matter the cost.
But also, you know, Daniel had this same exact mentality in Daniel 1 verse 8, the Bible says this,
but Daniel noticed, purposed in his heart, that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat,
nor with the wine which he drank.
Therefore, he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
So notice the attitude that he had.
He wasn't like wavering, like waves of the sea of whether or not he was going to give
in and eat the king's meat or drink that alcoholic wine.
No, no, he already purposed in his heart that he's not doing it, right?
So God sees that he has this resolve that no matter what the cost, he's going to do
of the Unix that he might not defile himself.
Notice he didn't just say to the Prince of the Unix,
hey, I'm not doing this period.
Hey, you know, he's just kind of being rebellious
to his authority.
He requests, why?
Because he's trusting that God is gonna bless him
in this situation because he has that resolved attitude.
Then it says in verse nine.
Now God had brought Daniel into favor.
Notice it's a supernatural effect that God is putting on Daniel's life.
God is bringing him into favor, so God could have chosen to not bring him into favor.
Why did God give him favor?
Because he had that resolve in his heart, that he was going to do what's right no matter what.
Then it says, into favor and tender love with the Prince of the Unix.
And the Prince of the Unix said unto Daniel,
I fear my Lord the King, who hath appointed your meat and your drink.
For why should he see your faces worse likening than the children, which are of your sort?
Then shall you make me endanger my head to the King.
So the Prince of the Unix, he likes Daniel, but he's kind of saying like, hey, you might get me in trouble.
And he kind of has some reserve as to whether or not he's going to allow him to go through with it.
Then Daniel said to Melsar, whom the Prince of the Unix had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days, and let them give us pulse to eat and water to drink.
Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat, as thou
seeest, deal with thy servants." So he consented to them in this matter and proved them ten days. And at the end of ten days their
countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. So again,
This is kind of a miracle here because Daniel's asking basically to just be fed a pulse and water diet,
which is not actually ideal for gains. You know what I mean? Like if you're trying to get gains,
you're trying to get that fair and fat flesh, you're not going to want to just eat pulse
and water. You're going to want some steak, right? You're going to need some protein,
you're going to need to do some push-ups, but yet God intervenes and allows this miracle to take place.
But why?
Just because he favors Daniel over other people just for no reason?
No, it's because Daniel had this rare attitude that most people do not have.
Realize this.
Most people are not said fast.
He resolved in his heart to do right.
He purposed in his heart to do right before he knew the outcome.
That takes faith right there, right?
Because what would have been the result of him
just refusing to do this, disobeying the king's orders?
Who knows?
He could have been scourged, punished, thrown in jail,
killed.
I mean, who knows what the Babylonians would have done
to him, but yet regardless of the possible outcome
he had purposed in his heart to do right,
that's what God blesses.
God does not bless Christians that are like politicians.
There's a lot of Christians today that are like politicians.
There's a lot of pastors today that are like politicians.
And it's like when they're deciding in their mind what course of action they're going to take
or what they're going to preach or what they're going to refrain from preaching,
a lot of times it's not coming from a place of what is right,
what are the facts, what does the Bible say?
It's, where's the wind blowing?
And that tells them where they're going to go because they just want to go wherever they think success is going to lead.
The best outcome is going to lead.
The path of least resistance is going to take them.
That shouldn't matter.
And let me tell you something.
God is not going to bless the Christian that is always trying to foresee events in their life
and trying to take the path of least resistance.
God is going to bless the Christian that says,
What does God say?
what is right and nuts to the results.
Hey, if I have to go into the fiery burning furnace,
that's better than worshiping a false God.
It's like, okay, if I have to have people in the community
angry at me, if we have to get in the news,
that's better than not preaching the Bible.
Okay, you got people, you know, even other examples, not just the news and stuff like that.
You know, people today love to criticize soul winning. Calvinists love to criticize soul winning.
People who aren't soul winners love to criticize soul winning.
Hey, I'll take all the guff from them all day because I know what the Bible says.
And we're out getting people saved. We're out doing a great work for God,
so it doesn't matter what man thinks about anything.
And you know as a pastor I did not go into the ministry to be someone that is a people pleaser.
I do not care what you think of me.
I do not care what anyone thinks of me except for the Lord Jesus Christ.
You know, I saw a funny interview the other day. I think his name is Tom Holman.
He's like the head of the border patrol
situation in Trump's administration. And I saw Steven Crowder asked him a
question. He said,
what is it that people often get wrong about Tom Holman? And his response, it's
kind of funny. He's like,
I don't give an S what people think about me. And I'm just like,
you know, that's a pretty gruff answer, but that's the right attitude to have.
Oh, what do you think that people get wrong about Pastor Oz?
I don't give a crap what people get wrong about me.
What I care about is what the Bible says.
Oh, you have haters online.
I don't care.
Oh, people don't like eager Baptist church.
I don't care.
What I care about is what the Bible says.
And I don't want to be a politician that sticks his finger up and says,
shall I bomb Israel? Shall I not?
Shall I bomb Iran? Shall I not?
Netanyahu, tell me how far I need to jump, right?
No, no, no, we just need to do what's right, period.
That's the attitude that we need to have.
Now go to 1st Timothy chapter number 1. 1st Timothy chapter number 1 Jeremiah 12 5 says this if thou hast run with the footmen
And they have wearied thee then how can't thou contend with horses?
You know if you can't resolve right now to do right in the easy kush lives that we live in
How do you think that you're gonna resolve to do right when the stakes are actually high?
You know, because here Daniel, he's resolving to do right when the stakes are high.
Later on in the book of Daniel, prayer was made illegal, and you know what Daniel did?
He kept praying like he did before.
And what happened?
He was thrown into the den of lions, but God delivered him.
But it's like, if you can't be steadfast now, don't even kid yourself into thinking that you could make it through hard trials.
You cannot.
You know, it's like thinking like, you know, I can't run a mile without stopping.
I can't run a mile without vomiting and throwing up and, you know, falling on the ground.
But man, when I sign up for a marathon, I'm just going to keep running the whole time.
No, you are not.
And it's like, well, you know, I'm super inconsistent in my Bible reading now.
I'm wishy-washy when it comes to showing up to church now.
I'm not a consistent soul winner now.
I get super offended by words now, but man, when the Antichrist comes, I'm gonna be steadfast
like a rock.
No, you're not.
If you cannot serve God today when it is easy, do not think that you're gonna serve God when
When controversy comes to this church,
when, you know, judices rise up in our church,
or, you know, if we go through something
like the Great Tribulation someday,
don't think that you'll be standing then.
No, no, no, you have to build that foundation now.
You build the foundation now,
then the storms come and your house stands.
You start training for the marathon now,
then maybe you'll have a shot at running it
when the time comes.
Look at what 1 Timothy 1, verse 12 says.
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful.
Putting me into the ministry. Why was the Apostle Paul used so greatly by the Lord Jesus Christ?
It was because he was faithful. It wasn't because he had a great resume, right?
Because in Galatians 1 it talks about how he was exceedingly zealous of the traditions of his fathers,
how he persecuted the church of God and wasted it, right?
So, but here's the thing, Paul, he was in the wrong religion, he was doing the wrong things, but at least Paul was zealous.
right? And so it's like, well, if Paul gets saved, maybe we could use this zeal for the things of God.
And at least he's faithful, right?
And Paul went on to do great things,
but it's like, I'll take the guy who used to be zealous
in a false religion and then get saved
and continues to be zealous,
then someone who grew up IFB, who is lazy and backslidden
and doesn't care about the things of God.
That's not gonna be the person that's used greatly.
It's gonna be the guy that's faithful.
Why did Jesus put him into the ministry?
Because he was faithful, because he was steadfast.
Here's another example.
Go to Esther chapter number four.
Esther chapter number four.
And, you know, when it comes to being faithful, you don't want to have this attitude where
it's like, well, I'll do things for God if it's something big, or I'll be used in
the church, I'll be used in the ministry as long as it's something big, but I don't
really want to do the small stuff.
It's like, you know, I don't really want to go soul winning on Saturday, I don't really
want to go soul winning on Sunday, but I'll see you at the Bahamas Mission Strip, or it's
like, you know, I don't ever want to sign up for a men's preaching night, but hey,
give me a full length sermon, I'll preach that any time.
You need to have an attitude that says hey, I'll be faithful in the small things, then I can be used for the big things.
I'll do the small things well, then I can be counted on to do the big things well.
Not just this like, adrenaline junkie Christianity.
Here's Esther chapter 4 verse 16 go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan and fast you for me and
Neither eat nor drink three days night or day
I also in my maidens will fast likewise and so will I go in unto the king
Which is not according to the law and notice her attitude and if I perish I
Parish hey even this lady here had a steadfast attitude of resolving to do right
No matter what, she's putting her neck on the line.
You know, there was a law made that all of her people
were gonna be killed and destroyed.
And there was a law that no one could approach the king
except he bids them.
And she's like, hey, fast for me, pray for me.
I'm gonna fast and pray.
And I'm gonna go beseech the king for this matter.
And she says, you know what?
If I perish, I perish.
What's she saying?
If I die, I die.
But I'm just gonna resolve to do right no matter what.
She's gonna at least try.
What's the title of the sermon?
How are you going to know if God can deliver you out of something great?
Well, you got to try to stand up against Nebuchadnezzar and be thrown into that fiery furnace and see if God will deliver you.
Oh, you know, how do we know that God's going to do something great?
Well, you kind of have to get chased by Pharaoh and his army sometime and just see if God will open up that Red Sea.
Sometimes, you know, you got the sentence of death on you and you know, hey, this is bad.
If I go into the king, I could die and you just have the attitude of, if I perish, I perish.
You just resolve to do right, no matter what, she's not wavering.
She's not being tossed by the waves of the sea let not that man think that he will receive anything of the Lord
It's the person who's fully dedicated to doing right that God is often going to deliver out of our trials
Here's another example good acts 20. I'll read for you Job 1315 Job said this though. He slay me
Yet will I trust in him?
but I will maintain my own ways before him."
Notice, he doesn't say like,
God's definitely not gonna slay me,
nothing bad could ever happen to me.
No, he's lost everything.
He's lost his kids.
His wife is telling him to curse God and die.
He lost all of his money.
He lost all of his health.
And he said, even if God kills me,
I will still trust in him.
That's someone that's resolving to do right no matter what.
That's someone who's not in it just for himself.
If it's convenient for me, if it's nice for me,
no, he's resolved to do right.
Here's one of my favorite passages and this is about the apostle Paul look at what his attitude was in Acts 20 verse 22
He said and now behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befall me there
Save that the Holy Ghost witnesses it in every city saying that bonds and afflictions
Abide me see we in our lifetimes like we just have such an easy life compared to these guys
Because when I'm thinking about the Bahamas missions trip, I don't have this attitude. I'll just be honest with you
I'm not thinking like man. I don't know what's gonna befall me there
All I know is that bonds and afflictions are coming. You know what? I'm thinking like it's gonna be awesome
We're going to have so much fun, we're going to get so many people saved, and we're going
to ride jet skis, and we're going to eat good food, and we're going to hang out in paradise,
and like some people won't even do that. Some people won't even go and are afraid to go on a
mission trip to do that. I'm looking forward to it like this is going to be leisure and fun and
exciting. Okay, now imagine Paul's mission trip.
It's not like, hey, we're going to go eat some awesome food and go jet skiing.
He's saying, I don't know what's going to happen to me on this mission strip, except
that bonds and afflictions abide me.
Now, how many people would be signing up for that mission strip?
Hey, guys, contact evangelist fur if you want to go to the mission strip where you're going
to be put in prison and you're going to get beaten and you're going to get attacked.
I guarantee you, it would be less people going to that mission strip, right?
But notice his love for souls and his love for doing what's right, even with knowing that,
what does he say?
Verse 24,
But none of these things move me.
Neither count I my life dear unto myself,
so that I might finish my course with joy
and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus
to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
This is a rare attitude today.
And I'm telling you right now, most Christians do not have this attitude and we ought not
to deceive ourselves thinking like, oh yeah, we're all like the Apostle Paul, you know,
we would all be as steadfast as him.
We should try to strive towards that and realize that this is the right attitude to have of
saying like, hey, even if it's hard, even if bad things are coming my way, I don't count
my life dear unto myself.
That's what Christianity is, right?
Carrying our cross, killing the old man,
putting the things of God above our own needs,
putting other people above our own needs.
That's what Paul did.
Not only that, he said the ministry which I have received, the Lord Jesus.
So those are like the two things that are motivating him.
He's like, hey, I'm not counting my life dear unto myself.
It's not the Paul show. It's not about me.
You know who it's about? The ministry of Jesus Christ.
That's who it's about.
But again, what is the attitude of many Christians today?
It's like, well, I didn't get eight hours of sleep.
I'm not showing up to church.
Well, you know, it's hot outside, so I'm not going soul-winning.
Wow.
So we'll quit soul-winning if it's hot, but Paul can get beaten.
Paul could get thrown in jail.
You know, I told that story about that old IFP passer that told me,
we don't go soul winning because it's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.
It's like, wow, you're really a great soldier of Jesus Christ.
Wow, you're really a great example to the flock of someone who's steadfast.
Okay, how about this?
Go to Luke chapter number nine.
Another example of someone who had this mentality.
How about the Lord Jesus Christ?
Luke chapter number nine.
Luke chapter nine verse fifty-one.
says this and it came to pass when the time was come that he should be received up he stead
Fastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. I mean Jesus knew
The scriptures Jesus knew what was going to happen to him and of course we know that in his flesh
He didn't want to experience the death of the cross the Bible says that he despised the shame
It wasn't fun to him
He was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying that if there's any other way that that the Lord would allow this cup to be passed from him
But yet he still did it anyways
He still resolved to do what's right anyways
He knew that his time was come and he just steadfastly
set his face toward Jerusalem.
That's an example of high Christian maturity.
And of course, Lord Jesus Christ
is gonna be exuding that.
Go to if you would.
Daniel chapter 3 again, Daniel chapter 3 again.
So, number one is more by way of introduction,
which is basically resolved to do right,
no matter the cost.
Number two, realize that God can deliver you.
Realize that God can deliver you.
Look what it says in verse number 16,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said,
unto the king, O Nebuchadnezzar,
we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Notice this, if it be so.
Our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace.
And He will deliver us out of thine hand, O King.
I love verse 18. He goes,
But if not,
Be it known unto the okaying that we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up
So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego they understand this they have this mentality where they're saying look God is
Able to deliver us and they're they're confident. He's saying he will deliver us
But they still have this little side note this little caveat where they're just saying but if not
right? So we have to realize in our life that whatever trials we're going through,
whatever hardships we're going through, that God can deliver us from those trials.
But we also have to have the humility that God doesn't owe us anything.
The Bible says, for all of sin, come short of the glory of God, right?
That we are sinners and what do we deserve from God? We deserve hell.
We deserve nothing and we ought not get this you know high and mighty prideful attitude that you know
We walk on water and God just has to do everything for us
No, no, we realize that God is all powerful that God is all-knowing and that God can
Deliver us from whatever we're going through, but that's still God's choice
That's still up to the Lord and we need to have the humility to say hey
God is able to deliver us and hey, we're confident that he will deliver us, but if not
We still realize that He's the one in charge, not us.
We're not barking orders at the Lord.
He can deliver us.
And again, go to Psalm number 50.
And again, what's the best way
to have the highest likelihood of God delivering us?
It's for us to resolve to do right no matter what.
You know, if you want God's favor,
of course we know He is able to deliver us,
but who is He going to deliver
those who are resolving to do right no matter what?
Psalm 50, verse 15.
Notice what the Bible says,
and call upon me in the day of trouble.
I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
Now there's some deliveries.
There are some salvations that are guaranteed from God.
Like how about spiritual salvation?
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved.
That's just a dead, guaranteed promise.
When you call upon the name of the Lord in faith,
you will go to heaven.
That he for sure.
will deliver you from, but also just like our daily trials and tribulations,
we can call upon the Lord. He can deliver us, but I like that end part. It says this,
and thou shalt glorify me. Hey, if you want to get delivered by God,
you want to be giving him all the praise, giving him all the glory, all the honor. That's the most
likely way for God to deliver you when you're trusting in him, when you're dedicated to doing
what's right, and when you give God all the praise for it at the end. See, God doesn't want to deliver
who's just going to take all the glory for himself, you know, and we'll look at a story of this,
but let's read verse number 16 first. It says,
What has thou to do to declare my statutes,
or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth,
seeing thou hatest instruction,
and castest my words behind thee?
See, God's not really ready to deliver someone
that isn't listening to what God says.
Someone who's, you know, hardening their neck
and turning away their ear from the law,
casting the word of God behind their back.
That's not really the guy
that God's gonna come through with in a miracle.
You know, who's he performing miracles for?
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, the children of Israel in the wilderness.
You know, these are people that are wanting to give God the glory.
Now a great example of this, I think, is with David and Goliath.
We go to 1 Samuel chapter number 17.
Because think about it, like, David is this lad, he's this kid.
And he's fighting against this hardened veteran soldier who is gigantic, literally, okay?
And just like the odds are not in his favor from a carnal perspective.
And if David goes and defeats Goliath and is holding his head, couldn't that give him an occasion to glory in himself?
Like if you overcame some just insane odds and came through on the other side victorious, that could give...
the human flesh that we have
occasion to want to glory or boast or brag and like look who I defeated.
I beat up the strongest guy.
You know, we beat the best team.
We fought the best country in one,
but that's not the attitude that David had.
Look what the Bible says in verse 60 or 46.
This day, will the Lord deliver thee into my hand?
Now, doesn't that sound a lot like Daniel 3?
God's able to deliver him.
He's confident that God's gonna deliver him.
He says, and I will smite thee and take thy head from thee.
And I will give the carcasses of the host
of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air,
into the wild beasts of the earth.
You know, he's kind of,
he's kind of trash talking to him a little bit, right?
But is it coming from a place of
I'm great, I'm wonderful, I'm awesome, I'm the strongest soldier.
No, because look what he says right here.
That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
Why is it that God gives deliverance and gives the victory to the little kid David against Goliath because David wasn't there to take the glory on himself?
David wasn't going to cut off his head and give him to the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field so that he could say,
Yeah, fall down before David. David's awesome.
No, so that all the world may know that there is a God.
that all the world may know the God of Israel, that He is the true God.
And let me tell you something.
If you want to get delivered through whatever problems or trials or tribulations in your life,
you ought to strive to want to give God all of the glory.
Because if you have it in your heart like,
man, I'm going to puff myself up, I'm going to be bragging about this myself,
that's then God's way less likely to deliver you.
God's not wanting to share glory with us.
We are nothing.
We can do nothing of ourselves all of the things that about us that are good anything that's strong or powerful about us is because of God is because of the Lord.
Go to if you would Exodus 14 Exodus 14.
Here's another example. I kind of mentioned it already a little bit.
But the children of Israel and their strivings against Pharaoh.
What is it that God said through Moses to Pharaoh,
Hey, let my people go, that they may serve me.
So what's the whole point of Moses and Aaron and the children of Israel escaping the grasp of Pharaoh and leaving slavery and going out into the wilderness?
Is it so that they could just be awesome and pat themselves on the back?
No, let my people go so that they may serve me, that they may serve the Lord.
Then you see a great deliverance.
Look at Exodus 14, verse 27, and Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea.
And the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared, and the Egyptians fled against it, and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the hosts of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them.
There remained not so much as one of them, but the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea,
and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left.
and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore,
and Israel saw that great work which the Lord did
upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the Lord
and believed the Lord and His servant, Moses.
So we see God have this great deliverance,
one of the biggest in the whole Bible,
where the Red Sea parts the children of Israel
go through on dry land, and as the Egyptians follow them,
The sea comes crashing in and kills all of them,
but what was the result of that?
It tells us immediately that people feared the Lord
and believed the Lord.
Hey, if that's our goal as a church,
to try to bring people to Jesus Christ
and try to get people to fear God
and to believe in the Lord,
then God's way more likely to intervene
on our behalf in situations,
to help us go through hardships,
to help us go through tribulations
when our end result is wanting God to be glorified.
God to be exalted people to fear the Lord. You know a lot of churches today and a lot of religions. It's not really about the Lord
It's about humanity the the religion of self
You know, I think a lot about for example Pentecostals
Pentecostals is like a religion of glorifying self. What do I mean by that?
Well, how do you get to heaven? You have to repent of your sins.
You have to live a good life. You have to do good. And then what is it that they have that's really big in their churches?
Speaking in tongues. And what is that? It's glorifying yourself. Look how spiritual I am. I have this special prayer language.
Look at how much higher I am than other people because I can communicate with God.
That's not glorifying God.
That's glorifying yourself.
You know, and that's what false religion is.
It's the religion of worshiping self.
Worshiping humanity.
But we need to have the heart that says, hey, we want people to fear God.
We want people to believe God.
That's when God comes through.
Look at the next chapter. Exodus 15.
Verse 1, let's see where their heart was.
Then saying, Moses and the children of Israel, this song unto the Lord.
And Spake saying, I will sing unto the Lord.
For he hath triumphed gloriously.
The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Notice it wasn't, I have triumphed gloriously.
I'm fantastic.
I'm wonderful.
Let's sing to us.
No, he's singing to the Lord saying, hey,
God has triumphed gloriously.
God has won this battle.
Verse two, the Lord is my strength and song,
and he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will prepare him in habitation.
him. You will see this all over the Bible. The people who God actually delivers are the people
who, number one, are resolved to do right no matter the cost and no matter whether God will
deliver them or not. They don't see the future. They don't know the certainty of the things that
we could look at now seeing the Bible in hindsight knowing, oh yeah, we're just reading Daniel 3,
but we already know the end. They didn't know the end when they were going through it.
You know, when they're being chased, when the children of Israel are being chased through the wilderness,
they don't know the end for sure.
When Daniel's thrown into a lion's den, he doesn't know the end for sure.
We know these things, but they do not.
But you know what I know about them?
They were resolved to do right no matter what, and they wanted to give God the praise.
They wanted to give God the glory.
And every single time you see God come through for someone
and perform a miracle, allow them to come out of something great,
you always see God is glorified as a result.
And so in your personal life, in our church,
that's what we have to realize.
Hey, resolve to do right no matter what, steadfast.
Quitting is not an option.
Compromising is not an option.
Being lukewarm and weak and tossed to and fro,
that's not an option.
We're doing right no matter what.
And if God delivers us, you know what we're going to do?
We're going to give Him all the glory, all the praise.
Look, we put our salvation totals in our bulletin.
And we say words like, hey, we got people saved.
But obviously we know that we only get people saved
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, without me, you can do nothing.
And so don't think that these numbers are saying,
like, look at how great Anchor Baptist Church is,
or look at how great our soul winners in the Philippines are.
Hey, I think that they're good people.
I think they're doing a great work.
But you know what?
They're only doing it through Jesus Christ.
And anything good that we do as a church, anything in the future that we accomplish,
it's only going to be by God's grace, God's empowerment.
And let me tell you, we're only going to give the glory to God.
That's how our church could actually be successful
and actually be delivered out of these hard things.
Now go back to Daniel 3.
So, number one, we need to resolve to do right no matter the cost.
Number two, we need to realize that God can deliver us.
Number three, we need to risk.
Do not be afraid to try.
What's the title of the sermon?
You never know until you try.
See, you can't just have these first parts where you're like, okay, I'm going to resolve
to do right no matter what, and you just say that in your mind.
And, yeah, I know God can deliver me.
Yeah, you know, I'll give him the glory.
You actually have to put some skin in the game.
Then you actually have to take that mentality
and you actually have to risk.
You actually have to do the thing
that you're resolving to do.
And that's what we see these men do in verse 16.
Shadrach, Nishak, and Abednego answered and said to the king,
O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful
to answer thee in this matter.
That's their resolve.
If it be so...
Our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us.
That's them realizing God can deliver from the burning fiery furnace.
And He will deliver us out of Thy hand, O King.
But if not, be it known unto the O King that we will not serve Thy gods,
nor worship the golden image which Thou hast set up.
That's the risk.
That's them taking the risk.
That's them being confronted by the King of Babylon.
Who's told them to bow who's told them to submit and they said we will not do it. That's the risk
That's when they actually put skin in the game and look if you ever want God to deliver you
You know what you actually have to do? You actually have to try if you actually want to accomplish something great for God
It's not enough to just think about it resolve to do it
Oh, I have faith like some arbitrary concept
Then you actually have to get out there and do it you actually have to put the work in
Go to 2 Timothy 4.
Now, for the rest of the sermon, I just want to give you
several specific examples of areas in life
that, hey, we just need to try.
We just need to actually put some skin into the game
and try to do something for the Lord.
First, hey, let's try to have a fundamental Baptist church.
And a lot of people are down on that type of a church and you know the church manuals
will tell you that our style of church is not the greatest way to build a church.
You know kicking people out for violating 1 Corinthians 5, man's wisdom is going to
say that's not the best way to grow a church.
Preaching heart against sin, that's not the best way to grow a church.
We need the nice lights and the nice music and the nice building and the nice programs.
That's like the world's mentality today.
But notice what the Bible says.
2. Preach the word. Be instant, in season, out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.
Hey, let's try to be a church that actually focuses on what the Bible says. I don't want us to be another old IVB church.
You know, there's enough old IFB churches in this world where you show up
and the sermon is just like a Fox News article, a poem, a story,
you know, a verse about the Jews, and then we go home.
It's annoying, folks.
And those of you who have been in the Old Life B
know what I'm talking about?
It's real.
They do not focus on the Bible.
They have very short sermons.
They're not reading the whole chapter before the service.
They're not focused on the Word.
They're focused on their own ideas,
their own opinions.
The Bible says preach the Word.
Be instant, in season, out of season.
Notice this, reprove, rebuke,
exhort with all-long suffering and doctrine.
What's that? That's actually hard preaching.
That's going to get specific.
That's going to be corrective.
Not every sermon needs to be a sermon
about the grace and love of God.
Not every sermon needs to be about salvation.
And that's another big thing in the old I of B.
You go there Sunday morning
and it's probably going to be a salvation message.
But you know what, how is that
reproving and rebuking?
You know, we need to preach the whole gospel.
It says in verse number three,
for the time will come when they will not
endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts
shall they heep to themselves teachers
having itching ears.
Boy, is that the case today in many churches
where they're not enduring sound doctrine.
You know, here's a great example of that.
How about the worship of Jews?
The worship of Israel, you know, this is going to come up a lot right now because of the conflict going on with Iran and Israel and the United States.
I'm sure all over America this morning, you are probably hearing a sermon about how, you know, Ted Cruz said it, folks.
Did you guys hear Ted Cruz? He said it. Those that bless Israel will be blessed by God. Amen.
Ha! Right? There's the old FB sound for you.
Ted Cruz, ha! Said, ha! Bless Israel, ha!
It's like, dude, just, I don't want to be that type of church.
Anyone with me on that?
It's so annoying.
You know what the Bible says?
That those who say they are Jews and are not are of the synagogue of Satan.
The Bible says who is a liar?
But he that denyeth Jesus is the Christ.
He is Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Son.
The Bible says if you have not the Son, you have not the Father.
You know what Jesus said?
Hey, if you would have believed Moses, you would have believed me.
For he wrote of me.
You know what the Bible says?
That he's not a Jew, which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, that which is
of the flesh, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly.
And circumcision is that of the heart of the Spirit.
Not of the letter, but of God, of the Spirit.
You know, I can go on all day about how, hey, they are not all Israel, which, or sorry, they are not all Israel.
Man, I'm gonna misquote this. I think it's Romans chapter number nine. Let's go ahead and go to Romans chapter nine real quick.
This can become a Jew sermon really quick.
Someone help me find that verse I'm thinking of. They are not all Israel, which are of Israel.
This is Bible study real quick.
Here we go, verse 6.
Not as though the Word of God had taken none effect,
for they are not all Israel, which are of Israel.
Neither because they are the seed of Abraham,
or they are all children.
But in Isaac, shall thy seed be called?
That is, they which are the children of the flesh,
these are not the children of God.
But the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
So the Bible is saying, hey, just because you're a physical descendant of Abraham
does not mean that you're the true Israel.
Who's the true Israel, those that are of faith, those who are of promise?
Because in Genesis, it doesn't say those who bless Israel will be blessed.
It says, hey, that in thy seed shall all nations be blessed.
Then in Galatians chapter 3, what does it say that seed is?
In Christ.
So who are God's chosen people today?
Christians.
People who believe in Jesus Christ.
Not an entire nation, a fraudulent nation of people that hate Christ.
I don't get the side-taking in this war between Israel and Iran.
It's like, alright, so we have pedophile worshipers versus Christ haters.
That's what the war is, folks.
Israel, Christ haters.
Iran, pedophile worshipers.
Mohammed was a pedophile.
Why is the United States getting involved in this?
Who cares between their battle?
Let them blow each other up.
Let them destroy more of the false religion of Islam
and Judaism off this earth,
because they're both religions that'll send you straight to hell.
And you know, I don't want a single drop of American blood
being shed for Israel or for Iran.
I don't give a crap about either nation.
There's my foreign policy.
I don't give a crap about what they do to each other
because they're wicked nations.
How sad that yesterday, United States airmen got inside of B-2 bombers and dropped bombs in Iran in Iran yesterday.
That's terrible.
And you know, hopefully it just ends there, but boy is that instigating a bunch of garbage in our world.
And you know what, we as Christians, we as a Christian nation should not try to stick up for a nation that hates Christ.
Let them blow each other up.
There's my foreign policy.
Go to, if you will, 2nd Corinthians chapter number four.
But again, look, hey, let's just try to have a fundamental Baptist church.
Let's just try to preach the word, even if what I just preached is not popular among most Baptists.
Are we supposed to think about, well, what's going to be the best result of what I preach?
Or are we supposed to endeavor to do right?
We're supposed to just endeavor to do right, trust the Lord, and let the chips fall where they may.
Here's another thing that we should just try to do.
2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 3.
We should preach the gospel.
First three, the Bible says,
but if her gospel be hid,
it is hid to them that are lost,
in whom the God of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,
who is the image of God,
should shine unto them.
For we preach not ourselves,
but Christ Jesus the Lord,
and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
hath shined in our hearts,
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God,
in the face of Jesus Christ.
Look at verse seven.
but we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God
and not of us. Hey, you need to just try to preach the gospel.
And I thank God that here at Anchor Baptist Church this year, we've had four soul winners
preach the gospel and get someone saved for the first time ever.
You know what?
Praise God for you people, because that takes faith.
That takes just, hey, I'm just going to resolve to do right, I'm just going to realize that
God can deliver me, God can help me do this, and then you actually need to risk.
You need to try.
And a lot of people today are literally scared to go soul-winning.
They're scared to knock on someone's door, they're scared to talk to a stranger, but
We've escaped the fires of hell.
We have this treasure in earthen vessels,
but realize, hey, if our gospels hid,
it's hid to them that are lost.
How can you live with yourself knowing?
Well, I'm saved.
I'm escaping hell.
I don't have to spend any time in hell,
but how do you not care about other people?
Like, how do you just go through life having the gospel, having the truth, knowing you're
saved and then there's just millions of people out there that are unsaved and you're not
even trying to do anything about it.
You know what you need to do?
You need to risk a little bit.
And quite honestly, you're not really risking much, folks.
You're going down streets of Oklahoma City, knocking on people's doors.
You're not really risking that much.
And you know what?
You need to just get over yourself if you're shy because hell is a real place.
Oh, I'm worried I'm going to run into someone that I know.
It's never happened to me.
I've been soul-winning for over a decade.
Raise your hand if that's happened to you.
Okay, so it's happened to some people, but did you die though?
There you are.
You're still here.
Okay, so you might run into someone that you know out soul-winning.
It's never happened to me, but if you do, you're not going to die, but guess what?
They will, and they'll go to hell if you don't get them saved.
Oh, someone's not going to like me.
Dude, have you read the Bible?
Be hated for Christ. It's a blessing. Someone doesn't like you. Who cares? Preach the gospel. Try. Put some skin in the game.
Risk a little bit. And quite honestly, we're not risking much, but maybe someday we will.
Maybe someday we'll go through really heavy persecution. Maybe someday it'll be like a Daniel situation where part of our faith is illegal.
Well, here's the people that are going to stay steadfast during that time are the people who are soul winning now when it's easy.
And people who are risking now, when you're not really risking that much, right?
We need to be steadfast now.
Go to Proverbs chapter number 18.
Proverbs chapter number 18.
Hey, when it comes to risking something, here's something for you single guys.
Ask the girl out.
Hey, you might have to risk something and actually talk to her.
Don't just resolve.
Be like, oh, I'll be a good husband someday.
I know God will help me be a good husband someday.
Lord, will you just allow a woman to just fall out of the sky
and just have her get on one knee and propose to me right now?
Bro, you might actually have to talk to girls.
And there's this phenomenon now with Gen Z,
where it's like, guys aren't approaching girls anymore.
It's like a rare thing.
Guys are just afraid to talk to girls.
Look, guys, you might have to risk something.
And it's like, you won't die if you talk to her.
Just like you won't die if you preach the gospel to someone that you know.
You won't die if you talk to her.
Just talk to the girl. Ask her out.
Look at what Proverbs 18 verse 22 says.
You could pray all you want.
You might actually have to risk something though.
You actually have to go and talk to her.
You could pray all you want, but it's not like.
God is just reigning, independent fundamental Baptist,
submissive, Proverbs 31, soul winning, hand crocheting,
great meal making women out of the sky before you.
You actually have to talk to girls,
and you actually have to realize,
hey, the Proverbs 31 woman is already married.
She's already married you know what you have to do you have to find a girl that you like
That you love and that you're going to lead and that you guys are going to grow together and become better Christians together
But I feel like a lot of single guys to have this attitude where it's like she's got to be
Proverbs 31 she's got to be a 10 out of 10 and a fisher of men before I will do anything
It's like bro. Good luck
This is why you're 30, 35, 40, and you're still single is because you actually need to talk to girls.
And look, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings right now. I'm trying to get you to risk.
I'm trying to get, because here's the thing.
The only way you can get that reward is if you actually risk.
Here's another one. Go to Genesis chapter number 12.
Genesis chapter number 12.
Hey, you know what some people need to do?
Some people need to risk and move to a good church.
To me, life is way too short to be going to a church that's not on fire,
that's preaching about the Jews this morning, and not like what I preached.
Different type of Jews sermon.
That's going to preach about the rapture tonight, and not the way we would preach it.
It's going to preach about salvation.
Every sermon that's going to have all the show and the lights,
and not actually have anything of substance, life's too short to go to a church like that.
Life's too short to go to a church that doesn't emphasize soul winning.
Why is it that there's all these gigantic IFB churches?
Why is it that there's all these palaces with 10 guys on staff, 20 guys on staff?
And why is it that we're out doing them in soul winning at Anchor Baptist Church where we have 31 people this morning?
Why is that happening? Because there's some people that are just lazy and they don't want to risk anything.
They don't want to take the church money and invest it into soul winning and into missions trips and into doing the work of God.
They just want to invest it into their palace. They just want to have a nice comfortable ministry.
They got big, they got impressed with themselves, and they started forgetting that it's about souls, that it's about the work.
I think life is too short to go to a church like that.
And you look, I don't think everyone has to move,
but you know what?
I moved and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
I was living in Boise, Idaho.
I was like, I don't know, 18 or 19 years old.
And I was working as an industrial pipe fitter
and I'm just working my tail off,
working all these hours, going to a lame church.
And I was like, I just want to be a part of a good church.
I want to be at a church where I'm gonna be challenged,
where I'm not the only person soul winning.
I mean, I went to a church that had the double decker is the huge gigantic church and no one would go soul-inning of me for like a month.
No one would do it. It just didn't exist.
I wanted to go to a new IFB church and let me tell you something. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
And people that are just living in Podoncaller US and they don't have a great church to go to, you know, I recommend that you move to a great church.
I think you should do it.
Here's what Genesis 12 verse 1 says,
now the Lord had said unto Abram,
get thee out of thy country,
and from thy kindred,
and from thy father's house,
unto a land that I will show thee.
You know, that's not an easy thing to do.
It's not easy to leave your hometown the place you're comfortable the place you love your family
You know where you've got extended family around you to help you out
But God tells Abraham that that is what he should do verse 2
And I will make of the a great nation and I will bless the and make thy name great
And now shall be a blessing and I will bless them that bless the and curse him that cursed it the not Jews
And in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed."
Man, that's a pretty great promise that was delivered to Abraham that God was going to
make of him a great nation that all those who bless him will be blessed.
That's a great promise, but the only way that promise was going to come to fruition is if
Abraham actually risked and actually had to leave his father's house and his father's
country and go into some unknown place that God told him of.
That takes a lot of faith.
And we're all blessed for it today.
We all are better for it today.
And look, I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you.
Moving to another place might be hard.
And you should count the cost before you do it.
It's not easy leaving your family.
You know, my wife and I, since we moved to Texas,
because first I moved to Vancouver from Boise.
I got married in 2018 with my wife.
You know, we're raising kids there.
We moved in 2020 to go to Texas.
I'm so glad I made that decision.
I would never change anything of how I made that decision.
My life, my wife's life, our kid's life was blessed greatly.
And I wouldn't be here today if I didn't make that decision.
But I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you
and say that it was just always easy.
No, we moved hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of miles
away to a place where we had no family.
There was no date nights.
There was no, hey, babysit the kids,
and we're going to go out on a date night.
That doesn't exist.
So I'm not saying just make this decision willy nilly.
No, count the cost.
Realize it's going to be hard.
You go to a new place with new people, new challenges,
but I'm telling you, some people need to make that decision.
Some people need to make that decision. I got a phone call from a young man a few weeks ago
Who told me that he's living with his Catholic grandparents and doesn't have a great church to go to and you know
He's considering moving to a new IFB church. It's like that's the type of situation
I'm talking about life's too short to spend it with your Catholic grandparents
You know what I mean? You need to get into a fire breathing independent fundamental Baptist church
That's actually gonna try to do something for the Lord
That's actually going to risk something.
That's actually going to preach the things that get you in trouble every once in a while.
That's actually going to go out into the community and win 800 souls plus to Christ
with our group of people here.
You never know until you try.
Go to Psalm chapter 37.
We'll finish in Psalm chapter number 37.
And look, I'm not advocating that people who are already in a good church move.
Look, if you're being fed where you are,
if you're soul winning, if you're happy where you are,
I'm not saying that you need to move.
And I'm dead sure not saying if you're already
in a new IFB church that you need to move.
I would never recommend someone leaves
a great new IFB church to come here.
Never recommend that.
Stay with your pastor, get rooted and grounded.
But look, if you don't have that, then you should.
I believe you should.
Notice what the Bible says, this kind of encapsulates the whole thought of this sermon this morning.
Psalm 37, verse 4,
Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the Lord.
Trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.
I mean, isn't that exactly what we're talking about today?
Commit thy way unto the Lord.
Just resolve to do right no matter what.
Realize that God can deliver you.
What is that?
Trust also to him, in him.
and He shall bring it to pass.
You never know until you try.
You can never see what great things that God could do
through you, through our church, through your family,
until you actually try.
Number one, resolve to do right no matter the cost.
Number two, realize God can deliver you.
Number three, risk.
Don't be afraid to try.
Let's pray.
Lord, we thank you for your word.
We thank you for the story in Daniel chapter three.
I pray that you'd help all of us
during times that are relatively easy
to really build a strong foundation individually
that we would dig down deep
and really just have strong roots spiritually
that you could help us.
to get through harder times in life that are to come.
I pray that you help our church always to be steadfast,
that we would always do what's right
and strive to do what's right no matter the cost,
that we would trust in you and at the end of the day
that we would risk and try to do great things for you.
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Our last hymn this morning will be number 16.
Majestic Sweetness Sits and Throne, hymn number 1616, hymn number 16, we'll sing