WEBVTT 16:28.700 --> 16:32.340 I know that my Redeemer liveth. 16:32.340 --> 16:36.580 Ham number 3434. 16:36.580 --> 16:38.860 I know that my Redeemer liveth. 16:41.500 --> 16:43.660 34, we'll sing it out all together. 16:44.200 --> 16:55.480 I know that my Redeemer liveth, and on the earth again shall stand. 16:55.480 --> 17:06.200 I know eternal life begiveth, that grace and power are in his hand. 17:06.200 --> 17:12.200 I know, I know that Jesus lived and died for me. 17:12.200 --> 17:17.200 On the earth again shall stand 17:17.200 --> 17:22.200 I know I'm proud that life he giveth 17:22.200 --> 17:28.200 That grace and power are in his hand 17:28.200 --> 17:33.200 I know his promise never fail 17:33.200 --> 17:39.200 If the word he speaks it cannot die 17:39.400 --> 17:50.400 Though cruel, death my flesh assaileth, yet I shall see him by and by. 17:50.400 --> 18:01.400 I know, I know, that Jesus liveth, and on the earth again shall stand. 18:01.400 --> 18:03.400 I know, I know. 18:04.100 --> 18:12.740 That life be giveth, that grace and power, for in his hand. 18:12.740 --> 18:23.460 I know my mansion he prepareth, that where he is, there I may be. 18:24.200 --> 18:35.200 O wondrous thought for me, he careth, and he at last will come for me. 18:35.200 --> 18:46.200 I know, I know, that Jesus liveth, and on the earth again shall stand. 18:46.200 --> 18:48.100 I know, I know. 18:49.000 --> 18:58.000 That life he giveth, that grace and power are in his hand. 18:58.000 --> 19:00.000 A minute this time, we'll open with a word of prayer. 19:01.100 --> 19:07.300 Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day, for again, just another opportunity to gather together freely, 19:07.300 --> 19:10.500 to sing praises under your name and to hear preaching from your word. 19:10.500 --> 19:16.300 Lord, I pray that you would just be with the service today, that everything would be done decently and in order, 19:16.300 --> 19:23.100 that you would open our ears to the message and that you would fill pasture with your spirit as he preaches the message that you've prepared for us. 19:23.100 --> 19:25.300 These things we pray in Jesus' name, amen. 19:26.400 --> 19:34.160 for our next hymn this morning number 20 hymn number 2020 when i see the blood 19:36.560 --> 19:41.120 hymn number 20 when i see the blood 19:48.500 --> 19:50.500 20 there on the first 19:50.600 --> 20:01.000 Christ our Redeemer died on the cross, died for the sinner, paid all his due. 20:01.000 --> 20:06.160 All who receive him need never fear. 20:06.160 --> 20:11.920 Yes, he will pass, will pass over you. 20:11.920 --> 20:18.520 When I see the blood, when I... 20:18.600 --> 20:32.800 I see the blood, when I see the blood, I will pass, I will pass over you. 20:33.300 --> 20:44.020 Three-fist of sinners, Jesus can save, As He has promised, so will He do. 20:44.020 --> 20:54.820 O sinner, hear Him, trust in His word, Then He will pass, will pass over you. 20:55.000 --> 21:10.680 When I see the blood 21:10.680 --> 21:15.880 I will pass, I will pass over you 21:16.800 --> 21:21.260 Judgment is coming all will be there 21:21.940 --> 21:27.320 Who have rejected who have refused Oh? 21:28.300 --> 21:31.840 Sinner hey son let Jesus in 21:32.560 --> 21:37.040 Then God will pass will pass over you 21:38.520 --> 21:42.420 When I see the blood 21:43.860 --> 21:44.800 Where 21:44.800 --> 22:00.000 When I see the blood, when I see the blood, I will pass, I will pass over you. 22:00.800 --> 22:11.600 O what compassion, O boundless love, Jesus hath power, Jesus is true. 22:11.600 --> 22:22.960 All who believe are safe from the storm. O he will pass, will pass over you. 22:23.100 --> 22:39.100 When I see the blood 22:39.100 --> 22:44.100 I will pass, I will pass over you 22:48.300 --> 22:50.900 Good morning everyone, welcome to Anchor Baptist Church. 22:50.900 --> 22:53.060 Glad to have you with us this morning. 22:53.060 --> 22:55.300 If anyone needs a bulletin, please raise your hand 22:55.300 --> 22:57.460 and usher would be glad to bring you one. 22:57.460 --> 23:00.020 We're gonna go through our announcements quickly 23:00.020 --> 23:01.320 this morning. 23:01.320 --> 23:05.420 We do have on the front our Bible memory passage of the week, 23:05.420 --> 23:08.840 2 Timothy chapter two, verse 15. 23:08.840 --> 23:12.000 And of course those kids 18 and under that can quote this 23:12.000 --> 23:15.860 after the Wednesday service can receive an ice cream. 23:15.860 --> 23:16.300 On the end. 23:16.300 --> 23:19.420 If you'll flip open there our service times are listed 23:20.020 --> 23:27.840 Sunday morning at 1030 Sunday evening at 430 and our Wednesday Bible study through the gospel of Mark at 7 o'clock 23:28.400 --> 23:35.300 Then below that we have all of our churchwide soul winning times listed there as well as our year-to-date soul winning 23:35.600 --> 23:41.380 Statistics and what's not reflected there is I got a text this morning from brother Eric over in the Philippines 23:41.780 --> 23:46.120 Reporting 20 more salvations for this week. And so that brings him to 23:47.100 --> 23:50.980 947 for Philippine salvations this year. So great to see that 23:51.600 --> 23:55.280 If you're a first time visitor, we do have an online visitor card there that you can 23:55.280 --> 23:57.960 scan and that would be helpful for us there. 23:57.960 --> 24:02.460 And then also we have our online giving information if that's something that you are interested 24:02.460 --> 24:02.880 in. 24:03.300 --> 24:08.220 Also, make sure to keep the prayer requests in prayer throughout the week. 24:08.220 --> 24:09.360 Just one update. 24:09.360 --> 24:13.220 We do have an update from the Lemons family about baby Uriah. 24:13.220 --> 24:18.060 Of course, we were praying for Uriah for months and months and months about baby's heart condition 24:18.060 --> 24:20.660 and baby's been doing really well, growing. 24:21.200 --> 24:26.560 very healthy and strong, but a big surgery is coming up and it's most likely going to be in 24:26.560 --> 24:32.240 November. So it's tentatively scheduled for November and that is an open heart surgery. 24:32.240 --> 24:36.800 And while the baby is doing well, obviously that's a big major surgery and so please keep 24:36.800 --> 24:41.920 baby Uriah in prayer. And of course if you have a prayer request, please do email the church there 24:41.920 --> 24:43.440 and we'd be happy to add that for you. 24:44.000 --> 24:47.680 On the back we have our upcoming events wanted to make you aware of 24:48.200 --> 24:52.720 October 10th that is the soul winning marathon in Joplin, Missouri 24:52.720 --> 24:58.320 And we're really excited to be teaming up with Kansas City Baptist Church and straight paths Baptist Church 24:58.560 --> 25:00.560 To do soul winning in Joplin, Missouri 25:00.640 --> 25:06.040 And I had mentioned that if you are a church member here you're planning on going to Joplin, Missouri 25:06.040 --> 25:11.920 And you want to go a day early feel free to book a hotel and the church will reimburse your 25:12.000 --> 25:16.600 hotel expense, just so you're not having to wake up at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning to drive 25:16.600 --> 25:17.600 to Joplin. 25:17.600 --> 25:21.920 So please, don't let finances be a reason that you don't make it to this soul-winding 25:21.920 --> 25:22.920 marathon. 25:22.920 --> 25:25.440 Join us October 10th, Joplin, Missouri. 25:26.000 --> 25:31.880 Then we also have October 18th is our next men's preaching night. That's for the evening service 25:32.040 --> 25:37.200 There'll be 15 minute limits for guys who would like to preach for that and then afterwards 25:37.200 --> 25:44.140 We will have a potluck and just game nighttime of fellowship. So please join us October 18th and support those guys preaching 25:44.600 --> 25:49.720 October 24th is the or family farm if you've never been it's one of the coolest 25:50.200 --> 25:55.760 Pumpkin patch slash fall farms I've ever seen it's a lot of fun and the church is paying for that 25:55.760 --> 25:58.280 But you just have to sign up in the back over there 25:58.280 --> 26:03.460 And please feel free to bring family friends neighbors whoever you'd like it's a great time to invite people there 26:04.200 --> 26:11.080 Also, we have October 31st is our annual chili cook-off that's going to be on a Saturday evening this year 26:11.200 --> 26:15.500 Then November 7th is our next soul winning marathon in Enid, Oklahoma 26:15.800 --> 26:23.680 It's a very receptive place lots of Pacific Islanders live there and are very receptive to the gospel and so join us for that 26:24.200 --> 26:29.880 Then, glad to announce November 22nd is our two year anniversary as a church and Pastor 26:29.880 --> 26:34.400 Bruce Mejia from First Works Baptist Church will be joining us and so you don't want to 26:34.400 --> 26:37.320 miss that service there. 26:37.320 --> 26:40.380 And that looks like that's it for announcements so this time let's go ahead and go to our 26:40.380 --> 26:41.800 third song together. 26:45.100 --> 26:49.900 for our third song this morning. Turn if you would to 310. 26:52.900 --> 26:57.900 Ham number 310 in your hymnal, footprints of Jesus. 27:08.700 --> 27:17.300 310. Let's sing it out all together. Sweetly Lord have we heard Thee calling, 27:17.300 --> 27:31.700 Come follow me. And we see where Thy footprints falling lead us to Thee. 27:31.900 --> 27:41.500 Footprints of Jesus that make the pathway glow. 27:41.500 --> 27:50.900 We will follow the steps of Jesus where, ere they go. 27:51.100 --> 27:56.060 Though they lead o'er the cold, dark mountains, 27:56.060 --> 28:00.700 Seeking his sheep, 28:00.700 --> 28:05.500 Or along by Siloam's fountains, 28:05.500 --> 28:10.060 Helping the weak. 28:10.060 --> 28:19.020 Footprints of Jesus that make the pathway go. 28:19.600 --> 28:29.200 We will follow the steps of Jesus where, there they go. 28:29.200 --> 28:38.400 If they lead through the temple, only preaching the word. 28:38.800 --> 28:48.300 Or in homes of the poor and lowly, Serving the Lord. 28:48.300 --> 28:57.800 Good Prince of Jesus, that make the pathway grow. 28:57.800 --> 29:06.300 We will follow the steps of Jesus, Where'er they go. 29:07.400 --> 29:17.000 Then at last when on high He sees us our journey time 29:17.000 --> 29:25.560 We will rest where the steps of Jesus in at His throne 29:26.600 --> 29:36.200 footprints of Jesus that make the pathway go. 29:36.200 --> 29:46.040 We will follow the steps of Jesus where there they go. 29:46.040 --> 29:50.440 Men, as the offering plates are being passed, turn if you would to Galatians 29:50.440 --> 29:52.200 chapter number six. 29:52.700 --> 29:55.700 Galatians chapter number six. 30:32.700 --> 30:39.160 Revelation 6, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore 30:39.160 --> 30:45.140 such in one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 30:45.140 --> 30:49.820 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 30:49.820 --> 30:54.640 For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 30:54.640 --> 30:59.300 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, 30:59.300 --> 31:00.180 not in another. 31:00.600 --> 31:03.040 For every man shall bear his own burden. 31:03.040 --> 31:08.240 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 31:08.240 --> 31:10.840 Be not deceived, God is not mocked. 31:10.840 --> 31:14.640 For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 31:14.640 --> 31:18.600 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. 31:18.600 --> 31:23.200 But he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting. 31:23.800 --> 31:29.720 And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 31:29.720 --> 31:34.840 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who 31:34.840 --> 31:37.040 are of the household of faith. 31:37.040 --> 31:40.400 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hands. 31:40.400 --> 31:45.320 As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised, 31:45.320 --> 31:48.520 only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. 31:49.000 --> 31:54.440 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law, but desire to have you circumcised, 31:54.440 --> 32:00.040 that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord 32:00.040 --> 32:05.880 Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus, 32:05.880 --> 32:11.480 neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many 32:11.480 --> 32:16.600 as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. 32:17.100 --> 32:22.380 From henceforth let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. 32:22.940 --> 32:27.020 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. 32:27.020 --> 32:31.180 Let's pray. Our heavenly Father, thank you for this day. I pray that you'd help. 32:31.300 --> 32:34.500 Pastor Oz to preach a great sermon for us this morning. 32:34.500 --> 32:38.100 Hit fill in with your spirit and help us to receive it. Amen. 32:38.100 --> 32:42.420 Amen. We are in Galatians chapter number six and I want to start reading there in verse 32:42.420 --> 32:47.300 seven. Notice what the Bible says, be not deceived, God is not mocked. 32:47.300 --> 32:52.600 For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 32:52.700 --> 33:00.700 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 33:00.700 --> 33:07.700 And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." 33:07.700 --> 33:13.700 One thing I want to point out here is notice in verse number seven there's an admonition given to not be deceived. 33:13.700 --> 33:17.700 Right? So this is an area of life where some people can have deception. 33:17.700 --> 33:20.700 And what is that? It's this law that God is baked in. 33:20.700 --> 33:24.480 to nature that what you sow you reap. 33:24.480 --> 33:28.640 And I think when the Bible's here admonishing us not to be deceived is that's usually a 33:28.640 --> 33:33.920 self-deception because I think a lot of people think that they are the exception to the rule, 33:33.920 --> 33:34.920 right? 33:34.920 --> 33:39.180 They think, well, others will reap what they sow, others will get what's coming to them, 33:39.180 --> 33:40.180 but not me, right? 33:40.180 --> 33:42.700 I think that's why the Bible's telling you, hey, don't be deceived. 33:42.700 --> 33:45.240 Whatever a man sows, that will he reap. 33:45.240 --> 33:46.640 And it makes me think of, stay there. 33:47.100 --> 33:53.820 Ecclesiastes 8 11 says this because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily 33:54.460 --> 33:59.660 Therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil, right? 33:59.660 --> 34:00.540 So what is the Bible saying? 34:00.540 --> 34:06.560 It's saying hey if you live a wicked life if you do evil and you don't get judged immediately 34:07.060 --> 34:14.060 You don't get sentence dropped on you immediately. It could cause people in their hearts to be fully set to do wickedness 34:14.700 --> 34:20.160 So I think what often happens in life is people sow wickedness, people sin, and they don't 34:20.160 --> 34:24.980 see immediately the effects on their life of that sin, and then they begin to think 34:24.980 --> 34:27.800 in themselves, oh, I'm the exception. 34:27.800 --> 34:29.540 And I'm here to tell you, you are not the exception. 34:30.000 --> 34:31.700 No one is the exception. 34:31.700 --> 34:34.000 This is an immutable law of God 34:34.000 --> 34:35.700 and an immutable law of nature 34:35.700 --> 34:37.700 that whatever a man sows, 34:37.700 --> 34:39.400 that will he also reap. 34:39.400 --> 34:40.300 And let me tell you, 34:40.300 --> 34:43.600 even if people don't reap everything in this life 34:43.600 --> 34:44.700 that they have sown, 34:44.700 --> 34:47.000 it's very clear that we will in the next. 34:47.000 --> 34:48.600 Right? Even if it seems like the wicked 34:48.600 --> 34:50.800 are getting away with things in this life, 34:50.800 --> 34:52.700 it's for sure going to be, 34:52.700 --> 34:56.200 you know, the scales of justice will be balanced in the end. 34:56.200 --> 34:57.400 And so the title of my sermon is this. 34:57.400 --> 34:58.000 You read... 34:58.000 --> 35:04.040 what you sow. You reap what you sow. Go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 9. This morning I 35:04.040 --> 35:09.900 want to give you several statements regarding this law of sowing and reaping. Number one, 35:09.900 --> 35:12.540 you get out of life what you put into it. 35:13.100 --> 35:16.200 You get out of life what you put into it. 35:16.200 --> 35:19.940 And a lot of people are dissatisfied with their life, 35:19.940 --> 35:22.300 dissatisfied with where they've gotten to 35:22.300 --> 35:23.740 at this point in their life. 35:23.740 --> 35:26.040 And let me tell you, where we are in life 35:26.040 --> 35:29.340 is a result of the sowing that we've done in the past. 35:29.340 --> 35:32.960 And what you get out of life is what you put into life. 35:32.960 --> 35:33.980 Let's see this principle. 35:33.980 --> 35:35.260 Second Corinthians nine. 35:36.300 --> 35:38.300 Verse number 6, it says this, 35:38.300 --> 35:42.900 But this I say, he which soweth sparingly 35:42.900 --> 35:45.200 shall reap also sparingly. 35:45.500 --> 35:50.940 and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." 35:50.940 --> 35:53.260 Now this is just a law of nature. 35:53.260 --> 35:57.900 You know, if you're a farmer and you want to have a big crop harvest in the fall, 35:57.900 --> 35:58.700 you know what you're going to have to do? 35:58.700 --> 36:00.540 You're going to have to plant a lot. 36:00.540 --> 36:02.540 You're going to have to plant a lot of seeds. 36:02.540 --> 36:05.500 You're going to have to work that ground all year long. 36:05.500 --> 36:09.660 You're going to have to work by the sweat of your face to be able to reap a big harvest. 36:10.100 --> 36:13.600 This verse in context is talking about financially, 36:13.600 --> 36:16.600 but let me tell you, this applies to every area of life 36:16.600 --> 36:20.100 that whatever you sow sparingly, you'll reap sparingly. 36:20.100 --> 36:23.600 When you sow bountifully, you will reap bountifully. 36:23.600 --> 36:26.600 By the way, this is also why we should be choosy 36:26.600 --> 36:28.600 with where we're sowing in life, 36:28.600 --> 36:31.100 because you don't want to make the mistake of sowing 36:31.100 --> 36:32.600 into things that don't matter. 36:33.000 --> 36:50.680 17. So, labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting 36:50.680 --> 36:55.320 life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you. For Him hath God the Father sealed. 36:55.800 --> 37:00.300 So, some people in life, they're dissatisfied about where they are, not because they haven't 37:00.300 --> 37:04.320 been sowing anything, but they've just been sowing in the wrong places, or they've been 37:04.320 --> 37:07.040 sowing in vanity. 37:07.040 --> 37:11.920 For example, you could get a video game and you could just like sow so much into that 37:11.920 --> 37:15.120 video game and you could become level 1000. 37:15.120 --> 37:19.340 And one of the things that's addicting about video games that could be dangerous for people 37:19.340 --> 37:21.840 is this false sense of accomplishment. 37:22.100 --> 37:25.380 where it's like you feel like you're doing something, you feel like you're 37:25.380 --> 37:29.220 growing, but really you're just sowing into that meat which is perishing. 37:29.220 --> 37:33.220 Not saying, hey we can't have fun, we can't have some level of vanity in our lives, 37:33.220 --> 37:37.540 but you don't want to make the mistake of like just sowing all of your life into 37:37.540 --> 37:41.540 vanity, the things that perish. We want to sow into things that 37:41.540 --> 37:44.300 last. Go if you would to Psalm 122. 37:44.500 --> 37:50.660 So let's think about some specific areas of life that hey you get out of what you put into life. 37:50.660 --> 37:56.980 One of those would be church, right? A lot of people complain about the church that they go to 37:57.620 --> 38:01.780 and and look there are some bad churches out there no doubt about it but a lot of people also 38:01.780 --> 38:06.740 complain about good churches or you know let's let's use a scale of one to ten. People will 38:06.740 --> 38:08.980 complain about a 9 out of 10 church. 38:09.300 --> 38:14.180 or an eight out of ten church and it's like honestly you get out of church what you put into 38:14.180 --> 38:19.140 church and there are people who come to church with a bad attitude and they come and they don't 38:19.140 --> 38:23.700 participate and you know they leave right away or they come every once in a while they're not 38:23.700 --> 38:27.140 following along in the bible and it's like no wonder you're not getting much out of the house 38:27.140 --> 38:34.100 of god because you get out of what you put into something okay notice psalm 122 verse 1 the bible 38:34.100 --> 38:37.300 says I was glad when they said unto me let it be. 38:37.300 --> 38:43.780 us go into the house of the Lord. So one person is sowing a good attitude into their church, 38:44.420 --> 38:49.700 right? One person shows up with a good attitude. They're excited to be in the house of God. 38:49.700 --> 38:54.340 They're saying, Hey, I'm saved. I've got the King James Bible. I've got a great church to go to that 38:54.340 --> 38:58.740 preaches right doctrine here in an awesome area. And you know what they show up and they're excited 38:58.740 --> 39:02.820 to be in the house of God. Someone has a good attitude is going to get more out of church. 39:03.400 --> 39:08.280 than someone who has taken for granted all the great blessings that we have in America 39:08.280 --> 39:13.880 and it's like oh just an eight out of ten church oh just a nine out of ten church and it's like 39:13.880 --> 39:17.800 you know you're not going to get much out of church with a bad attitude you ought to show up 39:17.800 --> 39:22.760 excited to be here you ought to show up saying hey i'm going to follow along in the bible 39:22.760 --> 39:27.080 i'm going to sing along with the songs i'm going to say amen every once in a while i'm going to pay 39:27.080 --> 39:31.080 attention and not just come here like a bump on the log you know you're not going to get anything 39:31.080 --> 39:31.400 out of 39:31.400 --> 39:36.400 church that way. Go back a few pages to Psalm 84. Psalm 84. 39:39.600 --> 39:43.200 Look at Psalm 84, verse number 10. 39:43.300 --> 39:44.540 Notice the attitude here. 39:44.640 --> 39:48.700 For a day in my courts is better than a thousand. 39:49.100 --> 39:51.100 Right, so you got a lot of people in the world today. 39:51.100 --> 39:52.100 What's the phrase? 39:52.100 --> 39:54.100 Living for the weekend. 39:54.100 --> 39:57.100 Where people like their whole life is, I can't wait for Saturday 39:57.100 --> 40:00.100 because we're going to the lake, we're going to go ride motorcycles, 40:00.100 --> 40:02.100 we're going to go fishing, we're going to do something fun. 40:02.100 --> 40:05.100 But notice the psalmist attitude here saying like, 40:05.100 --> 40:08.900 one day in church is better than a thousand days doing anything else. 40:08.900 --> 40:12.420 Hey, I hope you like your job, but I hope you like church more than your job. 40:12.420 --> 40:16.300 You know, I hope that you enjoy fun with your family, going to the lake, going to the cabin. 40:16.300 --> 40:17.800 There's nothing wrong with those things. 40:17.800 --> 40:21.040 But I hope you enjoy being in the house of God more. 40:21.040 --> 40:23.540 We should enjoy the house of God more than anything. 40:23.900 --> 40:26.500 Right? For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. 40:26.500 --> 40:30.500 Notice, I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God 40:30.500 --> 40:33.500 than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 40:33.500 --> 40:38.100 So, one person shows up to church and sows a good attitude. 40:38.700 --> 40:42.700 One person shows up to church and sows service, right? 40:42.700 --> 40:44.340 They're willing to be a doorkeeper. 40:44.340 --> 40:46.080 They're willing to greet people. 40:46.080 --> 40:47.980 They're willing to make the bulletins. 40:47.980 --> 40:49.500 They're willing to song lead, 40:49.500 --> 40:51.420 or whatever you could do in the house of God. 40:51.420 --> 40:52.680 One person shows up and says, 40:52.680 --> 40:55.720 hey, how can I contribute to my church? 40:55.720 --> 40:57.980 How can I work for Jesus Christ? 40:57.980 --> 41:00.780 Other people show up to church looking for a free handout. 41:01.300 --> 41:04.900 Other people show up to church one time, ask for money, 41:04.900 --> 41:07.500 and if they don't get money, then they never show up again 41:07.500 --> 41:09.400 because they're just a mooch is what they are. 41:09.400 --> 41:11.300 They're not excited to be in the house of God. 41:11.300 --> 41:13.300 They're not here to serve Jesus Christ. 41:13.300 --> 41:15.400 They're here to serve their own belly. 41:15.400 --> 41:17.500 Right? That's not the right attitude that we want to have. 41:17.500 --> 41:18.700 We want to come to church thinking, 41:18.700 --> 41:20.500 how can I serve Jesus? 41:20.500 --> 41:22.100 How can I serve the house of God? 41:22.100 --> 41:23.600 How can I be pleasing to God? 41:23.600 --> 41:25.700 Not just what can I get out of church? 41:25.700 --> 41:28.500 What can I get out of relationships in my life? 41:28.500 --> 41:29.300 Let me read for you this. 41:29.300 --> 41:37.380 1 Timothy 4 13 says, till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 41:37.380 --> 41:38.380 Right? 41:38.380 --> 41:40.180 So some people say, oh, I'm not getting much out of church. 41:40.180 --> 41:42.660 Well, maybe one person is paying attention. 41:43.100 --> 41:46.140 Maybe one person is giving attendance to reading. 41:46.140 --> 41:49.260 You know, when we read the chapter before the service, 41:49.260 --> 41:51.580 this is not a vain waste of time. 41:51.580 --> 41:53.180 We're not just trying to fill time here 41:53.180 --> 41:55.100 like we don't know what else to do with ourselves. 41:55.100 --> 41:56.620 We're here to read the Word of God, 41:56.620 --> 41:58.860 and one person that's gonna get something out of church 41:58.860 --> 42:00.700 is going to be paying attention. 42:01.000 --> 42:03.500 following along, having a Bible. 42:03.500 --> 42:06.300 I mean, we need to bring back, bring in a Bible to church. 42:06.300 --> 42:08.640 You need to show up to church with a Bible in your hand, 42:08.640 --> 42:12.080 follow along, pay attention to what the preacher's saying, 42:12.080 --> 42:12.920 and you know what? 42:12.920 --> 42:14.880 You're gonna reap a lot more out of church. 42:14.880 --> 42:16.080 Okay, go to Hebrews 10. 42:16.700 --> 42:18.700 you get out of what you put into church. 42:18.700 --> 42:20.700 You know, one person is going to be 42:20.700 --> 42:23.700 sowing more church attendance. 42:23.700 --> 42:25.700 And you know what? They're going to reap a lot more 42:25.700 --> 42:27.700 by sowing more church attendance. 42:27.700 --> 42:30.700 When you show up to church once a month, 42:30.700 --> 42:32.700 you know, you're missing lots of sermons 42:32.700 --> 42:34.200 that could have helped you. 42:34.700 --> 42:39.700 Right? And look, you know, yes, we do post our sermons online and you could watch our sermons online. 42:39.700 --> 42:42.700 But you know what? There's more to church than just the sermons. 42:42.700 --> 42:46.700 There is the fellowship with other believers. You know, iron sharpeneth iron. 42:46.700 --> 42:52.700 So a man, you know, a man's countenance sharpens, I'm sorry, a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. 42:52.700 --> 42:55.600 Right? Look at Hebrews chapter 10 verse 23. 42:55.900 --> 43:00.780 The Bible says, let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful 43:00.780 --> 43:06.300 that promised. Notice, let us consider one another to provoke and to love into good works. So again, 43:06.300 --> 43:10.700 not thinking only about yourself, we're considering other people in the house of God, trying to 43:10.700 --> 43:15.260 provoke them to love into good works. What does that look like from a practical perspective? 43:15.260 --> 43:19.900 Verse 25 tells us, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. 43:20.500 --> 43:26.980 as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the day 43:27.540 --> 43:31.860 approaching." So if you're not getting a lot out of church, oh I'm not getting a lot out of church, 43:31.860 --> 43:34.900 you know, ask yourself how much are you showing up to the house of God? 43:35.300 --> 43:40.180 You know, some people are showing up to Sunday morning, Sunday night, the Wednesday Bible 43:40.180 --> 43:41.180 study. 43:41.180 --> 43:43.480 And you know, we're going deep into the gospel of Mark. 43:43.480 --> 43:47.180 And those people are going to reap more from the Word of God and from the house of God 43:47.180 --> 43:48.780 by showing up more. 43:48.780 --> 43:49.780 Right? 43:49.780 --> 43:52.860 There's showing up and then they're showing up with a good attitude. 43:52.860 --> 43:54.100 They're showing up and participating. 43:54.100 --> 43:57.100 And you know, this is just true in any area of life. 43:57.100 --> 43:59.460 You get out of what you put into something. 44:00.200 --> 44:03.320 And you know, I don't want church to be just a vain exercise. 44:03.320 --> 44:06.680 I want to actually get spiritual benefits from coming to church. 44:06.680 --> 44:10.760 And I do that by being faithful. I do that by paying attention. 44:10.760 --> 44:13.800 And it's so funny, you know, people show up, you know, once a quarter, 44:13.800 --> 44:17.000 once a year, something like that. And there's so many things that that God 44:17.000 --> 44:20.920 had for them that they could have learned that could have helped their life if they've been in 44:20.920 --> 44:26.440 the house of God. Okay, go if you would to Psalm 69. 44:27.600 --> 44:31.680 Psalm 69 and you know, there's this attitude that's out there 44:32.400 --> 44:35.180 That that is I mean this attitude exists in every area of life 44:35.180 --> 44:37.400 You know, the grass is always greener on the other side, right? 44:37.400 --> 44:42.320 And you know our church has kind of gotten big on Instagram in the last, you know six months or so 44:42.320 --> 44:48.080 We've gotten up to about 30,000 followers on Instagram and I just see like thousands of comments all the time 44:48.080 --> 44:54.240 I get messages all the time that say something like this, you know, if your church was in my area, I would go 44:54.700 --> 44:59.740 Oh man, if there was a pastor that was right about the Jews like you are, I would go. 44:59.740 --> 45:03.820 Man, if there was a pastor that preached hard against the sodomites like you do, I would 45:03.820 --> 45:04.820 go. 45:04.820 --> 45:06.740 Let me tell you something, you're kidding yourself. 45:06.740 --> 45:08.260 You're kidding yourself. 45:08.260 --> 45:09.260 Because you know what? 45:09.260 --> 45:11.460 The faithful fail among the children of man. 45:11.460 --> 45:13.480 Who can find a faithful man? 45:13.480 --> 45:14.820 Faithful people are rare. 45:15.300 --> 45:18.140 And it's like, okay, there's over a million people in OKC, 45:18.140 --> 45:20.500 and here our church actually is in people's area, 45:20.500 --> 45:23.020 and here we have thousands of followers on Instagram 45:23.020 --> 45:25.420 that listen to our preaching, but where are they at? 45:25.420 --> 45:27.900 Let me just tell you something, you're fooling yourself. 45:27.900 --> 45:30.180 And if you think like, oh, I'll go to church 45:30.180 --> 45:32.940 if the house of God is absolutely perfect, 45:32.940 --> 45:34.540 you know, that's a bad attitude. 45:34.900 --> 45:41.780 Wherever you are wherever you live look if you move someday away from Oklahoma City you need to go to church 45:42.380 --> 45:47.320 Find the best church in your area, and you know what if the pastor is not perfect you still need to go to the house 45:47.320 --> 45:52.660 Of God what's your proof for that? I don't know how about Jesus's ministry where he's constantly going to the temple 45:53.200 --> 45:55.200 Jesus is constantly going to the temple. 45:55.200 --> 45:56.700 He's listening to preaching. 45:56.700 --> 45:58.900 He's growing in stature and in wisdom. 45:58.900 --> 46:02.200 And if Jesus, the perfect Son of God, can go to church, 46:02.200 --> 46:05.400 I think you could drag your lazy carcass to the house of God. 46:05.400 --> 46:08.900 Somewhere in your city, there's a church that preaches the right gospel. 46:08.900 --> 46:11.000 And you know what? You should be there. Why? 46:11.000 --> 46:14.300 Because Jesus Christ shed His blood for the church. 46:14.300 --> 46:16.500 And that should mean something to us. 46:16.500 --> 46:18.300 Psalm 69, look at verse 9. 46:18.800 --> 46:26.160 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproach thee are 46:26.160 --> 46:33.200 fallen upon me." Of course, this is prophetic of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when Jesus was whipping 46:33.200 --> 46:38.240 the Jews out of the temple and overthrowing the tables of the money changers, it said that this 46:38.240 --> 46:43.680 was fulfilled. What was written, the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. You know, Jesus had a zeal 46:43.680 --> 46:44.520 for the house of God. 46:44.900 --> 46:48.900 Jesus was sowing into the temple, Jesus was sowing into the house of God, 46:48.900 --> 46:50.900 and you know what? That's probably why he had the most zeal. 46:50.900 --> 46:54.900 Recently I had some people criticize me, telling me that I'm really far out there. 46:54.900 --> 46:58.900 And I'm just saying, hey, yeah, the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. 46:58.900 --> 47:00.900 Yeah, I'm excited for the things of God. 47:00.900 --> 47:04.900 Yes, I am a fundamentalist, and I'm not afraid of that word. 47:04.900 --> 47:09.900 I'm a fundamentalist, because you know what? The only real Christians are fundamentalists. 47:10.600 --> 47:13.720 Why would I go to a church where people don't believe the Bible? 47:14.600 --> 47:20.680 You know, I'm reading this book right now that's about J. Frank Norris and Pastor George Truitt 47:20.680 --> 47:26.520 is his name. And these were guys that were pastors in Fort Worth and Dallas in the early 1900s, 47:26.520 --> 47:29.320 from like 1900 to 1950s, kind of when their ministry was. 47:29.960 --> 47:33.640 And there's kind of this battle over the Southwestern Theological Seminary. 47:34.200 --> 47:36.400 and because it was kind of started in that time. 47:36.400 --> 47:39.600 And it's funny, it was talking about how the longer people went to 47:39.600 --> 47:41.800 Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 47:41.800 --> 47:45.200 the more likely it was that people didn't believe in creation 47:45.200 --> 47:47.800 or didn't believe that Jesus Christ was divine 47:47.800 --> 47:49.700 or didn't believe in the virgin birth. 47:49.700 --> 47:52.600 And it's like, why would I go spend thousands of dollars 47:52.600 --> 47:54.100 to get a seminary training 47:54.100 --> 47:57.200 where I'm going to be taught by people that don't even believe the Bible? 47:57.200 --> 47:59.900 You know, I'd rather go to a fundamental Baptist church 47:59.900 --> 48:02.200 that actually believes that God created the world. 48:02.200 --> 48:08.200 And let me let me tell you I believe that God created the world in six days and let me tell you I don't believe in evolution 48:08.200 --> 48:10.720 It's a lie out of the pit of hell. Okay, let me tell you 48:10.720 --> 48:17.660 I believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh that he was born of a virgin that there's no other name under heaven given 48:17.660 --> 48:23.220 Among men whereby we must be safe. I believe the Bible today, and you know, I'm excited about the things of God 48:23.400 --> 48:28.980 Why would I want to go to a church where someone's not excited about the things of God seems like a waste of time to me 48:29.140 --> 48:30.200 Go to James 1 48:30.200 --> 48:32.800 You get out of church what you put into it. 48:32.800 --> 48:36.600 You know, you show up, you sit there, you're all quiet, 48:36.600 --> 48:38.600 you never say amen, you don't fall along in the Bible, 48:38.600 --> 48:41.000 and it's like, oh, I'm just not getting much out of church. 48:41.000 --> 48:42.400 It's like, look in the mirror, buddy. 48:42.400 --> 48:43.500 That's your fault. 48:43.500 --> 48:45.700 Some of us are showing up excited to be here. 48:45.700 --> 48:47.800 Some of us are glad to be here. 48:47.800 --> 48:50.100 Okay, it's the same thing with your Bible reading. 48:50.100 --> 48:53.400 There are people who spend lots of time reading the Bible 48:53.400 --> 48:54.600 and they get a lot out of it. 48:54.600 --> 48:57.200 Then there's people who are like, oh, I just I can't understand it. 48:57.200 --> 48:58.800 I just don't get much out of the Bible. 48:58.800 --> 49:01.000 It's like, well, if you don't understand it first, you should see if you're saved, 49:01.000 --> 49:02.100 that you have the Holy Spirit of God. 49:02.100 --> 49:03.500 That's one thing. Okay. 49:03.500 --> 49:06.000 Also notice what James 1 verse 22 says. 49:06.000 --> 49:11.600 It says, but be ye, notice, doers of the word and not hearers only, 49:11.600 --> 49:13.600 deceiving your own selves. 49:13.600 --> 49:15.500 There's that self-deception again, right? 49:15.900 --> 49:17.540 You have this deception thinking like, 49:17.540 --> 49:20.660 oh, I listen to the word of God and therefore am godly. 49:20.660 --> 49:22.380 And like, no, that's not how it works. 49:22.380 --> 49:25.500 It says, for if any man be a hearer of the word 49:25.500 --> 49:27.780 and not a doer, he is like unto a man 49:27.780 --> 49:29.900 beholding his natural face in a glass. 49:29.900 --> 49:31.220 That's like a mirror. 49:31.220 --> 49:34.060 For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way, 49:34.060 --> 49:38.220 and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 49:38.220 --> 49:40.220 The word of God is like unto a mirror. 49:40.600 --> 49:42.100 What is the point of a mirror? 49:42.100 --> 49:45.100 Why do you go and stand in front of a mirror in the morning? 49:45.100 --> 49:47.900 Hopefully it's not to be like, wow, I'm so handsome. 49:47.900 --> 49:50.440 Wow, that's the best looking guy I've ever seen. 49:50.440 --> 49:52.000 Now, that would be ridiculous, right? 49:52.000 --> 49:53.640 What you do is you look at the mirror and you say like, 49:53.640 --> 49:55.300 oh, that's what's wrong with me. 49:55.300 --> 49:57.480 Oh, look at this problem that I have in my teeth. 49:57.480 --> 49:58.800 Oh, look, my hair is all jacked. 49:58.800 --> 50:00.840 Oh, look, I need to shave or something like that. 50:00.840 --> 50:04.000 And then you apply it by making the changes, right? 50:04.000 --> 50:06.740 Now imagine what kind of a psychopath looks in the mirror, 50:06.740 --> 50:08.600 sees everything wrong with him, and then just walks away. 50:08.600 --> 50:12.600 Okay, this is like the type of person that reads the Word of God, but does not apply it to their life. 50:12.600 --> 50:14.600 I don't get much out of reading the Bible. 50:14.600 --> 50:16.600 Well, that's because you're not doing anything the Bible says. 50:16.600 --> 50:18.600 I'm not getting much out of my Bible reading. 50:18.600 --> 50:22.600 Yeah, because you're obstinate and stiff-necked and hard-hearted, 50:22.600 --> 50:24.600 and you don't listen to what the Bible tells you to do. 50:24.600 --> 50:28.600 You listen to what the Bible tells you to do, and you apply what the Bible tells you to do, 50:28.600 --> 50:31.600 then you're going to start seeing, man, I'm getting a lot out of my Bible reading. 50:32.100 --> 50:37.540 Notice, but whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he, 50:37.540 --> 50:43.180 being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, notice, this man shall be blessed 50:43.180 --> 50:44.980 in his deed. 50:45.400 --> 50:53.240 Right? So the blessing of God is not tied only to you looking at words in the Bible with your eyeballs. 50:53.240 --> 50:57.880 The blessing of God is applied to when you look at those words and you apply it to your life. 50:57.880 --> 51:03.160 That's when the blessing of God comes upon you. So it's like, hey, I would like to reap the blessing 51:03.160 --> 51:07.640 of God. Okay. Well, here's what I need to do. I need to sow reading and applying the Bible. 51:08.400 --> 51:10.000 Then I'll get more out of my Bible reading. 51:10.000 --> 51:11.000 Let me read for you this. 51:11.000 --> 51:12.160 Luke 8.18 says, 51:12.160 --> 51:15.800 Take he therefore how ye hear, 51:15.800 --> 51:18.840 for whosoever hath to him shall be given, 51:18.840 --> 51:22.240 and whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away, 51:22.240 --> 51:24.640 even that which he seemeth to have. 51:24.640 --> 51:27.720 So the reason people have a lot of Bible knowledge 51:27.720 --> 51:30.720 is because they apply the Bible. 51:31.100 --> 51:33.400 This is why, I mean this is what's great about the Bible, 51:33.400 --> 51:36.800 is that let's say you've read the whole Bible cover to cover. 51:36.800 --> 51:39.100 You do not even come close to knowing the whole Bible, 51:39.100 --> 51:41.100 even if you've read it one time cover to cover, 51:41.100 --> 51:44.600 because of the fact that yes, the Word of God stays the same, 51:44.600 --> 51:47.500 but you should constantly be changing. 51:47.500 --> 51:48.100 And you know what? 51:48.100 --> 51:51.900 This Bible is the same since the first time I ever read it, 51:51.900 --> 51:54.400 as a teenager, but I am much different. 51:54.500 --> 51:59.060 And so every time I come through the Bible, a new person is coming to the Word of God. 51:59.060 --> 52:03.060 And you know what? The more I apply the Word of God, the more God's going to give me. 52:03.060 --> 52:05.700 And here's the thing. You ever seen people where it's just like, it seems like they're getting 52:05.700 --> 52:10.180 dumber and dumber as time goes on? It seems like they're becoming less wise. It seems like they're 52:10.180 --> 52:13.380 just like forgetting things in the Bible. Let me tell you why that is. It's because they're 52:13.380 --> 52:16.100 not applying what the Bible says to do. 52:16.800 --> 52:20.300 The thing is, you will die in the Christian life if you're not growing. 52:20.300 --> 52:22.800 There's no just like stagnation in the Christian life. 52:22.800 --> 52:25.300 It's like you are growing or you are dying. 52:25.300 --> 52:28.300 You are growing or you are regressing in life. 52:28.300 --> 52:31.300 You've got to apply the Word of God. Go to Psalm 119. 52:31.300 --> 52:36.300 You know what I think else is going to help you to get a lot out of your Bible reading? 52:36.300 --> 52:39.200 Is to actually love the Word of God. 52:39.700 --> 52:43.860 is to love the Word of God because you know some people treat their Bible reading 52:43.860 --> 52:49.140 like a child eating Brussels sprouts. Now a child is not really enjoying that 52:49.140 --> 52:51.660 they're not having a good time they're not asking for seconds 52:51.660 --> 52:55.060 but you know when you're eating something that you enjoy you get more out of it 52:55.060 --> 52:56.100 you're wanting more 52:56.100 --> 52:58.940 you're enjoying it you have a good attitude you know we should come to the 52:58.940 --> 52:59.780 Word of God 52:59.780 --> 53:03.300 enjoying it loving it learning to love the Bible 53:03.300 --> 53:05.400 look at Psalm 119 verse 97 53:06.000 --> 53:09.480 Oh, how love I thy law. 53:09.480 --> 53:12.120 It is my meditation all the day. 53:12.120 --> 53:13.120 Right? 53:13.120 --> 53:14.960 This isn't someone just, you know, being hyper spiritual. 53:14.960 --> 53:16.480 This is the inspired word of God. 53:16.480 --> 53:18.840 The psalmist, you know, this is his real feelings. 53:18.840 --> 53:22.720 The psalmist is saying, Oh, how love I thy law. 53:22.720 --> 53:26.240 And notice it's my meditation all the day. 53:26.240 --> 53:29.720 You know, could you imagine just thinking about the Bible all the day? 53:29.720 --> 53:30.800 You know, that is possible. 53:30.800 --> 53:32.040 Some people actually do that. 53:32.400 --> 53:35.200 Some people are actually just thinking about the Word of God all day long, 53:35.200 --> 53:37.760 and they're looking at different events happening in our society, 53:37.760 --> 53:40.160 and we're thinking about, oh, the Bible talks about this. 53:40.160 --> 53:42.640 Oh, I know God said something about this. 53:42.640 --> 53:44.080 You know, you have conflict at work. 53:44.080 --> 53:47.200 Oh, this is falling into this category, what the Bible teaches, right? 53:47.200 --> 53:49.840 Because you're thinking about the Word of God because you love the Word of God. 53:50.480 --> 53:52.000 Look at verse 98. 53:52.200 --> 53:56.280 Thou, through thy commandments, hast made me wiser than mine enemies, for they are ever 53:56.280 --> 53:57.280 with me. 53:57.280 --> 54:02.600 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation. 54:02.600 --> 54:07.440 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts." 54:07.440 --> 54:09.800 So notice what the psalmist is reaping. 54:09.800 --> 54:11.480 They are reaping understanding. 54:12.000 --> 54:15.440 They understand, in fact, more than all of their teachers, right? 54:15.440 --> 54:20.080 They understand more than the ancients, more than the wise people of antiquity. 54:20.080 --> 54:23.360 Why? Because they sowed keeping God's precepts. 54:24.000 --> 54:30.080 They sowed keeping God's commandments, loving God's word, and what are they reaping? Understanding. 54:30.400 --> 54:33.200 Right? So understanding the Bible, it doesn't happen by accident. 54:33.200 --> 54:36.880 Wisdom through the Word of God. It's not just one year of reading the Bible. 54:36.880 --> 54:40.320 It comes from decades of faithfully loving and applying the Bible. 54:40.320 --> 54:43.200 That's how you look at great men of God. You're like, how do you know so much Bible? 54:43.200 --> 54:47.760 Because they've loved it for so long. They've applied it for so long. They've read it for so long. 54:48.300 --> 54:55.260 Notice I have refrained my feet from every evil way that I might keep thy word. So there's sowing righteousness 54:55.260 --> 55:00.780 I have not departed from thy judgments for thou has taught me how sweet are thy words unto my taste 55:00.940 --> 55:07.820 Yea sweeter than honey to my mouth through thy precepts I get understanding therefore. I hate 55:08.300 --> 55:12.220 Every false way here's another thing you want to understand the word of God more 55:12.220 --> 55:16.160 You need to have the right type of hatred in your life. You know the Bible does not 55:16.300 --> 55:20.620 teach, love everything and love everyone. That's not biblical. Let me tell you, because 55:20.620 --> 55:28.260 I love God's Word, because I love the precepts of God, I hate every false way. I hate Islam. 55:28.260 --> 55:32.680 I hate Judaism. I hate these false religions that send people to hell. Why? Because I've 55:32.680 --> 55:37.380 sown so much love into the Word of God, and so that's what I'm going to reap there. Okay, 55:37.380 --> 55:41.220 go to Psalm 1. Also, who's going to get a lot out of their Bible reading? It's those 55:41.220 --> 55:42.720 who put the most time. 55:43.100 --> 55:47.980 into their Bible reading. When you sow a lot of time in your Bible reading, 55:47.980 --> 55:52.400 you're gonna end up reaping a lot more benefits from that. Look at Psalm 11, 55:52.400 --> 55:57.420 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, 55:57.500 --> 55:59.500 nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, 55:59.660 --> 56:05.060 but his delight is in the law of the Lord. Notice, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 56:05.900 --> 56:10.460 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit 56:10.460 --> 56:11.460 in his season. 56:11.460 --> 56:16.220 His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." 56:16.220 --> 56:21.020 So what's the Bible method of prosperity, God's blessing being upon you? 56:21.020 --> 56:25.720 It's loving God's word, it's reading God's word, and it's meditating on it, notice, day 56:25.720 --> 56:26.720 and night. 56:26.720 --> 56:27.720 Right? 56:27.720 --> 56:31.620 This might be a good thing to seriously apply in your life, is to read the Bible in the 56:31.620 --> 56:33.220 morning and in the evening. 56:33.600 --> 56:39.360 Now for me, I make sure that in the morning is when I get my Bible reading plan done, right? 56:39.360 --> 56:44.080 So I get like my Bible reading that I must get done for the day. I get that done in the morning, 56:44.080 --> 56:48.800 but I also try to get something in the evening as well. Now it's like, can I do that every single day 56:48.800 --> 56:53.360 perfectly? No, I'm not perfect, but I try my best to so in the morning and in the evening because 56:53.360 --> 56:59.360 I want to reap the blessings of God from that. Go to James 4. Okay, what's something else? How about prayer? 57:00.200 --> 57:05.160 Right? The more you sow into prayer, the more you're going to reap answers from God. 57:05.720 --> 57:10.760 The more you're going to reap blessings from God. James 4, 2, the Bible says, 57:10.760 --> 57:17.000 Ye lust and have not, ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain. Ye fight and war, 57:17.000 --> 57:23.160 yet ye have not. Why? Because ye ask not. It's like, why am I not reaping? Because you've not sown. 57:23.900 --> 57:27.340 Why is my field not just flourishing with corn? 57:27.340 --> 57:29.280 You didn't plant anything. 57:29.280 --> 57:30.780 You didn't work on anything. 57:30.780 --> 57:32.540 It's like, why isn't God answering me? 57:32.540 --> 57:33.680 Why isn't God helping me in life? 57:33.680 --> 57:36.180 It's like, you haven't asked him of anything. 57:36.180 --> 57:37.120 You haven't prayed. 57:37.120 --> 57:38.080 You haven't asked him. 57:38.080 --> 57:39.880 You have not because he asked not. 57:39.880 --> 57:43.020 You ask and receive not because he asked amiss 57:43.020 --> 57:44.860 that you may consume it upon your lusts. 57:44.860 --> 57:47.560 Look at the next chapter, verse 16 of James 5. 57:48.200 --> 57:54.180 Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed notice. There's the effectual 57:54.700 --> 58:02.360 Fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much you know the word fervent means it means having or 58:02.820 --> 58:04.120 displaying a 58:04.120 --> 58:06.120 passionate intensity 58:06.300 --> 58:07.640 hot 58:07.640 --> 58:14.800 Burning or glowing right so fervent prayer is not the five-second prayer before you eat a meal 58:15.500 --> 58:18.540 It's not, you know, now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. 58:18.540 --> 58:20.620 If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. 58:20.620 --> 58:22.780 That's not, you know, fervent prayer, right? 58:22.780 --> 58:25.460 Kids might repeat that when they're young or something like that. 58:25.460 --> 58:29.680 But you know, fervent prayer are those times where you are alone with God, where you're 58:29.680 --> 58:33.420 getting low, where you're getting on your face, and you're pouring out your heart to 58:33.420 --> 58:34.420 God. 58:34.420 --> 58:36.320 You're begging God for the things that you need. 58:36.320 --> 58:39.040 You're telling him, I've got to have you work in this situation, God. 58:39.040 --> 58:42.020 You're on fire, you're glowing, you're passionate, you're fervent. 58:42.020 --> 58:43.020 That's effective prayer. 58:43.400 --> 58:49.340 It's like why do I not see my prayers answered? Well, maybe you're not praying fervently, right? Maybe there's no passion 58:49.460 --> 58:54.160 Maybe it's God could see like you don't really care. You're not really wanting to sow into prayer 58:54.160 --> 58:56.280 And let me tell you what prayer is hard work 58:57.260 --> 59:03.400 Prayer is is labor prayer is not something that's easy prayer is a lot of hard work when you're just fervently 59:03.820 --> 59:07.200 Pouring out your heart to God, but let me tell you what if you learn how to do this 59:07.200 --> 59:09.240 You are going to reap blessings from God 59:09.900 --> 59:16.040 You are going to see God answer your prayers and it is amazing to see and I'm telling you you need to learn to pray fervently 59:16.640 --> 59:18.640 Okay, how about this go to Isaiah 61? 59:19.020 --> 59:21.560 How about the power of the Spirit of God? 59:22.020 --> 59:25.640 Right. I would like to reap the power of the Spirit of God 59:25.640 --> 59:27.860 We all have access to this power if you are saved 59:27.980 --> 59:33.940 We are in dwelt with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit one of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to empower us 59:34.100 --> 59:35.800 To do the work of God 59:36.000 --> 59:41.000 But have you noticed that not every person who is saved has the power of God? 59:41.000 --> 59:44.380 Have you noticed not every preacher is as effective as every other preacher? 59:44.380 --> 59:48.360 Have you noticed that not every soul winner is as effective as other soul winners? 59:48.360 --> 59:51.680 Have you noticed that some people's prayers seem to get answered more than other people's 59:51.680 --> 59:52.680 prayers? 59:52.680 --> 59:53.680 What's the difference? 59:53.680 --> 59:54.680 I'll tell you what the difference is. 59:54.680 --> 59:57.320 It's the power of the Spirit of God. 59:57.320 --> 59:58.320 How do I get this power? 59:58.320 --> 59:59.960 Okay, look at Isaiah 61. 59:59.960 --> 01:00:00.960 Let's see what you're sowing. 01:00:00.960 --> 01:00:01.000 you 01:00:01.200 --> 01:00:05.960 Of course, this is a messianic prophecy of Jesus, but I believe this could apply to us as well. 01:00:05.960 --> 01:00:06.720 Verse 1, 01:00:06.720 --> 01:00:09.560 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, 01:00:09.560 --> 01:00:10.060 Notice, 01:00:10.060 --> 01:00:15.400 because the Lord hath anointed me to preach. 01:00:15.400 --> 01:00:17.000 Good tidings unto the meek. 01:00:17.200 --> 01:00:22.240 He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the 01:00:22.240 --> 01:00:26.880 opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, 01:00:26.880 --> 01:00:32.560 and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn, to appoint unto them that mourn in 01:00:32.560 --> 01:00:38.800 Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the 01:00:38.800 --> 01:00:43.520 spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, 01:00:43.520 --> 01:00:45.120 that he might be glorified. 01:00:45.200 --> 01:00:48.200 Why was the Spirit of God upon Jesus? 01:00:48.200 --> 01:00:51.700 One of the reasons the Spirit of God was so heavily upon Jesus 01:00:51.700 --> 01:00:54.700 was because he was doing something with the Spirit of God. 01:00:54.700 --> 01:00:59.700 Right? The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach. 01:00:59.700 --> 01:01:03.200 So when a man of God, or a woman of God, a child of God... 01:01:03.600 --> 01:01:06.840 praise and says, God, please give me the power of the Holy Spirit. 01:01:06.840 --> 01:01:10.280 And then they actually go out into the world and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. 01:01:10.280 --> 01:01:13.120 You think that God's going to answer that prayer? Absolutely. 01:01:13.120 --> 01:01:15.400 Because does God want people to get saved, yes or no? 01:01:16.000 --> 01:01:19.040 Does God want people, God's people to be edified? 01:01:19.040 --> 01:01:20.840 Yes or no? Absolutely. 01:01:20.840 --> 01:01:22.240 So if I go to God and I say, 01:01:22.240 --> 01:01:24.240 hey, I'm actually going to use this power, 01:01:24.240 --> 01:01:27.240 Lord, give me power so that I can go preach, 01:01:27.240 --> 01:01:28.940 so that I can go soul winning, 01:01:28.940 --> 01:01:31.040 so that I can come from those that mourn, 01:01:31.040 --> 01:01:33.400 so that I can minister to people, 01:01:33.400 --> 01:01:35.140 that's how you get the power of God. 01:01:35.140 --> 01:01:37.480 But here's the thing, if I just, if I pray for the power of God, 01:01:37.480 --> 01:01:40.780 but I'm lazy and I'm wicked and I'm disobedient to God 01:01:40.780 --> 01:01:43.240 and I don't go preach the gospel to every creature, 01:01:43.240 --> 01:01:44.000 I'm not obe... 01:01:44.000 --> 01:01:48.000 God's command to go into all the world and preach the gospel? Do you think I'm gonna have the power 01:01:48.000 --> 01:01:53.360 of God when I'm doing nothing with it? Absolutely not. Right? So God has given us this power, 01:01:53.360 --> 01:01:59.840 not just so you could be powerful, but so you could use that power to get people saved. Okay, 01:01:59.840 --> 01:02:05.200 I'll read for you this. Luke 11 13 says, if you then being evil, know how to give good gifts under 01:02:05.200 --> 01:02:11.520 your children, how much more shall your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? 01:02:12.100 --> 01:02:16.900 Okay, so if I want to reap the power of God, honestly, it's not that difficult. 01:02:16.900 --> 01:02:18.400 It's simple. 01:02:18.400 --> 01:02:20.020 How is it that I reap the power of God? 01:02:20.020 --> 01:02:24.580 I simply ask for the power of God and I get to work. 01:02:24.580 --> 01:02:25.580 That's it. 01:02:25.580 --> 01:02:26.900 Now you have to have both of these things. 01:02:26.900 --> 01:02:30.820 If I just ask for the power of God, but I'm not serving Him, I'm not obeying Him, I'm 01:02:30.820 --> 01:02:34.420 not doing the works that God wants me to do, I highly doubt that God is just going to give 01:02:34.420 --> 01:02:36.100 me the power of God to do nothing. 01:02:36.500 --> 01:02:40.500 Right? You have the power of God because you ask for it and you go out and use it. 01:02:40.500 --> 01:02:44.100 And so you're like, man, I just feel like, I feel like my soul winning is powerless. 01:02:44.100 --> 01:02:45.300 I feel like my prayer is powerless. 01:02:45.300 --> 01:02:49.140 And say, okay, all right, ask for power, pray for power every single day. 01:02:49.140 --> 01:02:52.500 I think everyone should pray for power every single day and get to work. 01:02:53.140 --> 01:02:55.860 And then you what you'll notice is the power of God will come upon your life. 01:02:55.860 --> 01:02:56.580 That's what you'll see. 01:02:57.380 --> 01:02:58.660 Okay, go to 2 Corinthians 9. 01:03:00.100 --> 01:03:01.060 What about soul winning? 01:03:02.800 --> 01:03:06.960 You know, I've had people tell me, man, you know, I just, I feel like I've never gotten anyone saved. 01:03:06.960 --> 01:03:12.640 I've gone a couple times and I've never gotten anyone saved. And it's like, look, you reap what you sow. 01:03:12.640 --> 01:03:20.320 And by sowing one time in your life, two times in your life, a couple times in your life does not necessarily mean that you're going to reap immediately. 01:03:20.320 --> 01:03:26.160 Sometimes you have to go more than once. Right. Be consistent in your soul winning. Look what the Bible says. But this I say. 01:03:26.500 --> 01:03:29.780 He which soweth sparingly, that's soul winning once, 01:03:29.780 --> 01:03:33.020 twice, few times, shall reap also sparingly. 01:03:33.020 --> 01:03:36.740 And he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 01:03:36.740 --> 01:03:40.100 So look, if you go soul winning once a month, 01:03:40.100 --> 01:03:42.380 couple times a month, couple times a quarter, 01:03:42.380 --> 01:03:44.540 couple times a year, you should not expect 01:03:44.540 --> 01:03:46.100 to see a great harvest of souls. 01:03:46.300 --> 01:03:49.540 You like you're fooling yourself if you think I'm just gonna get all these people saved 01:03:49.780 --> 01:03:54.100 But I'm just not gonna have to actually put the work in if you want to get a lot of people safe 01:03:54.100 --> 01:03:56.100 You're gonna have to sew a lot of work 01:03:56.500 --> 01:04:02.900 you're gonna have to sow bountifully and look if you sow bountifully eventually you will reap. 01:04:02.900 --> 01:04:07.780 Of course what does the bible say he that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall 01:04:07.780 --> 01:04:12.900 doubtless come again with rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him right it's doubtless that it will 01:04:12.900 --> 01:04:16.820 happen but that doesn't mean it's gonna happen immediately but what i've seen people do is i've 01:04:16.820 --> 01:04:21.140 seen people go soul winning four or five times and you know we just didn't have the best of luck 01:04:21.140 --> 01:04:24.200 that day and then they just give up and they're like well you know 01:04:24.300 --> 01:04:29.720 I don't think soul-winning works or man. I just I can't get anyone saved go to Jude only chapter Jude 01:04:30.180 --> 01:04:34.820 By the way, this is why you should keep track of your salvations 01:04:35.400 --> 01:04:39.520 Okay, I highly recommend that you yearly keep track of your salvations 01:04:39.520 --> 01:04:46.220 Why because in the book of Matthew Jesus talks about how a good tree brings forth fruit some 30 some 60 some and hundred 01:04:46.380 --> 01:04:50.180 Right. So being a good fruitful productive Christian 01:04:50.180 --> 01:04:52.180 I believe can be quantified in 01:04:52.840 --> 01:04:57.740 Salvation's per year right because you have seasons throughout the year where trees are bringing forth fruit 01:04:57.740 --> 01:05:03.340 They're not just bringing forth fruit one time. They're bringing forth fruit yearly and Jesus says hey the good trees 01:05:03.400 --> 01:05:08.120 they're doing this some 30 some 60 some 100 the reason I keep track of my 01:05:08.120 --> 01:05:13.240 salvations is because it keeps me accountable for being fruitful how do I 01:05:13.240 --> 01:05:17.000 know if I'm being fruitful if I'm not keeping track of salvations you must 01:05:17.000 --> 01:05:20.720 keep track of salvations because this is gonna tell you hey I'm being fruitful 01:05:20.720 --> 01:05:24.520 or I'm not being fruitful right and so like I want to set myself to the Bible 01:05:24.520 --> 01:05:28.600 standards of hey at least 30 at least 60 at least 100 and let me tell you what in 01:05:28.600 --> 01:05:30.700 Oklahoma City this is very doable 01:05:31.100 --> 01:05:35.780 If you go so many once a week in Oklahoma City, you will absolutely destroy 30. 01:05:35.780 --> 01:05:38.060 You'll probably absolutely destroy 60. 01:05:38.060 --> 01:05:40.420 Honestly you'll probably get pretty close to 90-ish. 01:05:40.900 --> 01:05:43.700 to 100 going just once a week in Oklahoma City. 01:05:43.700 --> 01:05:46.100 Okay, the soul winning here is just awesome. 01:05:46.100 --> 01:05:48.100 It's one of the reasons that I chose to move here 01:05:48.100 --> 01:05:50.300 is that it is so dang receptive. 01:05:50.300 --> 01:05:53.700 But what I do is I keep track of my salvations. 01:05:53.700 --> 01:05:56.100 Okay, I like to run, I like to work out. 01:05:56.100 --> 01:05:58.700 I keep track of every single rep that I do, 01:05:58.700 --> 01:06:01.100 every single weight, every single exercise, 01:06:01.100 --> 01:06:02.500 every single mile that I run, 01:06:02.500 --> 01:06:04.700 because how do I know if I'm growing if I don't do that? 01:06:05.000 --> 01:06:06.800 How do I know that I'm running more than last year? 01:06:06.800 --> 01:06:09.800 How do I know if you're getting progressive overload in the gym? 01:06:09.800 --> 01:06:11.800 If you're not tracking what you do, 01:06:11.800 --> 01:06:13.500 you need to keep track of your salvations. 01:06:13.500 --> 01:06:14.800 That makes you fruitful saying, 01:06:14.800 --> 01:06:17.200 hey, how much am I sowing into? 01:06:17.200 --> 01:06:19.100 So winning, how much am I reaping? 01:06:19.100 --> 01:06:21.300 If you sow sparingly, you're going to reap sparingly. 01:06:22.000 --> 01:06:39.000 Look at Jude 1 22 the Bible says, and if some have compassion, making a difference, and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh so you know you need to go out and so time spent out soul winning time preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. 01:06:39.000 --> 01:06:42.000 Also, you need to go out and so compassion in your soul winning. 01:06:43.000 --> 01:06:47.800 Now look, every soul winner who is obviously not some sort of Judas, like every legit soul 01:06:47.800 --> 01:06:51.860 winner, they're sowing some sort of compassion just by going, right? 01:06:51.860 --> 01:06:53.240 Sharing the gospel is compassionate. 01:06:53.240 --> 01:06:55.400 It's the most compassionate thing you can do. 01:06:55.400 --> 01:06:59.400 And even warning people about their eternity in hell if they don't get saved is a compassionate 01:06:59.400 --> 01:07:00.400 thing to do. 01:07:00.400 --> 01:07:03.600 But let me tell you what, there is a difference between someone going out and sharing the 01:07:03.600 --> 01:07:07.720 gospel that's kind of just cold, that kind of just has a cold heart, versus someone that's 01:07:07.720 --> 01:07:10.400 going out there weeping, bearing precious seed. 01:07:10.600 --> 01:07:19.600 Right? So we go out soul winning, we invest, we sow time soul winning, but we also want to invest care, compassion, love for people. 01:07:19.600 --> 01:07:24.600 What does this look like? How about praying before you go soul winning for the people you're going to talk to? Right? 01:07:24.600 --> 01:07:30.600 Praying as a silent partner while your talker is preaching the gospel. You know, that's sowing compassion. 01:07:30.600 --> 01:07:36.600 And you know what? You're going to reap more effective soul winning. When you do that, go to Proverbs 7. Proverbs 7. 01:07:36.600 --> 01:07:37.700 Okay, how about marriage? 01:07:38.500 --> 01:07:40.740 If someone has a great marriage after 10 years, 01:07:40.740 --> 01:07:43.480 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, 50 years, 01:07:43.480 --> 01:07:46.440 realize that that took work. 01:07:46.440 --> 01:07:48.080 That took work, right? 01:07:48.080 --> 01:07:49.620 You reap what you sow. 01:07:49.620 --> 01:07:50.460 And guess what? 01:07:50.460 --> 01:07:52.920 When you sow bountifully into your marriage, 01:07:52.920 --> 01:07:54.820 you're probably gonna reap bountifully. 01:07:54.820 --> 01:07:57.400 And when you sow sparingly into your marriage, 01:07:57.400 --> 01:07:59.420 you're probably gonna reap sparingly. 01:07:59.800 --> 01:08:06.840 Just having a great marriage. It's not just like an accident from heaven or something like that having a great marriage takes work 01:08:07.440 --> 01:08:10.000 Right and look, you know marriage is blessing 01:08:10.000 --> 01:08:13.860 You know he that find it the wife find a favor of the Lord a prudent wife is from the Lord 01:08:13.860 --> 01:08:19.120 But we also need to recognize that it's work. You know, it's not not spiritual to recognize that it's work 01:08:19.160 --> 01:08:21.060 You're not down on marriage by saying it's work 01:08:21.060 --> 01:08:23.960 Okay, because you know the Apostle Paul said under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit 01:08:23.960 --> 01:08:26.920 He said hey such shall have trouble in the flesh 01:08:27.700 --> 01:08:30.900 So he's telling you, hey, marriage is going to have some trouble. 01:08:30.900 --> 01:08:34.700 Marriage is going to have some hardship, but he's just being honest with you about that 01:08:34.700 --> 01:08:37.700 so that you know, hey, I've got to sew into this. 01:08:37.700 --> 01:08:40.700 You know it's the same exact thing with having kids. 01:08:40.700 --> 01:08:42.700 Having kids is a blessing. 01:08:42.700 --> 01:08:45.700 Having kids is something we should be excited about and love, 01:08:45.700 --> 01:08:47.400 but let me tell you what, it's hard work. 01:08:47.800 --> 01:08:51.600 And it would be weird for me to just tell you like, no, it's not going to be any hard work whatsoever. 01:08:51.600 --> 01:08:54.200 It's like, no, there's going to be some trouble in the flesh in those things. 01:08:54.200 --> 01:08:58.800 And acknowledging that is not a bad thing, but I'm here to tell you, you want to sew into your children. 01:08:59.000 --> 01:09:00.600 You want to sow love into your children. 01:09:00.600 --> 01:09:02.400 You want to sow love into your spouse. 01:09:02.400 --> 01:09:03.700 You want to spend time with them. 01:09:03.700 --> 01:09:05.300 You want to pray for them. 01:09:05.300 --> 01:09:06.800 You want to read the Bible with them. 01:09:06.800 --> 01:09:08.800 You want to take them to church with you. 01:09:08.800 --> 01:09:11.100 You got to sow these things into your relationships. 01:09:11.100 --> 01:09:13.800 Then you're going to reap bountifully, right? 01:09:13.800 --> 01:09:15.600 You don't reap bountifully by doing no work. 01:09:15.600 --> 01:09:16.800 That's not how it works at all. 01:09:17.200 --> 01:09:19.200 Okay, what about if you sow sin in your marriage? 01:09:19.200 --> 01:09:21.520 Proverbs 7 25 I'll read for you says this, 01:09:21.520 --> 01:09:23.920 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, 01:09:23.920 --> 01:09:25.520 Go not astray in her paths, 01:09:25.520 --> 01:09:27.280 For she hath cast down many wounded, 01:09:27.280 --> 01:09:29.840 Yea, many strong men have been slain by her, 01:09:29.840 --> 01:09:31.440 Her house is the way to hell, 01:09:32.000 --> 01:09:33.680 Going down to the chambers of death. 01:09:34.320 --> 01:09:36.160 Right? You sow adultery, 01:09:36.720 --> 01:09:38.560 You sow cheating, 01:09:38.560 --> 01:09:40.000 You sow going to the strange woman, 01:09:40.000 --> 01:09:40.880 You know what you reap? 01:09:40.880 --> 01:09:41.380 Death. 01:09:42.000 --> 01:09:45.200 the death of your marriage, the death of your relationships. 01:09:45.200 --> 01:09:48.880 And look, man, it does not take much sowing in that area to completely reap death. 01:09:49.600 --> 01:09:55.120 Right? We ought to fear those types of things. Go to Proverbs 18, Proverbs chapter number 18. 01:09:56.000 --> 01:09:59.520 You know, in your friendships, you get out of your friendships, what you put into it. 01:10:00.480 --> 01:10:03.760 Right? And a lot of people, it's like, man, I don't have a lot of friends or I don't have a 01:10:03.760 --> 01:10:07.200 lot of close friends. And I ask you, it's like, what are you sowing into your friendships? 01:10:07.800 --> 01:10:09.800 Like, are you actually trying in your friendships? 01:10:09.800 --> 01:10:11.040 Do you care about your friends? 01:10:11.040 --> 01:10:12.960 Are you just a selfish person? 01:10:12.960 --> 01:10:16.080 OK, Proverbs 18 and 24 says, a man that hath friends 01:10:16.080 --> 01:10:18.440 must show himself friendly. 01:10:18.440 --> 01:10:21.080 And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. 01:10:21.080 --> 01:10:22.520 You know, it's nice to have a friend that 01:10:22.520 --> 01:10:24.520 sticks closer than a brother. 01:10:24.520 --> 01:10:25.240 But you know what? 01:10:25.240 --> 01:10:27.160 Reaping that type of a friendship, 01:10:27.160 --> 01:10:29.000 it comes from sowing. 01:10:29.000 --> 01:10:29.760 What do you sow? 01:10:29.760 --> 01:10:31.640 How about faithfulness in the hard times? 01:10:32.400 --> 01:10:34.700 not forsaking your friends in the hard times, 01:10:34.700 --> 01:10:37.100 being there for your friends when they are down. 01:10:37.100 --> 01:10:39.100 Hey, at times telling your friends that they're wrong, 01:10:39.100 --> 01:10:41.700 not just always telling them what they want to hear, right? 01:10:41.700 --> 01:10:44.300 Hey, rebuke a wise man and he'll love you. 01:10:44.300 --> 01:10:48.100 The Bible says it's the kisses of the enemy that are deceitful, right? 01:10:48.100 --> 01:10:51.900 So we sow good into our friendships, we reap good friendships. 01:10:51.900 --> 01:10:53.700 Okay, how about your job? Go to Proverbs 10. 01:10:54.300 --> 01:10:57.340 Proverbs chapter number 10 this is one that a lot of people complain about today 01:10:57.340 --> 01:11:01.160 A lot of people are just not happy with where they're at in life at work 01:11:01.300 --> 01:11:03.960 And you know I ask you what have you been sowing into your career? 01:11:04.380 --> 01:11:07.840 What have you been sowing into your education? What have you been sowing into your work ethic? 01:11:07.840 --> 01:11:11.900 What have you been sowing into you know obeying your boss or you being a jerk to your boss? 01:11:12.560 --> 01:11:19.700 Proverbs 10 4 says he become a poor that dealeth with a slack hand you so laziness you reap poverty 01:11:20.300 --> 01:11:23.500 But the hand of the diligent maketh rich. 01:11:23.500 --> 01:11:26.300 You sow hard work, you reap riches. 01:11:26.300 --> 01:11:27.640 You reap rewards. 01:11:27.640 --> 01:11:29.780 This is just what the Bible teaches. 01:11:29.780 --> 01:11:33.280 Go, if you would, to Hebrews 11. 01:11:33.280 --> 01:11:36.080 Okay, you know, how about your health, right? 01:11:36.080 --> 01:11:37.880 Often where you're at with your health, 01:11:37.880 --> 01:11:40.960 you are reaping the decisions that you've been sowing 01:11:40.960 --> 01:11:42.960 for decades and decades and decades. 01:11:43.100 --> 01:11:46.780 right? And the more you put into your health, the more you're going to get out of it. 01:11:46.780 --> 01:11:51.100 But it's not something that happens overnight, right? And that leads me to point number two, 01:11:51.100 --> 01:11:59.020 reaping is often delayed from the time of sowing. Reaping is delayed from the time of sowing. This 01:11:59.020 --> 01:12:04.220 is why so few people actually reach the reaping point is because it's delayed from the time of 01:12:04.780 --> 01:12:09.820 sowing. Okay. So a good example of this is sin itself. Look at Hebrews 11 verse 24. 01:12:11.400 --> 01:12:17.080 Hebrews 11 verse number 24 by faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the son 01:12:17.080 --> 01:12:21.880 of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God notice than to 01:12:21.880 --> 01:12:29.080 enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the 01:12:29.080 --> 01:12:35.800 treasures in Egypt for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. So what does sin do? 01:12:35.800 --> 01:12:37.320 when we sow sin. 01:12:37.700 --> 01:12:45.620 We usually reap some sort of short-term positive feeling, some sort of short-term pleasure. 01:12:45.620 --> 01:12:50.180 That's why it's the pleasures of sin for a season. The Bible doesn't say that sin is not fun or sin 01:12:50.180 --> 01:12:54.580 is not pleasurable. The reason people sin is because it's fun. The reason people sin is because 01:12:54.580 --> 01:13:01.700 it's pleasurable, but notice it's for a short season. So, okay, we sow smoking cigarettes. 01:13:01.700 --> 01:13:05.060 You know what you're going to reap? You're immediately going to reap a nicotine rush to your brain. 01:13:05.500 --> 01:13:09.500 And you're going to feel that nicotine and you're going to get the pleasures of sin for a season. 01:13:09.500 --> 01:13:12.500 But then decades later, you know what you're going to reap? Lung cancer. 01:13:12.500 --> 01:13:19.500 Then you know what you're going to reap? Yellow skin. Yellow eyes. Dark fingernails. Teeth problems. 01:13:19.500 --> 01:13:26.500 Tongue cancer. Throat cancer. Lung cancer. These are things that you reap, but notice it's delayed from the time of sowing. 01:13:26.900 --> 01:13:31.540 Imagine if whenever you smoked a cigarette you immediately got black lung cancer. 01:13:31.540 --> 01:13:34.740 Do you think anyone would be a smoker? No one would smoke. 01:13:34.740 --> 01:13:40.500 The reason people still smoke today is because you could sew for a long time before you actually reap. 01:13:40.500 --> 01:13:44.980 And people say, hey, you know, what does the Bible say? Be not deceived, God is not mocked. 01:13:44.980 --> 01:13:47.060 For whatsoever man seweth, that shall he also reap. 01:13:47.060 --> 01:13:50.500 People are deceived saying, hey, haven't gotten lung cancer yet. 01:13:50.500 --> 01:13:52.180 My skin hasn't turned yellow yet. 01:13:52.500 --> 01:13:55.540 Haven't you know had to go to have a surgery or something like that yet? 01:13:55.540 --> 01:13:59.420 I don't have COPD yet, but let me tell you what that day of reaping is coming 01:13:59.860 --> 01:14:03.940 And we ought to fear God and say hey though. I don't see the consequences of sin right away 01:14:03.940 --> 01:14:06.180 I know that those consequences will come 01:14:06.980 --> 01:14:13.880 Drinking alcohol if you drink alcohol you're gonna get a very short-term reaping of feeling some sort of good feeling in your body 01:14:14.400 --> 01:14:17.600 Right? That alcohol is going to hit your bloodstream and what do they say? 01:14:17.600 --> 01:14:21.440 Getting buzzed. Right? Getting drunk. You know why people drink alcohol? 01:14:21.440 --> 01:14:25.700 Because they enjoy the feeling of getting drunk. Right? It's not because it smells good because it smells like piss. 01:14:25.700 --> 01:14:30.600 Okay? You're around people that drink alcohol, it just smells gross, it's sticky, 01:14:30.600 --> 01:14:34.440 people are vomiting all over themselves, they're speaking foolishness, 01:14:34.440 --> 01:14:37.700 drunk people are just annoying and retarded. Okay? No one likes being around them. 01:14:37.700 --> 01:14:40.700 But why are they doing it? Because they're reaping this good feeling. 01:14:41.000 --> 01:14:42.800 But you know what happens decades later? 01:14:42.800 --> 01:14:44.340 Is the throat cancer? 01:14:44.340 --> 01:14:45.840 Is the stomach cancer? 01:14:45.840 --> 01:14:47.300 Is the liver problems? 01:14:47.300 --> 01:14:49.500 Is that drunk driving accident? 01:14:49.500 --> 01:14:52.340 And once you kill someone in a drunk driving accident, 01:14:52.340 --> 01:14:54.440 you can't un-reap that. 01:14:54.440 --> 01:14:57.520 You've sewn, and now you're going to reap. 01:14:57.520 --> 01:14:58.820 Okay, how about fornication? 01:14:58.820 --> 01:15:00.580 Hey, it's a moment of pleasure, 01:15:00.580 --> 01:15:02.680 but it's often a lifetime of pain. 01:15:03.400 --> 01:15:05.000 Oh, it's a moment of pleasure. 01:15:05.000 --> 01:15:07.500 Yeah, until you're paying child support for the next 18 years 01:15:07.500 --> 01:15:09.500 for some kid that you're not even raising. 01:15:09.500 --> 01:15:10.000 Right? 01:15:10.000 --> 01:15:11.400 Oh, you commit fornication. 01:15:11.400 --> 01:15:14.760 Now, girl, you're going to raise this child with a dad that 01:15:14.760 --> 01:15:16.900 doesn't even care about you, with a dad that isn't even 01:15:16.900 --> 01:15:17.880 going to be in the picture. 01:15:17.880 --> 01:15:19.880 You know, you're going to reap for a really long time. 01:15:19.880 --> 01:15:21.720 And it's like, oh, but you know, it was a moment of pleasure. 01:15:21.720 --> 01:15:22.220 Yeah. 01:15:22.220 --> 01:15:24.520 And it's a lifetime of pain oftentimes. 01:15:24.520 --> 01:15:25.600 OK, drugs. 01:15:25.700 --> 01:15:29.300 People do drugs and what do they do? They reap an immediate feeling of high. 01:15:29.300 --> 01:15:32.980 Feels good for them. And you know what they end up reaping? Decades of homelessness. 01:15:34.180 --> 01:15:38.820 Decades of, you know, just problems in their life. Their teeth falling out. 01:15:38.820 --> 01:15:43.860 Living in poverty. You know, stealing from other people. Committing crimes to keep their drug habit 01:15:43.860 --> 01:15:47.860 going. It's like, okay, enjoy your pleasures of sin for a season, but you're going to be 01:15:47.860 --> 01:15:50.660 be raping those things for a very long time. 01:15:50.660 --> 01:15:52.420 Criminal activity, right? 01:15:52.420 --> 01:15:53.200 Oh, cool. 01:15:53.200 --> 01:15:56.200 You stole a car until the police come and find you. 01:15:56.200 --> 01:16:00.200 Oh cool, I bet you that's so fun that you stole money until you're rotting in jail. 01:16:00.200 --> 01:16:03.200 Right? You do reap what you sow. 01:16:03.200 --> 01:16:04.200 Go to Job. 01:16:04.200 --> 01:16:07.200 Now one thing I really want to point out about this is that 01:16:07.200 --> 01:16:13.200 getting saved is not going to stop you from experiencing the law of sowing and reaping. 01:16:13.900 --> 01:16:21.260 Do not be deceived into thinking that oh I spent all my teens and all my 20s and all my 30s being a fornicator 01:16:21.520 --> 01:16:23.520 Being an adulterer being a drunkard 01:16:23.820 --> 01:16:25.940 Living a wicked life being lazy on the job 01:16:25.940 --> 01:16:30.160 And I'm just gonna get saved and God's gonna wipe away all those consequences from my life 01:16:30.160 --> 01:16:31.860 That is not how it works 01:16:31.860 --> 01:16:34.980 And I'm here to tell you that now so that you don't have this unrealistic 01:16:35.380 --> 01:16:39.020 Expectation with God and get angry with God being like oh God 01:16:39.020 --> 01:16:41.820 I was such an idiot as a teenager when I got that tattoo 01:16:41.900 --> 01:16:43.180 Two, make it go away. 01:16:43.180 --> 01:16:44.820 He's not making it go away. 01:16:44.820 --> 01:16:46.400 The tattoo's permanent. 01:16:46.400 --> 01:16:47.600 The damage you've done to your body 01:16:47.600 --> 01:16:49.560 through drinking alcohol is permanent. 01:16:49.560 --> 01:16:51.700 The person you killed in the drunk driving accident, 01:16:51.700 --> 01:16:53.200 that's permanent, right? 01:16:53.200 --> 01:16:55.560 So this ought to cause the young people in here 01:16:55.560 --> 01:16:57.320 who have not yet gone down that road 01:16:57.320 --> 01:17:00.580 to not even start going down the wrong path. 01:17:00.580 --> 01:17:03.080 Job 48 says, even as I have seen, 01:17:03.080 --> 01:17:08.000 they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same. 01:17:08.200 --> 01:17:10.040 I'll read a few other verses for you. 01:17:10.040 --> 01:17:15.000 Proverbs 22,8, he that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity. 01:17:15.000 --> 01:17:18.160 Hosea 8,7, they that have sown the wind, 01:17:18.160 --> 01:17:20.160 and they shall reap the whirlwind. 01:17:20.160 --> 01:17:22.480 Proverbs 1,31, therefore shall they 01:17:22.480 --> 01:17:25.480 eat of the fruit of their own way 01:17:25.480 --> 01:17:28.920 and be filled with their own devices. 01:17:28.920 --> 01:17:31.000 This is just the law of sowing and reaping. 01:17:31.000 --> 01:17:34.480 And it is the same whether you're saved or unsaved. 01:17:34.480 --> 01:17:35.300 It's the same. 01:17:35.400 --> 01:17:38.640 You know, you look at a guy like Jacob, for example. 01:17:38.640 --> 01:17:42.040 Jacob sowed deceit and dishonesty 01:17:42.040 --> 01:17:43.640 in taking his brother's blessing. 01:17:43.640 --> 01:17:44.880 And you know what he reaped? 01:17:44.880 --> 01:17:47.480 Decades of deceit from his boss. 01:17:47.480 --> 01:17:50.840 Decades of getting taken advantage of from his boss. 01:17:50.840 --> 01:17:52.200 What did King David sow? 01:17:52.200 --> 01:17:54.000 David sowed murder. 01:17:54.000 --> 01:17:55.880 David sowed adultery. 01:17:55.880 --> 01:17:56.800 And you know what he reaped? 01:17:56.800 --> 01:17:58.280 He reaped a dead child. 01:17:58.280 --> 01:18:01.200 And he reaped his other child sleeping with his wives 01:18:01.200 --> 01:18:02.400 in the sight of all Israel. 01:18:03.100 --> 01:18:05.300 You reap what you sow whether you're saved or not saved. 01:18:05.300 --> 01:18:09.500 And so for those of us who are saved and we're older and you've messed up your life, 01:18:09.500 --> 01:18:13.100 don't get angry at God that God hasn't taken away all your problems. 01:18:13.100 --> 01:18:17.700 Just thank God that you're saved and learn from it and don't make more mistakes like that in the future. 01:18:17.700 --> 01:18:22.100 And kids, young people in here who have not yet tasted a drink of alcohol, 01:18:22.100 --> 01:18:27.600 who have never taken drugs, don't even make that stupid foolish decision to go down that road. 01:18:27.600 --> 01:18:30.800 And let me tell you what, yes, it is a stupid foolish decision. 01:18:30.900 --> 01:18:35.580 Wine is a mockery and strong drink is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise 01:18:35.660 --> 01:18:41.540 Let me just be on the record pastor Oz agrees with Jesus Christ that if you drink alcohol you are an idiot 01:18:41.780 --> 01:18:47.220 You are a fool. You know what Jesus Christ did not make alcoholic wine if you believe that you're also an idiot 01:18:47.340 --> 01:18:49.340 That's a sermon for another day 01:18:49.500 --> 01:18:51.060 Okay 01:18:51.060 --> 01:18:54.740 Good Proverbs 11, but let me tell you it's the exact same thing with righteousness 01:18:55.300 --> 01:19:00.820 It's the exact same thing with righteousness. The time of reaping is delayed from the time of sowing. 01:19:01.460 --> 01:19:05.780 Why is it that we see so many more people reaping the rewards of wickedness 01:19:05.780 --> 01:19:10.660 than reaping the rewards of righteousness? Because at least with wickedness there's that short-term pleasure. 01:19:11.100 --> 01:19:13.400 There's that short-term pleasure, and they're like, 01:19:13.400 --> 01:19:14.600 oh, you know, I'm the exception. 01:19:14.600 --> 01:19:15.440 I'm not going to reap. 01:19:15.440 --> 01:19:18.000 So we see a lot of people in this world reaping wickedness. 01:19:18.000 --> 01:19:19.000 You know what we don't see? 01:19:19.000 --> 01:19:21.840 We don't see a lot of people reaping, sowing righteousness 01:19:21.840 --> 01:19:23.460 for decades and decades and decades. 01:19:23.460 --> 01:19:25.040 That's pretty rare, isn't it? 01:19:25.040 --> 01:19:27.500 Because the law is the exact same way. 01:19:27.700 --> 01:19:30.000 You cannot expect to get saved today. 01:19:30.000 --> 01:19:32.400 You cannot expect to just barely start soul winning, 01:19:32.400 --> 01:19:34.700 barely start praying, barely start reading your Bible, 01:19:34.700 --> 01:19:38.400 barely start tithing, and all of a sudden just everything in your life is going to be awesome, 01:19:38.400 --> 01:19:41.100 and you're just going to reap all these great rewards for serving God. 01:19:41.100 --> 01:19:45.400 Day one, let me tell you what, the Christian life is measured in decades. 01:19:45.400 --> 01:19:50.000 And if you want to see the rewards of your righteousness, of your faithfulness, 01:19:50.000 --> 01:19:52.300 come back to me in 10 years. 01:19:52.400 --> 01:19:57.040 come back to me in 20 years, then you're going to see, hey, I'm reaping what I've sown. 01:19:57.920 --> 01:20:03.520 Proverbs 11, 18 says, the wicked worketh a deceitful work, notice, but to him that soweth 01:20:03.520 --> 01:20:10.240 righteousness shall be a sure reward. Look, the promise is the same, just like when you sow 01:20:10.240 --> 01:20:14.080 wickedness, you're going to reap issues. The promise is the same with righteousness. When 01:20:14.080 --> 01:20:19.040 you sow righteousness, you will be rewarded. But let me tell you what, it's going to take a long time. 01:20:19.800 --> 01:20:24.700 Why is it you see so many pastors, they quit year three, they quit year seven? 01:20:24.700 --> 01:20:29.900 Because of the fact that reaping rewards of ministry often takes a decade, two decades, 01:20:29.900 --> 01:20:33.860 three decades, and you don't often see instant results from your labor. 01:20:33.860 --> 01:20:38.060 You don't often see instant results from your prayer or from your soul winning or from your 01:20:38.060 --> 01:20:39.060 righteousness. 01:20:39.060 --> 01:20:41.420 Go to James chapter number five. 01:20:41.420 --> 01:20:42.460 James chapter number five. 01:20:43.300 --> 01:20:48.580 The Bible calls this what? Patience. This is something our society does not have a lot of, 01:20:48.580 --> 01:20:55.060 right? Because we live in 2026 and we have DoorDash. We have groceries delivered. We've got 01:20:55.060 --> 01:20:59.860 Amazon Prime. We've got, you know, just everything at the tip of our fingers. And you know what? 01:20:59.860 --> 01:21:03.700 Thank God we live in America and have all these great rewards. But you know what? In reality and 01:21:03.700 --> 01:21:05.620 in the spiritual life, it's not Amazon Prime. 01:21:06.200 --> 01:21:08.800 It's not like, hey, I want a godly wife. 01:21:08.800 --> 01:21:10.300 Let me just order this on Amazon Prime. 01:21:10.300 --> 01:21:13.000 Now, if you could do that, I know the single guys would love to do that. 01:21:13.000 --> 01:21:13.800 Right? 01:21:13.800 --> 01:21:16.400 Man, I just want a big, growing, thriving church. 01:21:16.400 --> 01:21:17.500 How much do I got to pay to do it? 01:21:17.500 --> 01:21:19.200 There's a lot of people who would pay to do that. 01:21:19.200 --> 01:21:23.900 Right? But what we have to do is we have to sow for a long time to start reaping. 01:21:23.900 --> 01:21:25.400 OK? James 5-7. 01:21:25.400 --> 01:21:27.600 Be patient, therefore. 01:21:28.200 --> 01:21:35.440 Brethren unto the coming of the Lord behold the husbandmen waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and have long 01:21:36.000 --> 01:21:41.600 Patience for it until he received the early and the latter rain the farmer plants 01:21:41.760 --> 01:21:47.180 He doesn't just you know sit there staring at like whoa look. It's growing. Oh look. It's growing. Oh look money 01:21:47.320 --> 01:21:51.240 No, no, that's not what he does he plants and then he prays for rain 01:21:51.240 --> 01:21:56.180 And then he works the field and then he prays for rain, and then he works the field and then he prays for rain 01:21:56.200 --> 01:21:59.200 and then someday there comes a harvest. 01:21:59.200 --> 01:22:00.040 Right? 01:22:00.040 --> 01:22:01.140 Patience. 01:22:01.140 --> 01:22:04.520 Do not give up in life before you reach the reaping point. 01:22:04.520 --> 01:22:08.520 Continue to sow righteousness regardless of the results 01:22:08.520 --> 01:22:10.200 that you are seeing with your eyes. 01:22:10.200 --> 01:22:12.480 Because results can be deceiving sometimes. 01:22:12.700 --> 01:22:15.700 You see people in the book of Jeremiah being super wicked. 01:22:15.700 --> 01:22:19.300 And when Jeremiah told them, hey, stop worshiping the queen of heaven, 01:22:19.300 --> 01:22:22.300 they're like, well, since we stopped worshiping the queen of heaven, 01:22:22.300 --> 01:22:23.800 things have been going poorly for us. 01:22:23.800 --> 01:22:25.600 It's like, let me explain something to you. 01:22:25.600 --> 01:22:28.100 It takes a while to reap what you sow. 01:22:28.100 --> 01:22:29.800 It takes a while with sin oftentimes. 01:22:29.800 --> 01:22:31.700 It definitely takes a while with righteousness. 01:22:31.700 --> 01:22:34.000 You don't want to necessarily look at your immediate results 01:22:34.000 --> 01:22:35.800 and say, oh, prayer doesn't work. 01:22:35.800 --> 01:22:37.000 I prayed one time. 01:22:37.800 --> 01:22:40.040 soul winning doesn't work, I went soul winning one time, 01:22:40.040 --> 01:22:42.480 pastoring doesn't work, I did it for two months. 01:22:42.480 --> 01:22:44.760 It's like, no, why don't we be patient? 01:22:44.760 --> 01:22:47.400 Keep doing right, regardless of the results that we see. 01:22:47.400 --> 01:22:49.520 I'll read for you, Psalm 37, seven says, 01:22:49.520 --> 01:22:52.960 rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. 01:22:52.960 --> 01:22:56.320 Fret not thyself because of Him who prospereth in His way. 01:22:56.800 --> 01:23:00.400 because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 01:23:00.400 --> 01:23:02.800 Right, so you don't want to compare yourself with other people and be like, 01:23:02.800 --> 01:23:06.640 well this person's prospering and I'm not, therefore God must not be with me, 01:23:06.640 --> 01:23:10.160 and I'm just going to quit. Right? Who knows how long that person's been sowing? 01:23:10.160 --> 01:23:13.600 He could have been sowing for a lot longer than you. What are some biblical examples of this? 01:23:13.600 --> 01:23:20.240 How about King David? David as a child was what? A faithful keeper of the sheep. 01:23:20.240 --> 01:23:23.360 You know what he did? He just sowed being a faithful servant. 01:23:23.700 --> 01:23:26.500 He sowed taking care of his father's sheep. 01:23:26.500 --> 01:23:29.460 He sowed killing the lion and the bear, right? 01:23:29.460 --> 01:23:32.820 He ended up sowing, destroying the Philistine Goliath. 01:23:32.820 --> 01:23:35.220 And you know what he ended up reaping for a long time? 01:23:35.220 --> 01:23:36.980 Getting chased down by his father-in-law 01:23:36.980 --> 01:23:39.140 for a long time in the wilderness. 01:23:39.140 --> 01:23:43.780 He gets anointed king, then he spends years on the run 01:23:43.780 --> 01:23:46.820 of someone wanting to murder him, his own father-in-law. 01:23:46.820 --> 01:23:48.020 That's what he reaped for a while 01:23:48.020 --> 01:23:50.420 until finally someday he was established king. 01:23:51.000 --> 01:23:53.240 And it's like, must be nice to be King David. 01:23:53.240 --> 01:23:55.640 Okay, let's see you be faithful with little sheep 01:23:55.640 --> 01:23:57.300 in the wilderness where no one cares about you. 01:23:57.300 --> 01:23:58.520 No one's watching you. 01:23:58.520 --> 01:24:00.840 Let's say you'd be faithful with that which is least. 01:24:00.840 --> 01:24:02.600 Let's see you fight some battles 01:24:02.600 --> 01:24:05.600 and stay steadfast in those battles and not quit. 01:24:05.600 --> 01:24:07.800 Hey, let's put you through a big test. 01:24:07.800 --> 01:24:09.440 Let's put you through a Goliath. 01:24:09.440 --> 01:24:11.040 You kill a Goliath, oh, okay. 01:24:11.040 --> 01:24:13.140 Now your father-in-law is gonna come after you 01:24:13.140 --> 01:24:15.300 and wanna kill you and you're gonna be on the run for him 01:24:15.300 --> 01:24:16.140 for a long time. 01:24:16.140 --> 01:24:19.000 Then someday you get to reap the reward of right. 01:24:19.000 --> 01:24:21.280 You want to know why there's not a lot of King David's? 01:24:21.280 --> 01:24:25.200 Because not a lot of people are willing to go through that much crap. 01:24:25.200 --> 01:24:29.400 Not a lot of people are willing to go through that much junk to reap the rewards. 01:24:29.400 --> 01:24:30.460 But you know what? 01:24:30.460 --> 01:24:33.120 You can reap those rewards if you stay steadfast. 01:24:33.120 --> 01:24:35.520 Okay, think about Joseph. 01:24:35.520 --> 01:24:37.960 Joseph was faithful at 17 years old. 01:24:37.960 --> 01:24:40.160 He was the most righteous of all of his brethren. 01:24:40.160 --> 01:24:41.160 And you know what? 01:24:41.160 --> 01:24:42.560 You know what he got for his righteousness? 01:24:42.560 --> 01:24:43.960 Being sold into slavery. 01:24:44.700 --> 01:24:46.700 And you know what he got for being a good person? 01:24:46.700 --> 01:24:49.700 He got people faking his death, selling him into slavery. 01:24:49.700 --> 01:24:52.500 He's in the dungeon in Egypt. 01:24:52.500 --> 01:24:55.800 And for over a decade, he was in jail, 01:24:55.800 --> 01:24:58.400 not reaping any of the results of his righteousness, 01:24:58.400 --> 01:25:01.300 until over a decade later at age 30, 01:25:01.300 --> 01:25:03.200 when he was brought up from jail. 01:25:03.200 --> 01:25:05.700 So it's like, man, being righteous doesn't pay. 01:25:05.700 --> 01:25:07.100 I'm righteous and now I'm in prison. 01:25:07.100 --> 01:25:07.700 Look at that. 01:25:07.700 --> 01:25:09.700 It's like, okay, let's talk in a decade. 01:25:10.000 --> 01:25:11.600 Let's see where people are at in a decade. 01:25:11.600 --> 01:25:14.200 And look, people could talk big talks, right? 01:25:14.200 --> 01:25:16.900 It's so funny, people, they just start serving God. 01:25:16.900 --> 01:25:18.400 They just start going on the right path. 01:25:18.400 --> 01:25:20.100 And oftentimes they're chest beaters. 01:25:20.100 --> 01:25:21.100 They're talking a big talk. 01:25:21.100 --> 01:25:23.400 Let's see where people are at in five years. 01:25:23.400 --> 01:25:25.300 Let's see where people are at in 10 years. 01:25:25.300 --> 01:25:27.600 You know, you got Paul Wittenberg making a movie called, 01:25:27.600 --> 01:25:29.100 you know, what is it? The Man of God. 01:25:29.100 --> 01:25:30.900 It's like the downfall of the Man of God, 01:25:30.900 --> 01:25:33.100 the rise and fall of Pastor Anderson. 01:25:33.100 --> 01:25:35.500 It's like, let's see where people are at in five years. 01:25:36.100 --> 01:25:38.000 Let's see where Pastor Anderson's at in five years, 01:25:38.000 --> 01:25:39.940 and where Paul Wittenberger's at in five years. 01:25:39.940 --> 01:25:42.040 Let's see where the new IFB is at in five years, 01:25:42.040 --> 01:25:44.720 and let's see where the ex-new IFB is at in five years. 01:25:44.720 --> 01:25:46.220 Oh, just because you don't see things 01:25:46.220 --> 01:25:47.520 the way you want to right away 01:25:47.520 --> 01:25:49.160 does not mean you're not gonna reap what you sow. 01:25:49.160 --> 01:25:50.920 You will reap what you sow. 01:25:50.920 --> 01:25:51.780 And you know what? 01:25:51.780 --> 01:25:53.220 We will reap good things 01:25:53.220 --> 01:25:56.020 by sowing righteousness for a long time and not quitting. 01:25:57.020 --> 01:25:58.320 This is any area of life, okay? 01:25:58.320 --> 01:26:01.260 Building a great church could take decades, right? 01:26:01.260 --> 01:26:02.800 First Baptist Church for him in Indiana 01:26:02.800 --> 01:26:04.000 was not built overnight. 01:26:04.100 --> 01:26:07.400 Great churches that we know of in the New IFB, it was not built overnight. 01:26:07.400 --> 01:26:08.800 It was not built by one battle. 01:26:08.800 --> 01:26:09.900 It was not built by two battles. 01:26:09.900 --> 01:26:10.900 It was not built by three battles. 01:26:10.900 --> 01:26:14.100 It was built from a long time of faithfulness. 01:26:14.100 --> 01:26:19.700 Great institutions in our world, they're built over a long period of time of being faithful. 01:26:19.700 --> 01:26:21.700 So look, don't quit on the house of God. 01:26:21.700 --> 01:26:25.500 Don't quit on serving God because you don't see the results you like to right away. 01:26:25.500 --> 01:26:28.800 You know, learning a lot of Bible, if you want to be a very knowledgeable Christian, 01:26:28.800 --> 01:26:30.900 that's going to take a long time. 01:26:31.900 --> 01:26:36.600 If you want to get lots of people saved, man I would just love to get thousands of people saved in my life, 01:26:36.600 --> 01:26:38.600 that's going to take a long time. 01:26:38.600 --> 01:26:40.600 But you know what, you can do it if you stay faithful. 01:26:40.600 --> 01:26:43.600 You want to have a wonderful marriage, that's going to take a long time. 01:26:43.600 --> 01:26:46.600 You want to build a great business, that's going to take a long time. 01:26:46.600 --> 01:26:51.600 You want to have great health and be in shape, that is going to take a long time. 01:26:51.600 --> 01:26:55.600 Right? It's like you see these guys in the gym, you see these girls in the gym, they're really fit, they're really in shape. 01:26:55.600 --> 01:26:58.500 It's not because they started working out last month. 01:26:59.000 --> 01:27:03.160 Because here's the thing, you can go to the gym today and destroy your body, 01:27:03.160 --> 01:27:06.760 and you could be in a caloric deficit today, and you could hit all your macros perfectly, 01:27:06.760 --> 01:27:10.680 and you will wake up tomorrow looking the exact same as you look, right? 01:27:10.680 --> 01:27:15.800 But what you'll notice is that if you stay consistent month after month, year after year, 01:27:15.800 --> 01:27:18.700 decade after decade, it's like, wow, this person's fit. 01:27:18.900 --> 01:27:22.440 And it's like people who are really into health, they're like, yeah, I have to be this faithful 01:27:22.440 --> 01:27:24.020 just to look slightly not fat. 01:27:24.020 --> 01:27:25.780 It's like, great, this is wonderful, right? 01:27:25.780 --> 01:27:28.260 But look, I'm joking around, but I'm serious at the same time. 01:27:28.260 --> 01:27:31.780 You know, if you want to reap a healthy body, a fit body, that's going to take a lot of 01:27:31.780 --> 01:27:32.780 time. 01:27:32.780 --> 01:27:33.780 But you know, it's worth it. 01:27:33.780 --> 01:27:35.880 It's worth it making that investment. 01:27:35.880 --> 01:27:37.100 Number three, go to Galatians 6. 01:27:38.100 --> 01:27:42.660 Number three, have the faith not to quit before the reaping point. 01:27:42.660 --> 01:27:47.540 Right? And that's kind of what I've been saying here is don't quit before you get to the reaping point. 01:27:47.540 --> 01:27:51.020 Don't say, hey, I've sown for a while, but I have not reaped, so I'm quitting. 01:27:51.020 --> 01:27:52.700 No, no, no. Notice what the Bible says. 01:27:52.700 --> 01:27:58.500 And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap what? 01:27:58.500 --> 01:28:01.060 If we faint not. 01:28:01.700 --> 01:28:05.540 Right? So do not look at your immediate circumstances and say, 01:28:05.540 --> 01:28:09.140 why God, I've been being faithful, God, I've been doing what's right, God, 01:28:09.140 --> 01:28:12.420 why aren't you blessing me, God? You know what? You haven't gotten to that reaping point yet. 01:28:12.420 --> 01:28:16.420 And God is testing your faithfulness. God wants to make sure you're being steadfast, 01:28:16.420 --> 01:28:20.420 making sure you're doing what's right over a long period of time. And when you've been patient and 01:28:20.420 --> 01:28:29.540 served them for a long time, then you can get to that reaping point. Okay. Go if you would to Psalm 126, Psalm 126. 01:28:32.400 --> 01:28:37.100 Psalm 126. Just be patient and don't live in this, you know, 01:28:37.100 --> 01:28:40.100 2026 American mentality of thinking that you're going to 01:28:40.100 --> 01:28:42.500 get everything that you want right away. 01:28:42.500 --> 01:28:45.300 Young people don't think you're going to live on your own and 01:28:45.300 --> 01:28:48.300 have the same house that your parents had in their 60s. 01:28:48.700 --> 01:28:53.580 and have the same salary that your parents have after being on the job for 40 years or 50 years. 01:28:53.580 --> 01:28:58.220 Right. Don't expect to be able to go on the same vacations as your parents go on in their 60s. 01:28:58.220 --> 01:29:02.460 Don't expect to live the same lifestyle as your grandparents. Your boomers are living. Right. 01:29:02.460 --> 01:29:05.660 You know, you ought to just so for a long time and then you'll get to reap those things. 01:29:06.860 --> 01:29:11.980 I quoted this earlier Psalm 126 verse five, they that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 01:29:12.700 --> 01:29:18.780 he that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoicing 01:29:18.780 --> 01:29:25.580 bringing his sheaves with him. This is a promise of God. Right? So people have literally told me 01:29:25.580 --> 01:29:29.420 like, hey, I don't think soul winning is working for me. I don't think I'm going to get anyone 01:29:29.420 --> 01:29:33.340 saved. I don't think I'm cut out for this. And it's like, look, if you are saved and you keep 01:29:33.340 --> 01:29:36.300 going soul winning, you will get people saved. 01:29:36.800 --> 01:29:41.920 you will do it because this is a promise of God that if you go out and you sow, you're going out, 01:29:41.920 --> 01:29:45.200 you're weeping, you're bearing the precious seed, you got the word of God with you, 01:29:45.200 --> 01:29:50.000 eventually you will rejoice bringing your sheaves with you. You know... 01:29:50.300 --> 01:29:54.800 When I started going soul winning, the first time I ever went soul winning was kind of an anomaly 01:29:54.800 --> 01:29:58.800 because I actually strangely did have a salvation the first time I ever went soul winning 01:29:58.800 --> 01:30:02.800 and I kind of view it as like God was like patting me on the head like good job my son, you know 01:30:02.800 --> 01:30:04.800 going soul winning, because I didn't know what I was doing 01:30:04.800 --> 01:30:07.800 and I went to like the rich areas of Boise Idaho just because it was beautiful 01:30:07.800 --> 01:30:10.800 I went to the foothills where all the rich millionaire houses are 01:30:10.800 --> 01:30:13.800 and I knocked on a door and I got a guy saved the first time I ever went soul winning 01:30:13.800 --> 01:30:16.300 but then you know what happened for the next six months? I got no one saved 01:30:16.900 --> 01:30:18.900 Okay, because I was sowing in the wrong places, right? 01:30:19.220 --> 01:30:23.380 But you know what? I didn't give up after those six months. I didn't give up and say well soul winning doesn't work 01:30:23.620 --> 01:30:26.580 I know soul winning works because that's what the bible just said. I know it works 01:30:26.660 --> 01:30:30.820 You know the problem was my understanding was the problem my lack of wisdom out soul winning was the problem 01:30:31.060 --> 01:30:35.300 And it's like hey keep going soul winning go with other people get good training 01:30:35.540 --> 01:30:39.300 Go to receptive areas go to the soul winning marathons. You will see people saved 01:30:39.860 --> 01:30:44.280 Hey pray go out with a tear in the eye. You will eventually see people saved 01:30:45.500 --> 01:30:46.700 Go to Hebrews 11. 01:30:46.700 --> 01:30:47.700 Hebrews 11. 01:30:47.700 --> 01:30:50.900 I want to read for you this verse. 01:30:50.900 --> 01:30:51.900 Listen to this. 01:30:51.900 --> 01:30:52.900 Proverbs 13, 19. 01:30:52.900 --> 01:31:00.300 The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, but it is abomination to fools to depart from 01:31:00.300 --> 01:31:01.300 evil. 01:31:01.300 --> 01:31:04.060 It is so sweet to reap what you've been sowing. 01:31:04.400 --> 01:31:07.400 When you actually have been sowing righteousness, 01:31:07.400 --> 01:31:09.900 when you've been sowing the hard work on the job, 01:31:09.900 --> 01:31:11.400 you've been sowing into the business, 01:31:11.400 --> 01:31:12.400 you've been sowing into the friendships, 01:31:12.400 --> 01:31:13.400 you've been sowing into the gym, 01:31:13.400 --> 01:31:14.900 you've been sowing into sowing, 01:31:14.900 --> 01:31:16.400 and you start to reap those things, 01:31:16.400 --> 01:31:20.400 the Bible says the desire accomplished is sweet to the soul. 01:31:20.400 --> 01:31:22.400 You sow making a documentary, 01:31:22.400 --> 01:31:24.400 it's going to be sweet when it's done. 01:31:24.400 --> 01:31:27.400 It's going to be sweet when we reap those things. 01:31:27.400 --> 01:31:29.400 You know what? But how do you get that sweetness? 01:31:29.400 --> 01:31:30.400 How do you get that satisfaction? 01:31:30.400 --> 01:31:31.400 A lot of work. 01:31:31.700 --> 01:31:36.580 a lot of patience, a lot of faithfulness, a lot of tenacity, not giving up. You want to do that. 01:31:38.020 --> 01:31:44.580 Okay, now here's the thing. Reaping and sowing is an immutable law of life, but not everyone is going 01:31:44.580 --> 01:31:49.700 to fully reap everything in this life. The way they're not going to reap everything in this life, 01:31:49.700 --> 01:31:54.820 and there are even times where the righteous are not going to reap everything in this life. Now look, 01:31:54.820 --> 01:31:58.020 you're not the exception to reaping and sowing because everything you sow you will reap. 01:31:58.700 --> 01:32:01.740 Even if you don't reap everything in this life, you're not the exception. 01:32:01.740 --> 01:32:05.180 But guess what? There's something else. Look at Hebrews 11 verse 13. 01:32:05.180 --> 01:32:11.100 These all died in faith. Notice, not having received the promises. Wow. 01:32:11.300 --> 01:32:15.140 but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them 01:32:15.140 --> 01:32:18.500 and embrace them and confess that they were strangers 01:32:18.500 --> 01:32:20.180 and pilgrims in the earth. 01:32:20.180 --> 01:32:22.900 So notice these all sowed their whole life 01:32:22.900 --> 01:32:27.140 and they did not receive the promises in this life. 01:32:27.140 --> 01:32:29.620 That's pretty crazy to think about, right? 01:32:29.620 --> 01:32:31.700 You know, there are people where they are 01:32:31.700 --> 01:32:33.940 sowing into a ministry, working super hard, 01:32:33.940 --> 01:32:36.900 and maybe it's the next generation that builds, right? 01:32:36.900 --> 01:32:38.980 Solomon, he prepared, sorry, David, 01:32:39.300 --> 01:32:42.740 pairs the materials for the house of God, Solomon builds it. 01:32:42.740 --> 01:32:43.740 Right? 01:32:43.740 --> 01:32:46.460 Sometimes in life you're going to sow and you're not going to reap everything in this 01:32:46.460 --> 01:32:50.620 life but I promise you, you will still be rewarded according to your labor. 01:32:50.620 --> 01:32:51.700 Where is that going to happen? 01:32:51.700 --> 01:32:53.900 At the judgment seat of Christ. 01:32:53.900 --> 01:32:56.300 Then every single score will be settled. 01:32:56.300 --> 01:32:58.180 Everything that you have sown will be reaped. 01:32:58.180 --> 01:33:00.740 Last place we'll go to, 1 Corinthians 3. 01:33:00.740 --> 01:33:01.740 1 Corinthians 3. 01:33:01.740 --> 01:33:05.900 And so I'm telling you, even if you say, I have been sowing for decades. 01:33:06.300 --> 01:33:09.740 I have been sowing for decades and I'm not seeing the results that I want to see. 01:33:09.740 --> 01:33:13.340 Well, you know, you just need to have faith in God that you will receive those rewards 01:33:13.340 --> 01:33:18.540 someday when you stand before Jesus Christ. And even if you don't reap the rewards that you want 01:33:18.540 --> 01:33:24.940 to in this life, you should still be willing to sow righteousness just because that's what God expects of you. 01:33:25.400 --> 01:33:29.100 You know what? Though he slay me, yet will I trust him," Job said. 01:33:29.100 --> 01:33:35.200 He didn't say, though he gives me tenfold the children and tenfold the money and tenfold all of the property, 01:33:35.200 --> 01:33:39.300 then I'll serve him. No, he says, even if you kill me, God, I'm still going to serve you. 01:33:39.300 --> 01:33:42.500 I'm not going to lose my integrity. I'm not going to lose my righteousness. 01:33:42.500 --> 01:33:44.500 You know, that's the attitude that we ought to have in this room. 01:33:45.100 --> 01:33:47.100 Hey, regardless of what happens to Anchor Baptist Church, 01:33:47.100 --> 01:33:49.580 we're going to keep going out and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. 01:33:49.580 --> 01:33:53.340 Whether people come, whether people don't, whether people stay, whether people quit, 01:33:53.340 --> 01:33:57.580 whether people like us, whether people don't, we will serve Jesus Christ regardless. 01:33:58.540 --> 01:34:01.100 No friendship that turns on us should stop us. 01:34:01.740 --> 01:34:07.180 No frenemy attacking us should make us discouraged because we are here to serve Jesus Christ and Him 01:34:07.180 --> 01:34:07.500 alone. 01:34:07.500 --> 01:34:12.100 1 Corinthians 3.1. Verse 11. 01:34:12.500 --> 01:34:15.540 verse 11, excuse me, for other foundation can no man lay, 01:34:16.100 --> 01:34:18.340 then that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 01:34:18.980 --> 01:34:24.980 Now, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, 01:34:25.540 --> 01:34:28.580 every man's work shall be made manifest. You'll reap what you sow. 01:34:29.220 --> 01:34:33.540 For the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire, 01:34:33.540 --> 01:34:36.420 and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 01:34:36.900 --> 01:34:39.700 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, 01:34:39.700 --> 01:34:41.780 he shall receive a reward. 01:34:41.780 --> 01:34:44.100 There's the reaping of what you've sown. 01:34:44.740 --> 01:34:47.220 But if any man's work shall be burned, 01:34:47.220 --> 01:34:48.900 he shall suffer loss. 01:34:49.100 --> 01:34:52.440 but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire." 01:34:52.440 --> 01:34:55.100 The good news is that once you're saved, you're always saved. 01:34:55.100 --> 01:34:56.680 You never lose your salvation. 01:34:56.680 --> 01:34:59.080 Salvation's not of works, as any man should boast. 01:34:59.080 --> 01:35:00.340 Salvation's a free gift. 01:35:00.340 --> 01:35:02.440 But let me tell you what, after salvation, 01:35:02.440 --> 01:35:04.480 there are works that God expects us to do, 01:35:04.480 --> 01:35:07.240 and someday you will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, 01:35:07.240 --> 01:35:10.880 and if you got saved, but all you did was live for self... 01:35:11.100 --> 01:35:14.700 All you did was continue living the same way you did before salvation. 01:35:14.700 --> 01:35:18.980 You didn't go to church, you didn't read the Bible, you didn't pray, you didn't get anyone saved. 01:35:18.980 --> 01:35:20.980 You know what? All your work's gonna be burned up. 01:35:21.800 --> 01:35:23.520 You're not going to have any rewards in heaven. 01:35:23.520 --> 01:35:25.400 Now, you'll still be saved. 01:35:25.400 --> 01:35:28.320 It says, but he himself shall be saved. 01:35:28.320 --> 01:35:29.860 You're not going to lose your salvation. 01:35:29.860 --> 01:35:32.400 But look, not everyone's going to be equal in heaven. 01:35:32.400 --> 01:35:33.900 God is not a communist. 01:35:33.900 --> 01:35:36.440 God is not going to reward every single person equally. 01:35:36.440 --> 01:35:38.800 People who spend their entire life sacrificing 01:35:38.800 --> 01:35:40.640 for the things of God, are you going to sit here 01:35:40.640 --> 01:35:42.880 and tell me that people whose bodies have been burned 01:35:42.880 --> 01:35:45.320 at the stake for Jesus Christ are going to be rewarded 01:35:45.320 --> 01:35:47.520 as the derelict who does nothing for Christ? 01:35:47.520 --> 01:35:48.300 Absolutely not. 01:35:48.600 --> 01:35:52.200 Those who sow a lot will reap a lot someday. 01:35:52.200 --> 01:35:54.440 And that's why it's worth it all, folks. 01:35:54.440 --> 01:35:55.640 That is why it is worth it all, 01:35:55.640 --> 01:35:58.080 because regardless of what you see in this life, 01:35:58.080 --> 01:35:59.680 if you sow righteousness, 01:35:59.680 --> 01:36:01.720 you will reap greatly at that day 01:36:01.720 --> 01:36:03.960 when you stand before Jesus Christ. 01:36:03.960 --> 01:36:04.780 Let's pray. 01:36:04.780 --> 01:36:06.000 Lord, thank you so much for your word. 01:36:06.300 --> 01:36:10.700 Thank you for this great law of sowing and reaping. I pray that we would spend our lives sowing into 01:36:10.700 --> 01:36:16.380 the right areas, that we would sow into righteousness, that we would be faithful and steadfast, 01:36:16.380 --> 01:36:21.340 that you strengthen our hearts not to quit when things get hard, and help us Lord to have faith 01:36:21.340 --> 01:36:26.700 that someday, whether in this life or at the judgment, we will be rewarded for our work. 01:36:26.700 --> 01:36:29.340 We thank you and love you and it's in Jesus name we pray. Amen. 01:36:36.400 --> 01:36:40.400 Our last hymn this morning, turn if you would to 109. 01:36:43.500 --> 01:36:49.500 Pim number 109, Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us. 01:36:56.800 --> 01:37:02.160 Ham number 109109, Savior like a shepherd lead us. 01:37:08.500 --> 01:37:10.500 Let's sing it out together. 01:37:10.500 --> 01:37:15.600 Savior, like a shepherd lead us, 01:37:15.600 --> 01:37:20.600 Watch weep, need thy tender care. 01:37:20.600 --> 01:37:26.000 In thy pleasant pastures feed us, 01:37:26.000 --> 01:37:30.000 For our use thy foals prepare. 01:37:30.400 --> 01:37:40.720 Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou as blood as Thine we are. 01:37:40.720 --> 01:37:51.920 Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou as blood as Thine we are. 01:37:53.300 --> 01:38:02.300 Thine do thou befriend us, be the guardian of our way. 01:38:02.300 --> 01:38:12.300 Keep thy flock from sin, defend us, seek us when we go astray. 01:38:12.700 --> 01:38:22.700 Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, hear, oh hear us when we pray. 01:38:22.700 --> 01:38:33.700 Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, hear, oh hear us when we pray. 01:38:34.800 --> 01:38:45.040 Thou has promised to receive us, poor and sinful though we be. 01:38:45.040 --> 01:38:54.320 Thou has mercy to relieve us, grace to cleanse and power to free. 01:38:54.600 --> 01:39:04.800 Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, early let us turn to Thee. 01:39:04.800 --> 01:39:15.360 Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, early let us turn to Thee. 01:39:16.800 --> 01:39:21.900 Burley, let us seek thy favor. 01:39:21.900 --> 01:39:26.900 Burley, let us do thy will. 01:39:26.900 --> 01:39:32.100 Blessed Lord and only Savior, 01:39:32.100 --> 01:39:36.300 with thy love our bosoms fill. 01:39:36.500 --> 01:39:46.500 Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou hast loved us, loved us still. 01:39:46.500 --> 01:39:58.500 Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou hast loved us, loved us still. 01:39:58.500 --> 01:40:00.400 Amen. With that you are dismissed.