Amen. All right. Well, thank you for being here tonight. Great turnout, 205 people in church on Wednesday night. That's great, anywhere.
And I appreciate you coming out and being here tonight. I want to say, of course, thank you to Pastor Shelley.
And I've really been encouraged by Pastor Shelley's friendship. And, you know, it's quite a thing that he's done here.
And I don't know if you, sometimes when you're living through something, you don't realize it or think about it.
But the things that this church has gone through, the devil really attacked this church.
And it could have ruined it. Things like that have ruined other churches, destroyed other churches.
And we really have Pastor Shelley to thank, and his wife, of course, and his family for stepping in and continuing this work.
And, you know, everything rises and falls on leadership. And he stepped in.
And I want to say I'm thankful for him. And I want to encourage the church family here to appreciate him for what he's done.
Because it's not easy. It's easy to sit back and criticize things. And it's a difficult situation.
But he's came in. He's done the right thing. He's made the hard choices. And we're glad for him. And we appreciate him.
And, of course, I'm thankful to be preaching with Pastor Thompson. And he's my friend.
And I don't mind taking a picture after the service. Just don't ask me to take a picture with him, okay?
That would be good on my part there.
Well, we're there in Jeremiah chapter number 5. And I want you to look down at verse number 14.
And let me say also thank you. Everything's, I know how difficult it is to run a conference.
Everything's been great and professional. The ushers are doing a wonderful job.
And the music and the song leading, everything's been good. So keep up the good work.
Jeremiah 5, 14, the Bible says this, Wherefore, thus saith the Lord God of hosts,
because you speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people would, and it shall devour them.
And we're here tonight at the kickoff of the Fire Breathing Baptist Fellowship.
And what I'd like to do tonight is I'd like to preach on the subject of fire breathing preaching.
Now, we just heard a great sermon by Pastor Thompson. And that's a great example of fire breathing preaching.
But what I want to do is I want to talk about fire breathing preaching and help you understand it.
Why would you have a conference called the Fire Breathing Baptist Fellowship?
What does that even mean? And what I want to do is I want to answer the question, what is fire breathing preaching?
And I secondly would like to answer the question is, how should we respond to fire breathing preaching?
And, you know, the old timers, they used to call it hell fire and brimstone preaching.
And it's it's the same thing. It's what we're referring to.
And I like the I like the title of the conference because it's a biblical concept.
Again, if you look down at verse 14 there, he says, I will make my words in thy mouth fire and this people would.
And that's what we're talking about when we're talking about fire breathing preaching.
But I think sometimes we may have a wrong idea as to what fire breathing preaching is.
So I want to give you seven statements tonight, seven thoughts in regards to fire breathing preaching.
And we're going to answer this question, what is fire breathing preaching?
And we're also going to answer the question, how should we respond to it?
Now, you're there in Jeremiah five. And I'd like you to keep your place there in Jeremiah,
because we're going to leave it and we're going to come back to it throughout the sermon.
Go with me to Jeremiah Chapter 23. And let me begin by saying this.
And maybe you're you're jotting down notes and I'd encourage you to do that.
Maybe you'd like to write these statements down, especially if you're a preacher or an aspiring preacher, a young preacher.
This will help you. I believe the Lord can help you with this in regards to preaching.
What is fire breathing preaching?
Well, number one, fire breathing preaching is biblical preaching, fire breathing preaching.
And I know you realize it and you think is that even something needs to be said?
Shouldn't all preaching be biblical preaching?
But if you've listened to much preaching, you'll realize that most preaching is not biblical preaching.
And most preaching is not the preaching of the word of God.
And when we're talking about fire breathing preaching,
we're talking about biblical preaching because of the fact that the Bible is the only thing powerful enough to really change lives, to transform lives.
Of course, it brings salvation and it changes the destination of someone's eternity.
But even more than that, it can change your life here on earth.
Are you there in Jeremiah 23?
Look at verse 28.
Jeremiah 23, 28.
The Bible says this, the prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream.
And he that hath my word, notice what the Bible says, let him speak my word faithfully.
This is God speaking.
And he's saying, look, if a prophet's going to preach my word, if he's going to have my word, let him speak my word faithfully.
What is the chaff to the wheat, saith the Lord?
Notice verse 29.
Is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
See, the truth is this, that the Bible is the only thing that has the power to bring change, to purge, to cleanse, to break down what needs to be broken down.
And please understand this.
I'm not against illustrations.
I'll use some illustrations.
I'll use illustrations tonight.
I'm not against poems.
I've never read a poem.
But, you know, I'm not against using a poem from time to time.
I'm not against stories.
We're not against any of that.
In fact, I think any preacher that's trying to do a good job to bring home a point will utilize all of those tools.
But at the end of the day, what we're preaching is the Word of God because it's the Bible that can help you.
And look, when we're talking about fire, breathing, preaching, we're talking about preaching the Bible right.
Why?
Because the Bible says, for the Word of God is quick and powerful.
Right?
And sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.
And it is a discerner of the thoughts and intent of the heart.
You know what I figured out a while ago when it comes to biblical preaching is that the Bible can do something that I cannot do.
In fact, the Bible can do something that we as preachers sometimes we get accused of doing.
And I think when people accuse us of doing this, they must think that our IQs are much higher than they really are.
Because sometimes we get accused that, you know, we'll preach a sermon or we'll use an illustration, we'll tell a story or we'll go to a passage.
And people say, well, pastor knew that I'm going through that and pastor knew that he preached that because of me.
And it's like there's like 200 people in the room.
How in the world could we know everything about everything?
And it's funny because sometimes you'll preach something and there'll be like five people who say, oh, he preached that because of me.
And you know, the truth is this, when you preach the Bible, you don't have to worry about preaching.
You know, I don't have to follow our church people around.
I don't have to, you know, like them on Facebook or watch them on Facebook.
I don't have to figure out what they're into because you know what?
The Bible says that the word of God, it's quick and it's powerful and it can get down and it can discern the innermost part.
It can show you the thoughts and the intent of the heart.
And the context says neither is there any creature that is manifest in his sight for all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
And the truth is this, that you can stand up and preach to 200 people that maybe you've never even met.
And the word of God can speak to their heart and their life and can speak to what they need.
The Holy Spirit can tell them what they need because it is the power of the word of God that does it.
That's why we stand up and preach sermons.
And sometimes, and I appreciate it, sometimes people will, at our church, I'll stand at the back door and greet people on the way out and I'll preach a sermon.
And as I'm, you know, people are shaking my hand and it's a good thing and they'll encourage me.
They'll say, Pastor, thank you so much.
You know, I learned this in the sermon and they'll tell me something and they'll say, I got to apply this in the sermon I've been struggling with.
And they'll say something to me and I think I say, well, praise the Lord.
I think myself, I don't know what sermon you were listening to.
You know, I'm preaching on tithing.
I'm not sure what that had to do with church attendance or whatever.
You know, I preached on this subject and they, but you know, the Holy Spirit used it and the word of God.
And you don't know how it works and we don't know how it does it.
But we know this, that the Bible is the power.
The Bible is what we need.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
Why?
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished.
They're all good works.
See, it is the Bible.
Look, and maybe you're a young preacher here tonight and you're concerned about learning to preach and getting the points and the delivery.
Let me tell you something.
It is the word of God that it will thoroughly furnish and make people perfect, make them mature, help them to grow.
It is biblical preaching.
The Bible is what has the power.
The Bible can speak to the innermost heart of hundreds of people, which is not something that we can do.
You're there in Jeremiah 23, look at verse 21.
Not only is the Bible the only thing that's powerful enough to change lives, but biblical preaching changes lives.
Notice verse 21.
Notice what God says.
He says, I have not sent these prophets.
Now he's talking about prophets that he did not send.
These are false prophets.
He says, I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran.
I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
Notice verse 22.
He says, but if, now he's being theoretical here because he says, I didn't even send these guys.
But he says, if they had stood in my counsel and had caused my people to hear my words,
then they should have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doing.
See, it is biblical preaching.
It is biblical preaching that changes lives.
Isn't that true?
I mean, isn't it the biblical preaching that for many of you, the testimony is that you were just going to some lame church,
or you were going to no church, or you weren't even saved, or you were saved, but you weren't really growing.
And then you found some radical preacher, Pastor Anderson, online.
Then you watched some Paul Wittenberger movie.
Then you found some preacher somewhere, and it is the biblical preaching that changed your life.
That's why I love going to, you know, our church is like this.
Many churches are like this.
I love going to preach at places, and you look at people and you realize, man, these people, something happened in their lives.
They're all tattooed it up, and they're all, you know, worldly looking.
They got holes everywhere in their ears and their face.
You say, and now they're homeschooling, independent, fundamental, soul winning, skirt wearing.
You know, you got a young lady in a modest skirt with these big old things, you know, things around her, or big old whatever is left over over here.
And you say, does that bother you?
I love it.
It's a transformed life.
Only the Word of God can do that.
Look, these churches where the Bible is not preached, you know what?
People come in and they leave the same way.
No change.
Nothing, and look, we realize, salvation is believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.
There doesn't need to be any outside change in order for someone to be saved.
It happens on the inside.
You believe the Holy Spirit moves in.
We get that.
But the point is this, God wants you to grow.
God wants you to mature.
God wants there to be some change.
He wants you to be more like Christ every day, and that happens through biblical preaching.
That's why I love going to these churches seeing that.
I love going down, you know, to preach in L.A.
I haven't been there since they changed the name to First Works Baptist when I was there.
It was still a faithful word in L.A.
You know, I like going down to FWC LA.
I get down there, I feel like I'm at a gang banger convention.
You know, we're in Los Angeles.
I'd be afraid to join the church.
They might try to jump me in, you know?
But it's great.
You see, as you say, because you look at people and you say, that's a transformed life.
And only the Bible can do that.
Only the Bible is powerful enough to do that.
So when we're talking about fire-breathing preaching, you showed up for a fire-breathing Baptist fellowship,
a conference where you're going to have fire-breathing preaching.
What are we talking about?
We're talking about biblical preaching.
Why?
Because biblical preaching is the only thing that will change lives because the Bible is the only thing powerful enough to change a life.
And by the way, this is why we should preach the entire Bible.
You're there in Jeremiah 23, go to Isaiah 58.
Isaiah 58, just one book over.
Isaiah 58, look at verse 1.
Do me a favor, keep a ribbon or a bookmark or something there in Isaiah.
We're going to leave it and come back to it.
Isaiah 58 and verse 1, notice what the Bible says, cry aloud.
We're going to come back to this verse in a second.
But I want you to notice these two words, spare not.
You know what the word spare means?
It means to refrain, to forbear, to hold back.
Here we have God giving instructions to his prophet Isaiah as to how he should preach and he tells him, spare not.
Don't hold anything back.
Tell all of it.
Make sure you preach all of it.
Even the parts about the pedophiles, yes, all of it.
Even Romans 1, yes.
Even Leviticus 20, yes.
Even the dress standards, even the fornication sermons, even the adultery sermons,
even the pornography sermons, even the divorce sermons, he says all of it.
We need all of it.
He says, cry aloud, spare not, do not refrain, do not forbear, do not hold back.
Go to Acts chapter 20.
Keep your place there in Isaiah.
We're going to come back to it.
Acts chapter 20, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Acts chapter 20.
This is why Paul would tell Timothy, preach the word.
Be instant in season, out of season.
Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
He said, why do you tell him to be instant in season and out of season?
Here's why.
He says, because you need to preach the word whether it's popular or not.
You need to preach the word whether people like it or not.
You need to preach the word like, you know, Jeff Owens preaching against the homos when everybody liked it.
But you know what?
We need to not be like Jeff Owens and when people don't like it, we're still going to preach it.
It's still in the Bible.
It's still what God believes.
You say, well, why are you going to preach something that people are offended about?
Because the Bible says, preach the word, be instant in season, out of season.
I mean, is that terminology that they use in fashion?
Oh, that's not in season anymore.
That's not popular anymore.
You say, oh, your preaching is not in season anymore.
Well, you know what?
We're going to preach the word.
Acts 20 and verse 26, the Bible says this, wherefore, it's just Paul speaking.
He says, wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men.
And you know what?
Those preachers that Pastor Thompson brought up earlier today, those preachers cannot stand up and say, I am pure from the blood of all men.
Because they've chosen to refrain from preaching certain things.
He says, I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
The word shun means to avoid or ignore.
The word declare means to make known.
He says, I've not avoided.
There's nothing I've avoided.
There's nothing I've ignored.
There's nothing I've refused to share with you.
He said, I've declared it all unto you, all the counsel of God.
Fire-breathing preaching is preaching the Bible.
It's preaching all of the Bible, whether people like it or not.
Because it is the Bible that brings transformation.
You're there in Acts.
Go with me to 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians chapter 14.
You're there in Acts.
You're going to go Romans, 1 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 14.
I've got seven points tonight, so we're going to move fairly quickly through them.
1 Corinthians chapter 14.
And no, they're not alliterated.
When you've got seven, you don't alliterate them.
You alliterate three, okay?
Maybe four.
Number two, fire-breathing preaching.
Not only is it biblical preaching, but it is clear preaching.
The Bible teaches us that our preaching should be clear.
It should be easy to understand.
Are you there in 1 Corinthians 14?
Look at verse 7.
1 Corinthians 14 and verse 7, the Bible says this,
And even things without life.
This is Paul, of course, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
He's explaining to us how our preaching needs to be clear.
He says,
For even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp,
except they give a distinction in the sound,
how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound,
who shall prepare himself to the battle?
And he gives this example.
He says, look, if you're out on a battlefield somewhere,
and you're in a camp somewhere, and you hear the trumpet,
but it gives an uncertain sound,
you're not going to know what you should do.
And he's saying, he's using this as an example.
He's saying, our preaching should be like a trumpet, right?
We're going to see here in a little bit.
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet.
He says, but it should not just be like a trumpet
in the sense that it's loud, although that's part of it.
It should be like a trumpet in the sense that it is certain.
It is clear.
You understand what is being sound.
Now, I have my son Joshua with me,
my oldest son Joshua with me today,
and I knew he was coming on this trip,
and I knew I was preaching this sermon,
and he started taking trumpet lessons just recently,
not too long ago.
And I asked him if he'd bring his trumpet with him
to help me illustrate this point.
So I'm going to ask Joshua to come up here
and bring up your trumpet.
Now, he's new.
He's new at trumpet playing, all right?
So be graceful with him, but he's going to do his best.
He's shy, but he agreed to help me.
Come stand right here, son.
And, you know, I wanted to just kind of give you an example
of what a certain sound sounds like.
So Joshua, can you give us an example
of a trumpet giving a certain sound?
All right, so he's new at it, you know,
but he was trying to give a certain sound.
So go ahead and do it again.
All right, that was good, all right?
You know, if I'm on a camping in a battlefield
and I hear that, I'm going to think,
get my sword, it's time to go to war, right?
What if I hear this?
Here's an example of uncertain sound.
Now, look, if you hear that, you're like,
is it lunchtime?
I mean, are we supposed to go to battle
or is it time to go to bed?
You know, I'm not really sure what that is.
And here's what Paul is saying.
Paul is saying, our preaching should be like a trumpet
giving a certain sound.
You know, here's what the preaching of the new IFB is like.
Go for it.
Here's the preaching of the old IFB, right?
Do you understand what I'm saying?
I mean, sometimes guys get up to preach
and they preach through Romans 1
and you're just kind of like, I'm confused.
I'm not, are homos good, are they bad?
Are you a homo?
I'm not.
And it's just kind of this uncertain sound, you know?
And God says, when we preach, it ought to be a certain sound.
Here's Pastor Anderson's preaching.
Pastor Anderson's having a bad day.
Let's try it again.
All right, that's good.
All right, here's Sam Gipp.
Here's Pastor Shelley.
Here's Andrew Sluder.
Here's Pastor Thompson, we just heard him.
Here's Gene Kim.
Now, here's what's interesting.
Here's what's funny is that sometimes these guys,
you know, they deceive us for a little while, right?
They seem like they're with us, but then they're exposed
or they expose themselves, right?
So here's Tyler Baker.
It kind of sounded good at first,
and then it just kind of, how about the other Tyler?
Tyler Doka.
It was like, flatter.
All right, let's give him a round of applause.
Good job, thank you.
The point is this, the point is this,
that our preaching should give a certain sound.
When we're done, look, when Pastor Thompson was done,
nobody was wondering what he was trying to say tonight.
It was clear.
Expose the pedophiles.
Don't let them in your church.
I have a bad review for Pastor Smallville
or whatever his name was.
It was clear.
He gave a certain sound, and our preaching,
it should give a certain sound.
It should be easy to understand.
You're there in 1 Corinthians 14, look at verse 9.
Notice what he says.
In verse 8, he says,
if the trumpet gave an uncertain sound,
who shall prepare himself to the battle?
Verse 9, he says this, so likewise ye.
He says, in the same way,
the same way as a trumpet giving an uncertain sound,
he says, except ye utter by the tongue
words easy to be understood,
how shall it be known what is spoken,
for ye shall speak into the air.
And by the way, this is why we use words
that are easy to understand, right?
Is it hard to understand homosexual,
homo, faggot, queer?
Do you understand that?
That's easy, right?
Alternative lifestyle, that gets confusing.
Fluent lifestyle, that gets,
it's like, are you drinking water?
I'm not sure.
You know, we're supposed to use words
that are easy to be understood.
And by the way, this is why a lot of these pastors
that don't preach the Bible,
they like to get up and use all these fancy words,
these words that make them sound smart,
these words that are not very common words.
Look, you're not going to come
to the fire-breathing Baptist fellowship
and have somebody up here try to, you know,
talk to you about their homiletic style,
their hermeneutics interpretation.
They're not, look, we're not going to stand up here
and talk to you about our exegesis.
We're not going to stand up here and talk to you
about our, you know, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
words that are meant to make you impressed
and think we're smart.
We're going to use words that are easy to understand.
We're going to sound out like a trumpet.
It's going to be a certain sound.
And when we're done, you may not like it,
but you'll know what we meant.
When we're done, you may not agree with it,
but you'll know what was meant.
Go back to Isaiah 58.
Isaiah 58, look at verse 1.
See, our preaching should be clear
as to what we are saying.
Isaiah 58, look at verse 1.
Cry aloud, spare not,
lift up thy voice like a trumpet.
Notice, and show my people their transgression
and the house of Jacob their sins.
In Habakkuk chapter 2, you have to turn there.
The prophet is told, and the Lord answered me and said,
write the vision and make it plain.
You say, what's fire-breathing preaching?
Well, it's preaching, it's biblical preaching.
It's preaching the Bible, all the Bible.
But it's also preaching that is plain,
preaching that is crystal clear,
preaching that is a certain sound,
that you hear it and you know exactly what it means,
you know exactly what you should do.
And by the way, that means we need to be specific about sin.
Show my people their transgression
and the house of Israel their sin.
Number 3, fire-breathing preaching, what is it?
Well, we saw that it's biblical preaching.
We saw that it's clear preaching.
But thirdly, let me say this, it's dynamic preaching.
Now, sometimes people act like dynamic preaching.
This is a preference, you know,
if you've got the skill or the ability.
But look, when God gives instructions to his men
as to how to preach, he tells them, be dynamic.
Isaiah 58, look at verse 1.
Cry aloud.
What does aloud mean?
It means be loud.
He says, cry isn't in the Bible,
in our kingdom of the Bible, cry isn't like,
ah, I'm crying.
That would be all the old eyes be preaching.
Okay, that word is weeping.
This word cry means like yell, like shout,
lift up, notice, cry aloud, spare not,
lift up thy voice like a trumpet.
The Bible teaches that biblical preaching,
fire-breathing preaching, it's dynamic preaching.
Go to Ezekiel chapter 6, you're there in Isaiah.
You've got Jeremiah, Lamentations of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel chapter 6, look at verse 11.
Ezekiel chapter 6 and verse 11, the Bible says this,
Thus saith the Lord God.
Notice what he says, smite with thine hand.
He says, I don't like when you guys beat the pulpit.
Well, he says, smite with thine hand.
You know, when you're preaching and you clap
or you're trying to get people's attention,
he says, smite with thine hand.
He says, stop with thy foot and say,
alas, for all the evil abomination
of the house of Israel, for they shall fall
by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.
Look, I realize, and you,
maybe you're a young guy here tonight
and you're new at preaching,
and I realize it's hard to do that
and you've got to get out of your comfort zone,
but let me tell you something.
Fire-breathing preaching is dynamic preaching
and you need to get excited about what you're preaching.
When you actually open up the Bible
and you realize there's a truth there that people need,
you realize that there are churches all over this country
where kids are being put in danger
because pastors are hiding out
and are helping pedophiles,
that ought to make you mad.
You ought to get up and get excited
about what you're saying.
Lift up your voice.
Fire-breathing preaching is dynamic preaching.
Now look, we don't want dynamic preaching
at the expense of Bible preaching.
Do you understand that?
We don't want to be a Tony Hudson up here
picking up people and picking up flags
and doing all sorts of weird nonsense,
like some sort of World Wrestling Federation clown.
He's dynamic!
Yeah, but remember, point number one,
you missed the Bible.
Point number two, I'm not clear as to what you're doing.
I'm not clear to your mental stability,
much less what your message was about.
It needs to have the Bible,
but look, it should be dynamic.
Now I'll take a monotone preacher
that preaches the Bible over a guy who yells
and isn't preaching anything,
but you know what's better?
If you just did both.
If you just stood up and you were dynamic
and you were passionate
and you were excited about what you're saying
and you preached the Bible
and you were clear about it.
You say, what's fire-breathing preaching?
Because you're here, right?
Fire-breathing Baptist Fellowship,
you came to it.
What is it that you came for?
Well, number one, you came for biblical preaching.
Number two, you came for clear preaching.
Number three, you came for dynamic preaching.
Here's number four, fire-breathing preaching.
Go to Matthew chapter seven if you would.
Matthew chapter seven.
In the New Testament, of course,
first book in the New Testament.
Matthew chapter seven.
Here's number four,
fire-breathing preaching is authoritative preaching.
Fire-breathing preaching is authoritative preaching.
Sometimes people look at us and say,
oh, you get up there and you're yelling
and you're stomping
and you're preaching all these things
and they'll call it pride.
Oh, you're just pride-filled.
No, you know what?
For the first time in your life,
maybe you actually met a preacher
that actually believes what they're saying
and actually understands what the Bible says.
And the Bible tells us that we should preach with authority.
Notice what they said about Jesus.
Matthew 7, 28.
This is when Jesus got done preaching
His great Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 7, 28.
And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these sayings,
the people were astonished at His doctrine.
For He taught them, notice,
as one having authority and not as the scribes.
See, the scribes weren't teaching with authority.
Joel Osteen isn't preaching with authority.
Kanye West isn't preaching with authority
or rapping with authority or whatever he's doing.
You know, T.D. Jakes,
he may be dynamic, but he's not preaching with authority
because the authority comes from Jesus Christ.
He spoke as one having authority.
That's why they can't preach against sin
because they don't even know.
They don't even know.
It isn't sin?
They're listening to Pastor Thompson's sermon.
They're like, well, I don't know.
How bad is it molesting a pedophile?
They don't know.
The authority comes from Jesus Christ.
He is the authority.
And look, we get our authority from Jesus.
Go to Matthew 28.
Matthew 28, I know you know this Great Commission passage,
Matthew 28.
Usually we look at this and talk about soul winning
and we definitely should do that.
But you know, the Great Commission encompasses
more than just soul winning.
Soul winning is just the first part of the Great Commission.
Matthew 28 and verse 19 says this,
Go ye therefore and teach all nations.
That's the soul winning.
Preach the gospel to every creature.
But then he says, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
And then he says this,
Teaching them to observe all things.
See that, all things?
That's everything.
That's all scripture.
All of it.
We need to teach them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you and lo,
I am with you all the way even unto the end of the world.
Amen.
Now here's what's interesting.
This is where we get our authority.
This is, by the way, this is what we do
as a local New Testament church.
You say, what is the fulfillment of the Great Commission?
Is it soul winning?
And I'm all for soul winning.
But soul winning in and of itself
is not the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
The fulfillment of the Great Commission
is the local New Testament church.
Because it is the local New Testament church
that will motivate and mobilize the soul winners.
How shall we preach except we be sent?
And then it is the church that will,
will bring them in and will baptize them
and will teach them on Sunday morning
and Sunday night and Wednesday night,
teaching them to observe all things.
That's what we're supposed to be doing.
Say, well, who gives you the right?
Who gives you the authority?
Well, here's what's interesting.
If you look at verse 19, he says,
Go ye therefore.
I was taught when I was young
that if you see the word therefore,
you ought to see what it's there for.
And the word therefore means for this reason
or as a result of.
So notice he says, he says,
for this reason, as a result of,
he says, go ye therefore for this reason
and teach all nations, baptizing them,
teaching them to observe all things.
He says, go ye therefore as a result.
Well, as a result of what?
Well, notice verse 18.
And Jesus came and spake unto them saying,
this is after the resurrection.
Notice what he says.
All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth.
He says, all power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore.
He says, because of this reason,
because of what reason?
Because all power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth.
You say, what if they make soul winning illegal,
Pastor Emanus?
Are you gonna quit soul winning
if they make soul winning illegal?
Well, here's the problem.
Jesus said, all power is given unto me.
That's why Peter said,
we ought to obey God rather than men.
You say, well, what about the gated neighborhoods?
You're gonna go in the gated neighborhood?
They got a sign.
It says, no soliciting the whole community.
No soliciting.
One sign for all 200 units in a gated neighbor.
Well, here's the problem with that.
Jesus said, all power is given unto me.
What if they outlaw the Bible?
We'll read the Bible.
What if they outlaw prayer?
We'll pray.
What if they make us dissolve our corporations
and then like Pastor Thompson said,
we'll meet under a tree and we'll preach the word of God.
Why?
Because all power is given unto Jesus.
And he says, because of that,
go ye therefore and teach all nations
and baptize them and teach them to observe all things.
Where's our authority come?
It comes from Jesus Christ.
Where did his authority come?
It came from the father.
Which is why he said, as my father has sent me,
so send I you.
And we go with his authority.
We go with his power.
Notice he taught them as one having authority
and all power was given unto him.
And by the way, you get authority by spending time
with the one who has authority.
Go to Acts chapter four.
Look at verse 13.
You're there in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts.
Acts chapter four.
Look at verse 13.
See, you see the reason that these guys,
they get up and they just kind of preach with no authority,
you know, it's because they haven't spent time with Jesus.
It's because Jesus is the authority
and we get our authority from Jesus.
Acts 4, 13.
Now when they saw, notice,
when they saw the boldness of Peter and John.
Now what are they referring to when they say boldness?
They're speaking about their authoritative preaching,
their authoritative proclamation.
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John
and perceive that they were unlearned and ignorant men,
they marveled and they took knowledge of them.
Notice that they had been with Jesus
because they had been with the one that had all authority,
that had all power.
And he had sent them out with his authority,
he was sent out with the authority of the Father
and then they went out and they went out in boldness.
They went out and spoke boldly.
So when we're talking about fire-breathing preaching,
we're talking about fire-breathing preaching,
we're talking about preaching with authority.
That's why, you know, these people say,
oh, well, what kind of apologetics ministry do you have?
I'm not apologizing for anything.
Oh no, see, you're unlearned and ignorant.
The word apologetics, well, it's a foreign word.
Well, here's the problem.
I speak English, okay?
And I'm not gonna stand up and apologize about anything.
You say, oh, well, you gotta figure out
how to defend the Bible.
The Bible defends itself.
The Bible doesn't need,
God does not need us to defend his word.
God needs us to preach his word.
Let the Bible fight the Bible's battles.
We just deliver the message.
They stood up with boldness.
They had authority, why?
Because they spent time with Jesus.
Because they spent time in the word of God.
Because they spent time with God.
Go to Nehemiah chapter number eight.
Nehemiah towards the Old Testament.
If you find the one and two books,
1 Samuel, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles.
You've got Ezra, then Nehemiah.
Nehemiah chapter number eight.
We're talking about fire-breathing preaching.
And really, all I wanna do tonight
is I kinda wanna just set the stage
for the rest of this week.
Because before me, you had a great sermon.
And after me, you're gonna hear
some of the greatest preachers in America.
You're gonna hear some of the greatest preaching this week.
It's the gathering of some of the greatest preachers.
It's gonna be great fire-breathing preaching.
And I just want you to understand
what you signed up for.
And some of you are like, I'm not coming back.
I thought this was something else, you know.
And you know what you signed up for
and then how you should respond to it.
And what is fire-breathing preaching?
Well, it's biblical preaching.
What is it?
It's clear preaching.
What is it?
It's dynamic preaching.
What is it?
It's authoritative preaching.
Number five.
Fire-breathing preaching is educational preaching.
People say, oh, well, do you have the gift of preaching
or do you have the gift of teaching?
Look, all preaching needs to have teaching in it.
You need to be able to teach
because you're preaching the word of God.
You need to be able to teach the word of God
as you're preaching.
Nehemiah chapter eight, look at verse one.
Nehemiah chapter eight and verse one,
the Bible says this,
and all the people gathered themselves together.
Kind of like we're gathered tonight,
they all gathered themselves together.
As one man into the street,
that was before the Watergate.
And they spake unto Ezra the scribe
to bring the book of the law of Moses,
which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
And by the way, isn't it refreshing
that there are still some people
who will gather together and say, bring us the book,
bring us the word of God.
They want to hear the Bible.
Look, it's always a remnant, we understand that.
But it's good.
You say, why have a conference like this?
Why have conferences throughout the country?
Just because sometimes it's good
to get around people that aren't crazy.
Because the world, they try to make us feel like we're crazy.
They're like, oh, you don't think
that two men should go to bed together?
You're insane.
We're like, no, you actually, you're insane.
And it's nice to get around people.
And I say, hey, what are we doing tonight?
We're all gathering together and we're saying,
bring out the book of the law of Moses.
Bring out the book, bring out the word of God,
which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
Notice verse four, and Ezra the scribe stood upon
a pulpit of wood, kind of like this pulpit.
And I really like this pulpit, by the way.
Thank you.
Which they had made for the purpose and beside him stood
Matathiah and Shema and Ananias and Uriah and Hilkiah
and Maheshah on his right hand and on his left hand,
Perahiah and Mishael and Malchiah and Hashum
and Hashbanah and Zechariah and Meshulam.
Notice verse eight, also,
Joshua and Bani and Sherabiah and Jaman and Akub,
I don't know why he has these names here,
and Shabbithiah and Harajiah and Maheshah
and Kalita and Azariah and Jehoshaphat and Hanan
and Perahiah and the Levites.
Notice, this is what I want you to notice,
caused the people to understand the law.
And the people stood in their place.
So they read in the book of the law of God,
notice, distinctly, see that word distinctly?
It means in a distinct way,
clearly, without doubt.
It means that they spoke it clearly, right?
Not an uncertain sound, but a certain sound.
And then they did it without doubt, with authority.
He caused them to understand the reading.
It says, so they read, verse eight, in the book,
in the law of God, distinctly, and notice, gave the sense.
That means they helped them to understand the meaning
and caused them to understand the reading.
Notice verse nine, and Nehemiah, which is Tershothah,
and Ezra the priest described in the Levites,
notice, that taught the people, said unto all the people,
this day is holy unto the Lord your God,
nor not, nor we, for all the people wept
when they heard the words of the law.
And here's what I'm trying to show you,
and here's the whole point,
is that fire-breathing preaching is educational preaching.
It's instructional preaching.
It'll teach you the Bible.
You'll learn the Bible alongside with being dynamic,
alongside with being clear and authoritative,
alongside with all that, you'll actually learn the Bible.
And here's the truth, you'll learn more from this sermon,
you'll learn more about preaching from this one sermon
than you would from a whole semester's worth
of homiletics at West Coast Baptist College.
You'll learn more about preaching from this one sermon, why?
Because we're using the Bible.
Because we're preaching the Bible.
Because we're helping you to understand the Bible.
So what is fire-breathing preaching?
It's educational preaching.
Go to Jeremiah chapter 20.
I'm not sure if you kept your place there in Isaiah.
If you did, of course you've got,
right after Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jeremiah chapter 20.
Let me give you point number six tonight.
Fire-breathing preaching, it's educational.
It's authoritative, it's dynamic, it's clear, it's biblical.
Here's point number six.
Fire-breathing preaching is unpopular preaching.
By and large, in regards to the masses, it's not popular.
Most people don't want to hear it.
Most people, this is what the Bible says,
enter ye in at the straight gate.
For wide is the gate and broad is the way
which leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in there at.
Most people aren't going to want to hear
what the Bible says.
Jeremiah 20, look at verse eight.
He says, for since I spake, this is Jeremiah.
This is Jeremiah at a low point in his life.
He says, for since I spake, I cried out,
I cried violence and spoil,
because the word of the Lord was made a reproach.
The word reproach means a disgrace, a dishonor.
He says, the word of the Lord,
he said, I preach the word of God.
And then the word of God, it was made a reproach unto me.
And a derision, that means a mockery, a ridicule.
They ridiculed me because of my preaching
of the word of God.
He says, and a derision daily.
And look, this is the truth.
Today, if you stand up, today,
if you stand up and preach the Bible,
and you preach all of it, and you preach it clearly,
and you preach it authoritatively,
and you actually teach people what the Bible actually says,
most people are not going to want it.
Most people are not going to like it.
I drove in today and I thought, cool,
they got one of those sign waivers for the conference.
Now, how do you get,
they got a full-time sign waiver out there.
You read the sign, it's like, oh, right.
You say, why?
Why?
Because the word, look,
do you realize that even most, quote unquote,
Christians don't like the Bible?
In fact, the biggest problem most Christians have
is the Bible.
Isn't that true?
I mean, go to the fund center churches.
They, the reason they've got their apologetics ministry
is because they're constantly now, I'm trying to,
well, you know, this doesn't really apply to us,
and you know, this thing, and God used to be angry,
and now he took a chill pill and whatever.
The biggest problem they have is the Bible.
I mean, look, do you realize
that most, quote unquote, Christians,
and I'm doing this because they're not saved, okay?
Most, quote unquote, Christians,
they like everything about Christianity.
They like the music, they like the gathering,
they like the coffee, I'm all for coffee.
They like the coffee, they like the donuts,
they like the small grooves, they've got the rock,
they like all of it.
Biggest problem they have is the Bible.
They like, they like all of it till you tell them
what the Bible teaches about homosexuality,
then it's like, wait a minute.
Till you actually explain to them
what the Bible teaches about divorce,
then they're like, well, we don't like that.
Till you actually explain to them
that the Bible actually teaches
that we should throw you out of church
when you're living in fornication,
they're like, wait, whoa, wait a minute.
You understand what I'm saying?
So you actually teach them what the Bible says
about dress standards and what nakedness is
and that God wants you to be modest,
and they're like, whoa, whoa.
And you begin to realize that most Christians
like Christianity accept the Bible.
Biggest problem they got is the Bible.
So when you stand up and preach the Bible,
they got a problem with you.
It's a reproach.
It's a derision daily.
They've made a God out of their own imaginations.
They've made the Santa Claus God
that brings you gifts when you're naughty or nice.
That doesn't care what you do.
And look, salvation is not based on your works.
But if you want to have the blessing of God upon your life,
it matters how you live your life.
And Jesus said, get them saved
and then teach them to observe all things.
Teach them to follow.
Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commandments.
But today, most people, most people today,
they don't want to hear it.
And this type of preaching, look,
this type of preaching will make you an unpopular preacher.
You're not going to be just this popular,
you're not going to be Rick Warren,
you're not going to be Billy Graham.
Okay, you're not going to be this popular preacher
that's just out there and just loved by the world
because it's unpopular.
Keep your place there in Jeremiah.
We're going to come right back to it.
Go to Luke chapter six.
Luke chapter six.
I was going to give you an illustration,
but Pastor Thompson messed it all up.
With his clear preaching.
I was going to tell you how, look,
this is how unpopular biblical preaching is.
If you go on our Google reviews,
you got 670, we have, our church has 677 Google reviews.
We got a 2.3 out of five stars.
Cause like 500 of them are like one star reviews.
Cause people hate us.
Now look, I like the idea, let's turn it on them.
Let's go give one star reviews to all the lame preachers.
But you know, the truth is this,
I bet you that guy with the pedophile in church,
I bet you he doesn't have bad reviews.
You know who does have bad reviews?
Pastor Shelley.
You know who does have bad reviews?
Pastor Thompson.
You know who does have bad reviews?
Pastor Fritz.
You know who does have bad reviews?
The guys are actually preaching the Bible.
Cause the world says, oh, we don't want that.
We don't like that.
You're too clear.
Make it a little blurrier.
You're too clear.
If you're going to preach Romans one,
then just help us not understand it.
We don't want to get it.
I mean, you think I'm joking.
You know, I kept your place.
I told you to go to Luke six,
but go back to Jeremiah just real quickly.
Go to where we started.
We're going to go back to Luke.
Go to Jeremiah chapter five.
Look verse 31 or look verse 30.
This could be the life verse
of most old IFB churches today.
Jeremiah 5, 30 and 31.
A wonderful, and when the word wonderful there
doesn't mean wonderful, like this is good.
It's just like a, whoa, I'm full of wonder
that this has happened.
A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land.
The prophets prophesied falsely
and the priests bear rule by their means.
And you say, is that the wonder part?
The part that's so that would make you full of wonder?
No, here's the part that makes you full of wonder
is and my people love to have it so.
And what will you do in the end thereof?
See, the truth is this,
we've gotten to the place in our country
and we've gotten to a place where most people
that claim to be Christians,
that claim to love Jesus Christ,
the truth is they want to be lied to.
They don't want the truth.
They don't want to be told the truth.
Go to second Timothy.
Second Timothy chapter four.
I read this to you earlier, but I want you to see it.
I remember when, before we started
Verity Baptist Church, I went to an old IFB church
and I went to the best church in my area.
And you know, when we were there,
obviously they were not preaching hard against the queers
and not doing all those things,
but the pastor decided he was going to preach
to the book of Romans.
And I was really excited because when you preach
the book of Romans, you've got to start in Romans chapter one.
You know, I don't know if you're going to do this thing
like, we're starting in chapter two.
But so on that Wednesday night,
he's like, Romans, turn your Bibles to Romans chapter one.
I'm like, yes, I'm going to hear some preaching
about Romans one.
And he spent the whole time, you know,
just preaching about the first part of the chapter
for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
all that stuff, that's great stuff.
You know, he preached that sermon
and then get to the reprobate stuff.
And I was like, okay, you know what?
I kind of knew that was going to happen, whatever.
That's cool.
Week two, same thing.
Week three, same thing.
We were literally in Romans one for like four weeks
and we like never got to like the reprobate part.
And then when we finally get like,
it was like the week number six and he got to the reprobate,
you know, the sodomites and all that stuff,
it was literally so confusing.
What he was saying is like,
everybody walked out of there and they just say, everybody,
I mean, people were just talking to me,
they're like, I'm not sure what that was about.
And I literally think he was on purpose,
just trying to make sure no one could have,
cause then you can't,
if you don't understand what he's saying,
you can't use his words against him.
So you're like, I think he's kind of,
think he's kind of against the homos,
but I'm not really sure he's against them,
but not that much is kind of what you get from it.
And you know what, but most people, that's what they want.
They want to be lied to.
Are you there in second Timothy four,
look at verse two, preach the word, we've talked about it.
Be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke,
exhort with all on suffering and doctrine.
Notice verse three, for the time will come
when they will not endure sound doctrine,
but after their own loss,
shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.
Say, why are there thousands of people over at Joel Osteen's?
Why are there thousands of people over at Rick Warren?
Why are there thousands of people over at these churches?
Why?
Because people, they will not endure sound doctrine.
And after their own loss, they heap to themselves teachers
that are gonna make them feel good.
They're gonna make them feel right.
And look, please understand this.
If you come to church and all, what's the point of coming
if all pastor Shelley's gonna do is just tell you
everything you're doing is fine.
If everything you're doing is fine,
then you don't need the church.
The whole point is to tell you, here's what the Bible says,
here's what you're doing.
We're trying to get you to be more like Jesus.
And look, and if you think you're like Jesus,
you need to read the Bible.
You're not even close to Jesus.
I'm not even close to Jesus.
And we're trying to be more like him every day.
That's the point, right?
We're following Christ.
We're followers of Jesus Christ,
which means we become disciples,
which means we get disciplined,
which means we have to deny ourselves,
which means we realize if I'm going to be like Jesus,
I can't do these things that I've been doing so far.
But these people, they wanna go to church
and just have a preacher tell them, oh, you're fine.
They heap to themselves preachers.
But after their own lusts,
shall they heap themselves teachers?
And then he says this, having itching ears.
And whenever I read that,
I can't help but think of a dog, right?
Who has the dog?
Anyone have dogs in Texas?
Good night.
Well, I guess so.
You know, when you get naked, demon-possessed,
people showing up at your front door, you need a dog.
When you've been protested, like I've been protested,
you know, you need a dog.
So we have a dog.
And you know, our guard dog,
our guard half German Shepherd, half lab,
half Belgian Malin, or whatever.
Our guard dog, she likes to be petted, right?
And you know what she really likes?
She really likes people to scratch her ears, right?
And you just kind of, you pet her
and you scratch behind her ears.
You know what they always do?
When you scratch the dogs here, they go like this.
Right?
You guys don't have dogs, so you don't know that.
So let me help you out with that.
And this is what the, you know,
go down to the fun center church
and you know what you'll see?
You'll see a bunch of people in church
having Joe Lowstein or whoever just itching their ears
and they're just, just loving it.
You go to Pastor Thompson's church,
you know what they're doing?
They're going like this.
They're trying to keep him from stomping on their foot.
They're trying to, we step on their feet
while they shake their feet
because they're being itched in their ear.
And he says, look, they heaped to themselves.
They heaped to themselves, teachers having itchy ears
and they shall turn away their ears from the truth
and shall be turned again and shall be turned unto fables.
And that's what's happened.
That's where we live.
That's what it is.
Most quote unquote Christians, they,
I don't know what they believe,
but they don't believe the Bible, they believe a lie.
They think they're serving God
and they're serving a God that they've made up
because fire breathing preaching is unpopular preaching.
Go back to Luke chapter six, Luke chapter six.
And look, let me just help some of you.
Maybe you're new, come to church and you're like,
is this normal?
Never went to a church or a guy was protesting my pastor.
Hey look, that's like, you give the guy a raise.
That's like a badge of honor.
Now, is this normal where people,
the news media is attacking us, is this normal?
Well, look, please understand.
It's not normal if you're going the broad way
that leads to destruction.
But actually if you're following Jesus Christ,
I don't know if you know much about Jesus,
but they crucified him.
You know that?
You get that part of that story?
Luke chapter six, look at verse 22.
Notice what Jesus said.
Blessed are ye.
Pastor Amanda, as our church has received
a lot of criticism.
You know what?
Blessed are ye.
You know what I know about Pastor Fritz?
He's a blessed man.
Blessed are ye when men shall hate you
and when they shall separate you from their company.
Brother Dunn, when they say, no, we'll keep the pedophile,
you go.
You know what?
You're blessed.
Blessed are you.
When they shall separate you from their company
and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil
for the son of man's sake.
When they'll say you're evil.
When they'll say, when one reprobate
kills a bunch of other reprobates
and you get up and say, great.
Then it's like, in the news media, it's like,
I'm the one that killed them all or something.
But I'm evil because evil, wicked reprobates
are killing each other.
Men shall hate you when they shall separate you
from their company and shall reproach you
and cast out your name as evil for the son of man's sake.
Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy.
For behold, your reward is great in heaven.
For in like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
Notice verse number 26.
Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you.
I don't, I didn't like that sermon
Pastor Anderson preached about Kanye West.
He's a babe in Christ.
If he's a babe in Christ,
why is he preaching to thousands of people?
I think he's a false prophet.
So how do you know Kanye West is a false prophet?
Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you.
For so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you.
How do you know Billy Graham's a false prophet?
Because everybody speaks well of them.
Look, when you're preaching the Bible
and everyone likes you, you're not doing it right.
You're missing something, you're sparing something,
you're forgetting something.
Because people, this world is not going to,
most people by and large are not going to want
biblical preaching.
I'm just telling you, fire breathing preaching,
fire breathing preaching is unpopular preaching.
So just know this.
And I appreciate it.
You take this sermon and share it on Facebook,
I appreciate that.
But the truth is, most of your family members
aren't going to like it.
Don't be shocked by that.
Most of your family, send you some Facebook message,
have you seen his Google ratings?
And look, here's what I tell people.
Here's what I tell people all the time.
Google ratings don't lie.
If you're looking for a restaurant,
you're looking for a hotel, Google ratings don't lie.
And you know, they don't lie.
And I've got probably the worst Google ratings
in the world, and they don't lie.
Read what people say.
Obviously they lie or whatever, but the truth is this.
They hate us because we love the word of God.
Go back to Jeremiah chapter 20.
Let me say this, look at verse nine.
Notice what Jeremiah said.
Because Jeremiah was a man.
And I can identify Jeremiah because I've been here.
And I'm sure all the men in this room who are pastors,
they probably felt this way at some point or another.
Notice what Jeremiah said.
Then I said, I will not make mention of him,
nor speak any more in his name.
You know, cause Jeremiah was getting all this persecution,
this derision, all this reproach for preaching the word.
And he said, you know what, I'm done.
I will not make mention of him.
Talking about God, nor speak any more in his name.
I'm not gonna speak for God.
You know, Jeremiah was in a low place here.
He's a little discouraged and he's just saying,
you know, I think I'm just, I'm gonna quit.
But his word was in my heart
as a burning fire shot up in my bones.
And I was weary with forbearing.
And I could not stay.
Let me tell you something.
If you're ever discouraged, if you're ever discouraged,
you need to just run to the Bible.
Bible talks about, though the outward man perish,
yet our inward man is renewed day by day.
I remember the disciples on the road to Emmaus,
they were discouraged because they thought Jesus died
and hadn't resurrected.
They didn't know he'd resurrected yet.
They were discouraged.
They thought they'd waste their time
and the resurrected Christ appeared to them.
They did not realize it.
And here's what they said.
They said, did not our hearts burn within us
while he talked with us, by the way,
and while he opened to us the scriptures?
It's why you need Wednesday night church, by the way.
It's why you need Sunday morning church.
It's why you need Sunday night church.
You get out in that world
and you start getting a little discouraged,
start getting a little upset,
start fighting those battles.
You start thinking, is it even worth it?
You show up to church on a Wednesday night
and when the pastor stands up and he speaks to you,
the word of God, you'll start feeling that burning.
Jeremiah said, but his word was in my heart
as a burning fire.
Shut up in my bone.
God, the Bible says that our God is a consuming fire.
Fire breathing preaching is unpopular preaching.
Go to Ezekiel chapter 33.
Ezekiel 33, we'll finish up right here.
You're in Jeremiah, you got Lamentations,
Ezekiel, Ezekiel 33.
What is fire breathing preaching?
It's biblical preaching.
What is fire breathing preaching?
It's clear preaching.
What is fire breathing preaching?
It's dynamic preaching.
What is fire breathing preaching?
It's authoritative preaching.
What is fire breathing preaching?
It's educational preaching.
What's fire breathing preaching?
It's unpopular preaching.
Let me give you one last one tonight.
What is fire breathing preaching?
It's applicable preaching.
Are you there in Ezekiel 33?
Look at verse 30.
Also thou son of man,
also thou son of man, the children of thy people
are still talking against thee by the walls
and in the doors of the house and speak one to another.
And he will speak every one to his brother saying,
come, I pray you and hear what is the word
that cometh forth from the Lord.
Now, if you were to read verse 30 just on its own,
you would think this is a good thing.
People, they liked Ezekiel's preaching.
They actually, they subscribed on YouTube
and they left comments
and they watched the Facebook live streams
and they shared the videos.
They said, we've never heard a guy preach like this.
He's an eloquent speaker.
He's a good preacher.
Notice verse 31, and they come unto thee.
Is God telling Ezekiel, they come unto thee
as the people cometh and they sit before thee
as my people and they hear thy words.
Here's the problem though, but they will not do them.
Let me tell you something.
No matter how much great preaching you listen to this week,
no matter how much great preaching you get
from the men represented in this room
and the churches that we fellowship with
and all the great biblical preaching that they have,
you can sit there and download every sermon,
listen to every sermon.
Listen, you can sit there and spend your entire week
going from church to church, YouTube channel,
listening to all of them.
And if you don't do what the Bible says,
you know what Jesus would call you?
A fool.
This is how Jesus ended his sermon, right?
The Sermon on the Mountain, how'd he end it?
What was his conclusion?
He said, let me tell you what a wise man would do
with what I just said.
He said, a wise man is like and done to a man
that heweth these sayings.
And if he does them, if he doeth them,
he's like a wise man that founded his house upon the rock.
And if you hear the sayings and you don't do them
and you're a fool, he says in verse 31,
but they will not do them.
For with their mouth they show much love,
but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
See, look, listen to me, please listen to me.
It's not enough to say, oh, I support those guys.
I support that pastor.
I support that preaching,
but I'm not gonna go to that church
because I might lose my job.
Or I'm not gonna move to that church
because I don't wanna give up what I've got going on here.
He says, look, these people,
they say with their mouth they show much love,
but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
So you know, the truth of the matter is this,
that where your treasure is there,
where your heart be also,
and if we wanna know what you really think,
we just gotta follow the money.
And here's what I'm telling you.
Here's what I'm telling you.
Someone who listens to this type of preaching
will actually get invested in this type of preaching.
They'll sell the house, they'll move the family,
they'll find a job,
they'll get them in the right type of church.
Oh, no, I'm just gonna,
I'm gonna keep what I've got going on over here.
You don't understand, pastor, I got the family business,
I got the family farm, and I got the family,
and some of you are thinking,
he's saying that just because of me?
I don't know you.
There's like 10 of you.
Do you know what somebody who is wise,
they'd actually just do what they heard.
And lo, verse 32,
thou art unto them as a very lovely song
of one that hath a pleasant voice,
and can play well on an instrument,
for they hear thy words, but they do them not.
They hear it, they don't do it.
And when this cometh to pass, when what comes to pass?
The judgment of God.
When the storms come, when the winds come,
and your house falls apart.
Is that what Jesus said?
It falls apart.
And look, people think,
oh, the storm caused my house to fall.
No, the fact that you aren't founded upon the rock
caused your house to fall.
The storm only revealed for us what was already there.
He says, and when this cometh to pass,
lo, lo, please, it's not when the storm comes,
it's not if the storm comes, it's when the storm comes,
lo, it will come.
Then, then shall they know
that a prophet have been among them.
And you know what fire-breathing preaching is?
It's applicable preaching.
If you don't apply it, it's useless to you.
I came all the way out here for fire-breathing preaching,
I came to the conference, I got a hotel,
I got the time off for work.
Great, you better do what you hear.
Great, I'm glad you're here.
Better apply it.
Great, I'm glad you're here.
But don't leave here just saying,
oh, that was good, that was great.
I really like how that guy preached,
I really like how tall that guy is.
Talking about me, right?
You better leave here and say, I got some work to do.
I've got some things to do.
This is about, I'll talk about, James said it this way,
James said it this way, someone who hears the words
and doesn't do them is like someone that looks in the mirror
sees that there's broccoli in their tooth
and just walks away, being a forgetful hearer.
Look, there's no point, there's no point,
there's no point, this is what James would say,
there's no point in looking in the mirror
if you're not gonna do something about what you saw.
Look, I'm stepping on a toad,
some of you look like you didn't look in the mirror
before you got here.
There's no point.
Why would you look in the mirror and say,
if my tie's like this,
yeah, my tie's messed up, I'm gonna go preach anyway.
The whole point of looking in the mirror is like,
oh man, my tie's messed up.
Right, do you understand what I'm saying?
The whole point of coming to church like this
is so a pastor can get up with the mirror
of the word of God and say, look at yourself,
you're a mess, your marriage is falling apart,
your children are falling apart,
your finances are falling apart, let me help you.
And then you say, oh yeah, that's nice.
And you just go on your merry way.
You're a fool, you're a fool.
Who's authority do you have?
The authority of Jesus Christ.
It's foolish and fire-breathing preaching,
fire-breathing preaching, it's applicable preaching.
So apply it, so how do I apply this sermon?
Here's how you apply the sermon.
You spend the rest of the week applying all the sermons.
And you say, I came here for fire-breathing biblical,
authoritative, clear, educational, dynamic preaching,
unpopular preaching, and I'm gonna apply it to my life.
Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, thank you Lord for your word,
thank you for the Bible.
Thank you for everybody that would come out here,
all those that came out on Wednesday night,
all those that traveled.
Lord, obviously nobody's here because they don't love you.
Of course they love you, that's why they're here.
But Lord, I pray you'd help us to make a conscious decision
to apply what we hear.
Pastor Thompson gave us some application points,
help us to apply those where needed.
All the men that are gonna come up over the next several
days and preach, they're all going to make applications
to our lives, help us to do what we hear.
And Lord, I thank you for men that are willing to stand up
and be a reproach, that are willing to stand up
and be disdained, that are willing to stand up
and sacrifice and suffer for the word of God.
I pray that you would help us to raise even more men
that would stand up and do likewise.
In the matchless name of Christ, we pray, amen.