So we're in 1st Corinthians chapter number 3, we'll start reading in verse number 1.
It says here, And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal,
even as unto babes in Christ.
Now, why does he start off this chapter with that sentence?
Well, simply because if you read 1st Corinthians chapter number 2, he makes a distinction of
those who are spiritual can judge all things, right?
And those who are spiritual are those who are being taught the words which the Holy
Ghost teacheth, etc.
But obviously, he's kind of giving them a precursor because in 1st Corinthians chapter
number 3, we see that the church here at Corinth has a lot of issues, has a lot of problems.
So he's kind of giving them like the sandwich method, he says, yeah, they are spiritual
judge with all things.
And you know, God has revealed unto us the deep things of God.
But then he starts off in verse number 1 of chapter 3, but I couldn't speak unto you as
unto spiritual.
He goes, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
Now, as we mentioned before, those who are carnal, the Bible will refer to as a babe
in Christ.
Okay, you know, there's a false teaching out there that says, well, there's no such thing
as a carnal Christian.
Well, you got a problem here because he says, as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
What does that say?
It's showing us that those who are babes in Christ are also carnal.
Why is that?
Well, simply for the fact that once someone gets saved right off the bat, you know, they
don't have their life cleaned up right away.
Okay, they're going to struggle with certain things.
They haven't added to their life virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance,
etc. as we see in the Bible, they're still growing.
They have what's called baggage.
Okay.
You know, maybe they have bad habits, they have sins that they're still struggling with,
whatever it may be, but the Bible teaches us that they're babes in Christ, therefore
they still are carnal.
Carnal is just another word for saying fleshly.
Okay.
Now go to Romans chapter number eight, Romans chapter number eight.
A fleshly person is a person who basically feeds the flesh all the time.
They're not necessarily spiritual.
Okay.
And why?
Because, well, they haven't read the Bible.
That's how you get spiritual.
You get spiritual by reading the Bible, by listening to preaching, by applying biblical
principles to your life, but the way you become fleshly is by not doing those things.
Well, if you got someone who just barely got saved, they're not going to know how to clean
up their lives.
Most people who come into church and when they first get saved, they don't know half
the things that they're doing is wrong, is wrong.
You know what I mean?
They don't understand those things.
They need to hear preaching from God's word.
They need to hear some hard preaching from the Bible.
They need to read the Bible in themselves and they'll say, oh, I didn't know this was
a sin.
I got to clean up my life in this area.
Okay.
And therefore, they can grow out of that stage right there.
Look at Romans 8 verse 5, it says, for they that are after the flesh do mind the things
of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit, for to be
carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal
mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be, so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
You see, the Bible tells us that faith is what helps us to please God.
Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
Well, when we're not walking in faith, we're not walking in the spirit, what are we doing?
We're walking in the flesh.
Okay.
Well, that's why we can't be impatient with someone when they first get saved.
We can't expect them to live a holy life right off the bat.
We can't expect them to know all kinds of doctrines right off the bat and get every
single principle, Christian principle in their life right off the bat.
Why?
Because they just got saved.
You know, I can't expect my one-year-old son to just know already how to be an adult, okay?
It would be foolish of me as a parent to expect that much of my son, okay?
Now, does that mean that I don't discipline him when he does wrong?
No, because that's part of the growth process, okay?
For him to know that something is wrong, dad needs to teach him that something is wrong.
But what I'm saying is this, is he's not going to naturally understand that what he's doing
is wrong is wrong.
Does that make sense?
Okay.
According to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 1, there are those that even though they are
saved, they can't receive spiritual truths, okay?
You know, because we often think, well, the unsaved obviously can't receive spiritual
truths because the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.
But there's sometimes that they're saved people who can't receive spiritual truths.
They're saved, they got the Holy Spirit of God, they have the right Bible, but because
they're not in a good preaching church, a Bible-believing preaching church, or because
they're not reading their Bibles, or let's just say because they're carnal, they can't
understand spiritual truths, okay?
In fact, the Bible says in Psalms 119 verse 70, you don't have to turn there.
Go to Matthew 13, Psalms 119 verse 70 says, their heart is as fat as grease, but I delight
in thy law.
You see, there's Christians out there that have a heart spiritually fat with grease.
Why is that?
Because they fill their heart with the world.
They fill their heart with the entertainment of the things of this world, and what happens,
they don't have a desire for the things of God.
You know why you struggle to read your Bible?
Because you watch too much television, that's why.
You know why you struggle to like Godly music?
Because you're always bumping the rap music.
You're always playing hip-hop, Tekashi 6ix9ine, and Lil Pump, and all these rapper baits.
That's why you don't want to listen to the songs that we sing.
That's why when we sing Standing on the Promises of God, you're like halfway asleep, you know,
because it doesn't have a beat, or whatever.
You know, you need to change your appetite.
And no Christian, no newly saved person begins to like spiritual music right off the bat.
I didn't.
You know, when I first got saved, I was still listening to hip-hop and rap.
And I like gangster rap, that was my thing, that was my thang.
That's what I grew up listening to, that's what I like, but I got some hard preaching
from the pulpit that told me that that was wicked, and I wanted to change, and I asked
my leaders, hey, I need some godly music in my life.
Well, he gave me a CD of some hymns, okay, and I remember popping that CD into my car,
I listened to the song, and I said, nope, and I ejected that thing, and I was like,
I'm just not going to listen to music.
I was like, I can't listen, I don't even like this.
But you know what I learned is that there's a principle called the principle of replacement.
Okay, we're not talking about replacement theology here, though that's a good principle.
You know, I'm talking about the principle of replacement that you have to learn how
to like something.
Okay, you have to develop an appetite for that spiritual thing.
And so after a while, I was like, you know what, I can't just not listen to music, I
need to listen to something, because if not, I'm going to revert back to listening to the
wrong things.
So, and by the way, you say, well, what's wrong with rap music, you know, what about
Christian rap?
There's no such thing as Christian rap, okay?
It doesn't exist.
And let me explain to you why, let me just divert off of the message right here just
to explain to you why it doesn't work out.
The Bible says to speak to yourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to make
a melody in your hearts and to the Lord.
So the Bible classifies what type of music we ought to listen to.
It gives us categories.
It says psalms, those are songs straight from the book of Psalms, hymns, that's what we sing
in church, and then it says spiritual songs.
Well, what's a spiritual song?
Well, the way you can determine what a spiritual song is, is by determining what the opposite
of that is, which is a carnal song.
What's a carnal song?
Something that feeds the flesh.
So if you're playing a song, you know, you're playing, you know, someone give me a rapper.
Give me a rapper.
I won't get, who?
Drake.
There's so many.
Drake the sodomite, okay?
By the way, he specifically said that he was possessed by a homosexual demon.
He said that with his own mouth.
Right.
But let's say you're playing Drake, okay?
And you say, well, you know, he's talking about God.
But if you're going like this, you know, you're feeding your flesh is what you're doing.
Okay?
So music, how can you determine if a song is spiritual or not?
Is it feeding your flesh?
You know, that's why contemporary Christian music is not Christian music at all.
He said, why is that?
Because, well, they talk about Jesus, and they talk about all these biblical things.
But you know what?
You're not listening to the words.
Right.
You know, you listen to the beat, okay?
And if it makes you move, then it's probably a carnal song.
You see, a spiritual song is something that feeds your spirit.
It's something that reinforces biblical doctrines.
Amen.
You say, well, you know, I just, you know, I just don't, then go ahead and keep listening
to your, to that faggoty music then.
Come on.
And I'm talking about CCM.
Amen.
There's a bunch of queers who've seen those songs.
Amen.
That's right.
Hillsong, all that stuff.
Yeah, wait.
All sodomites.
Amen.
Okay?
Now look, I'm telling you this because this is for our own good.
And in fact, the Bible says if we're going to be spirit-filled Christians, according
to the, according to Ephesians chapter five, we have to sing spiritual songs.
Amen.
That's part of the Christian life.
Right.
You say, well, I can't sing.
Well, do what the Bible says and make a joyful noise.
Amen.
Right.
Okay?
You know, we're not, you're not expected to have a beautiful voice.
If God didn't gift you with that, that's fine.
But you know what?
You ought to sing spiritual songs.
And look, if you like say, well, you know what?
Okay.
Now I know, brother Bruce.
Now I know that I shouldn't listen to Tekashi 6-9 and all these other, you know, reprobates
from Hollywood.
What should I listen to?
See me right after the service and I'll give you a CD.
Amen.
You know, there's a spiritual CD that you can listen to, to develop the right type of
appetites.
Cause look, the fact remains, if you keep listening to that garbage, you're going to
act out that garbage.
That's why the Bible tells us to listen to spiritual songs.
You know, when you're singing the hymns, come now fount of every blessing, you're going
to hear, you're going to think about doctrinal things.
It's going to give you a heart for the spiritual matters.
But you know what?
The Bible says that if you have a carnal mind, a fleshly mind, that's how you're going to
behave.
That's why you got to make sure you have the right kind of music.
Now I chased a rabbit, we skinned it, killed it, ate it, it was good.
Look at Matthew 13 verse 15, it says, for this people's heart is wax gross and their
ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have, they have clothes lest at any time they should
see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and
should be converted and I should heal them.
Now we understand that this is actually referring to the Jews who chose not to listen to the
word of God.
But this is a principle that actually can also apply to Christians.
Because Christians can actually grow dull of hearing.
You know, they stop, they close their ears of not hearing the truth and what happens?
God actually begins to take truth from you.
So we got to make sure that we're constantly cultivating a heart that is willing to listen
to biblical truth.
You see, it's easy to listen to biblical truth when we're getting on someone else's sin.
But it's when our toes get stepped on, then it's just like, well I don't want to hear
this, I'm just going to go ahead and tune out.
Well you know, that's when you need to tune in the most.
Tune in and turn up the volume of your attention the most.
Because that's what's going to help you.
Now go back to 1 Corinthians chapter number 3, it says, I have fed you with milk and not
with meat, for hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither yet now are you able.
So the Bible makes a distinction between the milk of the word and the meat of the word.
Now what is milk?
Milk would be considered something that's very basic.
When a child is first born, my daughter for example, she's breastfeeding right now.
And she's drinking from her mother's milk, that's why she's nice and plump, she's nice
and fat.
I consider that a very healthy baby, that's a good thing.
But she can't have a sirloin steak right now, poor thing.
She can't have burgers, she can't have fries or shakes, she can't have any of that, why?
Because she's not able to bear it right now, her stomach's not able to withstand it.
But milk, she's able to digest that.
So here the Apostle Paul is using that as a comparison to spiritual truths.
There are certain times when someone gets saved, they can't understand the deep things
of God as of yet.
That's meat.
For instance, the post-trib pre-wrath rapture doctrine which we hold to here at this church,
you're going to hear a preacher in the pulpit, but sometimes that's some heavy meat right
there.
And someone who just got saved, they're like, I don't even know what post means.
What is that?
You know, what do they need?
They need milk.
Milk is something that's more basic, it's something, it's like the cookie on the bottom
shelf is what it is, right?
And we preach both obviously, we got to give some milk, but we also got to give meat.
The problem is, is that a lot of churches, they just stick to the milk of the warrior.
And what happens, their congregation never grows spiritually, because they're always
drinking milk, they only drink milk, and in fact, most churches, they have formula that
they're giving.
It's not even the good kind of milk.
It's bad milk, okay?
Now what do we want to do?
We want to have a balance.
We need to give milk, because there's brand new Christians in our church, so therefore,
don't get, you know, don't get impatient if I talk about salvation, if I talk about what's
the true way to heaven and by believing and I reiterate these things, because as we get
new people in our church, they need to hear that milk.
But at the same time, if you're the one drinking the milk, don't get frustrated if you don't
understand certain meats that we're giving out as well.
We need to give both, okay?
Now, so meat is doctrine that requires a bit more maturity to take, all right?
And to really appreciate, I mean, some good meat, all right?
Now flip back to 1 Corinthians chapter number 2, here in chapter 3.
So the spiritual truths that dig a little deeper into the Bible, that would be considered
meat, all right?
And look what it says here in verse number 9, it says, but as it is written, I have not
seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has
prepared for them that love him, but God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit, for
the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
You know, most churches on a sunny morning, they don't want to touch on the deep things
of God.
They say, well, you know, we want to make sure we keep it very simple and very basic
on sunny mornings.
But the Bible says here that we have access to the deep things of God.
So if we have access to those deep things, why not study the deep things of God?
If the Bible says that the Holy Spirit can teach us all things and he leads us into all
truths, why not study the deep things of God?
Now understand this, go back to 1 Corinthians 3, so he's not praising them for only being
able to have milk and not strong drink.
In fact, he's kind of being facetious about it and saying, look, you guys are a church,
you guys are saved, but you still need milk.
I can't even talk to you as a grown man, you can't take the meat of the Word, I still need
to give you milk.
Now so the first application to the milk and the meat is that milk is something, is doctrine
that's very basic, right?
Meat is something that's more profound, it's a little more deeper.
But I think there's a second application to this principle here.
You say, what is that?
I believe it's also talking about the density of the doctrine that one is able to intake.
So for example, if we say my daughter's drinking milk, right, it basically means she's not
going to my wife and saying, hey, I need some milk, you know?
She doesn't necessarily know she'll cry, but my wife has to actually feed her.
So she has to bring her up to her teat and feed her, is what she has to do.
So she needs someone to feed her.
So milk works anonymously with a baby who needs someone to feed them.
Whereas meat is in reference to someone who's able to feed themselves, okay?
You don't give a steak to a baby and expect them to know how to cut it, put A1 steak sauce
on that thing, and appreciate it, they're not going to do it, right?
They need milk, they need someone to actually feed them.
Whereas someone who's a grown person, a grown man, you give them a steak, they can handle
that thing.
They know how to feed themselves.
Now go to Hebrews chapter number six with that thought in mind.
Hebrews chapter number six in verse number one, and this is very important simply for
the fact that the Bible teaches us that we need to get fed.
So when you come to church, you're being fed milk in the sense of I'm the one who's doing
the feeding here, right?
I'm teaching you the word of God, but you know what?
It can't stop there.
You need to go home and feed yourself.
We have too many Christians today that the only feeding they get is when they actually
come to church, you know, and they weigh about a buck spiritually with wet clothes
on spiritually because they only eat on Sunday or they only eat on Thursday.
When the pastor's getting up and he's giving them the word of God, no, you need to go home
and read your Bible yourself and make time to read the word of God, okay?
And look, and if you've never read the Bible, start very simple, start in the book of John
and start in the book of Proverbs.
If you don't know how much to read, the book of Proverbs is perfect because it's just one
chapter a day until you can get the consistency to read the Bible every single day, okay?
And then once you start learning, then you can venture out into other books, you can
venture out into the Old Testament and start learning more.
But here's the thing, you need to start eating.
You see, my son is not the best eater, but he can eat.
You give him a plate of food, it's all over the place.
He just learned how to eat with a fork, which is, I mean, we praise him like crazy because
he was just like, stab, shove in the mouth.
Cross is all over, you know, the food is all over him, rice is smushed, you know, but you
know what?
He ate, okay?
So he doesn't do it like, you know, very good, very civilized, but he gets the food in his
mouth.
But you know what?
As the years go by, he'll learn how to feed himself more and more, you know what I mean?
So look at Hebrews 6, 1 says, Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ,
let us go into perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works
and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms and of laying on of hands and
of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment.
So it's saying here that these are the first principles that someone really learns about,
okay?
Obviously, the first principle is salvation, okay?
Repentance from dead works and faith toward God, that's something very basic.
But it says there, let us go into perfection.
So what is that teaching us?
Perfection is when you're complete, is when you mature, right?
Teaching us that principles such as salvation is something that's not, it's something that's
very basic, okay?
It's something that's very first principle, as the Bible would say, okay?
Now with that thought, I'm going to go to Hebrews 5, verse number 12.
Just a couple of verses prior to chapter 6, it says, For when for the time ye ought to
be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the
oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat.
For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a
babe.
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use
have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
So it says this, you need someone to feed you again.
You know, and what do we have today, pastors behind pulpits, who at a time when they ought
to be teachers, they need someone to teach them.
Something as simple as salvation they can't understand, okay?
Now why is it that the Apostle Paul is bringing that up?
Well simply for the fact that the Bible says there in verse number 14 of Hebrews 5, it
says, Who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Well the Corinthian church didn't have that discernment.
That's why in 1 Corinthians chapter number 5, what's going on?
It's reported commonly that there's fornication among them.
And nothing's being done about it.
They're not excommunicating the people out of the church.
They're not correcting the sin of the church.
You know, they have people suing one another.
And then in 2 Corinthians, what do we see?
The church is having trouble forgiving the brother who needs to be restored.
So what is it showing?
It's showing that they're babes in Christ because they're not able to discern between
good and evil.
You see, how can you measure if you yourself are maturing spiritually?
If you can have some discernment of good and evil.
If you can exercise your senses to discern both good and evil.
And that's in every aspect of life.
We won't go too much into that, but go back to 1 Corinthians chapter number 3.
So again, what's the principle we take from those verses?
You know, get fed here.
We got the good milk here.
We got some good milk, you'll be filled, it's nice and warm, it tastes good, it's fresh,
it's raw milk.
You know, raw milk is like the best milk for you to eat.
I think that's what they say, right?
You know, but when you go home, you need to go eat yourself.
You need to open up the Bible and read the Bible yourself and learn for yourself.
Have the discipline, have the character to crack open the Bible and read it.
Turn off the television, turn off the radio, turn off the YouTube, turn off everything
and just read the Bible.
And look, listen to preaching online.
That's fine.
That's not a substitute for you reading your Bible.
Don't watch preaching and say, well, I've done my spiritual duty for the day.
No, you haven't.
Okay?
You listen to a sermon and that's it, but you're not actually reading the Word of God.
The Bible tells us, the Bible doesn't say men should not live by bread alone, but by
every YouTube clip that proceeded out of the mouth of YouTube, the internet.
It says by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God.
And what does it talk about?
It talks about the Bible.
So we need to read the Word of God.
Be consistent at it.
I mean, look, do it tonight, because here's the thing, people will say, oh, man, he's
right.
I need to start reading the Bible.
I'm going to start tomorrow morning.
And you know what?
It never even comes.
You never read it.
You know what?
If you're going to make a decision to read the Bible, do it tonight when you get home
and say, I'm just going to read a chapter tonight, and then tomorrow morning, I'm going
to read another one.
And if you need accountability, get someone to help you out with that, but you need to
start feeding yourself.
You can't be a spiritual baby your whole life.
Okay?
Now, verse number three, it says, for ye are yet carnal, for whereas there is among you
envying and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men?
So he's telling them that they're babes in Christ because they have all these issues
in the church.
You know, they have fightings and divisions and stuff like that.
One is saying that they're of Paul, the other one of Apollos, the other of Christ, they
have cliques in the church.
You know, that doesn't necessarily happen here in our church, but you know, I know of
a bunch of churches where that takes place all the time.
You know, where people just click up, I mean, right after the service, they click up, they're
talking, they're gossiping about the people across the room, they don't get along with
so and so.
And look, and if that's you right here, grow up!
If you don't, if there's someone in this church that you don't get along with, grow up, okay?
First of all, figure out why you don't get along with them, and if it's because they
offended you, then go to them.
Rebuke them, as the Bible says, you know, if he chooses to repent or whatever the situation
may be, if you guys reconcile that, then you know what, you've gained thy brother, okay?
But what you don't want to do is continue to remain in division, okay?
Remain in division, remain in strife, and say, well, I just don't get along with them
because of X, Y, and Z.
Well, you know what, then you're a babe in Christ.
You're carnal is what you are.
Because the fact remains, the Bible tells us that we ought to dwell in unity.
That doesn't mean you have to like everyone in the church, okay?
It doesn't mean you have to get along with everyone in our church, because look, someone's
going to annoy someone in this church, fact, okay?
That's fact.
But you know, the mature person says, but I still love them, if they need anything,
I'm there for them.
We can high and buy, and that's it, and I'll fellowship with someone else.
But you know what, don't be gossiping.
Don't be talking trash.
Don't be trying to cause division or strife.
That's foolish!
Okay?
But he says, you're carnal, because this is taking place in the church of Corinth.
Go to Galatians chapter number 5.
This reinforces that statement even more.
Galatians chapter number 5 verse 16 says, This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye
shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these
are contrary, the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, envies, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like of the witch, I tell you before,
as I have told you, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
So it lists some things there that the flesh is capable of doing, envy, you know, you start
coveting other people's position, or start trying to cause division by slandering someone's
name.
And look, let me say this, if you don't get along with someone who we get along with in
another church that's part of our movement, you either get right with that person, okay,
now listen, this is for everyone.
Okay, we're not saying you have to like everyone, but you know what, if you have the stigma
of causing strife with anybody else, any other pastor, or any other church member of any
of our churches, then you know what, you need to go get that right, you need to grow up.
Okay, because we're not going to take that crap.
I've seen too many churches where the churches implodes because of garbage that's taking
place within the church, you know, the pastor's wife wants to run the show, and she has her
own clique, and they're talking trash on someone else, and all these things, it's foolish.
That's why they're not getting any work done.
That's why they're not seeing souls saved.
That's why they're not living, their church is not pleasing to the Lord.
Why is it?
Because they're allowing these things to be manifest.
You say, well, you know, you strive with the world, yeah, I strive with the world.
We're going to fight the world till Christ comes back.
And I will be as contentious and striving with the world as the day is long, because
I'm commanded to fight the world, I'm commanded to fight the devil, I'm commanded to fight
my flesh, I'm commanded to fight false doctrine in the church, but you know what, with the
brother in Christ, I'm going to do as best as I can to keep unity with the brother in
Christ.
Because if we implode, the church is done.
You know, we can't go forward, okay?
Now go back to 1 Corinthians chapter number 3.
And again, we see what they're doing here, and we saw this in 1 Corinthians chapter number
1, but he's just reiterating it more.
He says, for a while, one sayeth, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are you
not carnal?
He says, why are you clicking up like that?
You know, why are you saying someone's of Paul and someone's of Apollos?
Why are you saying that you're of Jimenez and you're of Pastor Anderson as though they're
like enemies or something?
You know, they're both men of God.
Why are you saying that you're of Brother Fannin and then you're of Donnie Romero?
They're both of the same church!
You know, we can't have this mentality, this worldly mentality that, you know, as if pastors
in our movement don't get along with one another.
These are all good friends of ours.
Do we agree on everything?
No.
And good thing we don't.
Because if we agreed on everything, it would probably be a little cultish.
You see what I'm saying?
It would be a denomination.
Exactly.
But you know what?
What makes it great is the fact that we agree on the most foundational principles, the first
principles of the doctrines of Christ as the Bible says, and we get a little icing on top
because there's things outside of that that we agree on.
And then there's certain sprinkles of things that we don't agree on, but who cares?
We're good friends, we communicate, that's how it needs to be.
Don't say I am of Paul and I am of Apollos.
You know, don't say, look, we're of Christ!
As the Bible says, verse 5, who then is a Paul?
And by the way, Paul's writing this.
He's like, who am I?
Who then is Paul?
Who is Apollos?
But ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man.
So switching gears here, what is he saying?
Well this further reinforces the teaching that people save people.
Because it says there, who then is Paul, who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed,
even as the Lord gave to every man.
Now go to Romans chapter 10.
This is very important because there is a thought process out there that teaches, well
you can just get saved by yourself.
Or you can read the word of God on your own with no guidance and no teaching and you're
just going to call upon the name of the Lord right then and there.
That's wrong.
You need a minister of reconciliation to give you the gospel so you can be saved.
Now look, there's people who have gotten saved listening to Pastor Anderson online.
And they say, well does that count?
Yeah, because he's given you the word of God.
He's given you the word of God, you're learning.
Someone's teaching you.
It's obviously through a different avenue, it's through the internet, which they wouldn't
have back then, but it still teaches the same thing.
Now look at Romans chapter 10 verse 13, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the
Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
How shall they believe in him in whom they have not heard?
How shall they hear without a preacher?
How shall they preach except they be sent, etc.
So what is it saying?
People can't believe unless someone is sent to them to give them the gospel.
And that's very important because it shows us that, look, we're important in this thing.
You know, don't ever think that, well what's my part in this whole thing?
You know what I mean?
I'm insignificant.
I'm nobody.
You are a, you're the means by which someone's going to believe.
You know, the Bible says of John the Baptist, there was a man sent from God whose name was
John.
The same came for a witness to bear witness of that light that all men through him might
believe.
Okay.
We ought to have that same desire to say that all men through me might believe.
How?
By you getting out there and preaching the gospel, right?
But that's important.
So don't think someone's just going to get saved on their own.
They need someone to teach them.
We see that in Acts chapter 8 and other places as well.
Look at verse number 6.
Go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse number 6 says, I have planted, Apollos watered,
but God gave the increase.
Now I believe this is a, verse 6 is a great illustration of how a soul winning team should
work.
Okay.
You see Paul planting, Apollos watering, and God giving the increase.
Now who's the person who plants?
I believe that's the person who's actually given the gospel, right?
Because what are we planting?
We're planting seeds.
For example, I think it's in Matthew chapter 13, it talks about the sower went forth to
sow, and later on he explains that the seed that he was sowing is the word of God.
Okay.
He sows it in four different places, stony places, among thorns, and some on good ground,
etc.
So the person who's sowing is the one who's sowing the word of God, all right?
Now who's the one who's, who's watering?
I think that's the silent partner.
Okay.
Why?
Because they're watering that seed with prayer.
That's what's important.
Listen to me.
In our church, this is our template by the way we sow in, all right?
One speaks, and the other one is a silent partner.
What does that mean?
Silent in the Greek means you should shut up, if that makes sense, okay?
You just keep your mouth shut, okay?
You say, well, you know, I think I just have a better way of doing it.
Just keep your mouth shut, because look, this isn't tag team sowing in here.
Like, take it away, Margo's, you know?
Thanks, Bruce.
You know, it's just like, number two, you have to realize that you're on your way to
hell.
Can you quote that scripture?
Sure.
Romans 6, it's not like that.
One person speaks, and the other one zips it.
The only time I would say that that doesn't apply is if someone's teaching false doctrine.
Then you jump in and say, I'm sorry, let me go ahead and just explain what he's trying
to explain, but is not able to.
Of course, you're not going to say that.
And then give them the gospel, okay?
That's when you actually come in.
Or, if your partner's struggling a little bit, and they actually look at you, and they're
kind of like, hey, can you help me out?
Then you can't be like, well, hey, I'm silent, man, sorry.
You're on your own, you know, I don't, no hablo, no hablo ingles.
You can't do that.
You know, if someone says that, you casually come in and say, yeah, what he's basically
saying is, and then you jump in.
But you know, aside from that, you know, you need to have confidence in your soul-winning
partner.
Right?
When you put your partners together, you ought to have the confidence in him that they know
what they're doing.
And they may not exactly have your gospel presentation.
Maybe he or she has a different way of doing it.
But if they're giving the gospel, let them give the gospel.
And you pray.
Okay?
Don't undermine the fact of praying.
Water that thing.
But don't interrupt.
You know?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, what he said.
So, all you have to do is believe.
Yeah, I got it from here.
You know?
Don't do that.
Just pray.
Silently within yourself, Lord, please open this person's heart.
You know?
May you remove distractions.
You know, help them.
And look, help your soul-winning partner with the distractions.
Okay?
Who did I go with?
I went with someone recently, I don't know if it was within the last couple of weeks,
and there, it was Cheryl, Cheryl and Trad.
Went soul-winning with them, and I was giving the gospel to a lady in Spanish, and lo and
behold, there's some devil dog.
You know.
Dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog, dog.
And it's just like, man, I hate dogs.
She was like, I wish I think it would shut up, but then Cheryl went over there and she
went over there and she started petting him and the dog shut up, you know?
And what did she do?
She helped minimize the distraction because obviously the lady was looking at me and she
kept looking at the dog and that lady ended up getting saved, okay?
So what does a sowing partner do?
It's supposed to be silent, all right?
Now go to Proverbs 17, look, have confidence in your partner, all right?
And if your partner is still learning and they're not as refined in preaching the gospel,
but they're doing a fairly decent job, don't interrupt them.
Just wait until after they're done talking and give them some pointers.
Don't be prideful about it either.
Say, hey, can I recommend something for you to do?
When you say this, I would recommend you say this instead.
That helps me a lot, you know?
Don't be like, you know, hey, dude, I don't know what you're doing over there, but like,
I don't know who you learned that from.
It's good, but I think my way is better.
Let me just show you, okay?
Don't be proud about it.
Humbly come to them and try to teach them because that's the goal.
To help another soul winner become more refined in their soul winning and to be a better soul
winner, okay?
Look at Proverbs 17, 27, it says, he that hath knowledge spareth his words, and a man
of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise, and he that shutteth his lips
is esteemed a man of understanding.
You see, someone who knows is focused.
You know, you want to be the kind of silent partner that people want to go with.
Because you're valuable.
You pray, you minimize distractions, you know how to preach the gospel, people will learn
from you.
Don't be the guy that people are like, oh, I can't believe I got this guy again, you
know?
This guy always interrupts me, you know what I mean?
No, be the one that people say, man, I like going with brothers so and so or sisters so
and so because they're just a good partner, okay?
And everyone ought to have the desire to be that type of a partner, all right?
Now go back to 1 Corinthians chapter number three.
So Paul and Apollos were great soul owners.
He planted, Apollos watered, but we understand that God gave the increase.
Now why is that?
So, we'll see in just a bit, but let me, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Verse seven says this, so then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that
watereth, but God giveth the increase.
Verse eight, now he that planteth and he that watereth are one, and every man shall receive
his own reward according to his own labor.
For we are laborers together with God, ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
So here's another thing to take into account when you're out soul winning is don't be discouraged
if you don't see people saved, okay?
If you go out there and you're preaching the gospel, you're presenting it, you're doing
your job, you will get rewarded for that.
You're laboring because remember, God is the one who gives the increase.
Now thankfully, the Bible says that we shall doubtless come again, bringing in our sheeps
with us.
So we will doubtless see people saved.
Will that happen every single time we go out?
No, but we will doubtless see people saved.
Not a shadow of a doubt.
Why?
Because the Bible says that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone
that believeth.
All right?
Now, hold your place there in 1 Corinthians 3, go to Matthew chapter 21.
So why does the Bible say that we are God's husbandry?
Husbandry are those men that are laboring in a field for a farmer, someone who owns
that piece of land, et cetera.
But why is he saying that we are laborers together, ye are God's husbandry?
Now remember, he's talking in context of laboring, receiving a reward, sowing, watering.
We could obviously say that in context, he's talking about soul winning.
He's talking about giving the gospel, et cetera.
Look at Matthew 21 and verse 33.
It says here, another parable, there was a certain householder which planted a vineyard
and hedged it round about and digged a winepress in it and built a tower and led it out to
the two husband men and went into a far country.
And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husband men, that
they might receive the fruits of it.
And the husband men took his servants and beat one and killed another and stoned another.
Again, he sent other servants more than the first and they did unto them likewise.
But last of all, he sent unto them his son saying, they will reverence my son.
But when the husband men saw the son, they said among themselves, this is the heir, come,
let us kill him and let us seize on his inheritance.
And they caught him and cast him out of the vineyard and slew him.
When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husband men?
They say unto him, he will miserably destroy those wicked men and will let out his vineyard
unto other husband men which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
So this parable, if you didn't know, is talking about the Jews because the Jews at one point
were the husbandry, was the husbandry of the Lord.
Why?
Because they were the ones who were supposed to give the gospel out.
They were a light unto them who were in darkness.
They were supposed to be a guide of the blind, the Bible says.
But because they didn't bring forth those fruits, what does the Bible tell us?
That God took away the kingdom of God from them and gave it to a nation bringing forth
the fruits thereof.
And that's why the Bible tells us that we, the laborers, are God's husbandry now.
Why?
Because we're the ones bringing in the fruit.
We're the ones that were going out sowing and we're the ones who are seeing people saved.
That's what the Bible's teaching us here.
The Bible says in John 15 one, I am the true vine and my father is the husband man.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away and every branch that beareth
fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit.
There's a lot of times that people think, I don't know what God wants me to do in life.
What's my purpose in life?
What is God's will for my life?
When they want to look for some mystical call from heaven, pixie dust type calling,
it's like, I've heard a voice from heaven.
No, you know, you don't need a voice if you have a verse, right?
Verse is.
Now look, let me help you with God's calling.
He wants you to bring forth fruit.
He wants you to be a fruit bearer.
You're God's husbandry, therefore you need to start producing some fruit in your life.
Now, we'll get into this in second Corinthians, but there's different ways you can bear fruit.
The main way you can bear fruit is by soul winning.
That's the best way to do it.
That's like the funnest way to do it actually.
It's to go out soul winning because not only do you get paid for just going out there and
preaching the gospel, but you get to see people saved, you know, escape the eternal damnation
that they're going to go to and they can have eternal life.
That's a great way to get rewards in heaven.
That's a great way to bring forth fruit.
But that's God's will for your life, to bring forth fruit.
Let me ask you this.
Are you in God's will?
You know, are you bearing fruit?
How's your fruit today?
You know, I'm not talking about, you know, handing out a track.
I'm talking about doing your best to actually go out there and preaching the gospel that's
behind that track.
Putting in the work, memorizing the verses, preaching the gospel, praying for boldness,
seeing people saved.
That's something that we all need to partake of if you want to get fruit in your life.
Go back to First Corinthians chapter number three, verse 10 says, according to the grace
of God, which has given it to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation
and another buildeth thereon, but let every man take heed how he buildeth there upon.
For other foundation can no man lay that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now this is interesting because he says this, that he planted and Apollo's water, okay?
But God gave the increase.
This could also be applied in this manner.
You know, Pastor Anderson didn't lead me to the Lord, okay?
Someone else planted that seed in me, but you know what Pastor Anderson did do?
He watered that thing, okay?
He's the one who helped me grow in a lot of areas.
He showed me the way of the Lord more perfectly by teaching me concepts and biblical doctrines,
but you might be standing here saying, well, Pastor Anderson did lead me to the Lord.
He's the one who planted, but you know what?
Maybe I'm the one who's watering.
So what God is saying here is we need to give honor where honor is due, obviously,
but recognize this is God is the one who gives the increase.
So we ought to esteem and respect those who did plant that seed within us, because look,
you might be even here to say, well, Pastor Anderson wasn't the person, it was someone
else.
It was someone else who's probably false in their doctrine now, you know, they're straying
away in their doctrine, but you know what?
We ought to appreciate who those people are, okay?
And look, the guy who basically led me to the Lord, he's kind of going off the deep
end now, all right?
He's not from my old church, he's from a different church.
He's a man that I esteem, he's a man who I respected, he's a man who I love, you know?
And even though he's going off the deep end, you know what, I will never follow him again
after this, after some of the things that he said, but the fact remains is that I still
appreciate the fact that he preached the right gospel when I got it, okay?
And look, that's why it's important that we don't man worship.
The problem with the old IFB, as we like to call it, is they did a lot of man worshiping.
Even to the point where even if that man got off track doctrinally, they still followed
that man.
That's garbage, okay?
And you know, you have no discernment if that's what you're doing, all right?
We need to make sure we follow the Bible and we respect the word of God even above man.
Honor man, appreciate what they've done, but you know what, no man is above the word of
God.
Okay?
The Bible even says that he honors his name, he magnifies his, excuse me, he magnifies
his word above his name.
That's how important the word of God is, okay?
So yes, you know, someone laid the foundation for us, they gave us the gospel, thank God
for that person.
You know, thank God for your old pastor or for someone, that's someone who came and maybe
they're not pre-tripped, maybe they believe homeless can be saved or whatever it may be,
but you know, if they gave you the right gospel, thank God for that.
It doesn't mean you have to keep following them, but you could appreciate what they've
done.
You understand?
So it says there, another buildeth thereupon, let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon,
for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now this is interesting also because he says this, someone can lay a foundation, which
is the right salvation, right?
Salvation by grace to faith, but you could actually build wrongly on that foundation.
You could actually start learning false doctrine and start doing practices that are not biblical
and you might be thinking that you're gonna get a reward for the work that you're doing.
You guys ever heard the phrase, you know that there's, I'm not saying it perfectly well,
but it's something to the extent of people who try to climb the ladder of success, when
they get to the top, they realize that they're on the wrong ladder.
You ever heard that before?
It's basically these people saying like, you know, all these people, they spend so many
years going to college to get their degree and they're climbing the ladder of success
only to realize that they're on the wrong ladder.
Well, a perfect principle to this is this, because Jesus Christ is the ladder, as it
says in John chapter one, which was a prophecy of Genesis chapter 28.
But it says that, you know, there's a lot of people out there in different religions
that they're working for God, they're climbing that ladder.
They think they're living a life that's pleasing unto the Lord, but once they get to the top
of that ladder, they're gonna be like, oh man, this is the wrong ladder.
Because I wasn't given the right ladder, which is Jesus Christ.
So you think of Pentecostals, for example, okay, who, some Pentecostals will give you
the right answer as far as how to be saved.
They'll say, just believe on Christ, I had someone tell me that yesterday.
But then when you probe them even more about losing your salvation, oh yeah, of course
you could lose your salvation, you know, that's the wrong ladder.
And thankfully that lady got saved, but you know what, what if that lady didn't get saved,
she died, she would have thought she was going to heaven, climbing up that ladder of false
doctrine and a false religion, only to realize that she was on the wrong ladder, okay.
But on the flip side of that, there's people who can build a foundation, which is Jesus
Christ, but they actually build their upon in a different, in a wrong way.
They're not soul winning, they're not doing the right type of works.
Now I'm skipping some things here.
Oh, perfect example of that, Matthew chapter seven, you know, Lord, Lord, who prophesied
in thy name, and in thy name have done many wonderful works, right?
Okay, now I gotta tell you this funny story.
Melan's been waiting for me to tell this story.
This has nothing to do with the sermon, but it has something to do with it, but this is
great, I love this.
I couldn't wait to tell this story.
So yesterday we went soul winning, we saw seven people saved, right, I think it was
seven people saved, praise the Lord for that, and I said, all right, Melan, we're done,
we need to finish up, I need to get home.
So obviously as you're walking back to the car, you're not going to bypass people who
you come across, you know what I mean, you'll make time for the people.
So this guy, he hits a corner, and he's just like, you know, he's just kind of like a little
different.
And I was like, hey, just want to give you this invitation to our church.
And he's like, oh, thanks, man, he's kind of like a little jittery.
We would say he's on one, right?
He's basically on one, and he was on one.
But I said, you know, I'm going to try to give him the gospel, and I said, hey, man,
are you 100%, can I ask you a really important question, are you 100% sure that if you die
today you go to heaven?
He's like, of course, of course, you know, he's like, yeah, yeah.
What did he say?
1000%.
Oh, yeah, he said 1000%.
I was like, all right.
I was like, how do you know for sure?
And he goes, because I trusted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.
And then I said, okay, I said, is there anything you can do to lose your salvation?
He says, of course.
He says, you have to be a servant of God, you have to be a servant of Christ.
You know, you have to be a slave, is what he said.
You know, false Bible alert right there, right?
So I said, do you mind if I show you from the Bible that the Bible actually teaches
that you can't lose your salvation?
Can I show that to you?
He's like, come on, man.
He's just like, show me, show me, show me, show me.
So I said, okay, I'm going to bypass certain things, because I'm sure a lot of these things
you already understand.
You know, the Bible says that we're all sinners, for all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God.
And he goes, yeah, yeah, I understand that.
I said, let me take you to Ephesians chapter two, verse eight through nine.
So I take him to that, which is my favorite scripture to use for eternal security.
And I'm quoting him that verse, and I said, see, the Bible says that it's not of yourself.
So if you believe you could lose your salvation, it's because you believe that you're doing
something to maintain your salvation, whereas the Bible says it's not of yourself.
And then he contrasts that with saying it is the gift of God.
So then he starts rambling off again, and he's like, no, you could lose your salvation.
And I'm going to be honest with you.
And I told Milan this.
I started tightening up my jaw, because I was like, this guy's going to sucker punch
me.
And he's so on one, like, just like, and then, oh, yeah, I want to get to that.
So he's so on one, I'm like, oh, man, this guy might actually punch me in the mouth.
So I was just like, kind of tightening my jaw, like in case he did, because I don't
want him to knock me out.
So I said, you know, and I started to give him, tell him about Saul and everything like
that.
He's like, show me, show me, show me.
I said, well, I'm not going to show you, but you know, the Bible does teach that.
And he goes, and he goes, I can show you how you can lose, that you can lose your salvation
in the Bible, according to the Bible.
And I had my little Bible, and I think he just took it from me, right?
He just took it from me.
And he's like, he's being real rough with my Bible.
And I'm going to look at him like, he's going to tear this thing up.
He's either going to throw it to the ground, he's going to tear it up, and he's going to
just punch me and run.
Because this guy was on, and you can smell, he obviously was smoking some, he was smoking
weed, but it probably was lace, by the way he was behaving.
Okay.
So he's just like, he's all, I'm going to show you right now.
And I'm not exaggerating.
Am I exaggerating?
He's like, he's all, I'm going to show you right now.
And I'm like, what is he going to go to?
So he's in Luke, and he goes, and he goes, Jesus, this is your book, not mine.
Show me the way.
And he opens up the book, and he goes, for God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.
And I'm like, yeah, like, whosoever believeth.
He's all, and he kind of just like looked at me stunned.
I said, you just prayed, and God showed you that verse.
I said, it says whosoever believeth.
And he was just like, nah, nah, nah.
And he was like, and he said, this is your Bible, not mine, which he was right.
And what he's talking about is he was using a different version of the Bible.
So he's talking about, but the guy didn't say, but I thought it was great.
The fact that he prayed, Jesus, this is your word, which the King James Bible is Jesus'
word.
He goes, not mine.
Show me the way.
And he led him to John 3 16.
You can't make this stuff up.
And look, if you don't believe me, I have a witness right here who was there.
We were laughing the whole way home.
We couldn't believe that that happened.
It's like, that's probably the worst verse you can use to try to supposedly prove that
you can lose your salvation.
Whosoever believeth.
So not perish, but have everlasting life.
And he didn't know what to say.
And then finally he was just like, nah, I'm out of here or whatever.
And he ended up leaving.
What does that have to do with the sermon?
It has nothing to do with the sermon.
But this is what it has to do with it, because we're talking about people who are building
on that foundation, or they don't even have the right foundation.
They're not even climbing up the right type of ladder.
And unfortunately, that man, he's going to climb up that ladder, and the day he dies,
he's going to realize it was the wrong ladder the whole time, which is a sad thing.
But I thought it was just great that God led him to John 3 16.
He's being rough with the Bible, and it looked like he got frustrated.
He's like, he prayed, and then he just opened up the Bible, and he just read John 3 16.
I mean, that was great.
Praise the Lord for that.
Now, go to 1 Corinthians chapter number 3.
Verse number 12.
It says, Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare, because it shall
be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Now, this is talking about the judgment seat of Christ, because it's telling us if we build
upon, and it's given us categories, it says your works are either going to be gold, silver,
precious stones, which if you burn, they're not going to burn up.
Or it's going to be wood, hay, stubble.
These are things that do burn up.
Now, let me just say right now that the judgment seat of Christ and the white throne judgment,
they're two different judgments.
Okay?
Because one's for reward, you understand that?
And one's to be judged to be sent to the lake of fire.
I don't know how you can mix the two.
Only if you are spiritually, you've spiritually been lobotomized.
That's the only reason you can get something that these are one and the same.
I don't know how you can even get that.
Okay?
The judgment seat of Christ is for rewards.
The white throne judgment obviously is found in Revelation chapter number 20.
The judgment seat of Christ is in Revelation chapter 11.
The white throne judgment comes after the millennial reign.
The judgment seat of Christ comes before.
Do you understand that?
The sequence, the order of sequence here, it's pretty simple.
But you know what?
If you're a modalist, yeah, you have to mix the two because there's two separate things
that are taking place, right?
So if Jesus is the Father, oh yeah, he has to be a part of the white throne judgment
and the God the Father has to be a part of the addition of the rewards, they have to
be the same event.
No, it's not the same event.
That's why God put it in chapter 11 and one is in chapter 20.
One's called white throne judgment, the other one's called the judgment seat of Christ,
where God's people are given rewards.
Now I won't get too much into that, but the fact remains the Bible tells us in Matthew
19 and in different portions of scripture that Jesus Christ is going to give the rewards
at the regeneration.
And the regeneration obviously referring to the resurrection, but specifically we see
in Revelation chapter 11 that that comes when he establishes his kingdom, when he's already
in his glory.
When the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.
Then the Bible says we actually get those rewards at that time, okay?
So everything that we've ever done, all the works that we've done for the Lord, Revelation
11 is when we will receive them, okay?
That's when the Lord will begin to dish out the rewards.
And I mean, Lord willing, we'll have a lot of gold, silver, and precious stones type
rewards, you know, and not wood, hay, and stubble.
Now go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 14 says, if any man's work abide which he
hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved,
yet so as by fire.
So that goes to show that the person who doesn't work, the Bible says he shall be saved, yet
so as by fire.
So the person as we see in Romans chapter 4, to him that worketh not, but believeth on
him to justify the ungodly.
If any man's faith is counted for righteousness, he's not going to get a reward, but he's still
saved.
Okay?
It proves that right there.
Verse 16, knowing not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth
in you, if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.
For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
So he gets into this matter of your temple and how we ought not to defile the temple.
That's why you wonder, you say, why do you guys always talk about fornication in the
church?
Because we don't want you to defile the temple.
And the reason why we don't want you to defile the temple is because we don't want you to
get destroyed.
Because God says that he will destroy the person who defiles the temple.
So if you get involved in sin and in fornication and doing things that you're not supposed
to be doing, and you know what, no one may know about it, but God knows about it.
And the Bible threatens us right here and he says, him will God destroy.
Unbelievable, we're not fornicating, we just like to mack it every once in a while.
Well, you know what, go ahead and mack it, but macking it always leads to fornication.
Don't give me that crap.
Don't tell me that when you're there necking and petting with your girlfriend or with your
boyfriend that you're not going to be tempted to go further than that.
Don't give me that garbage.
And you ask anybody who's been involved in fornication, they'll tell you the first step
to that was the touching.
Okay, and by the way, the Bible says it's good for man not to touch a woman.
It is good.
Okay, he said, was fornication really that bad?
Yeah, it's wicked.
It's so wicked that the Bible tells us that if you're involved in fornication in our church,
you're getting the boot.
Either you repent, you get it right, or you get married, or you get the boot.
Okay, why?
Because the Bible says a little leavened, leavened at the whole lump.
Okay, and look, it's better to be married anyways.
You know, these folks, these good folks right here about to get married on May 24th, amen.
Praise the Lord for that.
That's what we need right there.
You know, these Vanessa and Ulysses just got married, okay.
You know, and we have David and Lily who got married a couple months ago.
You know, we need that.
Marriage is great.
Don't let the world fool you into thinking, well, you know what, fornication is fun, and
you know, you don't have to make a commitment, but you know what it comes with, it comes
with disease, it comes with guilt, it comes with loss, and potentially it could come with
you being destroyed.
So better to just get it right, and look, do it the right way, and you don't have to
suffer loss in these areas.
You don't have to have God threaten you, destroying you, you know, and look, you say, how does
that look like?
You know, I don't know how that looks like, okay, and in fact, I don't want to know how
it looks like, because, you know, God is merciful, but God knows how to hit it where
it hurts, okay.
And I'd rather just get right with the Lord, okay, before the wrath comes, before His chastisement
comes, than to experience the chastisement of God and have to repent afterwards and pick
up the pieces, all right.
So it says, if any man defile the temple, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God
is holy, which temple ye are.
Let no man deceive himself.
If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he
may be wise.
I like that it says, let no man deceive himself.
Don't think, well, you know, not me, though.
I understand that, you know, some people, they kiss and stuff like that, and that leads
to fornication, but not me, no, you.
Ask any person who's been involved in fornication, they'll tell you, that's probably how it started.
It always does, okay.
And look, if you don't have the patience to just wait, to get married, to touch, that
shows you that you're probably just a babe in Christ, you have no temperance.
And I'm not talking to the people who have made that mistake in the past, I'm not preaching
about you, I'm talking to the people who haven't gotten married as of yet, okay.
You know, have the self-control, have the temperance, and it'll feel that much better
when you actually get married.
Do it with a guilty-free conscience, okay.
Don't deceive yourself, don't think you're wise, okay.
You should become a fool, the Bible says, so you can be wise, all right.
And of course, that's a reference to what we see in 1 Corinthians chapter number 1.
Verse 19 says, for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
What's the wisdom of this world?
Live together, try it out first, you know.
Live together, try it out first, see how it goes.
That's the wisdom of this world.
That's a stupid way of doing it.
You know, when a guy wants to shack up with you, you know, sleep with you, but not make
a commitment to you, you know, that goes to show you how much he thinks of you.
You know, you're just like, I don't even need to put a ring on this girl's finger, you know.
By the way, you know what the difference between a prostitute and someone who fornicates is?
The prostitute actually gets paid for it.
The person who fornicates does it for free.
Yeah, how you like them apples?
It's the truth.
You know, and if you made that mistake, repent of it and just get it right and you can, life
can be different afterwards, okay.
That's the fact.
And I'm not telling you to degrade you.
I'm not telling you because I hate you.
In fact, I tell you these things because I love you.
And I want to make sure that you're not destroyed, you're not defiling the temple and that you
can receive God's blessing by getting married and doing it right because fornication is
wicked.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
And again, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain, okay.
Verse 21, now remember how he starts off the chapter, he says, you know, don't say year
of Apollo, the year of Paul, year of Apollos, etcetera.
Verse 21, he kind of finishes off with that same thought, therefore, let no man glory
in men, for all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or
life or death or things present or things to come, all are yours in your Christ and
Christ is God's, the Bible says.
So what is it saying here is like, look, at the end of the day, we need to realize that
we shouldn't be clicking up, there shouldn't be no divisions.
We need to realize that we're on an even plane right here and realize that we're all of Christ
anyways, okay.
Do we follow men?
Yes.
Do we honor men?
Yes.
Do we honor men above what we ought to honor them, not as steaming them above as we need
to, to the point of idolatry, to the point of man worship, as they would say, okay.
We need to make sure that we're continuing to honor God and Christ, but how do we honor
them?
By keeping ourselves pure, okay, not defiling the temple of God, alright.
Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Father, we thank you so much for 1 Corinthians chapter 3, a lot of good truths within this
chapter.
I pray that you'd help us, Lord, to remember that it is a fearful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God, and though you are very merciful and gracious, you tell us that
whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth, and Lord, we're
not above being spanked of thee, and I pray, God, that you'd help us to live a pure life,
to live a life that's honoring to you, and Lord, help us to continue to get rewards by
soul winning, by working for the Lord, by doing that which is right in your sight.
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Amen.