Man part of the chapter we're going to focus on is found in Psalms 143 in verse
number 10 where the Bible reads teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy
spirit is good lead me into the land of a brightness and the title my sermon
this morning is after salvation after salvation so here we see David asking
for a very practical but yet a godly thing he wants the Lord to teach him how
to do as well and that goes to show that once someone gets saved or when someone
is saved they don't automatically know how to do right okay you know there's
there's a false teaching out there that basically teaches that as soon as you
get saved you have everything right okay or you better have everything right you
better have the desire to read the Bible you better have the desire to to want to
go to church to win people to Christ to clean up your life and that's false okay
why because the Bible teaches us that once we get saved yes our spirit is
saved but you know what our flesh is not and because our flesh is not saved we're
not going to desire right away to do the right things why because we carry a
bunch of baggage with us especially if you get saved later on in life right now
here the Lord or excuse me the Lord through David I think praise a very
godly prayer okay and I think it's a prayer that a lot of us need to ask the
Lord for it's to say hey Lord please teach me to do your will teach me how to
do right now go with me for what's the Psalms 111 Psalms 111 so we understand
that salvation is by grace through faith and that not of yourselves it is the
gift of God not of works that steady man should boast that doesn't take any work
okay getting saved doesn't take any work it simply takes faith and just believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and the Bible teaches us that
once we believe on Christ that our spirit is regenerated we're on our way
to heaven our names written in the book of life and we never have to worry about
ever going to hell after that amen however you know we have a lot of years
ahead of us on this world okay so there's a lot of things that we got to
do and there's a lot of commandments found within the Bible that we need to
keep but here's the thing do we know how to keep all those commandments do we
know how to clean up our life do we know how to do right in the side of the Lord
no I mean once we get saved the Bible says the word babes in Christ you know a
baby a physical baby doesn't know how to be a mature human being yet you know
they're they're newborn they just know they need to eat right they cry and they
keep us up at night and all these other things but they don't know the basics of
even life yet they have to be taught these things and it comes with time but
look what Psalms 111 verse 10 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his commandments his
praise endureth forever so what's a way that you can understand God's will all
right what's in it what's a way that you can understand his commandments by doing
them you see we live in a society where it's like well I'm only gonna do it if I
understand what the outcome is right or I'm only gonna do this or I'm only gonna
believe this or I'm only gonna practice this if I see the outcome but the Bible
teaches us here that we get good understanding by doing his commandments
by stepping out in faith just doing what God tells us to do and guess what
afterwards we understand why God tells us to do those things now this sermon I
think is very much important because a lot of the times people get saved
whether it's someone you lead to the Lord or you yourself you get saved but
you don't know what to do right afterwards now look let me just go let
me just make it very clear if you don't do any of the things that I'm saying
today it doesn't mean you're not saved okay it doesn't mean you're not saved it
doesn't mean you're not going to heaven it simply means number one you're just
ignorant of what God says in his word okay or number two you do know what he
says in his word but you're being disobedient you're being rebellious okay
and God does not want rebellious children he doesn't want or excuse me he
doesn't want his children to be rebellious therefore he chastises his
children okay so this is very much important go to Romans chapter 7 you
know there's a there's a teaching also out there that says you know that the
will of God is like some mystical power pixie dust type thing in force that
really reveals itself in different ways to different people what God's will for
you is not God's will for me and all these weird things that really Baptists
have basically bitten into and have copied from the Charismatics because
every Pentecostal and Charismatic Church teaches something like that or it's just
like well I had a dream you know and in that dream God revealed his will to me
that doesn't it doesn't work like that if you had a dream and Jesus showed up
in that dream and all you had all these revelations you just had too many onions
on your burger the previous night that's what that means okay because everything
that we need to know about God is found in his word so you say what is God's
will for my life well he wrote 66 books for you to figure that out and you have
a whole lifetime to figure out what God's will is so even if you want to
know like the specific will of God and things that are pertained to maybe just
your life personally before you even get into that why don't you need to have
good understanding of this because this is God's revealed will so as you know
God's revealed will the Bible says the steps of a good man are ordered by the
Lord and he delighted in his way so as we walk with the Lord we obey his
commandments we do that which is right on the side of the Lord guess what we
get to stumble upon God's blessings we get to stumble upon the specific wills
as far as who or where we're gonna go start a church or who we're witnessing
to or God's blessings whatever it is but it all starts right here okay now this
is very important because again there is a teaching out there that teaches that
as soon as you get saved you know you got you got everything right and this
causes a lot of people to be impatient with other people you know someone
gets saved and it's just like they're not you know foolproof mature Christian
and what happens is the mature Christians jump down the throats of
those who aren't mature yet well you got to be patient with people okay you can
expect them to understand everything of the Bible like right the day after they
get saved it doesn't work that way you know I can't expect my son to be a fully
mature grown man at this point he needs to learn some things he needs to grow
and I have to be patient with him you know when he's trying he has this thing
now where it's just he asked for it he talks like non-stop now okay and but
sometimes it's frustrating cuz I don't know what he's trying to tell me he's
like I thought and I'm like I don't know what that means son and then he gets
frustrated cuz he's like like he's just I'm like yes no you know I don't know
what to tell him but you know what I can't get frustrated with him he's
growing you know he's learning how to speak he's learning how to do basic
things well apply that spiritually we can't get frustrated with new Christians
when they don't get something right away okay they need to grow they need time to
grow and you need to teach them and lovingly bring them along but look at
Romans chapter 7 verse 14 this is verse 14 through 18 is a good example of how
most Christians if not all Christians feel like sometimes sometime or another
in their life verse 14 says for we know that the law is spiritual but I am
carnal sold under sin for that which I do I allow not for what I would that do
I not but what I hate that do I if then I do that which I would not I consent
unto the law that it is good now then it is no more I that do it but sin that
dwelleth in me for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good
thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find
not so what is Paul saying here it's like man there's like a war going on in
my soul you know I want to do right but when I want to do right guess what I do
wrong you know and when I don't want to do wrong I end up doing that which is
wrong this is like this is a constant war of the flesh and the spirit of my
life and you know what if you're honest with yourself you felt like that every
once in a while you're probably feeling like that today you felt like time like
that this week when you just feel like you're weak you know the flesh is trying
to conquer you you're not walking in the spirit and you're fulfilling the lust of
the flesh well that's the war that we see going on in here okay and if this
doctrine that once you get saved you would have everything you know down
packed in line in order Paul wouldn't have said this why is he saying that
he's struggling if anything the the best Christian in the New Testament was the
Apostle Paul but yet he's relating to us and to every single human being that
once we get saved there's a war going on you know and that's why it's important
that we feed the spirit and we're not always feeding the flesh okay that's why
it's good that for you to turn off the television all right or turn off the
YouTube channel or turn off whatever it is device that it's causing you to be
carnal you know why don't you open up your Bible why don't you memorize
scripture why don't you go so when he wants you to do those things that are
pleasing in the eyes of the Lord so you can be strong in the Lord and the power
of his might okay but I want you to notice verse 18 says but how to perform
that which is good I find not you know I've met a lot of people like that who
want to do good but they don't know how to do good you know what do they need
they need the Lord to teach them how to do his will okay and so this is very
much when I think about this I think about newly saved people and you know
you might be in here today like brother Bruce everything you're talking about I
already know about okay then just go to sleep or something right you know but
I'm talking to people because then by the way if that's you today then allow
this to teach you how to deal with someone else okay you know it's good to
come to church to get fed but it's also good to come to church to learn how to
feed others as well you know especially if you're that mature if you know that
much you know I mean maybe it's good for you to take this and teach someone
else now go to 2nd Timothy chapter number 3 2nd Timothy chapter number 3 so
again if you don't do any of these things it doesn't mean you're not saved
there's a lot of false religions out there that will teach you that if you
don't do the things that I'm gonna mention to you you're not saved
Baptists will teach you this unfortunately okay Calvinists are
notorious for these teachings right here they'll say if you don't accomplish
these things if you're not doing the things that I'm about to mention that
person wasn't even safe to begin with that's not true look at 2nd Timothy
chapter 3 verse 13 but evil men and seducials shall wax worse and worse
deceiving and being deceived but continue thou in the things which thou
has learned and has been been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them
so the Bible is teaching us here that we ought to have an attitude that we're
constantly continuing okay now just keep this in mind that the Christian
life is not a a sprint okay it's like it's a marathon is what it is it's a
long-distance marathon is what it is so don't expect yourself to know everything
right off the bat and in fact you're gonna hear some sermons in our church
you're gonna hear some doctrine that's gonna go over your head sometimes you
know what don't get frustrated with yourself or don't get frustrated with
your spouse or your wife you know take time pace yourself because you have a
lifetime to learn these things okay you have a lifetime and the Bible tells us
here that we need to continue in the things that which we have learned all
right now go to Matthew chapter 28
Matthew chapter 28 so after salvation what do you need well right off the bat
what you need to do after you get saved is you need to get baptized okay baptism
is an important aspect of the Christian life it's an important first step of
every person who gets saved and every person who gets saved needs to do it
look what Matthew 28 verse 18 says and Jesus came and spake unto them saying
all power is given me excuse me is given unto me in heaven and in earth going
therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I've commanded you in law I'm with you always even into the end of the
world amen verse 18 says or excuse me verse 19 says to teach all nations what
is that talking about talk about salvation it's saying we need to go and
teach all nations about the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ okay
that's how someone gets saved we teach them that they're sinners we teach them
that they deserve hell but we teach them that Jesus Christ died for them was
buried resurrected and they only have to believe on Christ in order to be saved
so once they get that what do they do they need to get baptized now there's a
false doctrine out there that teaches that hey in order to be baptized or in
order to be saved you have to get baptized that's false that's garbage
okay and steer clear of anybody who would even insinuate that that the way
you get saved is by baptism it doesn't save you now what is baptism baptism is
when we after South after someone trust Christ as their Savior we fully immerse
them in water to picture the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ
but you got to go fully in and fully out okay so you may think well you know I
got saved but I got baptized like when I was like five okay well that doesn't
count you just got wet is what we would say okay and you say well you know I got
baptized at the Catholic Church doesn't that count no it doesn't count because
number one you have to be baptized by someone who is saved and no one in the
Catholic Church is saved especially the priest okay and here's the thing for
them to say you have to they're baptizing baptism literally means
immersion you know they're not immersing your entire body into the water and
coming out of the water they're just simply sprinkling your head with water
that's what they're doing that's what they did to me all right but the Bible
teaches us that after salvation you are to be baptized now go to Acts chapter
number two Acts chapter number two we're just gonna look at a couple verses here
in regards to baptism now don't think for a moment that after you get saved
that you can skip this and grow in your Christian life and learn these new
concepts it's not gonna happen we would call baptism the first step of obedience
now I think anybody would agree especially after we look at these verses
that baptism is a command right so how bad does it look do you can't even keep
the first command that God gives you after salvation you're like I don't
want to get baptized but you're gonna keep every other commandment that you
find in the Bible after that you can't even keep something as easy as simple as
just getting baptized but you expect to keep the deep doctrines of God and learn
all these concepts God's giving you the easiest commandment right after
salvation which is baptism and you think you're gonna grow in all the other areas
of life guess what all the other commandments are a little harder than
they're just getting baptized okay baptism requires someone to do
something to you the other Commandments require you to do something require you
to put in the effort to do something okay look at Acts chapter 2 verse 41 it
says then they that gladly received his word were baptized and the same day they
were added unto them about 3,000 souls and they continue steadfastly in the
Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and in prayers so the
Bible teaches us that those that gladly received his word well who's the word
Jesus Christ you know in the beginning was the word and the word was with God
and the word was God so as soon as they received the word of God which is Jesus
Christ they got baptized and let me say this in our church as soon as you get
saved you don't have to go through like a ten week class on baptism you know to
talk about the pH of the level of the water or you know how is it that you
hold your nose right before you go in no okay you don't need to be taught any
of that all you need to know is that you're saved you can't lose your
salvation and you can get baptized okay by the way the only class you're gonna
get on baptism is right here okay but after this we need to dunk you all right
go to Romans chapter 5 now again there is a false teaching out there mostly
taught by the Church of Christ rejectors that teach that in order to be saved you
have to be baptized okay now they what they do is basically they take mark 16
out of context they take other portions of Scripture out of context but here's
the foolish thing about this entire thing is those same people believe you
can lose your salvation so if you can lose your salvation how many times you
got to get baptized you know it's like you need to do that like every single
day then you need to get baptized every single day because that's they say
that's what washes away your sins call you know they say they say you know for
the remission of sins and all these things is that that that will wash away
our sins no the water when you get dunked doesn't wash away your sins it
washes away the dirt on your skin if that okay that's what it does but it
doesn't wash away your sins your sins are in here your sins are in your heart
right it's not necessarily your flesh though your flesh is sinful but you're
not your heart's not getting baptized you know the wicked thoughts and all the
motives and all the sinful things I mean Paul even said for in me that is in my
flesh dwells no good thing he's talking about the sin that dwells in him well
how's baptism washing away the sins in your heart now how how do you wash away
the your sins verse 9 says much more than of Romans chapter 5 much more than
being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him
now go to 1st Peter chapter number 3 so we're washed by the blood of Christ okay
that's what washes away our sins not water the blood of Christ now 1st Peter
chapter 3 verse 20 is what people will use to teach hey see you know that's
that's how you get saved is by my baptism well let's read it verse 20 says
which sometimes which sometimes were disobedient when once the long-suffering
of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing wherein few that
is eight souls were saved by water the like figure where unto even baptism
doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the
answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ no
so there you go see baptism saves us that's why you got to get baptized okay
you guys know what parentheses are this parentheses there so it's a thought
within this thought right so basically he segues into this thought but the
thought that he previously has said still continues so if we were to take
that parentheses out which we're not going to but if we were to take it out
and just read it without the parentheses look what it says the like figure
wherein to even baptism doth also now save us by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ so what saves us the resurrection of Jesus Christ is what
saves us and here's the thing you say no baptism saves us because Noah was saved
by water no he wasn't the ark saved Noah you know it's not like he was in the
water and the waters just he has buoyancy in the water he just himself no
he went into the ark the door closed and he was saved by the ark okay so the
Bibles teaching us here that the way we're saved is by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ not by baptism all right and I want to get that completely clear
and look I preached the message called baptism for the remission of sins look
it up if you don't understand this concept of baptism but I think it's very
simple to understand okay if you understand that salvation is by grace
through faith by believing on Christ and it's not through baptism you're good to
go and that baptism comes after salvation go to Ephesians chapter number
one Ephesians chapter number one verse 6 says to the praise of the glory of his
grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have
redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the
riches of his grace the Bible says now look I think anybody would agree that
the Bible teaches us that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins
right why because it was a picture well the water is also a picture the blood of
bulls and goats can't take away sins why because it pictures what Jesus Christ
did it pictures the blood of Christ which can wash away our sins well in
like manner baptism doesn't save us it just pictures the fact that we're saved
now we we need to get baptized after salvation because we need to follow
Christ example because Christ did it as well and that's another stupid thing
that they don't think about you know baptism saves us then why did Jesus get
baptized you know this did he need to get saved I mean it's foolish obviously
he did it to leave us an example to go by okay now go to Romans chapter number
six Romans chapter number six Romans six in verse number one says what shall we
say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid how shall we
that are dead to sin live any longer therein knowing that that so many of us
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death therefore we are
buried with them by baptism into death the like as Christ was raised up from
the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of
life so look if baptism really saves us then how come we're not dead right now
because it says there therefore we are buried with them by baptism into death
so if this was like a literal thing that baptism literally saves us then we
should be literally dead we should have died but you know what it's a picture
it's a picture of the old man dying and then resurrecting so let me just make
this very clear if you're saved today but you have not gone baptized you need
to get baptized today okay and don't wait another day you say why is that
because if you now that you know what the Bible says about baptism and you
still choose not to now you're living in disobedience now I grew up with just
my mom I didn't have my dad but my mom did a very good job of whooping me when
I needed to get it whooped okay and I I joke but I say I learned boxing for my
mom you know what I mean and my mom did a very good job why because she's my
mother so when I got in trouble guess what my biological mother is the one who
whooped me now my mom wasn't even saved so think about this God the Bible says
that God is our Heavenly Father now right after we get saved and God is
righteous he's holy he's just and he's strict so if his children live in
disobedience guess what he's gonna do he's gonna chastise you okay and and
especially after the fact that you know you're supposed to get baptized all
right so and look here's the thing as I mentioned before you know how do you
expect to keep the rest of the commandments if you're not even willing
to keep this simple commandment of just being baptized I mean what's the big
deal right it's like oh you know there's gonna be a lot of people there and then
who cares it did last like a couple seconds you go in you go out we wrap you
up in the town you go change and go about your day you stay a little wet you
know but you dry out you know what if I told my wife after we got married you
know I'm all for the marriage but I don't want to wear a wedding ring I think
that just cramps my style I don't think we need to do that you know how do you
think my wife would feel like you don't something as simple as just wearing a
ring you can't wear a ring like yeah I just don't feel like I need to do that
I'll do everything else but I just don't like the whole ring thing you know you
would think that's foolish you know I go up on my day with a with a wedding ring
on my finger without even knowing that it's there sometimes right because it's
so easy it's something so simple to do and only a disobedient rebellious
stubborn person would say after salvation now I don't want to get
baptized no why it's easy okay so after salvation by the way the Bible tells us
this he then knows to do good and do it to not to him it is sin so lest you
think well I'm not sitting if I don't get baptized you know that's not a
really bad sin well you know that you're supposed to and if you choose not to do
that what you know you're supposed to do you're sinning you're doing wrong now
go to a second Peter chapter 1 I know this is very practical but I think this
is necessary to talk about because we get new people in our church all the
time and new people in our church you know we take for granted that we knew
it know these things we've learned these things but some people don't know these
things okay and they need to learn these things and some of you maybe who already
know these things this is gonna help you to communicate a lot better when you're
helping your people to grow in this area of life okay now so after salvation
teach me to do that well well God says right here's the first thing you gotta
do you gotta get baptized okay not for salvation not to maintain your salvation
not to do any of those things because I commanded you to do it that's what God
is saying okay and it's kind of just like a first step of obedience is like
you know and here's the thing I'm not I know I'm beating a dead horse here but
I've seen this a lot just in within the last 11 years of me being a Christian
when people would get saved and they just refused to give it's like no I need
my mom to be here I need my pet my deal my cousins are all gonna my primos are
gonna come and we want to have like this big celebration that's not what the
Bible says you should do now I'm not against you like wanting your family to
come but it's just like one excuse after another why you don't get baptized it's
typically not because your deal is not present it's just you don't want to do
it okay you're disobedient yeah now after salvation you get baptized and I'm
gonna give you a couple more things here but this is very important to learn
so in order for you to be successful in the Christian life if you want any type
of success any type of blessings you need this right here
2nd Peter 1 verse 4 says whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature
heaven escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust and beside this
giving all what diligence add to your faith virtue into virtue knowledge so he
says this look exceeding precious promises have been given unto us that's
what we need for success right but he says but beside this you need diligence
what is diligence consistency you need to be faithful consistent diligent
faithful constant okay being steadfast if you want any type of success in the
Christian life you need this matter of diligence in your Christian life you're
not an on-and-off Christian you're not unfaithful you can be counted upon your
if you're faithful you're consistent because here's the thing the Christian
life is not like one new thing after another what it is is you constantly
doing the same thing over and over again and perfecting the same thing you do
over and over again so this right here is vital if you're gonna succeed in the
Christian life you know if you're gonna succeed at knowing any Bible you need to
be consistent at studying the Bible and reading the Bible if you're gonna be
successful at so many you need to be faithful and consisting at doing it okay
there's a lot of things that require success but one of the main things is
this you need to be faithful now go to Proverbs chapter 28
and look in my personal life I've seen a lot of people who've had a lot of
potential to do great things for God but they blow it you know why because they're
not faithful they're not consistent you know and God doesn't require for you to
be just this amazing Christian he doesn't require you for you to have just
this amazing depth of knowledge of the Bible he doesn't require for you to be a
great orator you know he requires for you to be faithful to be counted
faithful just be consistent be diligent and often that's the most difficult thing
for people to do you know just to be consistent in the smallest of matters
Proverbs 28 verse 20 says a faithful man shall abound with blessings but he that
maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent so the Bible tells us there you
want God's blessing be faithful don't skip a beat you know do what you're
supposed to do constant when you're supposed to do it and guess what that's
where God's blessing is but you know what if you're on and off as a Christian
you know you're on fire one minute but you're not on fire the next there's no
blessing in that you know it doesn't it's not worth anything just to burn out
for God like in a week you're like yeah you know King James only post-trib
replacement hate almost all these things and then you're not even in church the
next couple weeks it's like well there that was that was short-lived you know
but you know what to have all those qualities but to be faithful that says a
lot right there okay so after salvation what is it baptism after salvation learn
diligence after salvation go to 1st Timothy chapter 3 you need to be in
church you need to be faithful to church and no not YouTube Baptist Church I love
YouTube it's great I use it but you know what that's not church you need to be
faithful to a literal you know it's funny we like to rag on the universal
the people who believe in a universal church but we practice just like them
sometimes when we're not in church well I'm basically in church I'm on YouTube
you know I'm watching pastor Anderson I'm watching pastor Jimenez I'm watching
all this but that's not that's not church no don't get me wrong I
understand everyone has a different situation okay for instance the Perry's
they live like 10 hours 20 hours away from me I'm exaggerating but they live
far you know I understand that they can't make it to every single service
but look if you are local you can make it to every single service okay make it
happen be faithful look we all have excuses why we can't do the things we're
supposed to do and sometimes they're good excuses but you know what God's not
looking for a good excuse he just wants you to be faithful just be diligent I
got my hair hurts that's why I don't go to church you know it's easy just come
here you sit down and you listen you're not even doing any work when you come to
church did you know that you know the word the biggest work is just driving
over here but then you just got to sit down and just hear me yell at you for
like an hour that's it and if you don't even like that just tune me out read
your Bible whatever but it doesn't take work to come to church but you know what
it does take consistency and diligence to be able to make it to church okay
look at first Timothy chapter 3 verse 14 these things write out unto you hoping
to come unto you unto thee shortly but if I tarry long that thou mayest know
how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God what is the house of
God which is the church of the living God the pillar and ground of truth so
the Bible tells us that the church is the pillar and ground of truth if you
want to know what truth is come to church okay you know you got all this
garbage taking place in the culture today and in the media and all these you
know ideologies and all these politics and politicians lying and you want to
know what's right come to church we'll tell you what's right why because we're
teaching from what the Bible says which has timeless principles okay but you
need to be in church now go with me to Ephesians chapter number two it's so
easy in the technologically advanced society that we have to just not go to
church okay I'm tired you know pound of coffee and come to church you know make
it happen we we're such a very soft society where it's just like anything
can deter us from coming to church you know but you know if God commands us to
be in church we ought to be faithful about it diligent about it I'm thankful
that when I first got saved that was taught to me very early on hey four to
flourish three to thrive be in church I remember my old pastor got up and he
said look if you want to grow in your Christian life you need to be at every
single service and I took it at face value and guess what I grew exponentially
because of that not because of anything that I did no I was just trying to be
diligent and because I went I learned preaching I learned how to live a holy
life I learned principles and doctrine and that helped me in my Christian life
okay now look at Ephesians chapter 2 verse verse 8 says for my grace are you
saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of
works that steady man should boast so the Bible says we're not saved by works
we're saved by grace through faith but look what it says in verse number 10 for
we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them good Ephesians chapter number
4 so the Bible says that we're not saved by works but after we're saying we're
safe to work right so it's supposed to be working now how do you do that though
you know we just read in the Bible in Psalms 143 teach me to do that will well
when someone gets saved how do they know how to work how do they know how to do
right how do they know how to how to obey the Lord look at Ephesians 4 verse
11 says and he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and
some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the what
for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ so the
way you learn how to work for the Lord is by coming to church okay and when the
Bible says perfecting of the Saints it's referring Saints is referring to save
people I spent a lot of time on Thursday night if you don't know what
that means just listen to the sermon but look Saints basically means someone who
set apart to God because we're saved okay it's not it's not based upon the
works that you do it's not based upon you know how many good deeds you've done
or if you flew to India to feed the poor or anything like that you know you don't
have to be a Mother Teresa to be a saint you just have to be saved that's it okay
but it says there that the reason the church is there and the leaders are
there is to perfect you to mature you to complete you for the work of the
ministry so if someone gets saved but you're not in church then you don't know
how to work point of simple why because God has ordained the church to teach you
how to work and to provide a place for you to work okay go to Hebrews chapter
number 10 how does that look like Hebrews chapter number 10 in verse 23
the Bible says in verse 23 let us hold fast the profession of our faith without
wavering for he is faithful that promise and let us consider one another to
provoke unto love and to good works now it's saying there to provoke what does
it mean like come on man let's do it let's go so winning Chad let's go Sony
man you know let's go do something for God you know it's easier to do something
good when you have someone motivating to do it encouraging you become lazy as the
day is long if you're by yourself trying to do work for the Lord this is
the honest truth we all have a propensity to be lazy okay but if we
have someone probing us and say hey let's go let's go so any let's go do
this let's go let's go do something for God it's easier for you to do it but how
do you do that well verse 24 says let us consider one another to provoke unto
love and to good works verse 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the
more as you see the day approaching so the way you exhort one another and the
way you provoke one another is by not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together assembly means basically coming to church you know it's hard to do right
when you don't have anybody doing right to the left and to the right of you or
teaching you hey let this is how you do right that's why Christians YouTube
Christians and people who just stay at home and they're content with just
listening to the sermons online typically struggle with a lot of sin
okay you know why because they don't they're not assembling together with
someone else to help them to do right that's why you need the church okay you
need this church now I like what it says there's it's not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together as the manner of some is you know that means back in
Paul's day there are some YouTube Christians too now they didn't have
YouTube back then you know so it was even worse for them right but they
stayed home they forsook church they didn't go that was their manner but you
know what as it was in the days of Paul so it is today right there is a manner
of people who they're saved they know they're supposed to be in church but
they don't come to church don't be of that manner don't forsake the assembly
okay don't be like that don't just stay home get your butt to church if you're
throwing up stay home if you have the stomach flu stay home but if nothing's
going on and your hair is the only thing that hurts come to church don't make the
excuses of all you know I just you go to church and look most of the time when
you don't feel like going to church as soon as you come you make yourself come
you're thankful you came man they had good food you know good fellowship you
know it was great I had a great time at church I'm glad I went and here's the
thing most people stay home because they're going through problems right
there's like I just I got this problem I got to fix and you know I got I got to
fix this problem we know most of those problems get fixed by you coming to
church and hearing some hard preaching it's like okay that's what I should do I
should not sin I shouldn't be drinking that's why I have these problems you
know I shouldn't be smoking pot that's why I have these problems yeah but you
know what if you stay home you stay in your sin but when you come here you get
hard preaching and you get shamed when you get shamed what happens is like I
need to clean up my life and you benefit from that okay now very important let's
read on verse 26 in context of not forsaking the assembly look what it says
for if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth
there remaineth no more sacrifices for sin but a certain fearful looking for a
judge of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries you
know what you do when you stay home you're sinning willfully because you've
come to the knowledge of the truth that you need to be in church you know don't
undermine the church don't undermine coming to church don't think it's just
like oh you know nothing happens if I you know you might suffer the
consequences very harshly if you decide not to go to church because it's a
command of God and if you sin willfully by not coming to church you know who
knows what might happen to you you know and here's the thing don't let work get
in the way of church you know I practice this even before I worked on staff
before I worked on staff on my at the other church I got booted from I've
always practiced this because I believe this from the top of my head to the
bottom of my feet that you ought to always be in church and don't let work
get in the way of it okay if someone's offering you a job that
causes you to work on Sundays during church time you know that's probably not
God's will for your life you know you may not like oh but you don't understand
my bills and do you not trust the Lord look let me share something let me
share a story with you I'm gonna share your testimony let me give you my
testimony so before this church started and Ulysses could attest to this I got
offered a very I was working on a job that wasn't you know paying very well
but I got offered a really high paying job and I didn't think I applied for
this job and it was a very good job it was a hard job to get into actually and
I just kind of just threw it out there I was like who knows maybe I can get it if
I get it I can I can make a little bit more money but the company called me
back and I was like shocked I think I was with Ulysses when they called me
back and we're working at the same place at that time we're on lunch break and he
called me he's like hey we're considering you to work at this place
and what do you think about that I was just like yeah you know that's that
sounds like a good idea definitely like okay well what's your schedule like and
I gave him my schedule and I said you know I go to church on Thursdays and I
go to church on Sundays and he says yeah he said if you're gonna work here
you actually have to make sure there's gonna be times when you're gonna have to
work on Sundays and he said are you willing to do that I said no if we can
if we can do anything we can to not have me work on Sundays I really appreciate
it you know and he said and this is what he told me he said this he goes well
here's the thing Bruce I know people from your church and they work here and
they forgo church to work here so he kind of had that card to bring out on me
just in case and I basically told him I understand that but not me you know and
I need to not I can't miss church now here's the thing is if I would have
gotten that job I wouldn't been able to be here because once the church started
it was around the time that I would have gotten that job I would have been
working on Sundays that would have disqualified me right away pastor
Anderson said well you work on I can't I can't use you you're you're working on
Sundays you know hey guys I gotta go to work you know it's like I can't preach
today but I but I but I denied it you know and what happened well all this
took place after that you know what I mean so look trust in the Lord lean on
into thy own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him he shall direct thy
path you know don't think that you have more knowledge than God you have more
wisdom and than him no you need to be in church put the things that are
important to God as they should be important to you okay now go with me if
you would to 2nd Timothy chapter number 3 so why should we go to church why is
it so important well we gave a bunch of reasons right now but to be more
specific it's because hard Bible preaching is essential to our spiritual
diet hard Bible preaching is essential for our spiritual diet all right 2nd
Timothy 3 16 says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God when the Bible
says Scripture is referring to the Bible and is profitable for doctrine for
reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may
be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works so the Bible is telling us
here that the Bible is profitable for these things it's profitable to be
corrected so you can be reproved so you can be instructed you can be taught how
to do the will of the Lord now you're in 2nd Timothy go to chapter number 4 in
verse number 2 Luke what Paul commands Timothy to do preach the word verse 2
beings the in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long
suffering and doctrine very similar to what we see in 2nd Timothy 3 3 15 what
is the same the way you're gonna get the reprove mint and the correction is
not just by your Bible reading you need to get it in church too okay you need to
get rebuked you need to get reproved you say well I don't like to be corrected
then you know what go to the liberal fund centers go get your cotton candy
preaching you know and what's gonna happen is you're not gonna learn squat
right you know you're gonna feel good you're gonna have a sugar rush but
that's it all you're gonna get is the tasty goody cotton candy preaching but
you're not gonna learn anything you're gonna be a babe in Christ for the rest
of your life okay look come here get your face ripped
every once in a while and benefit from it okay it's better to be to get hard
preaching to be to have someone step on your toes and you grow from it yeah you
might get embarrassed every once in a while your face might turn red every
once in a while you know you may not like me every once in a while but you
know that you'll benefit from the preaching okay see the easy thing to do
is just go to the liberal fund center you know where the rock bands down the
hoochie mama's up on stage dancing and say you went to church then to come to a
real church where you get some biblical preaching and I will show you from the
Bible you know and you know what I may rip your face off when I'm behind the
pulpit but when I come out from another from off the pulpit guess what we're
friends you know we're good I don't hate you I'm not mad at you look the
Bible tells us this is what God's commanded me to do and if I if I
reprove you it's because I love you okay but that's what you need that's what I
need that's what I've gone for years was was hard Bible preaching and that's I
accredit a lot of my spiritual success for what I have of it is because of the
godly preaching that came from the pulpit they ripped my face off because I
needed it but the Bible tells us there for for doctrine for reproof for
correction instruction and righteousness and then he tells Timothy there to
reprove rebuke and exhort with all long-suffering in doctrine verse 3 for the
time will come when they will not endorse sound doctrine but after their
own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears they shall
turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables go to Titus
chapter number 1 so the Bible says that scripture the Bible will complete you
right the Bible will instruct you in righteousness he said but you're just
you know that's you're you're equating your preaching to the Bible you you got
that right because the Bible says in Titus 1 verse 1 Paul a servant of God
and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God's elect and the
acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness in hope of eternal life
which God that cannot lie promised before the world began but had then due
times manifested his word through what preaching which is committed unto me
according to the commandment of God our Savior so yeah you got it right because
you know what I'm doing I'm not giving you my opinion I'm giving you the Word
of God I'm expounding it unto you that I'm giving you the understanding of the
scriptures that's what we need we need hard Bible preaching and look go to 1st
Timothy chapter number 4 I'm gonna read you from 1st Thessalonians 5 20 the
Bible says in 1st Thessalonians 5 20 I love this commandment despise not
prophesying period that's what it says it just puts a period right there he
just says hey don't hate preaching because prophesying means preaching okay
and he says don't hate it now I'm wondering maybe he said that because you
know preaching can have a propensity to be hated obviously I mean we understand
that right but he's saying there to Christians hey don't hate it so if you're
not supposed to hate something what are you supposed to do it's supposed to love
it you know you're supposed to embrace it and in order to love something you
have to obviously understand that there's value within it right so it says
despise not prophesying now look at 1st Timothy chapter 4 and verse number 1 now
the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils so the
Bible is telling us that a lot of people depart from the faith they get away from
biblical truths and teachings because they're giving heed they're paying
attention they're believing seducing spirits and doctrines of devils doctrine
means teaching a devil is that just that just the devil so devils are teaching
doctrines does that mean there's like a spirit at behind the pulpit no it means
the the pastors who are teaching doctrine they're devils right so these
so-called pastors that think they're saved or they say that they're saved and
all these things but they're teaching false doctrine the Bible says they're
devils and they're teaching false doctrine and what happens people are
being deceived by that okay now so what does God do well what does God tell us
to do because of this because there's so many pastors out there that are teaching
false doctrine what are we supposed to do look at verse 7 but refuse profane
and old wise fables and exercise thyself rather unto godliness so he's saying
look in order not to be confused by the false doctrine and the doctrines of
Devils you need to exercise yourself unto godliness how does that look like
look at verse 13 till I come give attendance to reading to exhortation to
doctrine so he says look the way you avoid all these things is by exercising
yourself unto godliness what that looks like is you give attendance to reading
to exhortation to doctrine now what happens when you do that verse verse 16
take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine continue in them for in doing
this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee well what do you
save yourself from from the seducing spirits and the doctrines of Devils okay
you know I'm sure you've met safe people who go to these weird churches you know
they're saying but they're like you're like why are you in that church for
they're teaching like weird doctrines you know the pastor is not even saved
but you know why because they're being seduced by doctrines of Devils seducing
spirits and doctrines of Devils and you know what it is you said why is that
because they're not giving attendance to reading they're not giving attendance to
doctrine they're not giving attendance to exhortation so therefore they're not
saving themselves from these things you know what you do when you come to church
you're helping me save you from these false doctrines and as I reiterate them
to you I'm teaching myself also I'm saving myself from these false doctrines
so cut me some slack when I get up here and I just rip face on some false
doctrine you know Caleb Robertson and I start calling out the names of these
false prophets and teachers you know I'm trying to save you from these things and
then like man I'm trying to save myself because if these things are not talked
about you know what we could easily start believing these this garbage okay
so go to Hebrews chapter number two I take that back go to Ephesians chapter
four so we need to be in church why because in churches where we get hard
preaching is which is what you need and I'm not saying we know we're not gonna
have encouraging sermons every once in a while I'll tell you that God loves you
every once in a while you know but you know what the Bible the Bible says that
the Spirit bears witness with our spirit we're the children of God we already
know that God loves us you know the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts the
Bible says okay that's that's already known you know what we need to know who
need to do we need to know about the judgment of God is what we need to know
we need to scare the living daylights out of you and put the fear of God in
your heart okay to help you to live a holy life all right Ephesians 4 verse 12
says for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the
edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and
of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the
statue of the fullness of Christ that we henceforth be no more children tossed to
and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men
and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive so look the reason
you we teach doctrine and we rip face is so you're not a child anymore look
I've met people who've been in church for like 25 plus years they're still
babes in Christ and they think that because of the of the length of time
they've been in church that they're like these mature Christians I don't care how
long you've been in church if you're not growing if you're not learning these
concepts and being diligent in these concepts you're you're a babe in Christ
you know and if someone ever comes up to you don't you know how long I've been in
church just you know red flag should go up all this guy's a babe if he has to
pull that card out he's a babe in Christ okay because that means nothing right
now because look I've met Christians who've been in church for like a year
and they like surpass someone who's been in church for like 20 years why because
they're learning concepts they're the Lord's teaching them how to do his will
okay they're being faithful and diligent in church so what do we need after
salvation we need church we need it we need hard preaching we need to be
instructed in righteousness go to 2nd Corinthians chapter number six but we
need to develop the right type of friends this is essential right here too
all this is essential but we're gonna go only essential after another you need
the right type of friends once you get saved you have really bad friends to
probably to begin with okay and maybe some of them are like family members you
know cousins or whatever it may be you know if you're not careful you have to
replace your friends now don't say oh that's cultish you guys are just a cult
no this is wisdom of the Lord here because the Bible says he that walketh
with wise men shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed
and I guarantee you that the majority of friends are fools okay you know
especially if you come from a life where there's drinking there's smoking there's
all kinds of debauchery taking place you know you're probably not gonna last
long in the Christian life if you keep hanging around your friends okay you
need some godly friends now 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 14 says
be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness
and what Concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he with that believe
with an infidel and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols for you
are the temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk
in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people so the Bible says
this don't be unequally yoked together with unbelievers what does that mean
don't always be with unbelievers all the time just hanging out now look if you're
trying to win them to Christ then give them the gospel with him to Christ bring
them to church and move on but if it but if it's like been like five years and
you're still trying to like your buddies buddies like oh I go to the bar
with him you know what I mean cuz I'm trying to win to the Lord you know I'm
just I'm just trying to win that doesn't work okay you need to get away from
those friends because it's not gonna last long if you keep hanging out with
them okay I've had friends who were in church and they wanted to win their
friends to the Lord I had a friend who was a major pot smoker the dude smoked
weed like every day you know but after he got saved he cleaned up his life he
stopped smoking pot but you know what happened he kept hanging around his
friends and then he brought his friends to church but you know what they would
do after church they would leave and they go out late at night look you
shouldn't be hanging out late at night either why cuz the freaks come out at
night you know what you need to do at night sleep there's this thing called
sleep try it every once in a while when the when the lights go out it means
you're supposed to go to sleep and typically good things don't happen at
night when you're out and about okay you know and he was out with his friends and
I tell him hey you know you need to stop hanging out with these guys you know I
know you know they're your friends and they just got saved but they're still
involved in a lot of things you're not supposed to be involved with and I'm
telling you you're gonna end up falling into that and sure enough what happened
got out of church smoking pot again all kinds of sin you know God has wisdom
when he's telling you this don't you so what I do then I'm not gonna have any
friends look at all these friends are here I got a group of friends all these
people are my friends you know and and here's the thing is that's why when you
come to church talk to people get to know some people okay get to know your
brothers and sisters in Christ develop some friendships develop some
relationships why so that when you're lonely you know you're at home and
you're lonely you call up your Christian friend you know or you go out to eat
with your Christian brother or Christian sister by the way guys with guys girls
with girls okay let me just make that clear all right you know you go out with
your Christian friends and then you develop new relationships that's
important so yeah but we don't have anything common then get in the Bible
and get something common okay start learning some Christian practices and
concepts and get some Christian appetite so you can have common ground
with the people here all right it's for your own good you know because
eventually if you keep hanging out with your friends your old friends who are
involved in sin you're gonna be involved in that too and look even with friends
who are Christians but are lukewarm you know you don't want to be around
Christians who are lukewarm you'll be you'll become a luke yourself you will
because that just rubs off on you okay now go with me if you would to let's see
here go to Romans chapter 10 I'm gonna skip a couple things here so look after
salvation you need to get baptized after salvation learn how to be diligent be
consistent in church attendance you know don't don't hit miss don't just do go to
church when you feel like going and that's another thing we need to learn to
do things even when we don't feel like doing them if you're constantly led by
your feelings you know what's gonna happen you know when you first get saved
sometimes you just feel like reading your Bible a lot you're just on fire
you're just constantly reading the Bible you're just like man all this stuff is
great but then what happens is you know the fire sizzles out a little bit and
then you don't feel like doing it anymore you feel like turning on the TV
instead or YouTube or whatever it may be and you don't feel like doing things
you're supposed to be doing well that's why you gotta learn diligence because
diligence says well I don't care if I don't feel like doing I'm gonna do it
anyways because I'm supposed to do it okay now why is it important for you to
come to church because obviously you're gonna get a hard preaching you're gonna
develop friendships but if the church is where you get sent out of okay look at
Romans chapter 10 and verse 13 says 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 of whom they've not heard how shall they
hear without a preacher how say how shall they preach except they be sent as
it is written how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace
and bring glad tidings of good things so this is not necessarily talking about
just the pastor this is just talking about preachers of the gospel so you
can't I'm not saying you can't go soul winning if you just live by yourself and
there's no church around but you know what the according to the Bible you need
to be sent out because here's the thing if you're out there by yourself and you
don't have a church how do you even know you're doing it right you could be
preaching the gospel but because no one's there to observe you to correct
you or for you to be a silent partner how do you know you're doing it right so
you might be going out and preaching the gospel what you think it is and all
these things but you might be doing it wrong no but when you come to church you
have a rotation of people to go with mature people who know how to go soul
winning and guess what you learn the right way to do it so you can confirm
how to do it right and then not only that we have so winning times so it's a
scheduled time in our church where you can be sent out to go preach the gospel
in a specific area that's designated for the soul winners in our church all right
I won't spend too much time on that but go to first Peter chapter number two so
after salvation baptism after salvation be in church hard preaching is what's
necessary in your life to clean up your life okay fellowship you need to develop
new friends how do you develop new friends soon as the church ends service
ends don't just like I'm out you know don't just leave go say hi to someone
you don't know okay I mean you do it all the time when you go so many right shame
on us if we know more about the people that we go out you know preaching the
gospel to than the people in our church you know go look for someone that you
don't know in our church and say hey this is how you start conversations I
mean let me teach you hi I'm Bruce what's your name that's just as easy as
that it's super easy okay now the worst that can happen is you know at that
point what you do is you act like you're talking to the person right behind them
you're like oh I'm sorry I wasn't talking to you you know just to save
yourself some embarrassment but develop friendships say hi to people go talk to
them all right but after salvation what else do we need we need to read the
Bible every day read the Bible we're not a cult that will tell you hey you got
everything you need right here no you go read the Bible by yourself okay and
don't use preaching as a as a exception to reading the Bible so why I listen to
a lot of preaching so I don't need to read about no no no that it doesn't work
that way you need to read the Bible by yourself alone okay and you need to read
the Bible cover to cover not just John not just Proverbs Genesis to Revelation
not just the New Testament either read the whole Bible cover to cover look at
1st Peter chapter 2 verse number 1 wherefore laying aside all malice and all
guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speaking as newborn babes desire
the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby if so be they have taste
that the Lord is gracious go to Deuteronomy chapter number 17 so the
Bible says you ought to desire the sincere milk of the word you should want
to read the Bible well how do you desire some something you desire it by
developing an appetite for it how do you develop an appetite for it by doing it
consistently I've shared this illustration before but I think it's a
perfect illustration before I to illustrate what I'm about to say before
I got married I like my wife you know Sarah I liked her a lot and she has like
tons of brothers and sisters so I was friends with their brothers before and
you know we used to hang out and stuff now my brother-in-law Tim he's the love
he loves drinking this drink called boba you guys are in boba milk tea you guys
know what that is all right how many like boba milk tea anybody like boba
milk tea okay good good so he liked drinking this and you'd always buy me
one but I hated it for me it tastes like cigarette butts it was disgusting was
like and then there's no slimy little balls and stuff like I'm like how do you
drink that look at the side of this straw but every week he'd buy me one
but you know because I like the sister I drink it and I didn't have the guts to
tell them you know I mean like I'm good you know but I drink it I was just like
this is disgusting this is the nastiest thing I've ever had in my life but you
know what after like the tenth time I actually begin to like boba after a
while I started buying it myself and to this day I love boba milk tea I like
almond milk tea it's good I love it I love the boba I like chewing on it it's
great but you know I didn't like it when I first had it it was disgusting when I
first had it but because I did it consistently because I like my wife you
know you know I developed an appetite for it you know after a while I was like
you don't need to buy me boom but I'll get it myself you know so what am I
saying is that's how spiritual things are as well you know you say I don't
have a desire to read the Bible okay then read it and then what happens is
you'll develop an appetite for it so you can see that it goes back to the
first point be diligent be consistent what happens then you're like man this
is like I'm understanding what I'm reading here this is great I didn't know
I could understand the Bible well yeah you have the Holy Spirit of God living
within you the Holy Spirit teaches you all things you lead you into all truths
and so what happens then you don't need someone cramming down your throat saying
hey read the Bible you're like I already read the Bible but you have to read it
every day man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceed out
of the mouth of God you know we need physical food multiple times a day how
much more do we need the Bible multiple times a day okay don't skip a meal and
don't think that oh you know what I'm reading I'm reading the Bible right now
in church you know that's that's it that's part of my Bible reading no that's
not your part of your Bible reading that's part of 1st Timothy chapter 4
which says give attendance to reading okay that's what we're doing in the
church but you need to go home and read the Bible and look moms I know it's
probably difficult for you to read the Bible with the kids around but you need
to find some time to do it and dads help out with that okay help out with
that and maybe your work schedule doesn't align to you so what's the best
time for me to read the Bible well in my experience the best time is in the
morning okay now does the Bible say you have to read it in the morning no you
could read it throughout the day okay but maybe the best time for you is at
night now the reason I don't think at night is the best time to read the Bible
is because you're winding down and typically if you're reading the Bible at
night you're not paying attention to what you're reading okay you're just
opening you're just like you know I'm ready to go to sleep and you read a
couple verses and then you read the whole chapter and you're like I don't
even know what I read you know no in the morning your mind's awake you read the
Bible and it helps you say for how long do I read the Bible that I can't tell
you because it different it's different for everyone but the point is if you're
if you're new to reading the Bible maybe just read a couple chapters three
chapters a day okay maybe even one but read something but you ought to build
upon that okay so three chapters to five chapters to ten chapters and it
doesn't have to be in a time span of a week or a couple months just pace
yourself but the important thing is is this read the Bible okay don't be
dependent on just the preaching you're getting here look if you don't have a
Bible as David he'll get you a Bible from the back don't let him not having a
Bible be an excuse of why you don't read the Bible and if you don't know where to
start come talk to me come talk to one of the guys they'll tell you where to
start but you need to start so if you woke up today and you didn't read your
Bible don't fret the day is not over you go home crack open that Bible and read
it Deuteronomy 17 verse 19 says and it shall be when he saideth upon the throne
of his kingdom that he shall write him a copy of this law and a book out of that
which is before the priest the Levi so this is a command that God gave for the
kings of Israel okay and it shall be with him and he shall read therein all
the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all
the words of this law and these statutes to do them so the Bible is telling us
that the king during that time had to read the Bible every single day you say
until when all the days of his life okay well the New Testament were kings and
priests right according to the book according to Revelation chapter 1 verse
6 it says the were kings and priests so that applies to us we're to read the
Bible especially us because guess what back then they didn't have the whole
Bible we got the whole Bible here okay we got old and New Testament so God's
command is to read read it every single day all right now go to John chapter 1
so after salvation get baptized after salvation learn diligence now if you
have problems with this matter of diligence being consistent maybe ask
someone in the church to keep you accountable okay you know what that
means basically what that is is this is this like man I want to be consistent in
church attendance but I'm just sometimes I just don't feel like coming I feel
like I'm not gonna keep that commitment well ask one of the brethren in church
hey can you call me Sunday morning or Saturday night and say hey just a
reminder got church you know or maybe you need a ride say hey can you come
pick me up yeah I'm gonna be there to pick you up whether you want to go to
church or not that's accountability even with Bible reading I've done that with
Bible reading too you know where I kept someone accountable with their Bible
reading and helped them to get consistent and they're reading the
Bible to this day you know day in and day out that helps a lot that's if you
have problems with being diligent in that area church attendance now the last
thing is this is if you want to be successful in the Christian life after
salvation learn how to go soul winning okay now let me just say that all these
can be done out of order you can start so winning first before you even read
the Bible you know all these things I've known people who started so many before
they even went to church okay but I'm just giving you them in these in this
order it's important that you learn how to go so winning why is that because
it's important for us as God's people to be on fire for God okay hot for the Lord
not lukewarm not just like lackadaisical and not just like whatever you know
we're just gonna put this thing on cruise control no you need a burn for
the Lord but the way you burn for God is by going so winning because one of the
most exciting things that you'll ever experience in your life is to lead
someone to Christ to save someone from the flames of hell that's exciting and
you talk to the most the best so winners in our church or wherever in any kind of
church typically there are people who are on fire for God they're talking
about the things of God they're talking about the Bible they're faithful to
church you know why because they've developed this habit of going out there
and preaching the gospel and look when you preach the gospel you find purpose
in life like I know what my purpose is it's to save people from hell that's
what my purpose is in life you get excited about the things of God and
that's great look at John 1 40 and one of the two which heard John speak and
followed him was Andrew Simon Peters brother he first findeth his own brother
Simon and sayeth unto him we have found the Messiah's which is being interpreted
the Christ so Peter the first thing he did obviously he got saved prior to this
a little bit prior to this but one of the first things he's did he went to go
find his brother you know he didn't know how to necessarily preach the gospel he
said hey I found the Christ you know go to Luke chapter 8 Luke chapter number
8 in verse 38 this is talking about the maniac of Gadara you know he gets saved
the Bible says that he was sitting and clothed and in his right mind look at
verse 38 says now the man out of whom the devil's were departed besought him
that he might be with them but Jesus sent him away saying return to thine own
house and show how great things God had done unto thee and he went his way and
published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him
you don't even need people that once they get saved go publish it go talk
about it go talk about salvation go talk about how God saved you now and I go
talk about how they can get saved the same way you got saved go publish that
throughout the whole city you know if you want to make it in the Christian
life and just and just stay there until the end sowing is the best way to do
that it'll it'll help you to grow it'll it'll make sure that your heart doesn't
grow cold towards the things of God but you know if you only come to church you
hear preaching you're gonna sit soak and sour you're just gonna be critical you're
gonna waste your time doing a bunch of nonsense no you need a couple Bible
preaching and church attendance and all these things with soul winning so once
you get fed look we gather to scatter so we come here we gather together we hear
preaching we get equipped and then we scatter to go tell everyone else about
salvation okay this is what we need after salvation now look if you don't do
any of these things you're still saved you know you have salvation you're going
to heaven between gain squat after that on this earth you're not gonna get any
rewards when you get to heaven but you know if you apply these principles which
are very basic I understand and you're diligent you're consistent about them
you're gonna get a lot of rewards you're gonna find a lot of purpose in
life okay now look don't don't let this matter of sowing scare you either okay
don't think you know if you just come to me like hey I want to go so I was like
all right you're by yourself here's a map you know you got to talk to everyone
you know I mean you got to make sure no no we're gonna parry up with someone who
knows how to go sowing and you're probably not gonna do any talking for a
long time weeks if not sometimes months okay because we want to make sure that
you learn how to go sowing just watch the way it's done we're not gonna parry
up with someone's gonna be like hey how you doing I'm from faith for Baptist
Church I just want to ask you a really important question 100% sure that if you
die today you go to heaven or you're not okay well they got something to tell you
you know they're not just and you're like that's not gonna happen okay there
you're just gonna learn we're not going to take questions we're gonna take you
can ask me after the service all right but what you have to do is just base
just come be a silent partner learn and look this is what's gonna happen when
that when that takes place you're gonna see it done a couple times you can be
like wow that's not it's not as hard as I thought it was I think I can do this
and then you tell your silent partner hey can I try the next door and then
after that it's just like it's history after that you become a soul winner okay
but this needs to happen after salvation so don't just you know it's great to be
saved I'm thankful for salvation but there's a lot of the commandments that
God has for us after salvation you know you need to apply these things and be
diligent at them amen let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer father
we thank you so much for this day thank you so much for our salvation and thank
you for the soul winners that came to us that preached to us the gospel and made
known unto us salvation but we're thankful that after salvation it didn't
stop there we're able to learn these things about church attendance about
Bible reading about soul winning about having the right fellowship and friends
I pray God that you'd help us to apply these things and to be diligent be
consistent be faithful at all these things and help us to glorify your name
in Jesus name we pray amen