Amen part of the chapter we're gonna focus on is found in chapter 14 in verse number
11 where the Bible reads here as yet I am strong as strong this day as I was in the
day that Moses sent me as my strength was then even so is my strength now for
war both to go out and to come in now therefore give me this mountain whereof
the Lord spake in that day for thou heardest in that day how the Anakim's
were there and that the cities were great and fenced if so be the Lord will
be with me then I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said and the title
of my sermon this evening is I want that mountain right I want that mountain in
the story the children of Judah approached Joshua regarding the land
that they would like to conquer and obviously if you've read the Old
Testament if you read Joshua and Deuteronomy God promises a land to these
people that they would be able to conquer right and and he promises it to
them but it has conditions it's like you got to conquer the people you got to
make sure you fight them off you got to make sure you keep the commandments of
God and then it could be yours you got to make sure that you're living right
and you're doing that which is right in the sight of the Lord and you can have
that land Caleb is among them and basically reminds Joshua of the word of
the Lord he had given them 40 years prior so he says you can have this land
and that was 40 years ago well guess what Caleb is now 85 years old and even
at the age of 85 he's remembering what God had promised 40 years prior to that
well Caleb and Joshua were the two guys that brought the good report back because
if you remember the story they went to go spy out the land the land and they
came back and they said man there's giants in the land there's big old
graves it looks good it's a land that flows with milk and honey it looks very
promising let's take it but what would happen there is a few people who
actually gave an evil report right like no it's too big there's giants in the
land whereas grasshoppers in their sight so on and so forth and the Bible says
that they gave an evil report well Caleb according to the Bible had a holy fall
of the Lord and he had another spirit and his fear was we can do this we can
take them we can fight them off we can we can inherit the land that God had
promised to give us well 40 years later he remembers that okay and he goes to
Joshua and he gives him this dissertation regarding the inheritance
he basically tells Joshua look I remember what God said 40 years ago okay
40 years ago he said we can have this mountain 40 years ago he said we can
have this inheritance if we just follow X Y & Z well then he said this give me
this mountain yeah I'm 85 years old but guess what I'm as strong as I I'm as
strong today as I was 40 years ago I'm still zealous for the Lord I'm still
wholly following God so go ahead and just give me this mountain it's a great
dissertation and and really there's so many areas we can apply this to our
lives but I want to really just talk about this matter of going into 2018 as
a church and let me say this as a church you know what we ought to do is say this
I want this mountain right he said what Mountain El Mani I mean if you think of
El Monte what is it's the mountain now look he he didn't ask for like this
little piece of lamb he says just give me the whole thing right and go big or
go home right and you see Caleb had some ambition he had drive there was
there was vision there and even though he was 85 he was up there in age he
didn't allow that to hinder him he could have made all kinds of excuses and I'm
too tired I'm too established but no he said this I want that mountain give it
to me okay and look Caleb wasn't asking for anything radical either right it's
nothing people would have gone to him and say well that's a little too much
you want a mountain that's a little too much no he's simply asking for something
that God had already offered him right and let me say this we as a church
should have that desire as well that ambition to say I want to do something
big for God I want our church to do something big I want us to get that
mountain and often in the mountain in the Old Testament symbolizes like
victory it symbolizes inheritance it symbolizes the mountaintop right and and
we could apply that to our personal lives to say the same thing and look
2017 is over okay and there's a lot that took place in 2017 but guess what 2018
is right around the corner and we're gonna do greater works for God look I'm
thankful for the amount of people that got saved today and yesterday and two
weeks ago and this year I mean we've seen scores of people saved already
praise the Lord for that but you know what let's put that behind us why
because there's greater works to do in 2018 okay there's more souls we're gonna
see say there's more so any we're gonna do more sermons we're gonna preach
greater works why because we want that mountain now let me say this you say
what mountains specifically are referring to I'm talking about cities
that we want to overcome okay and no I'm not talking about bus ministry you know
you keep keep your bus ministry keep your Sunday school class keep your
boo-boo college keep all those things I don't want nothing to do with that you
say what do you want to do it I want to do more soul winning okay and when we
say we want that mountain we're talking about souls are gonna be saved in the
city by our church El Monty South El Monty Montebello Monterey Park El
Hambra Rosemead East Los Angeles Maywood Cudahy
someone give me another Paramount Compton whoa that's a big mountain right
there Inglewood Long Beach amen Downey I mean there's a lot of mountains in
this area Orange County for my white brethren out there I'm just kidding
Whittier right Duarte I mean there's all kinds of mountains here and look
look at the map that's a lot of blue shaded in within the last couple of
months how much more do you think I think we're gonna finish this map this
year easy easily and look you say you're trying to get your name out no we
want to get the gospel out we want to see more people safe and here's the
thing I don't want this to be a goal like that I want to reach so we can be
so I can be famous and I can be known no I want this to be something that all of
us get involved with so every single person in this church becomes a soul
winning Baptist Christian seeing people saved and spreading the gospel
everywhere and let's not have a big a small vision let's have a big vision for
this thing to see a lot of people say I mean look we joke about it but when you
have people walking in and saying hey can can I get saved that that's awesome
but that doesn't happen every single time okay that's once in a blue moon
that happened in acts 16 and I haven't heard it happen since then all right but
look most of the time that's not gonna happen you know what we have to do we
have to go out there and get them okay no we're not gonna have an evangelistic
service no we're not gonna do like a friend day no we're not gonna do any of
those things what are we gonna do we're gonna get out there and preach the
gospel and look you want to have the goal in your personal life that you want
to be a soul winner in 2018 we don't need Christians who are too lazy to get
their rear end out there and preach the gospel it's easy to be in a Bible
believing church like this and just appreciate the preaching and the
fellowship but you know what you need to get out there and do the work yourself
be a part of the team go out there and get yourself a mountain we need some
ambitious Christians today okay not to make money not to not to do some great
exploit to make our names big no to see a lot of people saved okay you said
where do I start you can start this week you can start for the soul winning mega
marathon coming up in all 50 states amen I mean we want to make sure that we we
the souls are being just saved on a weekly daily basis of our church we want
to be a sowing machine say man I just I'm just I'm not as good as I you know I
don't know how to preach the gospel that you need to learn and look if you're
saved there should be no reason why you can't preach the gospel because you've
heard the gospel yourself okay now I'm not saying that you're not gonna be
you're gonna be eloquent on day one okay you're gonna know everything you need to
know about preaching the gospel on day one no but you know what you can do
something right and look come out be a silent partner if you need to but be a
part of the work why because one man can't conquer one mountain this whole
church needs to get involved to be a part of that okay East LA I mean there's
a lot of there's a lot of open hearts out there people are just waiting I mean
El Monte just in general is a very open area I'm surprised to be honest with you
within the last couple of months how many people have been saved here this is
this is look I would understand if you're like discouraged because we're in
an area where like no one's getting saved on but you know people being saved
here on a weekly basis this is a perfect place for you to learn how to go sowing
to get your feet wet to learn why because people are getting saved all the
time this is the mountain we want we want to see people save we don't want
it we're not interested in vacation Bible school okay we're not interested
in and that's a bus ministry we need to say it some more I'm not interested in
that anymore okay what I'm interested in is preaching the gospel to every
creature and look I'm not saying people have not gotten safe through bus
ministry but there's a lot more falling through the cracks in bus ministry than
those that are getting saved I mean just a couple months ago I knocked on a
door where these kids answered the door and they were going to like some big
name Spanish pastors Church for a long time and they weren't even saved okay
hey but they were there the numbers that they needed right they got to put them
on the board and say they had so many on the church but they weren't even saved
what if those kids would have died and gone to hell you know they didn't care
about that no what we want is to make sure we get out there and preach the
gospel so people can be saved they can have eternal life let me give you some
statistics here first of all El Monte has a hundred and thirteen thousand four
hundred and seventy five approximately people here I mean that seems like a lot
but it's not really that much I think we can knock that out in 2018 easy and
look one thing we're gonna do in 2018 is we're gonna make so many teams you're
gonna be in charge of a specific area in El Monte and that's your area your you
and your team will be knocking that area seeing souls saved making sure that we
knock out that entire map okay but a hundred and thirteen thousand that's not
a whole lot of people I think our little church with our little storefront I
think we can do it in fact I know we can do it but we need the involvement of
everyone in here South El Monte has twenty thousand approximately twenty
thousand that's not a lot Monterey Park has sixty thousand a little over sixty
thousand that's not a lot you know and look how do you how do you build a house
one brick at a time you know you just go out there knock those doors get
rejected you know lead people to Christ week in and week out put in the work and
guess what we're gonna see a lot of people saved in these areas East LA me
gente mi raza 126,000 there's a lot of open people there and look you ought to
have the goal if you speak Spanish to know how to preach the gospel in Spanish
okay don't let the green go learn Spanish before you do Alex is learning
Spanish right now okay and but you if you know Spanish you have to know how
to preach the gospel in Spanish okay if you can speak it fluently there's no
reason why you can't pick up a Spanish reign of Valera 2010 okay and memorize
the verses memorize the Romans Road and get out there and win some souls to
Christ I would say 40 to 50 percent of the people that I lead to the Lord are
in Spanish and I honestly believe that your salvations increase when you know a
different language because you reach into a different people group well if
you know Spanish look you need to learn it because Omani is very heavily
populated with Hispanic people I mean this whole area is right learn the
Spanish learn how to preach the gospel in Spanish LA County alone has a little
over nine million people you know and look I talked about Omani but we're not
stopping to know money we want to take over all of Los Angeles we're gonna knock
every single door in the LA County every single door without bus ministry without
vacation Bible school I'm not talking about track drops I'm not talking about
door hangers blitzing this and blitzing that no we're talking about door to
door so winning I believe we can do it and look if you're apathetic today you
know you know you don't care about these things then you know what you need to go
to some lukewarm Baptist Church where they'll let you live a worldly life they
don't care about seeing souls saved you can do whatever the hell you want and
you don't go out there and preach the gospel that's fine go do that but you
know why in our church we're gonna make sure that our focus is so winning you
know why because the Bible says that Jesus came to seek and to save that
which is lost and the Bible says that he's given to us the Ministry of
Reconciliation the word of reconciliation that's our responsibility
he's given to us the dispensation of the gospel amen we're not talking about
dispensation was him either he's dispensed was the responsibility to
preach the gospel we ought to have a burning desire to get out there and
preach the gospel okay now you say what does that have to do with mountains you
know you know I want this mountain well we'll apply it somehow all right here we
go go to Deuteronomy chapter number 10 have a goal for your life for 2018 okay
not to make more money not to have the best car not to have the most material
wealth you know none of these things they're vain it's all gonna go away one
day it's all gonna burn you know we ought to have and I'm not saying there
shouldn't be some some sort of physical goals that you have but you know more so
than that are the spiritual goals that we need to have okay your Bible reading
you know if you've not read the Bible once cover to cover you need to start
tomorrow or you know what get a head start start tonight why not right you
need to read you say yeah but I get enough preaching no no no you need to
read the Bible cover to cover okay and if you've been a Christian for any
length of time you've not read the Bible through shame on you okay it doesn't
take a long time to read the Bible from cover to cover 10 minutes a day 15 10 to
50 minutes a day you'll be able to finish the Bible in one year real simple
and if you want to increase that you can read it twice a year you know start
reading in 30 minutes a day or whatever okay but you can do it but one thing we
don't need is people who are out there going soul winning but they're not
reading their Bibles I mean how are you gonna defend the faith right how are you
gonna how you gonna fuel up on a weekly basis to go out there and preach the
gospel if you were not reading the Bible you know we're King James only
but are you reading your King James Bible okay you need to be in the book
and that's we need to be in the book okay we need to be in the book we need
to make sure we're on our knees we need to make sure that we're disciplined to
do things we're supposed to do reading the Bible on a daily basis don't be a
lazy Christian and not read your Bible okay oh yeah but I believe right and I
am a post trip pre-wrath and I'm replacement theology but I haven't read
my Bible like in a month no you're foolish you need to be making sure that
you read the Bible on a daily basis oh yeah but I believe right but but you
can't even show me because you haven't been reading your Bible why you believe
what you believe you need to make sure you're in the Word of God and look 2018
you hit a reset button okay you could start afresh tomorrow say you know what
I'm gonna start in Genesis or and look you don't necessarily have to read it
from Genesis to Revelation you can jump around but keep track of what you're
reading okay and make sure you get it done read the Word of God on a daily
basis what I have you turn Deuteronomy chapter number 10 so this mountain that
we're talking about you know this is a very big goal that we have for a little
church like ours right this is a big goal you know to read even to finish
that map right there is a big goal and here's here's something that's a big
mountain is what we want we're gonna call it tonight it's a big mountain to
conquer but look at Deuteronomy chapter number 10 verse 8 says first of all let
me say this this mountain has valleys it says therefore shall you keep all the
commandments which I command you this day that you may be strong and go in and
possess the land whether you go to possess it and then you may prolong your
days in the land which the Lord swear unto your fathers to give unto them and
to their seed a land that floweth with milk and honey for the land whether you
go to into possess it is not as the land of Egypt from whence he came out
without so is thy seed and water is did with thy foot as a garden of herbs but
the land whether you go to possess it is a land of hills and valleys and drinketh
water of the rain of heaven a land that the Lord thy God careth for the eyes of
the Lord thy God are always upon it from the beginning of the year even until the
end of the year you know often when he when God refers to a land it's not
necessarily talking about I mean to us in New Testament is not referring to a
physical land it's talking about the spiritual aspect of it right and often
we would think of the land being something that we can conquer an
inheritance we can have something to overcome when we're living the
victorious Christian life but here the Bible says that this land is filled with
valleys well you remember what David said he says though I walk to the valley
of the shadow of death often valleys are associated with just going through a
hard time there's trials right they're going through a valley how many you've
ever heard that term used before they're just going to a value right now okay and
look this mountain is gonna have a lot of valleys there's gonna be times of
discouragement during this year there's gonna be times of hardship look there
might be times of persecution okay and now's the time to buckle down and not be
afraid when the persecution comes you need to be settled in your faith
established in your faith to know look this is what I believe I'm not gonna
move regardless of what persecutions come because look it's really easy to
say we hate the faggots until the faggots start persecuting right how are
you gonna react at that point okay we need to make sure that we're
establishing the faith and say I'm not gonna change my belief just because
someone persecutes me because they they send afflictions look these mountains
have valleys and we need to expect these things to come okay the
inheritance of the mountaintops came with valleys or hardships difficulties
in fact the Bible says for a great door and effectual is open unto me and there
are many adversaries see whenever there's a great opportunity to do
something great for God there's always an adversary that comes with that
opportunity otherwise it wouldn't be worth doing right I mean why would there
be adversaries in the first place because they're opponents they want to
oppose us to hinder us from accomplishing something great for God
you know why a lot of our independent Baptist brethren are not suffering
persecution because they're not doing anything big for God there's no there's
no opponents there there's no adversaries there but you know what when
you have a church that's sowing on a day in day out basis seeing people saved
that gets the attention of the of the powers of darkness that gets the
attention of Satan and guess what this year is gonna come with some hardships
this year is gonna come with some difficulties but you know what that just
goes to show us that what we're doing is right if you've gone through
hardships within the last couple of months guess what it just goes to show
that you're doing something right that's not the time to be afraid to give up to
throw in the towel no that's the time to confirm and say Lord I know that I'm
doing something right and if you're not getting persecuted if you've never
suffered those things then you need to self examine yourself and see if are you
really in the fight because if there's no if there's no opposition what are you
doing who you fighting it's only when you're doing something right for God
you're gonna face some opposition there's gonna be values go to Proverbs
chapter 28 Proverbs chapter number 20 hold your place no don't hold your place
there go to just go to Proverbs chapter 28 there's a great door here and look I
would hope that every single person here five years from now a year from now
2019 2020 stays here okay I hope so now if you like get offended and you don't
like what I say then get out you know go go find a church that will tickle your
ears and make you feel good so they can get your tie so they can pay for their
Mercedes and get their yacht and all these things that's fine go go go over
there okay we don't need you to be here if you don't like the preaching if you
get offended every single time okay but I would hope that every single person
under the sound of my voice would say no I want to make sure I'm here because
this is where God wants me to be this is where the truth is that and this is where
souls are being saved I want to be a part of this great work this is a great
door okay and look there's gonna be times where Satan is gonna tempt you to
just leave okay whether it's because someone offended you and look if I don't
offend you someone here is gonna offend you just just mark it down it's gonna
happen that's just part of life I mean how many come from like a family of four
five or three or anything like that have any of your brothers and sisters ever
defended you throughout your lifetime okay if they didn't you're a liar okay
or you didn't live together or something all right it happens that's what
families do you know me and my brother we fistfight the next day you just get
along you know that's just how family is and guess what we're not gonna
fistfight okay all right we're talking about fighting before sir we're not
gonna do that but here's the thing is someone is gonna offend you but look the
person who offended you needs to grow up but you need to grow up too okay I don't
like the way they sit just get over it get over it it's okay they don't hate
you we don't hate you grow from it and look if they defraud you lie yourself
to be defrauded grow out of it it only builds thicker skin and you know what as
a Christian you need to build some thick skin okay you can't have soft skin in
the Christian life you say why is that because you're gonna you're gonna just
fall apart at the slightest persecution that you receive okay what average your
in Proverbs 28 verse 1 says the wicked flee when no man pursueth but the
righteous are bold as a lion you know what we need we need some lions this
year we need some lions in 2018 lions and lionesses okay we need some lions
who are willing to just be bold as a lion just be bold bold in your witness
bold in your stance go to go to Proverbs chapter 30 Proverbs chapter 30 look
Jesus is the lion of Judah amen where to reflect that be bold don't be afraid
don't be scared Proverbs 30 verse 29 says there be three things which go well
yea four are comely in going look what it says in verse 30 a lion which is
strongest amongst among beasts and turneth not away for any amen
it says that they're strong and they're not gonna turn away from anyone the
elephant the hippopotamus whatever comes their way they ain't turning from it
you ever had someone go like this to you try to make you flinch how many years
used to do that if you like this you flinch and then they hit you you know we
need to be non flinchers okay and this is how you this is how you could be a
spiritual non flincher expect the hit welcome to hit just welcome to hit you
know I remember I remember back in the day back in this before Christ or BC
they used to tell we were talking about kickboxing earlier but they used to say
you know basically you know if you ever get in a street fight you just kind of
got to let him hit you first because there and then you you can say look the
reason I knocked the guy out because he he like assaulted me so they would just
tell you just take the hit you know tighten up your jaw you know and take
the hit and that never happened to me but I remember one time this one guy he
I think he was trying to rob me I was in Paramount and and he came he's away from
you know he wasn't asking about my nationality he's her kid I said I live
right here and then you know and then he was just like and I think he thought I
was being sarcastic with him and he kind of went and he like threw the punch at
me but he wasn't gonna punch me but I had learned this is just if he if he
hits me then it's on you know and I just kind of stood there and I didn't flinch
and he kind of like looked at me weird like that's weird you're supposed to at
least react a little bit you know duck or something but we were taught hey look
don't flinch let him hit you if they have to hit you so you can fight back
you know I mean and then then then you're justified by defending yourself
that's what that was basically it wasn't necessarily being a tough guy it's just
saying look so you can be justified in defending yourself you could so you can
say look the reason this happened is because he assaulted me you know but how
do we buy that spiritually is don't be a flinch or just just be willing to take
the hit because there's some hits coming amen and look it's good to flinch
because you have good reaction but for the most part it's also good to take a
hit because it's when we're afflicted that we go to the Word of God it's when
we're in pain that we seek the Lord right that we pray more that we read the
Bible more it's when the hardships come that's when you actually get a little
closer to the Lord okay pain helps you to draw closer to those
pain is good it's a good thing we don't like it but it it's beneficial to us
okay and here the Bible says that the lion turns not away from any you know
and we want to be a church that says that people say man those are people
that don't they don't turn away from it they're not afraid of anything oh I take
that back they're they're afraid of the Lord they fear the Lord but other anyone
other than that they fear they don't fear anybody else other than the Lord
okay go to Joshua 17 Joshua chapter 17 but this this mountain has valleys
there's gonna be some hard hardships look there's gonna be hardships in your
marriage right there's gonna be hardships with your children's gonna be
maybe there might be some financial hardships okay whatever may be you just
need to take it full you know just fully take it and and and already settle
within your hearts I'm not gonna throw in the towel just because this hardship
comes okay conquering lands and getting the
mountain and seeing souls saved it comes with the price are you willing to pay
the price that's the question Joshua 17 17 says and Joshua spake unto the house
of Joseph even to Ephraim and Manasseh saying thou are a great people and has
great power thou shall not have excuse me thou shall not have one lot only but
the mountain shall be thine for it is a wood and thou shalt cut it cut it down
and the outgoings of it shall be thine for thou shalt drive out the Canaan
Knights though they have iron chariots and though they be strong you're saying
goes look this mountain is yours and you're gonna be able to conquer it even
though they have chariots of iron and that they're strong we would think and
look later on we'll see that there is another tribe they weren't able to
conquer some of these people because they had chariots of iron but you know
what Joshua was saying here you could do it just because it's hard doesn't mean
it's not possible just because it's difficult just because it's a little
strenuous just because it's a little difficult to do this doesn't mean it
can't be done and we need to make sure that we as Christians are not little
sissies spiritually they just because something is hard we don't attempt to
try it whether it's in your Bible reading whether it's so any whatever may
be just because it's hard doesn't mean doesn't make it impossible it just means
we got to pray be strong in the Lord and the power of his might is what the
Bible says and don't let the chariots of iron discourage you from even trying
whatever that may be whatever you may apply that to your personal life
Jeremiah 32 27 says behold I am the Lord the God of all flesh is there anything
too hard for me you know the answer is no okay and anytime we get discouraged
and it gets a little difficult gets a little hard and maybe it's not as
comfortable and look these last few months has been they've been great right
in our church I mean we're seeing so saved everyone's like yeah excited about
the church well you know what's gonna die down in 2018 maybe okay the
excitement might go away a little bit all right but you know what that's when
you have to put that's when you have to put the big boy pants on okay for the
men not for the ladies all right you know that's when you gotta say you know
I got to do what I got to do because this is what I'm supposed to do and and
here's the thing is when you get discouraged don't don't be a Christian
who's driven by your emotions either don't be an emotional Christian or let
me say this it's okay to be emotional but don't be don't make decisions based
off your emotions fear doubt anxiousness anxiety all these things that they pull
at our heart to make a decision that's not right no you just need to make your
decisions based off of God's Word and that's it okay that's how it works go to
Judges chapter number one so the mountain has valleys you know and I
don't know what valleys are to come in 2018 I just know that's just the nature
of the beast it's just what happens you know I hope no one gets thrown out this
year you know from the group here but it may happen we might have to throw out
Alex or something I'm just kidding but some some of my guests I don't know we
don't we don't know what's what's gonna happen but I just know this there are
many adversaries because it's an open door and look now that the door is open
and we've already gone through it the adversaries are coming but we got to
make sure everyone's on the same page and here's another thing we got to make
sure we have is unity got to make sure we back each other up okay we got to
make sure that we back each other up there we're praying for one another
there we're exhorting one another and then we're backing each other up and
look one of the practical ways you can do that just be in church make sure
you're in church now people have been missing the last couple services just
because it's sixth season I get that my son's not here he's been puking like
crazy you know and there's a lot of people who've been like that they're
just throwing up now my son he doesn't whine when he pukes he just like looks
at me just goes and he's just he's just like you know there there it goes you
know which I appreciate that rather than the whiny and you know throwing up he
just like the Exorcist style you know just like but people get sick this is a
sixth season but you in 2018 you need to get faithful you need to be faithful
okay we don't not this hit miss junk if you don't got a reason look if you're
not dying or you know you're puking if it's like my toe hurts or I got a you
know like my hair hurts okay my hair is in pain right no don't don't get your
butt in church you need to be in church look I've heard not here but I've heard
a lot of excuses from people it's just like yeah I just had to and they're just
trying to come up with a reason in their mind I had to mailbox just you know just
throw words out there you know like you don't even have a good reason get your
butt in church you need to be in church and look you wonder why you struggle so
much it's probably because you're not in church enough because when you're in
church you hear the truth you get fed you're around people who are spiritually
minded that strengthens you you know and look you make good friends at church so
that when you fall or you're struggling you have someone that can pick you up
okay you have friends you have people there who are thinking about you or
praying for you but judges chapter one so not only does this mountain have
valleys but this mountain has had failed attempts to don't want to scare anybody
but this is the truth judges 117 says and Judah went with Simeon his brother
and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephthah and utterly destroyed
it and the name of the city was called Horma also Judah took Gaza with the
coaster of and Ascalon with the coaster of and Ekron with the coaster of and the
Lord was with Judah and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain but could
not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had chariots of iron
so these people what does that what I mean they failed and you know what the
mountain that we're attempting to conquer today in 2018 Christians have
tried to do it and they failed at it but not because they didn't have a big God
not because you know God was his hand is too short that he cannot save his ears
too heavy that he cannot hear it's not because the gospel didn't have any power
it's because they weren't trying it's because they didn't apply the biblical
principles that they should have applied to see people safe to conquer the
mountain to do great exploits for God that's why they failed and I've met I've
seen ministries where they they were on fire they're doing something great they
were so winning and today they're just paintballing on a Saturday instead of
soul winning look I'm not against paintballing but when you do that in
place of soul winning when the pastor is doing paintball instead of soul winning
you ought to be ashamed of yourself that's why they failed no we're
succeeding because the bills are being paid I can care less if the bills get
paid look the bills need to get paid don't get me wrong but if that's all
it's all about forget the paintballing yeah go do some real soul winning go get
your church back on fire for God you know and they're over here stinking
doing just their visits paintballing and visits you know alleviating their
conscience from what they should be doing which is so winning and it's not
getting done and that's why they failed at conquering that mountain we don't
want to be a church plant that fails at conquering the mountain okay and it's
not like oh what it what it we don't have to fail we keep God's Commandments
we keep preaching hard we keep soul winning and we'll conquer the mountain
that's that's the way it works but just know this you get off track you you
you'll be a failure as well okay go to Matthew 21 Matthew chapter 21 Matthew
chapter 21 they couldn't drive out the inhabitants of the land because they had
chariots of iron you know make making excuses even though God told them you'll
do it even being you can do it even if they have chariots of iron you know we
can't do they have chariots of iron no we can't we can't we can't win all these
people the only they all speak Spanish well they all speak Chinese I can't do
it look we all have excuses okay just do it
get the power of God pray for God's boldness learn the gospel and we will be
able to conquer the mountain Matthew 21 43 says therefore say I into you the
kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the
fruits thereof obviously we know that that's talking about replacement
theology where God replaced Israel right but you know in a practical sense that
happens to churches too or it's like the churches aren't taking care of business
they're not soul winning they're not preaching they're not doing what they're
supposed to be doing you know what God says you know what I'm just gonna put my
blessing on a church that it actually is bringing forth the fruits thereof we're
no one special we're not we're not wise we're not the most knowledgeable we're
not the most smartest but you know what God promised the mountain all we have to
do is obey him and keep doing what we're supposed to be doing as God commanded
and we can have it we just got to bring the forth the fruits thereof that's it
first Corinthians 15 10 Paul said but by the grace of God I am what I am in the
grace and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I labored
more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me
the Bible says was Paul saying look the reason I got the job done is because I
was laboring a lot of churches don't want to labor today they don't want to
put in the work well you know what we want to be a working Baptist Church okay
well we're putting in the work day in and day out week after week seeing
people saved getting that mountain go to Deuteronomy chapter number one the
mountain has valleys okay 2018 will be filled with valleys 2018 we'll see
mountains that were had failed attempts where there is a church that was
soul-winning there was doing great works for God and no longer is okay and I hope
my prayer is that faith forward Baptist Church obviously in two you know a year
and a half the name will change when we go independent but I would hope that
this church stays right forever until until the tribulation and the rapture
comes right that's the goal amen that our church can say you know what we
stayed right to the to the bitter end no matter what happened but now that but
this mountain requires leaving the old mountain behind Deuteronomy 143 the Bible
says so I spake unto you and you would not hear but rebelled against the
commandment of the Lord and went presumptuously up into the hill and the
amorites which dwelt in that mountain came out against you and chased you as
bees do and destroyed you and sear even into Horma and he returned and wept
before the Lord but the Lord would not harken to your voice nor give ear unto
you so you abode in Kadesh many days according unto the days that you abode
there and go to chapter 2 in verse number 1 then we turn and took our
journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea as the Lord spake unto
me and we come past Mount Seir many days and the Lord spake unto me saying ye
have come past this mountain long enough turn you northward and command thou the
people saying ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of
Esau which dwelt in Seir and they shall be afraid of you take ye good heed unto
yourselves therefore so what do we see here we see that they weren't able to
conquer it because they're disobedient to God's Word so they basically failed
right but they stayed there see often sometimes failure is just a part of life
sometimes we mess up and unfortunately many Christians they don't look forward
to those things which are before why because they're constantly thinking about
their failures in the past you know I blew it in the past I wasn't able to do
it in the past whatever's in the past but you know what you know what God says
look you've been there long enough okay just stop having a pity party get up and
go do what you're supposed to do okay look we're not looking for perfect
people we're looking for good repenters okay if you know how to repent well and
get right with God and get back on track do that okay but don't have a a pity
part Jonah under the door excuse me Elijah under the juniper tree pity
party or it's like it's like I can't leave 2017 behind there's too many
things I did wrong I messed up I got to make sure I get this no just look like
Joshua well God told Joshua just get up get up and go do what you're supposed to
do get up and go clean house get up and go read your Bible go pray go do what
you got to do but do it leave the old mountain behind I've met I've met so
many Christians that that for years they just can't do anything for God simply
because they're focused on their failures way too much all the bad stuff
that they did and you know oh man I messed up here morally or or you know I
did this and I don't think God could ever use me you're just giving excuses
okay leave that behind you 2018 is right around the corner look I'm not
necessary for New Year's resolutions unless they're spiritual resolutions
amen or it's like you know what 2018 I want to hit the reset button on my Bible
read I want to hit the reset button on my soul when you want to hit the reset
button on holiness whatever may be I want to hit the reset button on on just
getting rid of the worldly stuff in my life the rap music okay amen get rid of
the country music I hope no one listens to country music that's like worse than
rap music for some reason you just talk about dogs and your dog left your dog
died your wife left and you got barbecue stains on your t-shirt or something
leave your country music behind leave look we're no Monty leave your mariachi
behind leave your your your banda behind all but I'm King James Olli take that
garbage out of your car stop tuning in to the radio where they when they throw
that trash on there okay and don't glorify that that's wicked
no Christians should ever listen we listen at the banda okay and if you
don't know what bond is don't worry about it my Hispanic fellows know okay
if you live in it maybe you're white and you live in this area you know what I'm
talking about okay you ought to put that stuff away from you and look most of
those music musicians they talk about drugs fornication drinking and then
you're gonna come to church like it's all good we condemn what they talk about
okay stop being double-minded a double-minded man is unstable in all his
ways okay and you're a hypocrite if you're listening to that kind of garbage
and you come here acting like you're holy and you're a Christian when you're
listening to a bunch of filth when you go home stop being double-minded okay
put away your rock music put away someone give me something else let's see
what other genres are there is there any others that I miss anything put away
your classical music I'm just kidding pop pop what is that like in sync or
something you shouldn't be listening to faggots that's that's terrible okay put
away all that nonsense and look get some Christian music back there we got
Christmas CDs back there you can listen to okay hey it's still better than the
banda right I know I'm pronouncing it not like the Hispanic way okay but banda
just keep get get that in mind the mariachis okay the the the love songs
okay the the reggaeton there we go that's the one I was looking for the
there's another form of reggaeton there's a reggaeton that's like a love
song reggaeton what is that called come on I know you guys know come on come on
but what pachata that's exactly what I'm talking about
see some of you in here like oh you got it move on to the next point
pachata is that pachata is that right pachata which is like reggaeton love
music is what it is okay put that garbage away from you by the way the
people who are singing this they're all fornicators drug abusing cocaine using
blasphemers that's who you're gonna listen to those who blaspheme the name
of God put that garbage away from you okay that's not pleasing to the Lord
look 2018 should be and look if that's what you listen to maybe you're not
gonna listen to after this sermon all right you're like you know what I'm
done with the pachata okay well what does pachata even mean what a drink do
you let I'm just kidding just kidding or chata hey I like or chata okay that's
pretty funny but it requires you leaving some things behind including the pachata
okay put away that worldly music put away the worldly associations you know
one reason why a lot of Christians struggles because you're just associated
with the wrong people you're around worldly people all the time and it's
easier to do wrong when you have friends who are doing wrong with you okay and
look I don't think I need to tell you look you shouldn't have unsafe friends
okay and if you have an unsafe friend win them to the Lord and if they don't
want the Lord then you need to dust your feet off and go get yourself some
Christian friends here faithful word okay fellowship is important I'm not
saying it's not but you know what if you constantly around unsafe people you're
gonna do things that unsafe people do okay on a daily basis that's what you're
gonna do you need to get away from those people they're gonna destroy you okay
put those things away from you so 2018 is not just the year when we add some
things to our life right but it's also some things where we subtract some stuff
from our life to subtract the worldliness the bad music the bad habits
whatever may be put it away from you you got a new we get a fresh new start in
2018 Deuteronomy chapter number 2 verse number 1 the Bible reads then we turn
and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea as the Lord
spake unto me and we can pass Mount Seir many days and the Lord spake unto me
saying you have come past this mountain long enough turning northward look
you've been there long enough it's 2017 was long enough it's time to move on
okay go to Philippians actually go to go to Deuteronomy chapter number 3 let me
say this this mountain that we want to conquer it was available to the previous
generation to it was available to them it was theirs for the taking but look
what the Bible says in Deuteronomy chapter number 3 verse 23 says and I
besought the Lord at that time saying Oh Lord God thou hast begun to show thy
servant thy greatness and thy mighty hand for what God is there in heaven or
in earth that can do according to thy works and according to thy might I pray
thee let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan that goodly
mountain in Lebanon who's speaking here it's Moses right Moses like just let me
see it at least why was Moses asking just to see it because he wasn't gonna
be able to be there Moses had sinned against the Lord when the children of
Israel were asking for water God was gonna use the rock you know he was
supposed to speak to the rock and the rock was gonna give water forth water
and that was gonna be a picture of Jesus Christ right and what did he do he
smote the rock instead and water still came out but he he completely ruined the
symbolism of Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is the rock from which comes
living waters right and because of that God says you're not going there why
because he disobeyed the Lord Moses I mean Moses the most meekest man in the
world this man this man was used greatly of God he was a great man but even he
did not get that mountain why because he disobeyed the Lord and what does that
go to show us that God is no respecter of persons you say well you know you
got you new independent fundamental Baptist you guys are so proud and you
don't honor your elderly you don't honor us no it's not that it's just that you
dishonored God by disobeying his word that's what it is and here at this
moment Moses resembles what the old IFP is that's what it is he simply did not
obey the word of the Lord he perverted what God wants to symbolize of that rock
and what happened he didn't get to see the mountain look he wanted to go there
he wanted to go to that land but he couldn't why because he didn't obey God
and let me say this that's what the old IFP is right there they could have seen
what we're seeing today they could have seen that mountain they could have they
could have seen tons saved they could have keep doing kept doing something
big for God but they didn't why because they disobeyed the word of the Lord
that's why so this was made available to them as well this is and here's the
thing people like oh you guys think you guys are like pioneering something this
is something that's been done for thousands of years this is not something
new right it's been done for thousands of years but guess what God uses those
who obey him who don't pervert the Word of God who stick to the right path the
old paths the true old paths but the old I have be the Moses you know he's
not gonna get to see the land in fact he's gonna he's just gonna see what it
looks like and you know what you know what the old IFP is gonna do they're
gonna see the results of the souls that are gonna be saved in 2018 but they're
not gonna be able to go into that land you know they're gonna see the so look
every independent fundamental Baptist on March 31st and thereafter they're gonna
pay attention to what's gonna go on why because they want to see the results of
all the souls are gonna be saved and deep down in their hearts you know what
they're thinking man I wish you could be a part of that but then I get kicked out
you know or then I then I lose all my preacher buddies or whatever you know
then I'm you know whatever all the all the fears that they have they won't even
come upon them but here's the thing they'll be able to see it but they won't
be able to enjoy it while we're in Canaan land the land flowing with milk
and honey and a bunch of souls enjoying the fruits thereof okay look what it
goes on to say what verse are we on verse 26 but the Lord was wroth with me
for your sakes and would not hear me and the Lord said unto me let it suffice thee
speak no more unto me of this matter get thee up into the top of Pisgah and lift
up thine eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward and behold it
with thine eyes for thou shalt not go over this Jordan but charge Joshua and
encourage him and strengthen him for he shall go over before this people and he
shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see so we abode in the
valley over against Beth Peor what does he say look you won't be able to see
but you should be able to encourage Joshua pastor Stephen Anderson you know
pastor Roger Jimenez pastor Donnie Romero you should be able to encourage
the new generation coming up to do it but you know the old IFP is not doing
that is it are they you know they're rather fight against Joshua they're at a
fight against us instead of encouraging us to do what they used to do okay but
because of that they're not gonna see it go to Ecclesiastes chapter number one
and again this is not anything new we're not bringing in new doctrines you know
the anytime they attack us about post trade replacement theology they're trying
to make it seem as though it's like I've never heard anybody talk about this I've
never heard that before you're a liar you know I talked to a guy who was a big
Charles Haddon Spurgeon fan okay you guys knows who Charles Haddon Spurgeon is
is a Calvinist okay the Prince of Preachers he's a big fan of his until I
told him hey did you know Charles Haddon Spurgeon was replacement theology and
that he believed in posterim and I sent them a clip from his book talking about
replacement theology and I think he was like oh wow interesting he never quoted
him after that you know he's just like oh stink so this is look your buddy
Charles Haddon Spurgeon you know who you quote all the time even he was
replacement theology and I don't even agree with Charles Haddon Spurgeon right
he's a Calvinist but even he was replacement theology Ecclesiastes 1 9
the Bible says the thing that hath been it is that which shall be and that which
is done is that which shall be done and there is no new thing under the Sun
because I all you guys are just trying to bring up your own new thing no this
has been done before we're just gonna do it again okay yeah but you bunch of
young ins hey I'm glad there's a bunch of young ins this is the next generation
okay and look these these other churches they're just dying they're either dying
or their kids are going to Bible College becoming worldly as the day is
long or they're going out into the world fornicating and then coming back to the
church you know and and living their lukewarm lives but they're still losing
the next generation you know I see a lot of young people here in fact I saw a lot
of young people today just preaching the gospel okay that's a good thing that
means the next I was I went out to eat with with brother Stephen police okay
and he was telling me he's like he was telling about his son and his son I
don't know he's 10 years old or something like that he goes my son loves
preaching you know he goes we got we got TVs at the house he goes but we don't
use it for any TV at all we use it for preaching and he says when they get home
he's like his son's like let's put on some hellfire damnation leather long
preaching dad I mean let's see how the old I have be what their kids are saying
let's put on some Disney is what they're saying let's put on some frozen right
let's put on some fill in the blank of whatever worldly movie there is let's
put on some Star Wars right no we want our people to say let's put on some
leather lung preaching and guess what the next generation that's rising up is
doing that so here's the thing you know and then they often say you know yeah
but let's look at the fruit that they're bearing you know and their families well
I see a lot of kids who are just on fire for the Lord preaching the gospel to you
know they're on it so as far as I'm concerned that that's a good fruit right
there amen but this is nothing new under the Sun this has been done before we're
just doing it again that's all it is go to mark chapter 11 mark chapter 11 we'll
close right here the last thing is this is that this mountain of 2018 it takes
faith takes faith you know and more than more than anything I hope you would grow
in your faith right because look what the Bible says in verse 20 and in the
morning as they passed by they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots and
Peter calling to remember and say it's unto him master behold the fig tree which
thou curses is withered away and Jesus answering said unto them have faith in
God for verily I say to you the whosoever shall say unto this mountain be
thou removed and be thou cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart but
shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass he shall have
whatsoever he saith therefore I say unto you what things so ever you desire when
you pray believe that you receive them and you shall have them and obviously
he's talking about removing the mountain right but if we can remove the mountain
we could also ask in faith that we can have the mountain right but it's gonna
take faith and look obviously there's someone's gonna be here like I don't
think we're gonna you know the whole map rivers he's just exaggerating you got
little faith okay and you're weak if that's what you think okay and I like to
see what you say at the end of 2018 it's like oh no no I meant like like like no
no that's not what I meant you know no why don't you just have faith and look
let's let's try to outdo what we think God can do right because the Bible says
he's able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think okay
let's think something bigger than that I mean I think that map is doable in 2018
easy I think it can be done but we need consistent faithful faith-filled
Christians who believe it can it can be done don't be a doubter and look and
look if you want to doubt that's fine but don't go spread it to other people
and say yeah I don't think that's now just shut up shut your mouth go get
right with God go get some faith and then open your mouth but if you don't
believe it can happen just shut up okay because here's the thing is just it's
easy to discourage the people of God you know like sheep you know and if you
don't believe it can happen you need you just need to read read your Bible a
little more okay get some faith faith coming to my hearing hearing by the Word
of God amen and as you read the Word of God you'll see that God has done big
things before he could do big things today and I believe you can it can
happen I believe 2018 is gonna be an awesome year and everything every year
thereafter is gonna just get better and better and better I hope that March 31st
March 31st will mark an annual Sony marathon for us amen
March 30 is like all right March 31st our annual Sony mega marathon we're
doing it again it's gonna be an annual thing I mean I don't have a problem you
guys have a problem with that amen this is more soul saved a great revival of
seen souls saved look I make goals for for 2018 absolutely okay but the biggest
goal should be this what do I want to do spiritually in my life what areas in
your life was were lacking in 2017 let's improve upon those in 2018 but more than
that let's dream big let's do something big for the Lord amen let's pray father
we thank you so much and we thank you Lord for the mountain set before us and
Lord I think of Caleb and Joshua who also said that the there's Giants in the
land they understood the difficulties but what did Caleb says he said we can't
possess it you know we can't have it so he obviously he had the attitude that it
could be done whereas the other ones they saw the Giants and they allowed
that to discourage them I pray that no one here would be discouraged at the
vision that our church has to evangelize this entire city in 2018 I believe it
can be done and maybe even more so maybe we'll evaluate in six months from
now and who knows how much we'll get done it's like we got to reset the goal
because we've accomplished so much I pray that that would be the case Lord I
pray that you would instill boldness help us to be Lions that would turn away
from no bone from no one and would not allow any outside persecution or
affliction to disturb us or to move us but that we would be just wholly
dedicated to your to your work and that we would accomplish a great work for
thee in 2018 in Jesus name we pray amen