All right, before I get into the sermon, I found a sweater.
I do have a sweater.
So this is pretty nice, you know.
It's got the great little, this is a smaller size, though.
Yeah, this is small, okay.
So you can win one of these, right.
Well, I don't want one.
Then don't participate there, right.
But if you want one, participate,
and you can get one for free, all right.
So just, that's a little incentive right there,
because you know the winner's coming.
So they pass from your hand,
turns up the AC, cranks it in here, and it's freezing.
You can bring your sweater, you know, and you'll be fine.
All right, all right.
Let's get into the sermon here.
James chapter number one, look down at your Bibles at verse 26.
It says here, if any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth
not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the father is this, to visit the
fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep himself
unspotted from the world.
And the title of the sermon this morning is Unspotted from the
World, Unspotted from the World.
Now hold your place there in the book of James and go to the book of Jude
and then come back to James, because we're going to go to Jude real quick.
We're going to use Jude to parallel this, but I want to just get some context of
what we see here in James chapter number one, so once you find Jude, go back to
James one, and we're going to look at some context here of what he's talking about.
Now, a sound bite that you hear all the time, people say is like, you
know, I'm not all about religion.
I'm about a relationship, right?
They'll say, it's not about religion.
It's about relationship.
Well, number one, relationship's not in the Bible.
Number two, religion is.
Religion is a good thing.
Amen.
What is religious?
What does it mean to be religious?
It means that you're practicing something.
And this is exactly what we see taking place here in the book of James is that
that we're supposed to be doers of the word and not hearers only we're supposed
to practice what we preach, amen.
Now look at verse number 19.
Let's get some context here.
Well, people say, what's your religion?
Christianity.
That's what I practice.
Okay.
Look at verse 19 says, wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be
swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath for the wrath of man worketh
not the righteousness of God, wherefore lay apart all filthiness and super
fluidity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which
is able to save your souls, but be doers of the word and not hearers
only deceiving your own selves.
So what's part of doing the word.
Well, part of it is that we lay apart all filthiness and
super fluidity of naughtiness.
What does that mean?
Sanctification living a life that's holy unto the Lord.
So the Bible tells us, preachers tell us, preaching tells us that we are
supposed to clean up our lives, right?
And when we listen to that, we may agree.
Amen.
But here's the thing, if you're only listening, but you're not doing it,
you're deceiving your own selves.
That's what it's telling us.
It says in verse 23, for if any be here of the word and not a doer, he is like
unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass for he beholdeth himself and go
with his way and straightway forget as what manner of man he was, so it's liking
it to going to a mirror and you know, you see that you got spinach between your
teeth, you got, you know, some, some, some stuff in your eyes because you woke up
and you're like, Oh man, I'm like, I got all the kinds of blemishes, but then you
don't do anything about it.
You walk away and you forget what manner of man you were.
Whereas what the Bible is telling us is that when we look into the perfect law of
Liberty, the mirror of God's word, we see where we fall short and we correct it.
Okay.
Verse 25 says, but who so looketh into the perfect law of Liberty and continue
with therein he being not a forgetful here, but a doer of the work, this man
shall be blessed in his deed.
And then he goes on to talk about verse 26.
If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth, not his tongue, but the
sieveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
So he's saying the person who says he's religious, the person who practices or
claims to practice religion, but doesn't actually do what the Bible is actually
saying, that person's religion is vain.
It's empty, pure religion.
He defines it and undefiled before God and the father is this to visit the
fatherless and the widows and their affliction.
He said, what does that mean?
What does it mean to visit the fatherless and the widows and their affliction?
What it means is to go soul winning.
What it means is to preach the gospel.
Why?
Because the people were preaching the gospel to may not only, may not only
physically be fatherless, but guess what?
Because they're not saved.
They don't have God as their father.
You understand?
To preach the gospel to the fatherless and the widows means to win them to Christ.
That's pure religion because we're hearing about the gospel.
We hear about doctrine, but you know what?
Afterwards, we're supposed to do something about it.
Go win someone to the Lord.
But notice that it says pure religion and undefiled before God.
See, we put, we spend a lot of time on that pure religion, but it's coupled
with being undefiled.
He says to visit the fatherless and the widows and their affliction.
And look what it says, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
So you know what that tells me?
It tells me that God is very much concerned with preaching the gospel, but
he wants you to do it unspotted.
He doesn't want you to be a worldly Christian.
Okay.
That's what it's talking about.
You know, we use that term a lot worldly to define someone who may claim to be a
Christian, but they don't live like a Christian.
They don't act like a Christian.
In fact, they live more so like the world.
They live according to the world's philosophy, the world's ideology, and
what the Bible defines that as, as being defiled.
Why?
Because you're not of this world.
So a Christian who claims to be a Christian claims to adhere to the word of God, but
lives like the world is being spotted by the world.
What is a spot?
It means like a blemish.
It means you are characterized.
It means you are spotted and you're characterized by the world's standards.
And let me say this.
It's important to be a preacher of the gospel, but it's equally important to
live a righteous life, to live a life that is holy unto the Lord.
Why is that?
Because God cannot drink out of a dirty cup.
God can't use someone who doesn't have the breastplate of righteousness.
Yes, it's important to shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, but
you know what?
You need to also have the breastplate of righteousness to guard your heart, to keep
your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.
The Bible says, you know, we're to live a life that is peculiar, that is separated
unto the Lord.
Amen.
I'm going to read to you from second Timothy chapter two, verse 19 says,
Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord
knoweth them that are his and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity.
But in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of
wood and of earth and some to honor and some to dishonor.
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor,
sanctified and meet for the master's use and prepared unto every good work.
You see, the Bible tells us we're not saved by works.
Amen.
But we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works.
So in the Bible tells us to be careful to maintain good works.
And here it's telling us if we're going to be prepared unto those good works, we
need to be sanctified.
We need to live a life that's pleasing unto the Lord.
It goes on to say, Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith,
charity, peace with them to call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Now look at Jude.
Look at verse 21.
These are some some pretty popular verses.
They're common verses that we hear from the pulpit or we hear people quote and
keep in mind what we read in James chapter one that the Bible tells us that
pure religion and undefiled before God and the father is this to visit the
fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted
from the world.
Those two elements.
Okay, now with that in mind, look at Jude verse 21.
It says, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ unto eternal life and of some have compassion, making a difference
and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire.
So this is referring to people who are preaching the gospel, right?
And look what it goes on to say, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Isn't that the same thing we see in James chapter one verse 27 where it says, keep
yourselves unspotted from the world.
The Bible tells us here in Jude verse 23 that these people who have compassion,
who are saving people out of the fire, they even hate the garment spotted by the
flesh.
Oh, you know, it's all about the heart.
Yeah, but you know what?
What's in our heart eventually makes its way out and what we wear, what we look
like defines who we are and the Bible is telling us here that the Christians or
people who are soul winners, who have that balance between soul winning and living
a righteous life, they hate even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Okay.
This is what it means to be worldly.
You're spotted by the world.
Your garments are spotted by the world.
You are defiled by the world.
Now spotted, as I mentioned, is like a blemish and the Bible would say that
because you're blemish, you're defiled.
You think of like the, the old Testament sacrifices that God wanted a sacrifice
without blemish, not spotted, right?
He wanted something that was that without blemish because of the fact that those
sacrifices in the old Testament were representative of Jesus Christ, who is the
lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world.
He's the lamb of God who was sacrificed, who was without spot or wrinkle, right?
Well, in like manner, because we're Christians, we're to live a life that's
without spot as well.
The Bible tells us, but ye are chosen generation, a Royal priesthood and Holy
nation, a peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of him who had
called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Now here's the thing.
So I'm talking about being worldly, right?
As a Christian, but you know what?
This also delves into the, the subject of churches that are worldly, worldly
churches, because worldly churches are made up of worldly Christians, worldly
pastors.
What are we talking about?
We're talking about the churches that have, you know, the fog.
It's like a nightclub on a Sunday morning with the lasers.
They got the fog machine.
They got the purple lights.
They got the clear bar stool, the cool pastor.
Okay.
You know, he's got his skinny jeans on.
He's got tattoos from, from here to here.
Okay.
The hipster.
Oh, you're criticizing.
No, here's the thing.
That is worldly.
However you want to dice it and cut it, the reality is this is worldly.
How do we know that?
Because of the fact of, because of the fact of what they preach.
Okay.
Because when we see a church like that, when we see a pastor like that, when we
see that the purple lights and the fog and, and, and the repetitious singing,
here I am to worship, we automatically know, okay, that church has some weird
preaching in it because it's a reflection.
It is a reflection.
Hey, when we sing the hymns, the hymns have doctrine in it.
You know what you can expect from that doctrinal preaching.
Okay.
And so there are churches out there that are worldly.
What does that mean?
They have spots.
Okay.
And I don't want to get ahead of myself, but we're talking about that.
They have blemishes and they have spots.
Now, what is the world?
Okay.
Well, I mean, we're not talking about the, you know, this, this, we're not talking
about the land, right?
When we talk about the world or being worldly, we're referring to the world's
infrastructure, the ideologies, patterns, beliefs, and manner of life that it
promotes.
Okay.
It's everything that is anti-God.
That's basically what it is.
The world is anything.
It's the philosophy.
It's the teaching.
It's the doctrine that is contrary to the Bible.
Now, why is the world contrary to the Bible?
Because the Prince of this world is Satan.
And the Bible tells us that the God of this world had blinded the minds of them
which believed not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine unto them.
Go with me to what?
To James chapter number four, I'm gonna read to you from Ephesians two.
Now look, before we got saved, you know what?
We were worldly.
In fact, the Bible tells us in Ephesians chapter two, verse one, and you hath a
quickened who were dead in trespasses and sin, wherein in time past ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of
the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom
also we all had our conversation in time past and the lust of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature, the
children of wrath, even as others.
So what is this telling us?
It's telling us that the agenda that the world promotes is that you fulfill the
lust of the flesh.
Do what feels right.
Follow your heart, right?
Type of philosophy.
Do what you think is right.
You know, you should look out for number one and that's you.
Get rich.
You know, don't judge.
Everything that is contrary to God's word is what the world promotes.
And we were a part of that at one time.
But if you're not careful, you can still be part of that.
Because Christians can still be worldly.
So I don't agree with this.
You know, I don't, I don't think God's mad at people when they're worldly and
they, they live like that.
Well, why don't we look at that?
Why don't we compare that to what the Bible says?
Look at James four, verse four, ye adulterers and adulteresses.
Man, that's not a nice thing to start up a sentence.
Man, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?
Look, I'm just quoting it.
Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Think about that.
You know, ruminate on that for a while.
The Bible's telling us here, and look, this is not just for unsafe people.
This is for safe people too.
You want to be a friend of God?
You want to be an enemy of God?
You become a friend of the world.
This is how much God hates the world's infrastructure.
Now, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
He loves sinners and he wants them to be saved.
But you know what?
The ideologies of this world God hates because of the fact that the ideologies
and doctrines of this world seek to undermine God's ideologies.
Seek to diminish and destroy God's teachings.
Okay, go to 1 John chapter 2.
So friendship of the world is enmity with God, according to James chapter 4.
If you become a friend of the world, you're an enemy of God,
according to James chapter 4.
Look at 1 John chapter 2, verse 15.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him.
So what is this telling us here?
It's telling us that if a person claims to love God, but they love the world,
the love of the father is not really in him.
You know, they're honoring God with their lips, but their heart is far from him.
Okay, they talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk.
It goes on to say, verse 16, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,
and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God
abideth forever.
Go to Colossians chapter number 2.
Colossians chapter number 2.
You see, Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commandments.
How does God define love?
By obedience.
Obedience to his word, okay?
Not by just saying it, well, I love Jesus, I love God.
You know, the Bible says if you love me, you keep the commandments.
So we don't define love based upon what we think it means.
We have to define it based upon what he says it is.
Look at Colossians chapter 2, verse 3.
In whom, referring to Jesus, in whom are hid all treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
For though I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the Spirit,
joining and beholding your order in the steadfastness of your faith in Christ,
as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him,
rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith as you have been taught,
abounding therein with thanksgiving,
beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
You know what this tells me?
You can easily be deceived into believing something that is false.
Why?
Because Satan and the world's infrastructure is established in such a way that it has an agenda
to promote its philosophies to undermine God's word.
And if we're not rooted in the Bible,
if we don't know what the truth is according to God's word, you'll be deceived.
The Bible says you'll be spoiled, you'll be stolen, okay?
After the rudiments of the world.
Go with me if you went to 1 Peter chapter 1.
And look, this is a problem that all Christians have had throughout all ages
is battling this thing of being worldly.
Okay, why?
Because we live in this world.
The world entices us.
The world has all, you know, the entertainment of this world,
the philosophy of this world, it glimmers and it attracts our physical eyes,
but it affects our souls, okay?
And in fact, the Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 4-10
that Demas forsook Paul, having loved this present world.
You know, Demas was a co-laborer with Christ,
but there came a time when his love for the world was greater than his love for God,
and he forsook Paul because of it.
Look at 1 Peter 1-14 says,
As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lust and your ignorance,
but as he which hath called you is holy, so be holy in all manner of conversation.
Conversation means conduct because it is written, be holy for I am holy.
Now, go to Romans chapter number 12, Romans 12.
So how do we abstain from being worldly?
Obviously, we're not saying you have to be perfect because no one's perfect.
We fall short, we make mistakes, you know, we do things that we shouldn't do sometimes,
but how can we keep a streak of just living a life that's pleasing unto the Lord
and abstaining from being worldly?
Let me read to you from 2 Peter 1-3,
It says, According as is divine power that hath given unto us
all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue,
whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises,
that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
So the Bible tells us one way you can abstain from being worldly
is you need to make sure you're reading the Bible.
Listen, and by the way, not just reading the Bible, listening to Bible preaching,
hard Bible preaching, you know, unadulterated, in your face type of preaching.
This is what we need today in 2019.
We need the kind of preaching that is confrontational,
that tells you what the Bible explicitly says and does not shy away from the truth.
That's what we need.
That's how we can abstain from worldliness.
When we get a chin check, a reality check to say,
hey, this is wicked, this is wrong, this is what we need to be doing.
You know, you don't need someone to beat around the bush
and kind of give you smooth sermons and tell you that God is always pleased with you,
no matter what you do, that doesn't profit you at all.
What profits you is when you know what the Bible expects of you,
you hear it and you apply it and you work on yourself on a daily, weekly basis, okay?
Look at Romans 12, verse 1 says,
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is a reasonable service,
and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
So what's another way that we can abstain from being worldly?
We have to die to self because we have worldly lusts.
Lust means desires.
And the Bible says here that we're to be a living sacrifice.
You see, the sacrifices in the Old Testament were put to death and that was it.
A living sacrifice, you have to keep dying.
You have to die daily.
You have to be crucified unto the world on a daily basis.
You have to make a decision to follow the Lord today,
to live a life that's pleasing unto the Lord today,
to be that living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.
Don't be conformed to this world.
You know, Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God that was without blemish.
Go to John, John chapter 7.
Look, don't get it mistaken, we hate the world.
We don't hate the people that are found within the world
because these people need to be saved.
But the world's infrastructure, the philosophy, wicked.
Oh, you know, you shouldn't talk like that.
It's wicked.
It's vile.
It's against God.
The world hates God.
The world was made by him and the world knew him not, the Bible says.
You see, the problem is the world does not know the Lord and the world hates Jesus.
Look at John 7 verse 6.
Then Jesus said unto him, My time is not yet come, but your time is always ready.
The world cannot hate you, but me it hateth,
because I testify of it that the works thereof are evil.
Now here's the funny thing, okay?
We often talk about Jesus being the light of the world.
You hear any kind of Christian say that, right?
We're the light of the world.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
Oh, this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
And it's all like, oh, that's so nice.
Well, what the Bible's referring to when it says to let your light so shine,
or that Jesus is the light of the world, is that the light testifies,
it exposes that the works thereof are evil.
So hey, I like that song, amen?
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
On the reprobates, this little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine.
On the sodomites, this little light of mine.
That's what it means.
The light shines.
It testifies that the works thereof are evil.
That's what it means.
It doesn't mean like, you know, oh, just light,
that you just are such a good Christian.
No, it's there to expose.
Obviously, the Bible tells us that let your light so shine before men
that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
But you know what's a part of those good works?
Is the exposure of the bad works.
Go to 1 Corinthians chapter number one.
1 Corinthians chapter number one.
The world hates Jesus, folks.
That's why you should be very leery when the world, the masses,
promote some Christian figure.
Because that's not biblical.
If the world loves someone, then that person's not of God.
Because the Bible teaches us that the majority of the population
hates God and hates God's ways.
They don't hate Jesus.
They crucify Jesus.
They crucified him.
They murdered him.
They killed him.
They called him Beelzebub.
And they shall do the same to us.
Look at 1 Corinthians 1 18.
Look, when we approach a subject like this,
we need to prove all things whole fast which is good.
We need to prove it according to the Bible.
Look at verse 18.
For the preaching of the cross is to them.
Them who?
The world.
It's to them that perish.
Foolishness.
But unto us which are saved is the power of God.
How many videos out there on YouTube of some unsaved person criticizing some pastor?
Look at this bigot.
This hateful person.
This hate preacher.
This is stupid what he's preaching.
Well, that's what the Bible tells us that they would say.
But unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.
That's why we shouldn't be ashamed of Bible preaching.
You know, don't be ashamed of me.
Amen.
Don't be ashamed of the Bible.
Don't be ashamed of Bible preachers.
Hey, you know what?
This weekend I got to spend time with Pastor Grayson Fritz of all Scripture Baptist Church.
And you know what?
I'm thankful that he would call me a friend.
He's hated by the world.
He's hated by the sodomites.
He is persecuted.
They threatened him.
Threatened him.
But you know why?
Because he's doing the work.
He's preaching the word of God.
And you know what?
He's confirming what the Bible says that the world will hate those who love the word of God.
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the
understanding of the prudent.
Where is the wise?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the disputer of this world?
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God.
It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
All you Christians are a bunch of idiots.
You know, you guys aren't even educated.
All you guys know is the Bible.
Well, the Bible says that what you know is actually foolish.
You know, i.e. evolution.
That's stupid.
I didn't come from no monkey.
You know, I didn't come from primordial soup.
Bible says that that's actually foolish.
You know, they criticize me because I believe that there's a God who created all things.
They think they came from a rock.
Who sounds stupid now?
You think you came from an animal.
Look at chapter 3 of 1 Corinthians.
Verse 18 says, let no man deceive himself if any man among you seem to be wise in this
world.
Let him become a fool that he may be wise.
Look, I'm not saying that you're to negate, you know, education.
We need education.
We need intelligence.
We need smarts.
We need to make sure that we're wise.
But what I'm saying is this, is the knowledge should be based on facts.
Not, you know, fables and these, you know, these type of teachings that have no basis
in facts or scientific evidence.
You know, a lot of what they say are facts are actually just beliefs.
It's a religion, right?
Go to John chapter 8, if you would.
Actually, don't go to John chapter 8.
Go to Ephesians chapter 5.
Ephesians 5.
Let me read to you from John 8, 12 says, then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am
the light of the world.
He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 12, 46 says, I am come a light into the world that whosoever believeth on me should
not abide in darkness.
First John 5, 19 says that we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
So, as I mentioned, you know, God doesn't want us as Christian individuals to be worldly,
but he definitely doesn't want churches to be worldly.
And look at verse number 27, verse 24 of Ephesians 5, it says, therefore, as the church is subject
unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands and everything.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for
it, that he might sanctify it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any
such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Look, if you read the book of Revelation, you will quickly see that God does have certain
things against churches.
I mean, he's addressing the seven churches in Asia, and he's saying this, but I have
someone against thee, you know, except for two of the churches that actually passed the
test.
The rest of them are like, you got this down, but this right here, I don't like what you're
doing here.
I have someone against thee, for thou has left thy first love.
You know, God, just as in Revelation, the book of Revelation, he is also discontent
with certain churches today.
And it's the churches that have spots, it's the churches that have wrinkles, it's the
churches that have blemishes that are filled with pimples and scars and spinach between
their teeth, and they're not taking care of themselves, okay?
And this is the statement that I want to make today, okay, to help you to understand.
Worldly churches will eventually apostatize.
They will.
What does it mean to apostatize?
It means they'll just completely go heretical in their doctrine.
It, they will cease becoming a church.
Well, I don't know about that, I know some worldly churches, they're still open, just
because they have a name that they're living, they're still dead.
They can have a service and have a pastor and preach and claim to do all these things,
but in God's eyes, they're dead.
They are no longer a church, they have apostatized, okay?
Now, let me say this, it's not the purple lighting and the queer song leader that's
going to do that.
It's the doctrine that's attached to that.
Because as I mentioned, churches that have that, you don't even have to listen to the
preaching, you know there's false doctrine all up in that place.
You know there's leaven in there like crazy, okay?
We don't need to go visit Lancaster Baptist Church to know what Paul Chapel believes,
right?
We don't need to go to Newport Liberty Baptist Church to know what those pastors believe.
Why?
Because what we see on the outside is reflective of what they actually preach and teach, because
if they preach doctrinal sermons, if they preach hard against sin, that stuff will not
exist in the church.
Bottom line.
Oh, I don't like that you're saying that, well then just say that you don't like what
the Bibles say.
Okay?
If that offends you, look, great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall
offend them.
Oh, but they're so nice.
Yeah, but here's the thing.
God doesn't say, one of the qualifications of a pastor is not be nice.
Sorry.
I agree, you know, we should be nice.
I try to be nice as possible.
I don't think anybody here would say that when you talk to me that I was mean to you,
okay?
And if you did have an experience like that, don't ruin my illustration right now, okay?
But you know, being nice is not what God, God doesn't want to produce nice churches.
He wants to produce biblical churches that are without spot and without wrinkle, okay?
Worldly churches will apostatize because of their doctrine.
Now, let me give you a couple things here.
Why worldly churches will eventually apostatize?
Go to John chapter 15.
I mentioned this already, but we're going to delve into it a little more.
Number one, why will worldly churches apostatize?
Number one, because they are loved by the world.
And if you don't believe me, go visit Houston, Texas with Joel Osteen.
Everyone loves Joel Osteen.
That guy has a football stadium filled with people.
I've met people from every denomination,
yea, even people who are non-Christians who love Joel Osteen.
Fact.
Now, I don't love him, okay?
But the world loves Joel Osteen, okay?
They love his smile.
They love his hair sprayed hair.
They love his books, you know, where he's like,
his books just say, just make me rich, right?
And look, mark it down.
If the world is promoting religious leaders like that, okay, where they are popularized,
mark it down.
That church is apostate.
Hey, when the government, the mayor is just frolicking and they just love the pastors
in their cities, there's something wrong.
I don't think that.
I think you're overstepping your bounds right there.
You know why that's true?
Because of the fact that pastors are not supposed to be politicians.
I thought, aren't you guys like Republicans?
No.
No, we're not.
What are you?
I'm a Christian.
I'm a Baptist.
I'm not running for office.
And if you're going to be a biblical Christian, you're not supposed to be a Republican Christian,
okay?
And let me just pop your bubble real quick.
Republicans and Democrats, same thing.
Same person.
Do you notice that one's an elephant and one is a donkey, but did you notice they're both
animals?
Think about that for a minute.
You know, when they're loved by the world, that should be a sign to you that this church
is an apostate church.
You know why?
Because when you preach the word of God, you are going to offend people.
You can't please everyone when you preach the word of God.
People will be offended.
And if you're loved by the world, that means you're pleasing the world.
You're cutting back the sermon.
You're compromising on key doctrines that God wants you to explain in order to appease
the masses.
Not going to happen if you're a Bible-believing Christian.
Will happen if you're a false prophet, apostatizing church.
Look what the Bible says in John 15, verse 18.
If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.
If you were of the world, the world would love his own.
But because you're not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore,
the world hated you.
Don't tell me that we need to be loved by the world, that we need to please everyone
in the world when Jesus said that the world will hate you.
It's funny how these people, Newport, Liberty Baptist Church, and all these other liberal
churches, they have five houses, mansions, all kinds of vehicles where Jesus said, the
Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.
Think about that for a second.
How they're loved by the politicians, the mayors, and all these people.
Jesus Christ was hated.
Pontius Pilate delivered him to be crucified.
The governor, he was mocked and ridiculed.
That's how Christians are supposed to be.
Look, and we don't go out looking for trouble, we just preach the truth that trouble comes
to us.
Look, and by the way, this is why, how many know who Kanye West is?
They're like, I was just playing him in my car right now.
Mr. Jesus walks himself, right?
This guy has recently come out and said that he got saved.
How many heard that?
He said he got saved.
Kanye, yeah, Kanye West.
Kanye West claims that he trusted Christ as a savior and all these things.
Like, well, hold on a second, brother.
Yeah, hold on.
If he said he got saved and he's saying that he trusted Christ as a savior, let me just
explain something to you when it comes to musicians or artists where their career is
going south.
They're like, dang, what am I going to do?
Oh, that's right, there's a pool of Christians that I can make money from.
I just got to act like I'm a Christian myself.
This is why Elvis Presley made a bunch of gospel songs, to reach into a new pool.
How about that?
What's the guy's name?
A little queer, a little blonde guy.
Bieber.
Bieber claimed to be a Christian.
You know why?
Because they're trying to reach into the pool of Christians to make money off of them, to
make merchandise off of them.
That's what it is.
And look, Kanye West is loved right now by the vast majority of Christians.
And he's coming up, he's like, I just got saved.
And he's like, I got myself a King James Bible.
And I like it because it says yay.
For by grace are yay saved.
Oh, you shouldn't mock him.
Let me explain something to you about Kanye West.
Kanye West is a blasphemer who did a tour called the Yeezus tour, where he himself claimed
to be God.
Blasphemy.
By the way, oh, you know, that's just for his music tour.
Oh, I'm sorry, is the Antichrist doing a music tour too?
Because he's the one who's doing the same thing.
The Antichrist shall claim to be God as well.
So he's following in Jesus' footsteps?
No, he's following in the Antichrist footsteps.
You know, oh yeah, but that was before I got saved.
Oh, you know what?
There are sins that are common to man, claiming to be God is not one of them.
Okay.
Fornication is common to man.
Adultery, unfortunately, is common to man.
Claiming to be God, not common to man.
That requires a reprobate to do that.
Oh, you know, but he's just trying to turn over a new leaf.
Yeah, it's called the dollar leaf.
He's trying to make money.
And the world, apostate Christians are loving it because every Sunday he's going to their
churches and he has all these Christian songs that he's singing and all these apostate
Christians are just eating up with fork and spoon.
They're just loving it.
You know why?
Because the world loves its own.
The world loves its own.
And what is Kanye doing?
He's just making money off of all the people who are listening to him.
And all these ignorant babes in Christ.
Oh, wow, yeah, man, he got saved.
That's great.
He could be used of God because he has such a big platform.
He has so many followers and, you know, the gospel is just going to spread.
He believes in a false gospel.
He believes you got to repent of your sins to be saved.
That's not how you get saved, folks.
You don't get saved by repenting of your sins.
But that's what he believes.
You know, if you were of the world, the world would love its own.
But because you're not of the world, but I've chosen you out of the world.
Therefore, the world hated you.
We will never be popular to this world.
Never.
You know why?
Because our world is the world to come.
The praise is not of men, but of God, the Bible says.
You know, we should seek the praise of God more than the praise of man.
You know, the Bible says that that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination
in the sight of God.
That's what the Bible says.
Look, if you disagree with me, that's fine.
But don't say that I didn't use any Bible to prove it.
Because it's pretty clear.
Okay.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 4, 13, being the fame we entreat, we are made as the filth
of this world and of the offscoring of all things unto this day.
You know, the world looks at us and says, oh, a bunch of bigots, a bunch of filthy bigots.
That's how the world sees us.
Go to Titus chapter 2, Titus chapter number 2.
Titus chapter number 2, verse number 11, it says, for the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust,
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.
Isn't that interesting?
It's telling us, hey, we need to make sure that we deny worldly lust, even though we
still live in this present world.
Denying the worldly lust in spite of the fact that we live in this present world.
Now, to be holy doesn't mean you put a not of this world sticker on your car.
You guys know what I'm talking about?
Not of this world, brah.
Not of this world.
And you look at them and they're just like, they're like giving you the bird or whatever
if you cut them off on the freeway and stuff.
It's just like, yeah, no, you're of this world.
What I'm saying is this, is that don't be discouraged when you're hated.
Let that be a confirmation that we're doing that which is right, okay?
Now, look, if you're just hated by everyone, though, even like your own church members
and stuff like that, okay, then there might be a problem.
There might be an issue with you, okay?
Go to 1 Timothy chapter number six.
So why will worldly churches apostatize?
Well, number one, because they are loved of the world.
But number two, their doctrine is spotted.
Their doctrine has blemishes.
Okay?
Look at 1 Timothy 6 13, I give the charge and the sight of God who quickeneth all things
before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession, that thou keep
this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What does that mean?
We need to make sure we keep the doctrine pure, without spot.
We need to make sure that as a church, we keep salvation in its purest form.
How do we do that?
We got to use the right terminology when we talk about it.
Saved, born again, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, by faith, by grace through faith,
okay?
These are the terms that we need to use when we talk about salvation to keep it pure, not
have a relationship with God, not, you know, I know him, yeah, make him your whatever,
you know?
We need to make sure we use biblical terms to keep the doctrine pure.
Because when you start muddying up the terminology, people get confused.
And when people get confused, the church begins to apostatize.
Why?
Because the doctrine is not without spot.
You see, at our church, I'm not the best pastor here.
I'm not the greatest preacher.
But what I seek to do is when I give you the doctrine, you walk away understanding, I know
exactly what it means.
I may not agree with everything he said, but I know exactly what it means because we want
it to be clear.
You see, the doctrine that is spotted is unclear.
You don't know where the person stands because he doesn't want to offend you.
So he kind of just kind of, he's, you know, overstepping the bounds in the sense of like,
he's just compromising, okay?
He gives you doctrine, but because he doesn't want to offend you, he kind of pulls back
a little bit.
No, just give what the Word of God says and that's it.
Don't let the doctrine, and one of the reasons the doctrine is spotted in these churches,
and let me say this, is because of the modern versions of the Bible that are being used.
That's why, okay?
The NIV, the ESV, the NASB, the New King James Version of the Bible, we are a King James
only church, and the reason for that is because we believe that it's the inspired and preserved
Word of God for the English-speaking people.
These other modern versions have perverted the Word of God.
They completely omit verses out of the Bible.
They change doctrine.
They change salvation.
Tell me that's not a nefarious agenda to change verses on salvation so when someone reads
it, they think it's by works and not by faith alone.
That's wicked.
And look, stop posting modern versions of the Bible on your social media.
Get yourself copy and paste from a King James.
You know, if you're not familiar with the Word of God, okay, that's fine, but you know,
if you want to post the verse, double check, okay?
And look, most of the time, you know it's like a modern version, okay?
The Word of God is alive and wonderful and lovely.
It's sharper than any butter knife, and you know, it uses all these weird terminologies,
like this is lame.
It just doesn't have power.
We reject all modern versions of the Bible.
That's why we encourage everyone to bring those Bibles to burn them because they lead
people astray, okay?
That's why they're apostatizing.
You know, the Bible tells us that before the coming of Christ, there should come a falling
away first.
What is the falling away?
The word that's being used for the falling away is apostasy, apostasia.
Churches will begin to apostasize.
Go to 2 Timothy, chapter number 4, if you would.
2 Timothy, chapter number 4.
2 Timothy, look, it's not just liberal churches anymore.
You have independent fundamental Baptist churches who are delving into this as well,
where they're just very general in what they preach.
They don't call sin sin.
They just kind of try to play it safe.
Well, what does the Bible tell us?
Look at 2 Timothy 4, too.
Preach the word.
Be instant in season out of season.
Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering in doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own
lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.
What does that mean?
In other words, people are going to look for the Joel Osteen.
They're going to look for the Rick Warren.
They're going to look for the Paul Chapel.
They're going to look for the Liberty Baptist Church.
They're going to look for the churches that tell them what they want to hear.
And they shall, look what it says, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth
and shall be turned unto fables.
What is a fable?
It's a lie.
You know, it's story time.
You go to churches, it's story time.
You know, 99% of the sermon are a bunch of stories and illustrations.
1% is a verse from like the ESV or something.
They'll be turned into fables because they want to go to church and just feel good.
They just want to feel all warm and fuzzy inside and just go back and live the way they
want to live throughout the week.
That's not good.
I would hate to have cancer and go to a doctor and say, don't worry, you're fine.
You're good.
You don't have cancer.
You're good, man.
I'm like, are you sure?
I'm not going to die?
No, I will never judge you like that.
I want someone to tell me if I'm sick.
I want someone to tell me like, hey, we need to do surgery like immediately and it's going
to hurt, but it's going to save your life.
You see, the Bible says, tells us, take heed unto thyself and to the doctor for in doing
so, thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.
Save them from what?
From false doctrine, from doctrines of devils, the Bible says, but there's going to come
a time and the time is here where people shall be turned into fables.
They don't want to hear sound Bible preaching.
And when they hear sound Bible preaching, they just kind of flinch at it.
They don't like it, but you know what?
If they're saved, they know it's true.
They know it's true.
Okay, look, if you've been eating McDonald's your entire life,
steak might taste a little weird to you, right?
Like where's the chemicals?
Where's the MSG?
Where's the plastic?
I mean the meat.
That's what they're going to think because that's what their body is used to.
So when people come to our church, we rehabilitate those people and say, eat that steak,
get some filet mignon in you, get some New York state with the fat.
Amen.
Get the fat in you, get those vegetables, satiate your hunger, your hunger and thirst
for righteousness, learn something.
Don't go to McDonald's.
Don't go to the 99 cent menu.
Do they still have that?
Does anybody know?
No one wants to admit that they're eating McDonald's.
They're like, huh?
No, no.
Go to 1 John chapter 3.
1 John chapter number 3.
Look, I used to eat McDonald's, okay?
I was involved in that sin at one point, okay?
It was called being broke, okay?
But there's a big price to pay though.
It's a big price to pay.
Look at 1 John 3 verse 1.
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called
the sons of God.
Therefore, the world knoweth us not because it knew him not.
You ever wonder why like when you talk to people, maybe your family members, they just
kind of look at you like you're weird or something?
Or like you believe that stuff?
Are you serious?
You know why?
It's because the world doesn't know you.
Because you're a son of God.
It's foreign to them.
It's foolishness unto them.
Why do you go to church so much?
Sunday morning and Sunday night?
One time is enough, a month.
Mijo, mijo, no tanto, right?
No vaya tanto.
Don't go that much.
You know why?
Because they don't know.
They don't know God.
Look at chapter 4.
In verse number 4, it says of 1 John 4, 4 says, ye are of God, little children, and
have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
They are of the world.
Therefore, speak they of the world and the world heareth them.
We are of God.
He that knoweth God heareth us.
He that is not of God heareth not us.
Hereby we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
We say, what does it have to do with this point?
What it has to do with is this.
People who are going to like what we say are saved people.
Unless the saved people are worldly saved people.
They'll know it's true, but they don't want to hear it.
You know?
I've had people tell me like, I agree with everything you said.
I know that it's in the Bible.
I just don't like it.
At least they're willing to admit it.
But you know what?
Church is for saved people.
Church is for believers.
Because of the fact that when we teach the word of God, the spirit of God that dwells
within you resonates with what's being taught and you agree with it.
Go to 2 Peter chapter 2.
2 Peter chapter number 2.
But these churches, they have spots in their doctrine.
Why do they have spots?
Because you're using modern perversions of the Bible.
You know?
They're using commentaries from unsafe people who are commentating on the Bible.
You know, the most dangerous thing you can do with the word of God is put it in the hands
of an unsafe person and tell him to decipher it.
He will misconstrue.
He will arrest the scriptures.
They that are unlearned and unstable will arrest them.
Okay?
And this is why churches will apostatize.
Because they're going to pervert doctrine of salvation.
What church is.
Okay?
Who Jesus Christ is.
They're going to accept all forms of doctrine within the church.
This side can be repenting your sins.
This side could be faith alone.
Right there in the back, we got the Calvinists.
We got the Pentecostal Baptist back there.
And the pastor's fine with it.
Not good.
Okay?
This is why they will apostatize.
And here's a big one.
Number three.
Why will worldly churches apostatize?
Because they will admit reprobates into their church.
They will permit reprobates into their church.
Okay?
What are reprobates?
The Bible defines reprobates as haters of God.
Okay?
Sons of Belial.
Sons of the devil.
That's what the Bible says that they are.
Now let me prove this to you.
Look at 2 Peter 2 12.
It says, but these, referring to reprobates,
as natural brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed,
speak evil of the things that they understand not,
and shall utterly perish in their own corruption,
and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness
as they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime,
spots they are, and blemishes,
sport of themselves with their own deceivings
while they feast with you.
So why are these churches spotted?
Because they have spots in their feasts.
Who are the spots?
The reprobates.
The people who are not supposed to be allowed into church.
Pedophiles.
I don't think anybody would disagree
that we should not let pedophiles into our church.
Okay?
Whether you agree with me on every other point,
for surely thou will agree with me
that pedophiles should never be allowed into church.
Okay?
But here it says that there are spots in your feasts.
Go to Jude, the book of Jude.
Let's look at a parallel passage to this.
Verse 12 says these are spots in your feasts of charity
when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear.
Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds,
trees whose fruit withereth without fruit,
twice dead, plucked up by the roots.
Look, there's churches out there that are like,
let them all in.
Just bring them all in.
Just blemish the church till there's no tomorrow.
Put spots in the church till there's no tomorrow.
No.
The Bible says that there are spots that there are blemishes,
and that's going to cause the church to go apostate.
Why?
Because they're going to molest the children.
They're going to recruit the children,
molest the children, violate the church,
and destroy the congregation.
It's happened before.
It will continue to happen because churches
don't care about that.
Okay?
Go back to 2 Peter chapter 2.
Here's my last point.
Why worldly churches will apostatize.
Well, number four, this is a big one.
Worldly churches want to reform the masses
rather than save them.
I hope you got that.
They want to reform the masses rather than save them.
What does it mean to reform?
It means to change them.
You know, they get to church, and they get them a suit,
or they get them clothes, they get a Bible in their hand,
they get them faithful to church,
they help them to go to Sunday school class,
be a part of the activities,
they invite them to everything,
they give them leadership position,
they reform them,
but they never once try to preach the gospel into them.
They never actually try to win them to Christ
because all they care about is the outward appearance.
You know, outward appearance is important,
but the salvation of the soul is far greater than that.
Okay.
Look at 2 Peter 2 verse 17.
By the way, 2 Peter chapter 2 is a chapter
dealing extensively, and it details the doctrine of
reprobates or false prophets and false teachers.
And it says here in verse number 17,
these are wells without water,
clouds that are carried with the tempest
to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever,
for when they speak great swelling words of vanity,
they allure through the lust of the flesh,
through much wantonness, those that were clean
escaped from them who live in error.
Now, what is it saying there?
Great swelling words are just like,
wow, that speech was beautiful.
They didn't even call it a sermon, you know?
Like, that was like a motivational speech.
No, it was just great swelling words.
It doesn't mean anything.
All right.
Verse 19.
While they promised them liberty,
they themselves are the servants of corruption,
for of whom a man is overcome of the same
as he brought in bondage.
Verse 20.
Look what it says.
For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world
through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
they are again entangled therein and overcome,
and the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
So what do they do?
You know, they get one of these people into the church,
they're like, hey, you gotta repent of that drinking, man.
You gotta stop sinning, you gotta stop drinking,
you gotta stop smoking, you gotta stop fornicating,
because you gotta repent of your sins to be saved.
So what do they do?
They stop drinking, they stop smoking,
they stop fornicating, they stop their sins, okay?
Because they think that that's what's gonna save them.
But what does the Bible teach us?
It teaches us that the latter end is worse with them
than the beginning.
And people who are not saved, who clean up their lives,
often end up going back into that sin far worse than before, okay?
People who are just reformed,
they've reformed and they clean up their lives,
they often go back to the drugs a lot harder,
they hit the bottle of alcohol a lot harder,
and unfortunately, sometimes they even become reprobate, okay?
We're not seeking to reform anybody,
other than the people who are already saved.
When people come to these doors,
and look, those of you who are visiting with us today,
thankful you're here,
I'm just gonna just let you know right off the bat,
someone's gonna come talk to you
to make sure that you know 100% sure that if you died today,
that you'd go to heaven.
Why would they do that?
Because we love you.
We don't want you to know,
we're not gonna impose anything on you,
we don't force anything on you,
we just want you to know that you're gonna go to heaven
when you die.
Because it is appointed for a man once to die,
but after this, the judgment, the Bible says.
And we wanna make sure that you know
that you're going to heaven,
because that's the most important thing.
Well, you know, I don't dress like you guys,
I don't care.
I don't look like you, and?
The thing we care about the most is your salvation.
The fact that you know that you're going to heaven.
Well, you know, I can't part my hair like you.
I know, I'm just kidding.
That doesn't matter.
It does not matter.
How you have your hair, what kind of clothes you wear,
you know, at this point, that doesn't matter.
What matters most right now is the salvation of your soul.
Now, those things should be dealt with later on.
By the way, we're not a church where we have a dress code.
You're like, well, I see all these guys in suits.
I don't tell them, hey, suit up and boot up, everybody.
Now, if you serve in our church,
you know, if you're up here reading the scriptures,
you're song leading, we do have the requirement for them,
because they are,
they're supposed to exemplify leadership at the church,
but we don't have a dress standard for people in our church.
There's churches who have a dress standard,
but they don't have a salvation standard.
Think about that.
They can care less what you believe about salvation,
as long as you look the part.
No, we want to make sure that you know,
that you may know that you have eternal life,
and you may believe on the name of the Son of God, okay?
We don't want to reform sinners.
We want to save them.
And then through the preaching of God's word,
allow them to just grow in grace
and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
You know, this is the most important thing,
salvation folks.
This is how we can make sure
that we will never apostatize, why?
Because churches who stopped sowing,
churches who stopped preaching the gospel,
the Bible tells us in Revelation chapter two,
that he, that Jesus Christ will remove the candlestick
from that church.
They will cease being a church,
because the purpose of the church is to go out
and win the loss.
When a church is all about,
well, it's all, we're all about Sunday school
and fellowship and donuts,
and you know, these nice contemporary Christian music
and all these things,
phooey with those things.
What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world
and lose his own soul?
Okay, what a sad thing for anybody
to walk out of these doors
without knowing that they're saved,
that they're going to heaven when they die.
Okay, that's how we can keep our church from apostatizing,
keeping salvation on the forefront.
Hey, that's what we're called,
first works, Baptist church.
And at the end of the day, every church,
every church who adheres to the Bible
is a first works type of a church.
Okay, so look,
how are we gonna keep ourselves unspotted from the world?
We need to make sure we live a sanctified life,
we keep the breastplate of righteousness upon us.
We need to make sure that we stand for the word of God
in spite of the backlash that we get from the outside.
But we also need to make sure that we keep salvation
on the forefront of our minds,
that that is important to us,
and we keep the doctrine pure, amen?
Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Father, we thank you so much for your word,
and Lord, we don't have a perfect church,
we make mistakes,
but we're pressing towards the mark
and we want to live a life that's pleasing unto you.
We want our church to be pleasing to you,
we don't want to be numbered with the churches
in Revelation where you had somewhat against them,
and I pray, God, that you'd help us
to continue to do so, to win people to Christ,
to help people to grow, to love them,
but not compromise, not love people
at the expense of compromising your word,
because at that point, we're not really loving them.
And I pray, God, that you bless us as we go on our way.
We love you so much and we thank you.
Pray these things in Jesus' name, amen.