Alright, we're in Daniel chapter number 1, look at verse, look down in verse 18, it says
here at not the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in then the
prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar and the king communed with
them and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, therefore
stood they before the king and in all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king
inquired of them he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that
were in all his realm and Daniel continued even into the first year of king Cyrus and
the title of the sermon this morning is ten times better, ten times better and specifically
obviously we're going to expand upon what this portion of the scripture is referring
to but the application is for us to become ten times better in 2019 now this is something
that we're always going to talk about at the end of the year at the end of each year is
that you know if you have failures you had setbacks or for whatever reason something
happened something didn't pan out the way you wanted to spiritually well then you can
improve upon that this coming year you can improve upon that and become ten times better
now what we're reading here is a time period after the kingdom of Judah was taken captive
by king Nebuchadnezzar king Nebuchadnezzar basically plundered Judah and took over Jehoiakim
and the Bible tells us that he took all the children of Israel from under that kingdom
and what was the agenda behind that what was the reason why he wanted to take the youth
of the land we'll look down at your Bible verse number three it says and the king spake
unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs that he should bring certain of the children of
Israel and of the king's seed and of the princes children in whom was no blemish but well favored
and skillful in all wisdom and cunning in knowledge and understanding science and such
as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace and whom they might teach the learning
of the tongue of the Chaldeans so we see here that the reason the children were taken because
of their abilities because of their intelligence they had some smarts but not only that they
had people skills it says they're able to stand in the king's palace they had ethics
they were able to to have people skills now the purpose behind this was obviously to indoctrinate
them the purpose behind this was to you know fill them with the knowledge of the Chaldeans
and basically condition and indoctrinate them in the ways of the Babylonians and let me
say this this is not the this is not the message today but that's the purpose of the
public school the full system that's the purpose of the world that's the purpose of the culture
is to take the next generation indoctrinate them and teach them the way of the Babylonians
that's why no Christian should ever put their children in the public full system why because
they're going to teach them bagotry they're going to teach them satanism atheism evolutionism
and all the other isms that are contrary to God's word they want to take the cream of
the crop they want to take the best of the best with the Christians because obviously
Christianity teaches character it teaches discipline it teaches godliness it teaches
virtue and these are the things that the world wants to use for their benefit to condition
them and to indoctrinate them so they can fulfill their purpose that's not the message
today but that's I mean that's a good application amen so his agenda was obviously to improve
his kingdom by adding these children and conforming them to the ways of the Babylonians now even
amongst the multitude of the children of Israel there's really four that really stood out
and that is Daniel Hananiah and Isaiah and Azariah now Daniel in particular because of
his stance where it talks about how he purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself
with the king's mean now this is a lot about Daniel why is that because he's a young man
in a foreign land and yet he has the character to do right even when his parents are not
around he has the character and the discipline and the fear of God to do that which is right
in the sight of the Lord even though he's not in his own land even though he's not under
the roof of his own parents he's able to do right and look we ought to be like Daniel
shouldn't we where regardless of the authority is present regardless of our parents are not
there we understand that God is always watching what is what does that call that's called the
fear of the Lord so Daniel stood out in particular not just from the multitude of those who are taken
from Judah but specifically from the four because he purposed in his heart that he will not defile
himself with the king's meat and this in turn later on turns to his favor because the Bible
tells us that God gives him favor with all the princes of the eunuchs because of this look down
at your Bible to verse number eight it says but Daniel purposed in his heart that he will not
defile himself with the portion of the king's meat nor with the wine which he drank therefore
he requested of the princes of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself now God had brought
Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs this goes to show us that the but
when the Bible teaches us that when a man's ways please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be
at peace with them you know people often compromise the Word of God because they want to please
everyone else so they don't think it's gonna work out in their favor if they just stand up right
but here here's the conclusion of the matter standing up for right regardless of how it turns
out whether it turns out in your favor or not we ought to do right because it's right you know just
like Meshech, Shadrach and Abednego said when they were thrown into the fiery furnace God is able to
deliver us but if not we're still not gonna bow down they had the faith they understood that God
had the ability to deliver them from the fiery furnace but they said you know if God doesn't
want to we're still not gonna do it why because it's not right for us to bow down to other gods
but we understand that God is able to deliver us and we understand that God can favor us
specifically when we obey his commandments lean not into thy own understanding and all
thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths you know when you stand up for the
right doctrines whether it's within your family it's with your friends or or just to the world
in general fear not you know if God before us who can be against us if we have the God of the Bible
behind us if we have him backing us up if we're standing for his truth we have nothing to fear we
see later on that these four young men stand out even more due to their austere diet and the
princes observed their countenances were not like as the others they were more lively there's
something special about them and let me say this is that you know in a in a corrupt world this
perverse generation that we live in there there are Christians there are people who are saved
obviously we understand that America though it's a wicked nation it has not yet become a
reprobate nation it is not yet rejected of God why because there's still remnant who's doing a
lot of soul winning they're preaching the Word of God they're doing great works for the Lord but
here's the thing even amongst that group of people there's even a smaller remnant who are actually
fulfilling a lot more and I honestly believe that the new IFB would fall into that category
the pastors and the preachers and the soul winners of this movement would be considered
like the Meshach Shedrak and the Bendigo all right would be considered like Daniel why because
they're the ones who are actually on the forefront fighting the battles against the principalities
and powers against the rules of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high
places and it's very evident behind the pulpits it's very evident behind the inside the churches
and the sowing that's being done that this is the remnant that we could apply this to there were more
lively you know you go to your average independent fundamental Baptist Church it's dead as
yesterday's Christmas tree you go to my house you know we bought a Christmas tree for the first time
I told my wife we're getting a Christmas tree all right I don't want no fake Christmas tree okay
we're getting a real one I want I want the real deal okay no fake stuff and we bought a Christmas
tree and we're excited like yeah we got the Christmas tree you know a couple weeks pass
by I was like man it's not as green as it used to be like what's going on here and you know we're
putting water in it and it's just like I don't have the green thumb you know and you look at it
right now it looks like a vintage tree it's more yellow than it is green and but but here's the
problem you said well yeah now we're at the end of December that's gonna happen yeah but it was
like that like three weeks ago you know it started getting like that three weeks ago so I don't know
how I got off on that where was that going someone remind me oh the old IV yeah they're like that
Christmas tree they're not very lively they're just kind of vintage aren't they you know and
you know what's gonna happen to them is they're gonna get thrown out just like I'm gonna throw
out that tree that that tree is gonna get thrown they're gonna get thrown out why because they're
not as lively as they used to be they don't preach as hard as they used to preach they don't sew in
as they used to sew in they don't take a stand the way they used to take a stand you know I want to
make sure that in my latter years as I get older you know as I get older that not only do I stand
on the things that I used to stand on before but I take even stronger stances upon it I become more
austere I become more strict I get more mad about sin I get more ticked off about the culture around
us I preach harder why because that's how it ought to be because as we grow in grace and in
the knowledge of our learning Savior Jesus Christ the grace of God has taught us to deny
ungodliness and worldly lust so as we grow in that we begin to hate sin more we hate the workers of
iniquity more we begin to hate the things that God hates even more so these guys were more lively
than the other ones and they proved they proved that look at verse 14 it says so we consented to
them in this matter and prove them ten days and at the end of ten days their countenances appeared
fair and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat
thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat and the wine that they should drink and gave them
pulse you see at the end of the day what separates the remnant the zealous remnant the Phineas type
remnant from all the other Christians is that the all the other Christians are taken of the
portion of the king's meat you know they're living off of we said who's the king well they're living
off of Fox News you want turn on that heater a little bit I don't know if I'm just getting
warm you know they're taking a portion of the king's meat Fox News they're taking a portion of
the king's meat commentaries they're using everything to feed themselves but the Bible
whereas when we get the pulse of the Bible of the Word of God we will be fair fatter in flesh or
should we say fatter in spirit amen then all the children which did eat of the portion of the
king's meat that's what separates you know the Christians the zealous Christians there I want
you to notice verse 17 look what it says as for these four children God gave them knowledge and
skill in all learning and wisdom and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams now
remember that in the beginning of the chapter Nebuchadnezzar sees and he discerns that the
children of Israel they're cunning in all knowledge and in science they had they're
able to stand before the king's palace the Bible says but he had here in verse 17 it says that
they have knowledge and skill in all learning wisdom but Daniel had understanding in all
visions and dreams you see they were able to actually benefit the kingdom because of the
fact that Daniel can interpret dreams unlike the magicians and the astrologers you see people
ought to look at Christianity people ought to look at the churches the Bible believe in churches and
be able to gain understanding of the times based upon the true preaching of God's Word you see be
like the sons of Issachar which had understanding of the times they don't need to go to the news
because we understand that the news is phony they don't give out true news you know they don't need
to go to the newspapers they don't need to go to social media they can simply go to the pulpits
of the hell fire and damnation preaching pulpits of America and get what the truth is okay they
can gain understanding of the visions and dreams and we're not talking about this charismatic
Pentecostal tongue-flapping you know dreams and visions whether you see a 50-foot Jesus or whatever
in a dress with long hair and light skin and say you know I saw hell you know well you should have
stayed there if you're if you're if that's what you're seeing I'm talking about the visions and
dreams from the Word of God when we convey very clearly what the Bible says when we read the
Word of God read it distinctly and give the meaning give the meaning of it okay so these
young men were the cream of the crop they stood out from the rest look at verse 20 it says here
in all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king inquired of them he found them ten times
better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm and I don't I think
it's safe to say ten times better than even the other children of Israel okay these guys
were ten times better now this goes to show you the King Nebuchadnezzar was actually more
interested in quality than quantity because he didn't say there were ten times more he just said
there were ten times better and may I say that in our Christian lives we ought to seek for quality
rather than quantity we ought to seek the quality of the Christian life rather than the quantity but
let me say this if you have the quality you will get the quantity if you have quality gospel
preaching soul winners you're gonna get the quantity of souls being saved will there be
seasons when you don't see people saved as much as others yeah but here's the thing there's an
ebb and flow to all things but if you do it right you're always gonna see a lot of people
saved within the last year thank God we've seen over 2,000 people saved that's a large
quantity of souls being saved but that's because there's a good amount of quantity of gospel being
preached there are soul winners excuse the quality of gospel preachers going out there
there are so winners in our church who know how to preach the gospel they're thorough they don't
do a bad job okay they're doing a great job they're being thorough they're not just trying
to raise your hand and count ten salvations like Justin LeBlanc I don't want to embarrass
anybody here but I got 18 in 18 minutes that's not quality and here's the thing you may have
18 so to speak you may have the quantity but because you didn't have the quality you don't
have 18 you know you're a liar that's what you are there's nothing wrong with going out soul
winning and seeing one person saving you made sure that that one person was saved I rather
have that that one guy raised his hand and said he got eight ten salvations but they weren't really
very thorough you know for example and I hit on this on Thursday and I'm still mad about this is
that you know hi can I we went we went so winning on on Thursday and we ran we knocked on the door
and you know this the guy opened the door and it's immediately when he looked at us he already
seemed closed you know and he hike was the one doing the doing the talking and he gave him the
invite and I'm not gonna hash through the entire story but the guy said I already know your church
I don't want nothing to do with your church you know I met you guys last year and we're thinking
oh man what he found us on YouTube or something heard us preaching against the homos or something
and he said I know what you're what you're preaching you're saying the salvation is free
that it can't you don't have to work for it I don't agree with that and then he said this he
said you know the guy from your church came here and told me that child molesters can be saved and
he had a problem with that he had a big problem with that he said you're trying to tell me that
a child molester someone who violates a child can be saved you know and we're like we don't believe
that and we're we even told me like that's probably some other church because our church
for sure doesn't teach that you know we make it that very clear that we don't teach that you know
but this is how we knew that it was our church because he he said no I got the invitation I know
this guy's face and he said and I got a DVD okay case closed we're the only church that gives out
DVDs when we're out someone here like okay that was us but here's the thing is that wasn't us you
know that's some some infiltrator in our church from last year who you know was preaching a false
gospel lo and behold the same idiot or idiots because there's two we're telling them that they
have to repent of their sins to be saved okay that a sodomite could could could turn from their sin
and be saved or whatever you know I wish I wish I knew who that was in fact I wish that person
was here this morning amen in fact if that's you this morning why don't you go ahead and see me
after service you know that's not quality that's heretical and you know these Calvinist lordship
salvation guys can talk him can blowhorn a bunch of people as much as they want they can stand out
there for as much time as they want hand out as many flyers as they want they're not getting
anybody saved because it's a false gospel they're not seeing anybody say look put it this way what
about a church that goes out and they just do track drops they drop 15,000 tracks that's a
lot that's a large quantity of tracks all right that's a lot I mean you're going to and by the
way I've done it Chris can attest to it we got a witness here we got another witness there's two
witnesses so you know I'm bearing I'm bearing you know the truth here okay I've been out there
hours just dropping tracks off at doors nobody got saved in fact but they'll say yeah but people come
to church because of that though you know people will come to church and they used to have this
statistic where it's like for every hundred tracks you drop you get at least one visitor that was
like the their template but here's the thing I remember one time we did I don't know if it was
like 15 12 or 15,000 tracks I think it was 12 or 15 if I'm not mistaken and it was for like Easter
and Easter is a time when people come to church I mean that's the time and we're like yeah and I was
telling the leader I was just hey I think we probably shouldn't do this because I don't think
it's gonna work he's like and he's like for every hundred we're gonna get one one family that
morning that Sunday nobody came I mean the people who were part of the church came but you know they
had their their their food ready and everything like you know the book you know for the visitors
who came nobody came oh I stand corrected one family came and it's not because they got a
track they found us online did you get attracted like no we just found the church online you know
like and it was just like crickets you said what did you say I told you so told you so hey but that
was a large quantity of tracks weren't there I mean that's 15,000 not only that we can not get
anybody saved what do you mean getting when you come to church that's even worse you know cuz at
least if they came to church we could have given them the gospel that was a waste of money whereas
if you actually do what the Bible tells you to do and you actually go out there and preach the
gospel you will see people saved and you say oh yeah but what about discipleship I'm doing
discipleship right now yeah well yeah but what about baptism I think we're gonna get a baptism
today right you're getting baptized today so we got the Great Commission getting down pack right
here we got the soul winning down we got the baptism down we got the teaching to observe all
things whatever I've commanded you down Sunday morning Sunday night Thursday night I think that's
a good quality that we're accomplishing there you see you don't want to be the type of Christian or
the type of church that looks like you're doing a lot but you're not really doing a lot you want to
make sure that you're you have quality Christian life quality soul winning quality Bible reading
and then eventually you'll get a quantity of Bible knowledge you'll get a quantity of soul saved so
on and so forth and God has always preferred that God has always preferred quality over quantity you
have Gideon in his 300 who defeated the armies even though it was a small quantity God did more
with them than with the big army you have Jonathan in his armor bearer two guys who took out an
entire army why because God prefers quality over quantity you have Elisha and his servant
it goes on and on go to 1st Corinthians chapter 1 this is all introduction so 1st Corinthians
chapter number 1 look at the Bible says in verse 26 of 1st Corinthians chapter 1 for you see your
calling brethren how that no man not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are
called but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise you know a lot of
people look at our type of church and our type of movie say you guys are a bunch of fools well it
looks like here then we're then we're qualified because God has chosen the foolish things of this
world to confound the wise well he's being facetious here obviously and God had chosen the
weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and the base things of the world
and things that are despised hath God chosen yea and the things which are not to bring to
not the things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence you know why he chooses
a remnant you know why he chooses a small quantity of people so that he can get all the glory that's
why and hey I'll take that any day I'll take a small group who knows how to preach the gospel
well who's doing a great job because that that way God can get the glory for all of it okay the
Bible tells us you don't have to turn your Romans chapter 11 verse 4 says but what saith the answer
of God unto him I have reserved to myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to the
image of Baal even so at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of
grace so again I'm not saying that we shouldn't have quantity you know during the so many make a
marathon we want to see a lot of people saved so we're gonna go into an area that we believe is
very receptive in order to accomplish that work but look the mundane sowing of week to week you
know the areas we go to they're not necessarily the most receptive areas right I'm sure many of
you can attest to that you come back and you're like zero but we got to get it done and that's
why every couple of weeks then we we have the dessert and the meat you know we eat the vegetables
and all that for four weeks and then we eat the pulse amen and then what do we do we go to Compton
to get ourselves some dessert some filet mignon some steak we see a lot of people save so quality
is important quantity is important now what what's the sermon about it's simply this you know 2019
is right around the corner and before you you you create any New Year's resolution you ought to seek
to improve yourself a lot of people want to improve their circumstances but they don't want
to improve themselves you know they want to improve their financial situation but they're
not even improving themselves and you have to improve yourself you have to discipline yourself
you have to make sure that you gain the character that you need in order to accomplish those goals
don't try to change the circumstances just change yourself make yourself ten times better okay now
don't take an overly literal interpretation of what I'm saying like okay man I gotta be ten
times better like it's literally ten times better than I gotta be you know no this is I'm just
giving you an example of course the phrase in the Bible that would allude to the fact that we ought
to just be better okay now go to Luke chapter 14 this is more of a church family type sermon so you
know those of you who are visiting today you know I hope you enjoy but I want to make sure that our
church is doing its best to just as individuals as families as husbands as wives to improve okay
to become better and look you ought to desire that at the end of 2019 that you accomplish
something set some goals and at the end of 2019 say man I accomplished those goals whether in
your family spiritually speaking you know and I'm gonna go over some of these areas this morning so
number one let me say this as a Christian you ought to become ten times better what does that
mean we're just first and foremost maturing and denying yourself and this is not necessarily for
though this can apply to married people but single people or young men it's time to grow up it's time
to grow up we have this Peter Pan society Neverland Toys R Us I don't want to grow up I want to be a
Toys R Us kid type generation that doesn't want to grow up they want to stay behind the screen
playing video games they want to sit their fat lazy rear end at home and not do anything with
their lives you know it's time to mature and grow up we need some men in our church that are willing
to say you know what I need to deny myself some gratification so I can learn so I can become
better so I can be a man look at Luke 14 verse 25 it says and there went great multitudes with
them and he turned and said unto them if any man come to me hate not and hate not his father and
mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be
my disciple and whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple we should
have the goal of being a disciple of Jesus Christ and I'm not talking about me like disciple bro
I'm a Jesus follower that's not what I'm talking about you know those are just puffed up vain words
that don't mean anything I'm talking about legitimately being a disciple of Jesus Christ
but to legitimately be a disciple of Jesus Christ guess what that requires you denying yourself you
see people have gone sometimes people get frustrated when they leave someone to the Lord and
they don't come to church right they're like man they didn't come I invited you they're gonna come
and they didn't come to church yeah but not everyone's gonna come to church who you invite
the church or who you went to the Lord that's just fact you know only a small select few will
to church why because they've actually taken it upon themselves to deny themselves what are they
denying church I mean us their Sunday mornings what are they denying their time what are they
denying whatever gratification that they can gain off of not coming to church what are they denying
just the maturity to understand I need to be in church you know we need to make sure that we are
maturing denying ourselves and this is where it starts okay as men look upon the things of others
not upon your own self what does that mean stop being selfish children are selfish my son at this
point is very selfish especially now that my daughter's around he's jealous and I've never
seen this boy so jealous in my life like he is like he can't handle us giving attention to our
daughter and if he sees the if he sees my daughter playing with one of his toys even though he's
playing with that's mine you know it's just like you're not you'd even know that toy was there
until she started playing with it son and I told I was like man you're being selfish we got to
train them to not be selfish you know the sad thing is there's older people people who are a
double-digit age who are just like that now they may not say that's mine but inwardly they don't
go to church why because that time it's mine that's the kind of attitude that they have it's
time to grow up I just don't feel like going to church so tell me again how you I mean do you
become a man by doing what you feel like doing is that how it works you become a man by doing that
what you're supposed to do even when you don't feel like doing it not being driven by your
emotions okay we all have emotions you know God's given us emotions but don't be driven by your
emotions you need to do what you're supposed to do when you're supposed to do it okay mature and
deny yourself now go to John chapter 8 and I'll get into what specifically is required to become
a disciple but let me let me hit some things here let me start out by saying that just read the
Bible you know if you're not careful you can be become very dependent upon the preaching of behind
the pulpits of our movement to get your feeding in you know you go to church you get fed then you go
home watch YouTube watch YouTube throughout the week catch up with all the past there's enough
pastors in our movement do you can listen to a sermon one a day for the entire week if you
wanted to but guess what that's not Bible reading buddy that's a supplement that's mashed potatoes
that's the beans that's the rice your main course should be your own Bible reading and look don't
try to teach us doctrine if you have not read the Bible through at least once don't try to make
yourself awesome to be some theologian some know-it-all theologian if you haven't even read
the Bible through once and look I understand if you're a brand new Christian you know this may be
your I'm sorry I'm trying you know if you're trying then okay finish up all right but I'm
talking about people who have been saved for quite some time and have not yet read through the Bible
you know shame on you why because you've had enough time to gain the character to read through
the whole Word of God you spend an hour listening to a sermon online why don't you spend that hour
reading the Bible you spend hours listening I'm not saying that's bad what I'm saying is this when
you begin to to to replace Bible reading with preaching online then that becomes bad okay the
Bible says in John 8 31 then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him if you continue in my
word then are you my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make
you free what does it mean to continue it means to just stay in it on a daily basis just read the
Bible every single day if you've never done this take the Bible reading schedule that you got today
it takes about 10 to 15 minutes a day to finish the Bible through in one year that's all it takes
what is 10 15 minutes out of your time that's you spend more time on social media looking
through Facebook and arguing with people about doctrine on Facebook you spend more time we're
proving people on Facebook right getting kind of quiet you thank you shake that Bush yes cook that
chicken bake it although good stuff you know you spend more time we're proving people on Facebook
and on social media they're reading the Bible why don't you put that aside actually open up
the Bible and read it you know you wanted to bunk somebody so you go to a sermon why don't you go to
the Bible why don't you learn it on your own you know be a real disciple and actually continue in
the Bible okay and again I'm not saying don't listen to sermons you're listening to me right
now and then thank you but don't replace it with Bible reading okay excuse me don't replace Bible
reading with preaching now go to 2nd Corinthians chapter number six what's another way that you
can improve as a Christian you know start living a separated life that means get worldliness out
of your life look at 2nd Corinthians 6 verse 14 says be not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness what communion hath light
with darkness and what Concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with
an infidel and what agreement at the temple of God with idols for you're the temple of the living
God as God had said I would dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they
shall be my people wherefore come out from among them and be separate saith the Lord and touch not
the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a father unto you and you shall be my
sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty now we become sons and daughters when we believe on
Jesus Christ but we start acting like sons and daughters when we actually were separated from
the world and in context what is referring to is people you know like your unsaved buddies you
hang out with you know your your unsaved girlfriends you hang out with God says if
you're gonna become ten times better if you're actually gonna live a Christian life you need
to get some Christian friends okay and here's the thing not just Christian friends some godly
Christian friends because there's some Christian friends out there that are rotten they're just
wrong because they're worldly they're carnal they're not reading their Bibles they're not
in church they cause you to stumble whatever it may be get yourself some legitimate friends who
will improve you see we got to get a point we got to get to a point in our Christian lives that we're
not just looking for friends we're looking for friends who actually improve who we are we're
looking for those who we can influence to become better and we need to look for people who can make
us better that's the kind of friendships you should look for not someone you could just shoot
the breeze with sit on the couch and watch whatever and play video games with be friends
someone who will make you better look for people who you get along with that you can influence to
become better and also look for people who you can make better if you're always around your
contemporaries you're never gonna get better and remember the sermon is becoming ten times better
and the point that I'm referring to right now is becoming more mature in the Lord become better
don't be around people who are gonna drag you down spiritually evaluate your Christian life today and
say are the people around me improving who I am or are they making me worse where were you on
December 30th of last year if you were a lot better if you're better off than you are this
year then your problem it probably has something to do with the friends you're with it probably
has to do with the people that you're with hey it probably has to do with the church that you're
with right and I'm speaking to those online because this is a great church okay this is
the best church everyone's perfect here I'm just kidding you know there's people out there who
maybe they go to IFB Church and you know they probably regressed a little bit but they have
a choice they could either remain there and fight to stay right until the end and during to the end
or they need to move move to a new IFB Church okay now go to Hebrews chapter number five so
living this separated life reading your Bible denying yourself maturing grow up put away
childish things put away that which you know if it's not a I'm not saying don't have recreation
we all need recreation I like to have fun I like to laugh you know Mary Hart does good like a
medicine amen if you don't believe I like to laugh you need to watch my youtube channel I have a lot
of funny content on there I enjoy laughing but you know there's a time to laugh right
Ecclesiastes 3 it's time to mourn there's a time to kill right so there's a time for there's a time
for everything but you need to make sure that you're balanced and you're balanced in those
areas and not outweigh one more than the other okay but here's another thing master the basics
in 2019 look at Hebrews 5 12 for when the time you ought to be teachers you have need that one teach
you again ouch which be the first principles of the oracles of God and I become such as have need
of milk and not of strong me for everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness
for he is a babe but strong meat belonging to them that are a full age even those who by reason of
use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil so what is this telling us you know
before you get into the post trip doctrine you want to learn everything about end times Bible
prophecy how about just the basics of salvation do you know that how about just the basics of
Christian living do you know that hey are you a doer of the word and not just to hear or you're
an expert in eschatology but just not an expert in coming to church why don't you become an expert
in coming to church and then you can become an expert in eschatology why don't you become an
expert in actually reading your Bible consistently and then you can become an expert in replacement
theology but people get it backwards they want to become an expert in all these deep truths right
before they actually get the basics down the foundations down you have people all over social
media who are experts in every single deep subject there is in the Bible but they can't even get
their rear ends in church they're deep experts in all kinds of other things but their life is
not even in order you know they don't have they're not the leader of their home they're not providing
for their family they don't they don't have their children in subjection with all gravity how
about getting that down first that's more important than eschatology oh but after the
tribulation yeah we all know that but how about you go after your children and discipline them
first how about you go after your wife and help her to be in subjection to you and then we'll
talk about after the tribulation amen quiet it's getting quiet does anybody got a pin that we can
drop go to 1st Peter chapter 3 let me hit on this a little more as husbands and wives let's be 10
times better you see 2019 should be a year of improvement all right and Lord willing you know
in August we're gonna go independent that's an improvement go independent you know what's the
name well I'm playing with this name not though should I not say I already said it online all
right yeah we're gonna we're probably gonna go with first works Baptist Church stick with fwbc
you know first works Baptist Church but what do we want to do we want to be 10 times better
than we were this year okay well we have failures yes of course and don't see a failure as I can't
believe that they didn't work that's not the attitude to have the attitude is this well that
didn't work let's try something else you see if you're the type that just when you fail you just
like your day is just completely ruined you have a misunderstanding of what failure is failure is
actually a good teacher to tell you that's how you don't do it okay so we won't do it this way
this time let's figure out a different way failure is a great teacher if you never fail you never
learn don't be afraid of failing it's a great thing to fail because that's how you learn okay
now as I mentioned a hut look at first Peter 3 verse 5 even as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him
Lord amen whose daughters he are as long as you do well and are not afraid with any amazement
likewise he husbands dwell with them according to knowledge giving honor to the wife as into
the weaker vessel and as being heirs together of the grace of life that your prayers be not
hindered finally be of one mind having compassion one of another love his brother and be pitiful be
courteous not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing but contrary wise blessing knowing
that ye are there unto call that you should inherit a blessing so as a husband and as a
wife improve in your roles fulfill your god-given role as a husband fulfill your god-given role as
a wife forget what the culture says screw what the news says I don't care what they say about
what the role should be man's in charge the woman is a keeper of the home hey let's improve those
roles and uplift them that's important the Bible tells us you don't have to turn to first Timothy
5 8 but if any provide not for his own especially for those of his own house he has denied the faith
and is an infidel no he's worse than an infidel yeah ouch he says you're worse than an infidel you
said well how do I fix that learn to work get a job learn to work and get a job but it but if
we but if I just worked and we're not gonna have all the nice things yeah you're good you're pretty
smart yeah that's the way it works because remember the first point you deny yourself
right that's that comes with maturity you know you don't get the things that you want you get
the things that you need and guess what later on you might get the things you want but what's
important is that God's orders in place okay first Timothy 5 14 says I will therefore that the
younger women married bear children guide the house give none occasion to the adversary to
speak reproachfully for some already are turned aside after Satan now this message I'm gonna
preach this until forever so you better get used to this we're gonna mention it every couple of
months because it's necessary you get what you emphasize and the Bible tells us here that the
younger woman should marry bear children our church is a family-oriented Church what does
that mean have babies everybody obviously within the scope of marriage have babies and have a lot
of them babies are a blessing to us you know I don't agree with people who say they're a family
oriented Church yet the pastor and the pastor's wife is teaching to to have birth control that's
devilish and wicked okay and they need to get right with God a family oriented churches is
a church that believes the children are a blessing and is a church that also believes in biblical
roles which the man works brings home the bacon eats the bacon along with his family the woman is
the keeper of at the at home he said well how can I improve as a wife how can I be ten times better
learn how to cook I know that's like basic but hey we're talking about the basics here learn how
to cook healthy meals learn how to shop learn how to coupon learn how to do whatever you got to
learn in order to improve the agenda of your husband here here's a novel thought make your
husband successful amen man don't be scared all right hey man that's right what'd you say nothing
hey man make your husband successful you ought to be desiring to improve the agenda of your husband
I know that's not popular in 2018 or 19 or 17 I don't care this is what the Bible says you know
but here's the thing if she's gonna improve your agenda help you be successful then you need
something to do buddy you better be doing something he's like well I can't help him to
improve anything because he's not even trying to help himself he's not doing anything then at that
point yeah I don't know what to touch you the guy should be going somewhere and the woman should be
assisting them getting to that destination and helping them to get to that destination I
understand that there's there's certain aspects of a situation circumstances that may be different
but the exception proves the rule okay go to Ephesians 6 fulfill your God-given roles children
Ephesians 6 verse 1 says children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right honor thy father
and mother which is the first commandment with promise that it may be well with thee and thou
mayest live long on the earth hey you want good insurance life insurance obey your parents in the
Lord don't be a snotty bratty attitude II little punk giving your parents attitude respect your
parents obey your parents and obey them with a smile on your face thought the church the only
time I would roll my eyes like that at my mom is after she smacked me okay respect your parents
reverence your parents yes ma'am no sir yes sir be respectable obey them because there's the thing
you reap what you sow and you're gonna get kids just like you one day just like you so you want
to make sure that you're a good you're a good son you're a good daughter doesn't matter how old you
are by the way okay I want to spend more time on that but we got we got to move on to the other
points go to Hebrews chapter 10 talk about being 10 times better okay let's not be like this
apathetic just church where it's just like well you know whatever happens happens we'll just let
life happen to us no you happen to life you get better hey as a church member as a church let's
be 10 times better look at Hebrews 10 verse 24 and let us consider one another to provoke unto
love and to good works not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner
of some is but exhorting one another and so much the less as you see the day approaching I'm sorry
I said so much the more now you're not forsaking the assembly if you come to church only Sunday
mornings but you're just not doing it so much the more as you see the day approaching you see in this
case quality or shooting quantity is better because the more you come to church the more
you learn you will not become ten times better if you only come to Sunday morning now if you
come to Sunday morning amen if you decide to come Sunday morning all 2019 hey amen but let me just
say this you're just not gonna get better because you got it that's that's the give and take you
can't expect to become ten times better if you're not in church Sunday morning Sunday night Thursday
night I said it before and I'll say it again I credit any kind of success that I had in the
Christian life to my my Pat my old pastor pastor Steve Myers who said if you want to be successful
in the Christian life you come to church every single time the doors are open I believed him
they called it four to flourish because they have Sunday school oh you want to Sunday school yeah
I went to Sunday school and you know I learned some I went because I was supposed to and guess
what it was a blessing to me and I improved greatly because of it so you said do we have
Sunday school here no Sunday school and church services just mingled together because you get
a you get a Bible lesson to amen actually get more verses than you would get in both of those
services combined but it's so much the more you know Sunday morning glories time to come Sunday
night oh but I have to work the next day yeah we all have an excuse you know we can come but we
can spend the entire day explaining why we can't make it just make it look that when you come to
church you're not preaching you what you're doing you're sitting there and you're just listening to
that you drive here you listen and you go home that's not that's not you're not sacrificing
anything for Jesus for that in fact you're gaining knowledge when you go to church don't have this
layered to see in type church mentality where you're just like the greatest martyr for Jesus
because you come Sunday night and Thursday night I just we're just gonna stand for rights and go
to church actually that's you're benefiting from that when you go to church okay now go to first
Thessalonians chapter 1 nobody becomes ten times better going to church once a week that's just
fact now are you a good Christian yeah absolutely because that's more than most people more most
Christians do some Christians don't even go to church okay but if you're gonna improve if you're
actually gonna increase if you're gonna get ten times better it's time to sacrifice some time and
this goes back to the first point it's time to grow up and how do you mature by denying yourself
certain things okay now look if you're throwing up blood if you're projectile vomiting yeah stay
home I don't want to look at you you know and be the target of your projectile you stay home if
your kids are sick stay home you know if your kids are sick don't just stay home you're not
a worse Christian if you if you're a bad Christian if you stay home because your kids are sick you're
actually you're benefiting everyone else because no one else is gonna get sick okay but if your
hair hurts come to church or use different gel preaching the gospel we want to get 10 times
better first Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse number 4 says knowing brethren beloved your
election of God for our gospel came not unto you in word only but also in power and in the Holy
Ghost and a much assurance as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake and you
became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word of much affliction with joy of
the Holy Ghost so that you were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia for from you
sounding out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your
faith to God were to spread abroad so that we need not to speak anything you know these people had a
great testimony and it was very evident that their zeal was affecting a lot of people everyone was
hearing about it this is without social media this is without the internet they were doing
such a great work but just by word of mouth people were hearing about the great works being done and
I want to be a Thessalonian type of a church I want our church to be a Thessalonian type of a
church by fulfilling the Great Commission and broadening the scope of our preaching in regards
to preaching the gospel go to Acts chapter 1 I'm thankful for the listeners online you know I'm
thankful for those who listen online but more important than that to me is how many people get
to hear each individual in our church preaching the gospel to them in every city and every state
yay all across the country now you know Clarence Larkin and his dispensational book has a section
called why Christianity is a failure yeah put that in your stupid dispensational pipe and smoke it
those of you who though those Christians out there who wanna oh you know I just want to adhere to
dispensational because of the preacher yeah the guy who promotes that has an entire chapter in
his book called why Christianity is a failure and he has a stupid little chart that you need a
magnifying glass to look to look through you get motion sickness by even observing it and it has
Christendom and heathenism one of them's going to hell Christendom is going to heaven and guess
who he has in that section of Christendom Catholics Protestants and Orthodox these are
according to him is his ten virgins going to heaven and he says Christianity is a failure
because we haven't evangelized the whole world well idiot we're not gonna evangelize the whole
world broad is the way right that lead it to destruction and many there go that be there to
find it a lot of people are gonna take the broad way because they're gonna reject the gospel we're
not gonna see the whole world saved that's fact what we do want to do is see a lot of people say
how we're gonna do that by actually fulfilling the Great Commission look at Acts 1 verse 8 says
but you shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto
me both in Jerusalem this would be considered El Mani for us and in all Judea this would be
considered Compton Inglewood and in Samaria like Fresno San Diego and it's the other most parts of
the world Mexico Aruba or wherever we need this is our responsibility so let's broaden this okay
but the way we do it we do it incrementally obviously so we want to we want to finish up
this map which we're doing a pretty good job on that I think you know see all the blue that
most of South Omani is being filled is are almost basically filled in fact we're redoing South Omani
North Omani is getting filled up and you know what's next after that Whittier Monterey Park I
know that city a little bit you know East LA and we just continue to spread abroad now how do we do
this well number one if you have not made so many an active priority in your life start immediately
mark 117 says in Jesus said unto them come ye after me and I will make you excuse me I will
make you to become fishers of men so here we see that a true fisher of men is a disciple and a
disciple is a fisherman so don't think that just because you come to church you're a follower of
Christ you know what that requires you going soul winning you're not officially sorry to take the
title from you sorry to rain down on your parade you're not officially a follower of Christ until
you start winning some souls that's how you can legitimately become a follower of Christ not by
saying you're a follower of Christ not by adhering to the post trip pre-wrath rapture or to the
reprobate doctrine those are all wonderful doctrines that I love dearly but that doesn't
make you a follower of Christ you know what does preach in the gospel and seeing people save okay
so if you've never done it now is the time to start if you are a silent partner make the so
when you make a marathon your deadline to start preaching the gospel so maybe you don't know how
to preach the gospel yet look we're gonna go a little long today but it's okay all right if you
want to fall asleep go right ahead as soon as I find out who it is I'm gonna hit the pulpit or
just scare you this is important if you're a silent partner what is the silent part is a
person who goes out with another so what it doesn't say anything is just learning so this
is how you can get to the next level make the Sony make a marathon your deadline you said well
ha ha I mean what am I supposed to do between well here's what you do memorize the verses go
when you go out with your soul winning partner ask him or her if you can start it off with the
introduction or you can just start off with the first point and then hand it off you know I
remember a Pablo where's Pablo was over there I remember when we went to Santa Maria you know we
went sowing and he knows someone how to preach the gospel in Spanish he knows how to speak Spanish
but he threw me off you know he's a good sower and you know he'd start off the conversation in
Spanish like how you doing you know just want to ask you a really important question are you
100% sure that if you die today you go to heaven like no well I like to show you from the Bible
how you could be 100% sure can I can I show you yeah but let me hit can you take it away I'm like
oh you just go I'm like okay hi you think you kind of threw me off there hey but I prefer that
than nothing at all you know at least he's trying his introduction give yourself a deadline make a
marathon and look don't let the mega-marathon pass you by this is historical here it was
historical last year it's gonna be even more historical this year I mean maybe I heard last
year that the people won their first souls at the mega-marathon that's awesome okay I think
Miss Alma did you win your first soul Miss Alma won her first soul at the mega-marathon it ought
to be that you say you know what I'm not ready but by that time I'm gonna be ready that's my
deadline if you are actively soul winning on a weekly basis strive to increase your fruit
production the Bible says you have to turn to mark 420 says and these are they which are sown
on good ground such as hear the word and receive it and bring forth fruit some thirtyfold some
sixty and some a hundred if you don't want to do this by the way you're still a good Christian but
if you want to be ten times better they increase your fruit by going out more by going out for a
longer time by being participating in these soul winning events in our church endeavor so strive
to increase your fruit production but here's the second thing for those of you who are actively
soul winning endeavor to train someone on how to sew in look for those who don't know how to
sew in in our church and teach them to someone because when you teach them how to sew in guess
what now you increase the production of fruit in our church you become an asset to our church not
a liability the assets are those who are not just actively winning people to Christ they're actually
those who are actually going out of their way to train others how to go so winning as well that's
a valuable Christian right there those who don't need to be told what to do they just do it okay
Bible says in 1st Corinthians 11 1 be followers of me even as I also am of Christ how is Paul
follower because he was winning people to Christ so he's telling them hey be followers of me be a
soul winner like me number four if you have grown apathetic to soul-winning wake up wake up wake
up wake up wake up wake up that's like the best thing that guy's ever said that's my new alarm
clock if you don't know what that is 1st Corinthians 15 34 says a way to righteousness and sin not for
some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame so if you know how to preach the
gospel but you just don't feel like going you need to wake up awake to righteousness and sin not
what is the sin that you're not going so winning some have not the knowledge of God I speak this
to your shame why because it's every individual's responsibility to go out and preach the gospel
that's why okay and here's the last point and I'm done getting involved in developing leadership
in our church and I'm I want to prime people I want to condition people for when our church
goes independent we need look I will be obviously the the the ultimate leader I guess you could say
in the church but we in order for our church to be successful we need multiple leaders and I'm
specifically talking to the men here some men who know how to take responsibility who have
leadership abilities who have people skills okay you said well what are people skills people skills
is the ability to be able to talk to people and and the ability to actually know how to have a
good conversation know how to shake a hand know how to look people in the eyes know how to when
they see the need they take the lead type of a thing okay but in order for you to be a good
leader in our church you need to be a good leader in your home so it goes back to the previous
points now you say well I'm single you can still be a good leader in fact you could potentially be
a better leader than those who are married because you have more time on your hands you can attend
unto the Lord without distraction and improve upon your leadership skills as a single person
so that when you're married you had that down pact a lot of men who have gotten married and
are not leading about their wife it's because they never prepared when they were singles they
never learned how to be leaders when they were single I was hammering leadership skills when I
was a single young man because I wanted to be able to lead my wife I wanted to be a good leader in
the church I wanted to be a blessing to the people therefore as a single young man I was training for
that you want to do the same now become a learner what does that mean learn it's pretty simple right
when you learn you gain knowledge when you gain knowledge you have skills okay now what are what
specific skills how about I mentioned leading people skills skills at your job so you can get
a raise amen and I'm not talking about missing church I'm talking about just getting raised
because of the work that you're already doing and you're doing more of it you're doing it better
getting certified right at your job but just here just in church in general how about this you know
this year we want to start an orchestra but in order to start an orchestra not a choir calm down
want to start orchestra that means people who can play instruments but you know that you know what's
needed for that it needs someone who's mature enough to deny themselves their time so they can
learn an instrument and be a blessing to the church well I just don't want to do that okay
then remain where you're at I'm looking for people who want to be ten times better you see what I'm
saying you know if you have the ability to to learn an instrument learn it okay hey song leading
we need more song leaders and look don't have this attitude of well I'm doing it for God so
God just accepts me accepts me how I am and how I do it no why don't you improve yourself as a
song leader why don't you improve yourself as a musician if you're doing it for God have a
spirit of excellence become better at it learn the patterns of your hands learn how to sing when I
learn how to song lead at my old church this is what I did I went home and I went in front of the
mirror and I practiced for hours oh that's you're taking it too far yeah because I wanted to be ten
times better so I looked in the mirror and I would play a song and I would practice the hand motions
I'd practice how to sing why because someone gave me a job at the church I want to make sure that I
do a good job okay don't have this answer well I'm just here to hear the preaching if you're
here to hear the preaching thank God but if you want to be ten times better get involved okay
learn how to do something to benefit your church and if you don't do any of those things at least
learn one of these which is what leadership learn how to be a good leader that that will benefit the
church more than anything else is being a great leader someone who doesn't need to be told what
to do they already know what to do and they do it without being asked to do it okay I'm way beyond
the time what's the message say it's simply this hey 2019 is in a couple days let's be ten times
better why not we have the resources we have the Bible we have the Holy Spirit we have the church
here let's utilize the resources available to become ten times better amen inspire heads
and have a word of prayer father we thank you so much for our church here Lord thank you for the
people thank you for your word and I pray God that you'd help us to be ten times better help
us to improve upon all these areas to be better Christians be better husbands and wives and
children and church members help us to be better soul winners I pray God that you'd guide and
direct our steps and help us to have a successful overall successful year in 2019 obviously there
will be some failures but failures are not a roadblock and they're not a cause for us to cease
their teachers along the way helping us to know what not to do and I pray God that you guide us
as we go into the new year and improve us Lord we love you so much and we thank you praise things in
Jesus name Amen.