Thank you.
Art thou weary, art thou languid?
Hymn number 9393.
Art thou weary, art thou languid?
Let's sing.
Art thou weary, art thou languid?
Art thou sore distressed?
Come to me, saith one, and coming be at rest.
Hath he marks to lead me to him, if he be my guide?
In his feet and hands are wound, prince, and his side.
Is there diadem, as monarch, that his brow adorns?
Gave a crown in very shirty fun of thorns.
If I ask him to receive me, will he say me nay?
Not till earth and not till heaven pass away.
Fighting folly, keeping struggling, is he sure to bless?
Saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs, answer yes.
Amen. Let's open with a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, I just want to come to you in prayer again,
and I just thank you for this church, for Steadfast OKC.
Lord, I just thank you for the opportunity to have somewhere to gather together,
to sing praises to you and to learn from your word.
God, I just pray that you'd be with us for this service.
I pray that you would bless Pastor with your spirit,
and that you would also incline your ear to us for this song service,
as we sing praises unto you.
Help us dwell on the words of these songs,
and not just mindingly go about singing.
Lord, I just pray that everything would be done decently and in order for you.
We love you very much. These things we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen.
Alright, for our next hymn this evening, if you would turn to 140.
We have an anchor.
Hymn number 140, 140, we have an anchor.
We have an anchor that keeps our soul,
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love,
It is safely moored, will the storm withstand,
Worth is well secured by the Savior's hand,
Though the tempest rains and the wild winds blow,
Not an angry wave shall our parkour flow,
We have an anchor that keeps our soul,
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love,
With our eyes behold, through the gathering night,
The city of Gold, our harbor bright,
We shall anchor fast by the heavenly shore,
When the storms all pass forevermore,
We have an anchor that keeps our soul,
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love.
Thanks so much for coming to Steadfast Baptist Church.
There's some bulletins back here.
Brother Cameron can get you a bulletin if you need one.
On the front we have Romans 8 verse 32,
and then we have our service times,
our soul winning times, also our church stats,
and then continue to pray for the Alvarez.
We're expecting.
Upcoming events, Saturday, April 30th,
is going to be a Mother's Day dinner
at Charleston's Restaurant, 5pm,
so that'll be a lot of fun.
And also Saturday, May 14th,
is a Steadfast Cookout Fellowship.
I don't know, are we having this famous brisket
that I'm hearing about for this cookout again or something?
No, I'm just kidding.
I heard I missed out on the really good brisket.
So I guess I'm going to have to try and make it
the next time the brisket's coming out.
Saturday, June 4th,
the Lawton Oklahoma Soul Winning Marathon.
Saturday, July 23rd,
the Tulsa Oklahoma Soul Winning Marathon.
So a lot of great opportunities.
Brother Cameron said there's nothing good in Lawton,
so I guess soul winning.
Is that the only thing we've got left?
Is there anywhere to eat?
I mean, what are y'all going to eat?
Gold crown.
Oh man.
Hey, I have that on my sermon,
so we'll go ahead and talk about that too.
And then that's pretty much all I have for announcements.
It's really good to see you guys.
I know it's been a little while,
but everything's going pretty good down
in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
I heard everything's going pretty well up here,
and so that's definitely good to see you guys
and to be up here.
Hopefully we'll be getting into a new space
pretty soon too.
So continue to be praying for us down there
and that the church is going strong.
But we've had really good services.
We've had two services,
Sunday morning services over 180 in the hotel.
So that's pretty great that people
are still staying encouraged
and going out soul winning and everything like that.
So let's go to our third song, 145.
Our family definitely sins of love.
Ellie's starting to crawl.
Probably going to be walking soon.
145, It Is Well With My Soul.
Alright, 145, It Is Well With My Soul.
In this, you'll notice, and most of you are familiar,
there's a part in the chorus
where there's an upper part and the lower part.
Ladies, upper part, men lower.
We're going to learn to sing in parts
if it's the last thing we do.
It is well with my soul, it is well, it is well
with my soul, with my soul.
Roughly how it goes, 145.
When peace like a river
attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea
bear a tear,
when sorrows like sea
billows roll,
whatever my law,
thou hast taught me to say,
it is well, it is well
with my soul,
it is well, it is well
with my soul, with my soul.
It is well, it is well
with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet,
though trials should come,
let this blessed assurance control
that Christ has regarded
my helpless escape
and hast shed his own blood
for my soul.
It is well, it is well
with my soul, with my soul.
It is well, it is well
with my soul.
I sing of the bliss
of this glorious thought,
my sin not in part
but the whole is nailed
to the cross
and I bear it no more.
Praise the Lord,
praise the Lord,
O my soul.
It is well, it is well
with my soul, with my soul.
It is well, it is well
with my soul.
And Lord, ace the day
when my faith shall be signed,
the clouds be rolled back
as a scroll,
the trump shall resound
and the Lord shall be sent
even so, it is well
with my soul.
It is well, it is well
with my soul, with my soul.
It is well, it is well
with my soul.
Amen.
Good singing this evening.
While the offering plates
are being passed around,
go ahead and turn, if you would,
to First Timothy,
chapter number three.
First Timothy,
chapter number three.
Good evening,
First Timothy,
chapter number three.
First Timothy,
chapter number three.
The Bible reads,
this is a true saying,
if a man desire
the office of a bishop,
he desireth a good work.
A bishop then must be blameless,
the husband of one wife,
vigilant, sober,
of good behavior,
given a hospitality,
apt to teach,
not given to wine,
no striker,
not greedy,
a filthy lucre,
but patient,
not a brawler,
not covetous,
one that ruleth
his own house well,
having his children
in subject,
having his children
in subjection
with all gravity.
For if a man know not how
to rule his own house,
how shall he take care
of the church of God?
Not a novice,
lest being lifted up
with pride he fall
into condemnation
of the devil.
Moreover,
he must have
a good report of them
which are without,
lest he fall
into reproach
and the snare
of the devil.
Likewise,
must the deacons
be grave,
not double-tongued,
not given to much wine,
not greedy,
a filthy lucre,
holding the mystery
of the faith
in a pure conscience.
And let these also
first be proved,
then let them
use the office
of a deacon
being found blameless.
Even so,
must their wives
be grave,
not slanderous,
sober,
faithful,
and all things.
Let the deacons
be the husband
of one wife,
ruling their own children
and their own houses well,
for they that
have used the office
of a deacon
well purchased
to themselves
a good degree
and great boldness
and faith
which is in Christ Jesus.
These things
wrought unto thee
hoping to come
unto thee shortly.
But if I tarry long
that thou mayest
know how thou
that thou mayest
know how thou
oughtest to behave
thyselves
in the house of God
which is
the church
of the living God,
the pillar
and ground
of the truth.
And without controversy
great is the mystery
of godliness.
God was manifest
in the flesh
justified in the
spirit,
seen of angels,
preached unto the
Gentiles,
believed on in the
world,
received up
into glory.
Heavenly Father
Lord we just
ask at this time
that you just
fill the pastor
with your spirit
and just give him
the words to speak
and we just ask
that you'd open
this congregation's
heart to your word.
We love you
and we give you
thanks in Jesus'
precious name we pray.
Amen.
This is easy,
chapter number three
and the sermon
is not necessarily
about this chapter's
details but why I
wanted to read
this specific chapter
to start off my
sermon is because
I feel like it
teaches the principle
for the basis
of this evening's
sermon.
Now this evening's
sermon the title
is quality over
quantity.
Quality over
quantity.
Now the word
quality is not
a Bible word.
It's not a word
that you find
in the scriptures
but I believe it's
a word that is
often taught in
various places
in scripture
and first Timothy
chapter number three
is known as the
qualifications of a
pastor.
That's typically
what you would
refer it to as
there's other
portions of scripture
that are considered
the qualifications
of a pastor
and notice that
the Bible giving
in all these
instructions that
the church would
find men that
meet all these
strict requirements
for a pastor
proves that
there is some
threshold to meet.
There is some
level of quality
that has to go
into a pastor
and that it's not
that we need a
large quantity
necessarily of
pastors but
rather we need
quality pastors
and if we were
to diagnose
America today
and say what
does America
need it certainly
does not need
more pastors.
The number of
pastors in America
is more than
sufficient more
than necessary
to have the word
of God be
thundered forth
in this country.
What we're
lacking is a
high quality
of pastors in
fact many
pastors would
certainly not
meet the
requirements of
this list and
that's a shame
it's a reproach
to the word of
God's reproach
to America's
approach to
Christ that we
have so many
pastors today
that don't even
care what the
qualifications
are and this is
an important
principle that
can really be
applied to all
areas of our
life.
Go if you would
to Titus chapter
1.
Titus chapter 1
I'm not going
to spend a lot
of time on a
pastor or a
church that's
not really my
focus but I
just want to
at least draw out
from the text
that the Bible
teaches the
emphasis of
quality over
quantity and
in Titus chapter
1 it says in
verse 1
that thou should
have set in
order the things
that are wanting
and ordain
elders in every
city as I had
appointed thee
and then he
gives the
qualifications
again but
notice that he
had to leave
someone in a
particular area
to designate men
to be over
churches because
the churches
didn't have a
pastor and they
need to identify
someone of
quality not
just hey let's
put a guy in
charge but
let's put a guy
in charge right
so there's
kind of some
examination there's
some testing
there's
necessity
requirement and
so it's
important that
in every area
of our life
that we're not
just worried
about the
quantity or
some kind of
carnal
measurement rather
we're more
interested in
the quality of
our lives the
quality of the
products that we
do our works
go if you would
to Revelation
when he is
looking for pastors
when he's
looking for
churches he
doesn't care
about quantity
he only cares
about quality
and I believe I
can prove that
when you look
in Revelation
because you
have the
epistle of
Revelation
written to
seven different
churches and
these are
legitimate bona
fide churches
that are in
existence at
this time we
know that they
no longer exist
today but if God
is looking for
the quantity of
churches then
this wouldn't
make any sense
when we read in
Revelation chapter
2 look at verse
number 5
remember
therefore from
whence thou art
fallen and
repent and
do the first
works or else
I will come
unto thee
quickly and
remove thy
candlestick out
of his place
except thou
repent so
notice Christ
is saying if
you don't meet
a certain
threshold if
you look at
verse number
20 of chapter
1 it says the
mystery of the
seven stars which
thou sawest on
my right hand and
the seven golden
candlesticks the
seven stars are
the angels of
the seven
churches and
the seven
candlesticks which
thou sawest are
the seven
churches so
notice he
relates the word
candlestick with
the word church
so if we go
back to verse
5 when he says
I will remove
thy candlestick
you could say I
will remove thy
candlestick out
of his place
meaning hey if
you're not meeting
a certain
threshold we're
going to revoke
your status as a
church you're no
longer going to
be the church of
God you're just
going to be a
coffee club a
social club you're
just going to be a
group where people
are meeting
together and it's
no longer church
because they don't
meet certain
requirements notice
that Christ is
emphasizing quality
over quantity he
doesn't care about
having tons of
people or study
the bible or preach
the gospel or meet
certain thresholds
or certain
requirements because
he's not interested
in seeing how many
little buildings call
themselves a church
or claim that they're
a follower of Jesus
Christ he wants
people to actually
be saved he wants
people to actually
preach the gospel he
wants actually a
little you know
certain standards
to be upheld
otherwise it
doesn't meet the
criterion you know
franchises and
businesses are like
this where if a
certain franchise is
not meeting the
requirements of that
franchise maybe
their service is too
poor or maybe their
quality of their
product is too poor
they'll revoke their
franchise status
they'll revoke their
business they'll
come and shut them
down because they're
a poor representation
of their business
model the same as
with God when he's
saying hey if this
church doesn't meet
a certain threshold
you're not my
church I'm no
longer going to be
over you you
basically have lost
the franchise of
being a church of
Jesus Christ and
if we were able to
look with the eyes of
Jesus Christ today we
would realize that the
majority of churches
today God doesn't even
look at as a church he
doesn't even believe
it's a church he
doesn't consider it or
regard it as a church
and just because say
people might gather
there on a Sunday
morning doesn't make
it church you know a
lot of people you knock
on their door especially
when going and
evangelizing preaching
the gospel and people
say oh we're having
church right now and
it's like no we're not
you know we're just too
you know if just a small
gathering of Christians
is church then that
means my family's church
all the time right my
wife never leaves church
in fact because she's
always surrounded with
you know in fact Jackson
recently got saved so
there's two or three you
know my Clayton and
Jackson and my wife I
mean you got three
saved people always
congregating you know
that's not church okay
so that would be a silly
definition a silly
interpretation and God's
not trying to see how
many churches he can
establish without meeting
a certain threshold no we
need quality over
quantity now of course
quantity has its place it's
not like we just want to
have one quality church
in the world we want to
have quantity too but we
have quality over quantity
the quality is more
important than the
quantity itself and
that's a principle that I
believe the Bible is
consistently teaching go
if you were to first
Samuel chapter number 16
so the first part of the
sermon I just want to kind
of prove to you and show
you that the Bible is
emphasizing quality over
quantity we see that with
the pastor having
qualifications we see that
with the church if it
doesn't meet certain
requirements God doesn't
regard it as a church we
even see this in
individuals that God
emphasizes quality over
quantity look at first
Samuel chapter 16 look at
verse number five and he
said peaceably this is
Samuel speaking they were
afraid when he showed up
in town this is what
happens when I show up
here and you didn't know
I was coming I'm come to
sacrifice some of the
Lord sanctify yourselves
and come with me to the
sacrifice and he
sanctified Jesse and his
sons and called them to
the sacrifice it just
makes me think there's
one time I showed up it
was like a Thursday night
and for some reason like
the leadership didn't
realize I was coming and
they're like come up
easily you know it's like
yeah I'm just coming to
preach tonight or whatever
it's like is everything
okay and it's just like
yeah no problem it's just
funny it says in verse
number five number six and
he came to pass when they
were come that he looked
on a lie and said surely
the Lord's anointed is
before him but the Lord
said in the same and look
not on his countenance or
on the height of his
stature because I have
refused him for the Lord
seeth not as man seeth for
man looketh on the outward
appearance but the Lord
looketh on the heart then
Jesse called a Benadab and
made him pass before Samuel
and he said neither the
Lord chosen this and then
Jesse made Shammah to pass
by and he said neither the
Lord chosen this again
Jesse made seven of his
sons pass before Samuel and
Samuel said unto Jesse the
Lord hath not chosen these
same as that in the Jesse
are here all thy children
and he said there remain
it yet the youngest and
behold he keepeth the sheep
and Samuel said unto Jesse
sit and fetch him for we
will not sit down till he
come hither and he sent and
brought him in now he was
ruddy and with all of a
beautiful countenance and
goodly to look to and the
Lord said arise anoint him
for this is he then Samuel
took the horn of oil and
anointed him in the midst of
his brethren and the spirit
Lord came upon David from
that day forward so Samuel
rose up and went to Rhema
but the spirit Lord departed
from Saul and evil spirit
from the Lord troubled him
so when we think about this
passage what's interesting
when I'm thinking about
this concept of quality over
quality is Eliab is the
firstborn and according to
the scriptures he's very
tall because when God is
essentially explaining to
Samuel why he doesn't is
not going to pick Eliab yet
Samuel kind of thought he
was it was due to how tall
he was it says in verse 7
or on the height of his
stature so if we were to
measure David versus Eliab
who is more man for man
Eliab is more in quantity
you know he's got more
inches on his height he's
got more size to him he's
got more to him physically
but here's the thing God
doesn't care about the
height doesn't care about
the quantity of the man he
cares more about the quality
of the man and notice God
looked at the heart of
David and he refused Eliab
even though he's bigger he
has more to work with
because God doesn't care
about the quantity as much
as he cares about the
quality and there's nothing
wrong with being tall there's
nothing wrong with being
strong in fact Saul King
Saul was actually the
largest man of the entire
tribe of Israel of the
whole group of the tribe of
Benjamin specifically of the
whole nation of Israel Saul
was head and shoulders above
all the other Israelites but
the reason why God chose
Saul in the beginning was
not for his height but
rather for his heart because
he was humble in his own
sight is what the Bible
describes him and so when
God's finding a replacement
for the kingdom notice he
doesn't pick another tall
guy he picks a guy with the
right heart because God
emphasizes quality over
quantity now go if you would
to chapter 17 just flip the
page maybe or you're right
there and look at verse
number four the Bible says
and they went out of
champion out of the camp of
the Philistines named Goliath
of Gath whose height was six
cubits and a span and he had
a helmet of brass upon his
head and he was armed with
the coat of mail and the
weight of the coat was five
thousand shekels of brass and
he had greaves of brass upon
his legs and targeted brass
between his shoulders and the
staff of his spear was like a
weavers beam and his spears
had weighed six hundred
shekels of iron and one
bearing a shield with before
him and he stood and cried in
the armies of Israel and said
to them why are you come out
to set your battle in array
and not I a Philistine and he
servants to Saul choose you a
man for you and let him come
down to me to be able to fight
with me and to kill me then we
will be your servants but if I
prevail against them and kill
him then shall ye be our
servants and serve us and the
Philistine said I defy the
armies of Israel this day give
me a man they may fight
together and so on all Israel
heard those words of the
Philistine they were dismayed
and greatly afraid so we have a
story where the Philistines
come out very famous story
Goliath he's basically picking
a fight with the children of
Israel saying we don't need for
all of us to die we don't need
all of us to fight hey I'm a
Philistine we picked me you guys
pick a guy have him come down
here and we'll basically fight
for the nations I win you serve
us he wins we'll serve you no
need and all this extra
bloodshed but mostly he's just
simply saying look I'm better
than all of you guys you know
come and come and fight me and
he's essentially rebuking Saul
he's rebuking the servants of
Saul and he's rebuking God
because he is defying notice the
armies of Israel and that's
really a rebuke against the
Lord and he has no fear of God
but even though we have a great
host we have Saul we have all of
his generals we have all his
lieutenants we have all of his
soldiers we have a great host of
men they're all afraid none of
them are doing anything in fact
Goliath performs this charade
for many days it's 40 at verse
16 says he presents of 40 days
yet there is someone that's
willing to fight him look at
verse 22 and David left his
carriage in the hand of the
keeper of this carriage and ran
in the army and came and salute
his brethren and as he talked
with them behold there came up
the champion the Philistine of
Gath Goliath by name out of the
armies of the Philistines and
spake according to the same
words and David heard them and
all the men of Israel when they
saw the man fled from him and
were sore afraid and the men of
Israel said have you seen this
man that has come up surely to
defy Israel as he come up and it
shall be the man who killeth
him the king will enrich him
with great riches and will give
him his daughter and make his
father's house free in Israel
and David spake to the men that
stood by him saying what shall
be done to the man killed this
Philistine and taketh away their
approach from Israel for who is
this uncircumcised Philistine
that he should defy the armies
of the living God the people
answered him after this man are
saying so shall be done to the
man that killed him and a lie
of his eldest brother heard when
he spake under the men the
lives anger was kenville
against David and he said why
came as thou down hither and
with whom as thou left those few
sheep in the wilderness I know
thy pride in the naughtiness of
thine heart without come down
that thou mightest see the
battle David said what have I
now done is there not a cause
and he turned from him toward
another and spake after the same
manner and the people answered
him again after the former
manner and when the words were
heard which David spake they
rehearsed them before Saul and
he sent for him and David said
to Saul let no man's heart fail
because of him thy servant will
go and fight with this Philistine
so notice we have a whole group
of people a whole quantity of
soldiers and in fact the lives
one of them none of them will
fight Goliath they all run away
they're afraid they're scared
but then we have one David and
he says I will fight with him I
will go don't be afraid of this
guy I'll do it I'll go ahead and
and fight this Philistine and
notice the prime motivation is
to take away their approach from
Israel and specifically not them
God he doesn't necessarily care
about their reputation as much
as he cares about God's
reputation and why should any
man rebuke the Lord why should
any man despise the Lord why
should any man be able to speak
evil of the word of God and who
will stand up for the Bible who
will stand up for the living God
notice the heart of David is one
who is of quality even though we
only have one man and I have
three practical applications for
my sermon this evening and the
one that I want to make from
this passage is when it comes to
a member of a church or it comes
to church members what's more
important to me and from
studying the scripture is that I
have church I have a church
member of quality then over
quantity because we're going to
have to go and fight the battle
today we're going to have to
fight the Goliath of today and
why would I want a church filled
with ten thousand children of
Israel who are so afraid and not
willing to fight then have one
David that's willing to fight
then have one man of quality
over the quantity you know we
may look at churches today and
we could see a church that has a
thousand members but five people
that preach the gospel or a
church that has twenty members
but twenty people that preach
the gospel and you know which
one I'd rather have quality over
quantity quality over quantity
why because quality is more
important than the quantity this
is a consistent theme throughout
the scriptures that God when
he's looking for someone to
rescue the children of Israel
he's not looking for quantity
he's looking for quality gets
Moses when God is looking to
rescue the children of Israel
from all manner of enemies in
the Bible he looks for Gideon
and even when they have a great
host he whittles it down to the
three hundred because he's more
about quality than he is about
quantity you know when he looks
for a man to make up the hedge
and he can't find one he wasn't
looking for a group he was
looking for a man but I'll tell
you what he was looking for he
wasn't looking for quantity was
looking for quality and
consistently throughout the
Bible God is more concerned with
the quality of individuals than
he is the quantity of
individuals he only picked twelve
disciples couldn't have picked
more I mean think about it when
he's going out he has crowds of
five thousand men why didn't he
want to have five thousand men
follow him why did he pick twelve
and even within that twelve
doesn't he have a select three
and then even within the select
three doesn't he have kind of
one the beloved one the one in
whom he leans his breath on his
breast right you have quality
over quantity and it makes sense
why is John kind of elevated
above the other disciples wasn't
he the one that's with him when
he's being falsely accused by
the Pharisees isn't he there
when he's on the cross on the
cross and he basically hands off
his mother to John why did Jesus
hand off his mother to John why
not Andrew quality over
quantity you know why not over
many people right he was looking
for the quality in someone and
let me tell you something in the
Bible God is looking for quality
over quantity even with twelve
disciples whittled down to eleven
they replace one who does all of
the major works in the New
Testament it's salt because he
was looking for quality not
quantity now of course there's
nothing wrong with quantity
obviously God doesn't expect one
person to do it all God needs
a host of men to rally behind a
strong leader but at the end of
the day quality is always more
important than quantity what
would you rather have for church
would you rather have ten pastors
or one really good pastor you
know some churches have a whole
swath of preachers and pastors
and deacons leader but there's
not really any quality there and
it's like I don't really care to
have a whole group of holes I'd
rather have one really good guy
than to have ten just mediocre
guys and the same is consistent
throughout the scripture it's
consistent in this world that we
live in today and you should
worry not so much about quantity
when it comes to church but
rather quality and who are we
talking about we're talking
about yourself you know what do
you what do you really focused on
in your life your primary focus
should be a quality servant of
God like there is not a more
important job in your life
nothing is elevated above God God
is number one and everything
that should be going on in your
life and from a priority
perspective should be you know
what I want to be the most
quality Christian that I can be
and of course in that realm of
being a quality Christian you're
gonna be a quality church member
there's not there's not a person
that's this really great
Christian but they're not a
great church member somewhere you
know you're gonna be a great
church member somewhere if
you're a great Christian you're
gonna be plugged into the local
church doing a lot of work that
doesn't mean you have to be the
pastor the apostle Paul wasn't a
pastor of any church but isn't
arguably one of the most quality
people ever I mean Akil and
Priscilla they're not pastors but
aren't they some of the most
quality church members on the
planet you have so many people in
the Bible that aren't even named
that are high of high quality you
have people that are high
quality or mentioned just very
rarely Thura preach the whole
sermon on him what you know
great quality person to have
behind you and when the apostles
go out even they're looking at
quality over quantity anyways
they don't want a bunch of
people following them around they
want a quality person with them
when you go out soul winning
would you rather would you have
like 10 bozos you know going
somewhere with you or just a
quality silent partner or quality
partner right you'd rather have
one great person how about this
how about just in preaching the
gospel itself is it more
important to preach as many times
as you can or to have a quality
soul winning presentation you
know or just even church
services there's a lot of church
services where the preacher gets
an opportunity to preach and they
preach a lot of sermons about
salvation but they never have a
quality sermon as always never
actually explain it they never
give plain detail in their
presentation you know when it
comes to sermons obviously there's
a lot of sermons being preached
behind the pulpit but you
shouldn't think about the
quantity you should think about
the quality because what's more
important is the quality of a
sermon than it is the quantity
and many times because you you
guys all glaze over most of the
time and throughout the sermon
okay we all do a little bit
right but sometimes is that one
quality sermon that actually
provokes you to make a really
dramatic change in life and you
can even think about it you
remember it sometimes there's
you know a verse that sticks
out at a certain time in your
life that's really needful and
really quality is should never
be cheapened by quantity even
think about this when preaching
a sermon is it better to just
throw like a hundred verses at
someone or to take one sermon or
one verse and really expound on
that verse and make something of
quality out of that verse you
know I feel like a lot of young
preachers or new preachers
sometimes they just they hit you
with a lot of Bible they don't
really draw anything out of
those verses they don't really
slow down meditate and kind of
savor on what the scriptures are
trying to say and it ends up
just kind of glazing over you
know and it seems like oh it
must have been really spiritual
sermon because there's a lot of
Bible reason being read but you
know a sermon is not reading the
Bible and if God wanted that why
wouldn't you just say hey when
you show up let's just read like
10 chapters and then we'll go
home and arguably I can't say
anything better than the word of
God obviously the word of God's
more elevated than anything I
could think say or do but God
has ordained it that through the
foolishness of preaching you
know to get people saved and
through the foolishness of
preaching to edify the church so
even though I'm an imperfect
person I misspeak all the time I
use filler words and have
imperfections in my preaching God
has ordained it that through
preaching the church is supposed
to be edified is supposed to
grow it's supposed to be
encouraged supposed to be
admonished reproved rebuke
exhorted you know all the
different admonitions the Bible
can give us but the most
important thing is quality over
quantity even in sermon you know
an hour and a half sermon isn't
better than a 30 minute sermon
quality over quantity you know
and in fact sometimes if you're
actually bad at preaching an
hour and a half gets really
really long seeming you know the
more interesting the preaching
the faster time goes and we get
that but at the same time
there's nothing wrong with
preaching a short sermon the
problem is just not having good
quality and we need to
emphasize quality in every area
of our life you know when I go
out and preach the gospel I'm
more concerned with the quality
of my presentation than I am
with the quantity how much time
did I spend with the person who
cares how good a job that I do
when I go out so winning it's
not how many doors I knocked
it's how quality were the
interactions that I was given
that I take the most out of
those opportunities and in our
lives you know I would rather
come back with one quality
salvation than five I think so
and I think some people they
want to come you know oh I got
this many people save and it's
just like are you sure though
you know and again I'm not if
you've ever gone solely with me
I don't spend you know 20 30
minutes explaining the gospel
you don't need to do that in
fact it probably belabors the
point too much to confuse them
but I want to do a good job I
want to have a high quality
gospel presentation and I want
to make sure that the people
that I'm talking to actually get
saved you know it's not a
numbers game it's not a pride
thing it's not something to come
back and gloat about it we're
talking about people's souls
here talking about people's
eternity here and when it comes
to your life you know I want to
live a quality life doesn't
everybody want to have a high
quality of life or a quality
life something that is of value
something that matters and let
me tell you a quality life is
one where you served God your
whole life where you were a
quality church member where you
ministered under the saints
where you went out and you tried
to reach the lost where you did
good unto God's people where you
encouraged and helped people in
their lives I mean that is why
we're here is to serve God and
it's so easy to get busy doing
all manner of other things to
miss out on what God really
pointed put us here for to do is
have a quality life towards
Christ you know I could do a
million things you could do a
million things with your life I
mean it's Wednesday night is
bright outside I mean you have
endless opportunities of what
you could be doing but let me
tell you something serving God
is of a higher quality and if
you serve God you'll probably
miss out you'll have a lower
quantity of things you
accomplish you can't accomplish
everything you know the Bible
says be not righteous over much
why should thou destroy thyself
meaning you can't do everything
and while I would love to have a
high quality of everything that
I do in my life in fact I think
that's my personality I always
want to be the best at
everything that I do right why
not you know if I play golf I
want to be the best golfer if I
play chess I want to be the best
chess player if I do anything I
want to be the best but you
can't be the best at everything
you have to choose in your life
and in my opinion you know
especially in studying the
scripture it's better to be the
best at being a Christian and be
poor at all this other stuff than
to just basically be mediocre at
everything pour into the things
that really matters what's the
thing that really matters I mean
think about this in a carnal
sense how about food OK now when
we think about food and we think
about quantity over quality you
know restaurant comes to mind is
Golden Corral now is Golden
Corral emphasizing quality or
quantity we know I mean if it's
if you were to say hey Pastor
Shelley you can have right now
you can have all of Golden
Corral's options or you can have
you know all day smoked brisket
now you can't have any sides with
it you can't have you know
anything just the brisket or
everything at Golden Corral all
the sides and fixes it's like
brisket that wasn't even hard
why because quality over
quantity you know you think about
restaurants even have figured
this out I mean there's been kind
of an explosion of new
restaurants that do this in and
out why is in and out so popular
they don't offer hardly anything
but they started emphasizing
quality over the quantity of
items on the menu raising canes I
mean this place is literally it's
like one chicken finger two
chicken strips or three chicken
strips it's like a one two or
three and then I don't think they
offer gravy which is like it's a
reproach unto me but you know why
don't you have gravy OK if they
had gravy I would like raising
canes because their chickens good
it's high quality chicken right
I mean if you're going to compare
raising canes chicken strips to
McDonald's chicken strips it's
not even close OK order Burger
King or whatever these are the
restaurants but why because they
emphasize quality over quantity
whereas what's the restaurant
that emphasizes quantity over
quality Jack in the Box I mean
Jack in the Box has tacos but if
you've ever seen a Jack in the
Box taco it's with a Kraft single
is their cheese I'm like who
thought of making a taco with a
Kraft single it's like they're
just they're just looking at like
well we got all this stuff and
it's like you know I mean they
offer all that Mexican America I
mean just like every kind of
option it's not that good you
know when you go to a Mexican
restaurant and they have a burger
on the menu it's like don't get
the burger OK you know you'd
rather go to the place they have
one really good item than just a
swath of just junk and the same
can be applied to virtually all
areas of life you know quality is
going to always be better than
quantity and when it comes to
being a church member you should
really evaluate you should really
try to think about yourself and
say you know am I a quality
church member and you know you
could evaluate it in a lot of
different ways quantity can say
why show up all the time yeah but
are you even like zealous when
you're here do you even sing the
song are you plugged in are you
greeting people you know do you
pay attention you know what would
it benefit you if you said you
know what I've listened every
single one of your sermons I
slept the whole time though I
mean you know I showed up but I
didn't you know listen to it I
didn't put into practice I don't
actually read the Bible you know
it doesn't really matter you can
even do this in your Bible
reading and I've been guilty of
this where you're basically just
so worried about how much you're
trying to read that you kind of
are just like reading as fast as
you can but you're not really
paying that much attention as
opposed to having read a small
portion of scripture but having
actually really thought about it
and meditating on it and studying
on it and I'll tell you you know
it's always quality over quantity
it's more important to have a
great quality and the works and
efforts that we put into than a
great quantity of those efforts
you know there's sometimes there's
some church members they're there
three times a week or three
services like all three services
and then some that only come to
us you know some services are
Sunday morning only but it's like
I prefer that person because
they're a higher quality even
though they can't make it every
single time because it doesn't
really matter if you're here but
not present I mean think about it
in the workplace you'll do a
first Timothy chapter number six
for Timothy chapter number six
the same is attributed in the
workplace and really that's the
kind of the the second point that
I wanted to bring out when it
comes to quality over quantity
you should measure yourself and
say am I a quality church member
or am I a quantity church member
and what I mean by quantity is
you're just you're just there and
every church wants to bring
people in and everybody's at a
different level of growing and
we get that people have
different lives different
schedules different things that
are going on people are in
different areas of their walk
towards following Christ but you
have to ask yourself am I just
another number in church or am I
a quality church member am I
really plugged in am I you know
paying attention to services am
I actually taking the advice and
applying it to my wife and my
toward my husband or to my
spouse and my preaching the
gospel am I actually reading the
verses you know there's memory
verse chapter challenges there's
events there's all these things
you know what are what are you
doing and no pastor wants to
have a church that's just
quantity with no quality with no
debt people that don't actually
care about the sermon don't get
plugged in don't actually apply
you know what's the point in
getting up and delivering some
message from the scriptures
nobody wants to do it it seems
like a vain exercise at that
point so you have to think about
you know where are you at and
try to improve that quality say
hey maybe I can pay more
attention or start plugging in
more doing more and thinking
about becoming a better church
member a better Christian as
opposed to just am I checking
boxes or something you know am I
just kind of there present or
maybe you can you think about it
you're like you know what I'm
really trying to improve in this
one area of my life but you
haven't been trying to improve
in church you haven't been
trying to improve as a Christian
you know are you saying hey I
want to make a challenge I want
to try and read more Bible I
want to try and memorize more
scripture I want to try and go
so many more I want to help out
in my local church more I want
to encourage the brethren more I
want to do more for God this
year than I did last year so
what is that saying you're
trying to make yourself a more
quality Christian a more quality
church member than any other
area of life because all of your
time is going to basically go
somewhere what are you trying to
improve in and if you're not
trying to improve in anything
that's scary some people are
just floating by these are the
people just watching TV and you
know and I think about life
there's just so many people it
seems like all they do is just
nothing I remember going to
church recently and we're
walking in and we I just see
this group of people they're
just sitting there just outside
just with some beers and they're
all just kind of looking at
their phones and they're just
like they're not even talking to
each other and I'm thinking like
you just you're just basically
just passing through you just
doing nothing with your life and
that's how a lot of people just
spend their lives just you know
they go to a restaurant just
watch TV and drink beer just
basically wait until it's time
to go home they're just passing
time to go home people just go
home and they're like I have
nothing to do I'll just see
what's the next TV show on I
don't even want to watch it but
I'm not even interested in it
but you know just wait until the
next thing goes on they're just
basically just passing their
life on through rather than
actually trying to take their
time effort and energy and
improve something in their life
having a higher quality of life
how about in a spiritual sense I
mean what kind of missionaries
do you want do you want one
hundred and fifty missionaries
they get no one saved every year
or one missionary that's tearing
it up I mean what would you
rather see hey our church
supports one hundred and fifty
missionaries sending in us
letters every single week
telling us how they swept the
church last week or whatever you
laugh I bet hey that's not funny
I've been in churches where they
get up they have the missionary
letter you know my wife was
sweeping the church this week
doing a really good job and
Johnny started walking and give
a hope pray that we'll have an
opportunity to invite Timmy to
church it's like what are you
talking about you might have an
opportunity what else are you
doing what are you what are you
spending all this effort all
this time in we're giving you
money to go over there to
hopefully invite someone to
church maybe I mean that is the
type of missionary that is out
there today where people I mean
think about this you're having
to write a letter to a bunch of
people that don't know who you
are to try and convince them to
keep giving you money that's
what they literally wrote
because they had nothing else
better to write I mean they
weren't going to be like well I
looked at Facebook for a couple
hours and then took a nap and
you know so it's just like well
my wife cleaned once you know
that was that was pretty
important I mean you know it's
funny to me sorry I'm going on a
rant here for a second okay when
I was going to save a word there
was a deacon at the time named
Tyler Baker and every time I was
around this guy he was always
just saying how busy he was just
such a busy person is busy and
later it turned out he was a
heretic and he got thrown out of
the church well they were kind of
examining some of his work after
the faxes hindsight and he had
all these timesheets that he had
to record his time and he was
recording large hour quantities
at his job 50 hour week 60 hour
weeks you know on this timesheet
but then he would have in the
detail section like what did you
accomplish this day right well
almost every single one was just
blank like every single timesheet
just nothing just the hours
right eight hours but no
explanation 20 hours well if you
go back further far enough in
time you finally run into an
entry and there was this one
entry that he had and it says
give help Pastor Shelley with
water bottles or whatever and it
had the date on it and so I was
like I think I remember what
he's talking about and I looked
at my text messages and I could
tell is that day and I kid you
not what happened is our North
Church plant so we had a church
plant at faith word that was
across town and I was helping
lead it on Thursday nights and
they ran out of water bottles so
I needed some extra water balls
up there and he and I told
Tyler about this and he's like
hey can you go take them there
and I was like OK sure so on my
way he's like just come by the
church and pick them up and take
them up there with you so what
he did is he went from the
kitchen and got the water
bottles and walked to the front
door and set them to the front
door so that when I came I
didn't have to walk to the
fridge I just walked right there
and I got them so you fill out a
time sheet for eight hours of
work and you have one item
listed and it was that you took
water bottles from the storage
room to the front door you know
why you put that down because you
didn't do anything else that
entire day like no person that
was actually accomplishing a real
job or real work would ever have
logged that as the one thing they
did for the day unless you did
absolutely nothing but there's so
many people today that are doing
nothing I mean why do you think
businesses they can't find
anybody to work it's because the
people they hire don't want to
work and people don't want to be
a good employee today people
don't want to have you know to
put in effort it's crazy how the
world has changed and I remember
even in my short time having
worked in a professional career
how lazy people really are and it
seemed like it's rapidly
evolving because even when I first
started it's gotten way worse than
where we are now and people
complain about everything people
are so entitled and unfortunately
the entitlement attitude is
getting worse because employers
can't find good laborers so they
tolerate really bad work because
there's like why can't fire the
guy because then I'll have no one
to replace them so they basically
have these entitled spoiled brats
at work not willing to work and
you know you can tell that they're
bad at working when you compare
them to a good worker because
there's still people that work
hard today and they stick out like
a sore thumb in today's workforce
you can just you can just
obviously tell someone that works
extremely hard and that should be
our testimony in the workplace
people should be like man this guy
works way different than everybody
else and look there's no new thing
on the sun because even at the time
of Joseph he sticks out to everyone
this guy's like way better Daniel
and his three buddies they stick
out way more abundantly than
everybody else because man doesn't
want to work man is lazy the flesh
is lazy the unsaved guy typically
is not a very hard worker very
selfish person obviously his
exceptions to everything but we
understand that the Bible is
emphasizes being a hard worker and
being a quality employee look at
where it says in verse number one
let as many servants are under the
yoke count their own masters worthy
of all honor that the name of God
and his doctrine be not blasphemed
they that have believing masters
let them not despise them because
they are brethren but rather do
them service because they're
faithful and beloved partakers of
the benefit these things teach and
exhort the man teach otherwise and
consent not to wholesome words even
the words of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the doctrine is accordant
godliness he is proud knowing
nothing so and it goes down a long
list the point that I want to
emphasize those here notice that the
Bible is saying whether your boss is
saved or unsaved you are supposed to
submit to them and be a good employee
you're supposed to work hard go to
Titus chapter number two Titus chapter
number two I want to show you another
verse over here about this you should
be a quality employee and I'll tell you
something every employer would rather
have one quality employee than ten
quantity employees and they're way less
expensive ten guys can be replaced by
one guy and really if employers knew it
was good for them they would be willing
to shell out the bucks for the quality
type employees sometimes they don't
understand this but Titus chapter 2
look at verse number nine exhort
servants to be obedient in their own
masters and to please them well notice
this in all things not answering again
not purloining but showing all good
fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine
of God our Savior in all things notice
if you're going to be a quality
Christian it's not only being a quality
church member it's also being a quality
employee not answering again whatever
the boss says yes sir you do it the
first time you're not arguing you're
not causing problems you're not causing
headaches you're not making the guy
wonder if he would accomplish more
without you you make yourself
irreplaceable in the workplace and I'll
tell you every company every business
wants a quality employee over a
quantity of employees and you're going
to really separate yourself in this
world if you work on being more quality
how can you be a more quality employee
at work well I don't know why people
don't understand this concept but doing
things that you weren't asked to do most
employees never get past this point like
your basic level employee that's decent
will do the things that he's instructed
basically you give him a task list he
can get the task list done but a great
employee is not this person a great
employee also identifies work and tasks
that do not are not assigned to him that
need to be accomplished and he gets in
there and does it anyways he recognizes
oh man there's this needs to obviously
get done or they identify problems that
haven't been spotted by management
address them with management and help
correct them this is a great employee
and you should not only care about
what's assigned you you should care
about the vision of the company and you
should even think about hey does this
task make sense with the vision of the
company and and think like how can what
I'm doing impact our company our goal or
vision the overall purpose that we're
here and you should basically get the
heartbeat of the business you should
think about their core mission statement
you know a lot of businesses have
meetings every once in a while annual
meeting to say like look this is why
we're here this is why we're doing what
we're doing because they want to always
re recalibrate the minds of its
employees on what they're actually doing
to ensure that they're not drifting far
away or getting out of sync or having
some kind of a problem it's important to
think about what is your company's goal
what are they trying to accomplish how
can I help them accomplish this what are
things that I'm not being asked to do
that make sense that I could step in and
do that I could help out with you know
what are ways that I can help other
co-workers accomplish their job and do
better you know being a team player this
one's sometimes hard for me because you
know especially if you work with people
that are obviously not working hard
maybe they're not as smart maybe they're
not as a skill they don't have as much
experience I tend to not want to work
with them or just simply be like I don't
have time for this incompetence but a
truly great employee brings out the best
in others and is willing to condescend
them in a little state as it were to
encourage other people and help them you
say I want to be in management well how
good are you at taking other team
members other co-workers and helping
them to accomplish their job better you
know this is how you go to the next
level also you could spend time studying
sometimes learning if there's something
on the job that maybe you're not
qualified you don't have understanding
in you see a gap and the education of
your company so you know I'm just going
to take an issue I'm going to learn this
on my own on the side become a more
quality employee maybe get some more
qualifications maybe more testing more
education whatever requirements could
possibly help you on the job you learn
all that so then when you show up at the
job and they say man we really needed
somebody this and say oh actually I
studied that they're like really like
yeah I'd love to help with that or I can
I can help make this or I can stand in
this gap or even just being willing to
try things that are difficult sometimes
they'll ask you do something like I've
never done that I don't know you don't
have a lot of confidence but a great
employees it's like I'll learn it I'll
figure it out you need someone to stand
the gap I mean a lot of work is
sometimes just learning especially you
know in an industry that I've worked in
in the software development industry you
know most of what you're doing is trying
to figure out what to do so someone has
to stand in that gap and if you're
someone that's not willing to learn and
push yourself you're really going to be
a bad you know software developer coder
or developer because you know you have
to be able to push yourself and learn
things that you don't know put yourself
in difficult situations and just get
problem solved people that are bad at
problem-solving or bad workers it
doesn't matter if it's coding it doesn't
matter what the situation is because you
can never give a handbook you can never
give an instruction manual that's going
to cover every scenario every situation
every event and some people freak out
when they haven't been told exactly what
to do it's like well the customer didn't
you know ask the right question so I
didn't know what to do it's like just
figure it out use some discernment you
know think about your situation
critically this is how you become a
better employee go to Proverbs chapter
7 Proverbs chapter number 7 quality over
quantity well I spent a lot of hours at
the job yeah but some good employees or
great employees can accomplish what all
of these bad employees do in half the
time and it's more important that you
accomplish things of high quality than
how many hours you spend on it some
people they just want to well I'm always
showing up early and leaving late but
are you working hard during that amount
of time because who cares if you're
putting hours on the clock why are you
putting hours on the clock to feed your
belly your employer will notice that and
sometimes employers get a little
frustrated by that it's like you know
okay yeah you're doing a lot of things
but you're doing them all crappy you're
not putting in a lot of effort or energy
into these things it's who cares about
the quantity of tasks you're doing if
they have a poor quality you want to
emphasize quality over the quantity
Proverbs chapter number 7 is going to
talk about this whorish woman and and
it's kind of an interesting chapter in
the Bible but notice a certain attribute
about this woman described here in verse
10 it says and behold there met him a
woman with the entire oven harlot and
subtle of heart she is loud and stubborn
her feet abide not in her house now is
she without now in the streets and lieth
and waited every corner now how can one
woman waited every single corner I
believe what the Bible is referencing
here is the fact that this type of woman
is everywhere that's essentially what
it's trying to describe not that this
specific woman is everywhere but rather
this woman in the tire of a harlot that's
willing to commit fornication and sin
with you is everywhere notice that
there's a high quantity of women that
are what harlots that are whorish that
will commit fornication and boy is that
true in America I mean literally it's
just like 98 or 97 percent of men and
women go to bed with someone that they're
not married to why because it's quantity
is everywhere I mean you can find that
wherever you want it's hard to find the
quality though and if you go to the end
of Proverbs chapter 31 or the end of
Proverbs see the Bible emphasizes quality
over quantity when it comes to women and
you as a man you know I believe that if
you were going to get the world's
philosophy on dating on relationships
that the world only emphasizes one thing
to men and it's quantity they really
don't emphasize quality when it comes to
women you know no man it doesn't seem
like they go around and brag about the
quality of the woman that they're with
they brag about the quantity of women
they've been with isn't it but here's
the thing that's not an achievement an
achievement is to have a quality woman
but in order to have a quality woman you
yourself have to have quality I know
it's like it's like this thing in the
new IFB where all these young single
guys they're just like oh it's so hard
to find a woman and it's like well why
don't you work on your quality then you
know there the problem is never that
they're of low quality it's just that
there's not enough quantity and I'm like
maybe it's just you're just bad quality
maybe work on your quality because I
don't really see a lot of just David's
walking around without women or King
Solomon's Walker in fact the men of the
Bible never struggled in this area you
know the area they struggled in quantity
they had too many women knocking down
their door not that it was like you know
if you have no women knocking down your
door there's a reason I'm just saying
okay notice that the horse woman was
out of her corner okay if she's not even
knocking down your door you got problems
okay you have to stay away from the
worst woman but look at Proverbs 31 look
at verse number 10 who can find a
virtuous woman for price is far above
her bees notice what God's emphasizing
quality over quantity notice he's putting
a price on it and he's saying hey the
price priceless why because God will
give you know all the money for one
virtuous woman and you want to even give
a nickel for all these horse women
doesn't even care if you think about it
even when it comes to salvation I mean
more people are going to hell than to
heaven why because God's cares more about
the quality in the quantity and that
quality praise God comes from Jesus
Christ obviously I'm not getting to
heaven because I'm of a greater quality
than any other person but my quality is
it found in Jesus Christ and that's what
makes me more valuable and you know what
that's all that God wants is the quality
not the quantity because if God was
interested in the quantity then the
majority would go to heaven not hell but
God is more interested in the quality
than the quantity hey you know what as a
man as a young man you should care more
about finding one virtuous woman to marry
than to being with a quantity of women
in your past and I guarantee you're not
going to look back in history and think
like oh man I missed out on the quantity
of horrors on the quantity of harlots I
could have been with no no you say man
I'm glad I have the one virtuous woman
that's far above rubies that's what
every man should be looking for that's
what you teach our sons to be looking
for when it comes to women is quality
over quantity and praise God you only
have to find one you know they're like
I saw hard to find it's like we only
strike you know gold once a lot of
things in life you know are very
difficult and you accomplish but then
you have to do it again you know making
money is hard right doing all kinds of
tasks you think about professional
athletes they win the Super Bowl but
it's like you're gonna win a next year
it's like a super hard task they have to
do it again and again you only have to
find her once praise God you don't have
to keep winning her over and over that
would be difficult look it says in verse
28 her children rise up and call her
blessed her husband also and he prays
there many daughters have done
virtuously but doc sells them all favor
is deceitful and beauty is vain but a
woman that feareth the Lord she shall be
praised give her of the fruit of her
hands let her own works praise her in
the gates notice what's gonna praise her
is her works why her works because we're
emphasizing her quality aren't we what a
quality woman and notice it's not about
how beautiful she is physically it's
about her fearing God and let me tell
you something you know when it comes to
what men really want you know physical
beauty only goes so far beauty skin deep
and and men want a woman that fears the
Lord that's going to work hard and serve
him and and here's my last application
is just be a quality spouse over a
quantity spouse in America we are
suffering a problem of quantity spouses
over quality spouses and what I mean by
quantity how many people been divorced
and remarried why are they getting
divorced and remarried many times because
they weren't a quality spouse they're
just a quantity spouse aren't they
quantity relationships today in America
over quality relationships in America
and let me tell you something you need
to work on being a quality spouse these
three areas you know there's a lot of
things you can do in your life and
there's a lot of things you get really
good at but I'm telling you you want to
have a great life get really good at
your job and get really good at being a
spouse and emphasize the quality you
know hey I'm doing a million things in
my life yeah but if you're not doing
good in those three areas you're kind of
just a failure in life you want it but
you know what if you're just a great
church member a great worker and a great
spouse even if you're terrible at
everything else who cares because
according to God you know this woman in
Proverbs 31 she she's priceless it
doesn't say you know she has anything
superfluous or some kind of vanity she's
not a vanity fair she doesn't have a
talk show she doesn't have you know all
the things that I don't know doesn't
sound how many purses she has how many
shoes a bigger closet is how many men
she's been with no no no it's the fact
that she's a quality woman that she's
being mentioned here and you know men
need to be quality as well and when it
comes to your relationship you know if
you want to have a good marriage you
need to emphasize quality time over
quantity time quality time over quantity
time we all have a limited amount of
time and some people they really the
relationship they have with their spouse
is a quantity time let's just sit and
watch TV all day together but that's
but that doesn't improve your
relationship that doesn't make that
doesn't draw you closer together you
know you need to do something together
you need to talk to each other you need
to form a relationship and and a lot of
times people get divorced at points in
their life that exposes this so perhaps
they can't conceive you know I've known
somebody that they can't really conceive
and so really what is their relationship
it's just them but if they weren't
really working on each other they
weren't working on having quality time
together and they were just there to get
pregnant well then that could drive a
wedge and it causes them to split and
then they get divorced and then they did
and that's sad it's sad because even if
you couldn't have kids you should still
be married to each other or a lot of
people once they become an empty nester
it kind of exposes you know they were
just so busy with kids and work and all
this other stuff that they kind of just
got by but then when they lose all that
they're like you know they just don't
really have anything with each other and
it's like you can only you know I've
never thought like when I in my life man
I wish I had watched this TV show with
this person like it's never the same
watching the show without another person
watching it at the same time you know
these certain activities that people
just waste all their effort energy on
it's like that's ruining your marriage
you know if you're doing activities where
you're not actually we're just sitting
on the couch and both looking at your
phone that's no different than being on
TV it's like well we don't watch TV but
you just sit there and look at your
phone silent you know not interacting
you know what your phone is never going
to be married to you your phone's never
going to talk back you know it just
listens Google's always listening okay
Apple's always listening to you talk to
your spouse do stuff with your spouse
build a relationship with your spouse
and you know the worst thing you can do
is when you have a small amount of time
with your spouse is not actually do
something of quality make the most of
every opportunity and and the Bible
teaches that men and women are not going
to have a lot of time together because
if you think about it men have to
provide meaning they have to go out work
six days shalt thou labor you're also
having to serve God you're also the
wives of the keepers at home emphasizing
that the man's not there because of the
dudes there he said we would be in
charge but why is it the wife or the
keeper so we see this large separation I
mean the majority of your life you're
not together so then the moments that
you do have together you should be
emphasizing the quality time not the
quantity time or say hey our relationship
suffering let's just put more time on
the equation you know more time doesn't
solve it quality time is what solves
relationship issues and I can prove this
go to Luke chapter number ten to look
at number ten this last place whenever
you turn we need to emphasize quality
over quantity in our lives and stop
worrying about how much quantity you
have in something and worry about the
quality that you haven't I'd rather
spend 30 minutes with my spouse that was
great then five hours and all of it
sucked right that's every man but you
know you know why is it say that you
know the the angry and the contentious
woman is gonna drive the guy in the
wilderness is because you know you only
get this a little bit of time to be
together you don't want it to be
cantankerous and argumentative and
fighting you want it to be a high
quality because if it's a high quality
you're going to want to do it more
you're going to want to increase the time
if you're having a lot of time with
someone that you're not enjoying it makes
you not want to be around them it drives
you away and it causes you know
resentment it causes disdain it causes a
lack of respect you know you need to
make the most of your opportunities and
do stuff that's fun together you know
do a puzzle together or write something
together or go on a walk or find a hobby
find an activity that you like put
effort and energy in your relationship
work together honestly some of the
greatest relationship building you can
do is just working on something together
go to church together read the Bible
together but you know if you say well
this is what me and my wife did we watch
TV together you're you're kind of like
missing out on a real relationship being
built you know if we sit and we both
look at our phones together you know
are you texting each other you know like
are you facetiming maybe like you don't
just you got to worry about your spouse
and think about your spouse and put
effort and energy in your spouse you
know there's a lot of things that you
could be putting effort and energy into
and look we all need to work on our
relationships no one has arrived your
relationship needs constant effort
constant time constant energy and more
than having you know quantity is the
quality look at Luke chapter 10 and look
at verse 38 now it came to pass as they
went that he entered into a certain
village talking about Jesus and a
certain woman named Martha received him
into her house and she had a sister
called Mary which also sat at Jesus feed
and heard his word but Martha was
covered about much serving and came to
him and said Lord does thou not care
that my sister hath left me to serve
alone better therefore that she helped
me Jesus answered and said in her Martha
Martha thou art careful and troubled
about many things but one thing is
needful and Mary hath chosen that good
part which shall not be taken away from
her notice they had an option Martha
chose the quantity many things Martha
picked the quality the one thing that
was the most important and who is it
that Jesus is praising here Mary why
because the quality you know in this
life there's so many things you could do
but when you stand before Christ he's
not going to care about the quantity of
the things you did he's going to care
about the quality of the things you did
you know when you get in the judgment
seat of Christ the gold you know the
silver and precious stones is what's
going to you know last of the fire you
could have a mountain of wood hay and
stubble it's all going to burn why
because God cares about the quality of
your works over the quantity of your
works now I'm not saying you shouldn't
have quantity it's quality over quantity
meaning that we we make sure that the
things that we do need a certain
threshold they have a certain limit to
them where we say hey it doesn't matter
how much TV we watch together in a
relationship that's not adding any
quality now it doesn't mean that it has
to be the most romantic thing you've
ever done in your entire life hey do a
puzzle together or something but at
least if you're talking to each other
doesn't have to be the greatest
conversation you've ever had in your
entire life you know do something that
meets a certain threshold of quality you
know do you have to be doing the
greatest thing ever at church no but
meet a certain threshold does your
soloing presentation have to be the
greatest presentation in the world no
but it should meet a certain threshold
shouldn't it when you're at the work do
you have to be the greatest employee
ever no but you should meet a certain
threshold and you should strive to be
great and you should strive to improve
in these areas of your life strive to
have quality in your life there's a lot
of other things that are important you
know being a parent's important being
grandparents important there's other
things that we could talk about but I'm
telling you these three are really three
you should focus on and think about in
your life hey could I be a better church
member could I be a better an employee
could I be a better spouse and any of
these areas you know put some effort and
energy into them maybe you have to put
something on the altar you have to
sacrifice something in your life you
have to lay something down you know you
have to get rid of a couple thousand
video games don't you you have to get
rid of something in your life okay to
put more quality into the things that
actually matter all right let's close in
prayer thank you Heavenly Father for
giving us the Word of God while we have
so many opportunities before us in this
life I pray that we would choose that
which is needful that we wouldn't get so
worried and concerned with the quantity
of things that we're doing rather we'd
emphasize the quality that we'd
emphasize the spiritual over the carnal
that we would get our priorities
straight that we try to put God first in
our lives that we would strive to be a
great Christian that we'd strive to be a
good employee and a representation of
Christ everywhere we go and that the
relationships you've given us of being a
spouse married that we wouldn't just
take our spouse for granted but rather
we would put a lot of quality effort and
energy and time into our relationship
and in Jesus name we pray amen let's go
song 183 oh wow I love Jesus on 183
183 oh how I love Jesus
there is a name I love to hear I love
to see its word it sounds like music in
my ear the sweetest name on earth oh how
I love Jesus oh wow I love Jesus so how
I love Jesus because he first loved me
it tells me about Savior's love who died
to set me free it tells me of his
precious blood the sinners perfectly oh
I love Jesus oh how I love Jesus oh how
I love Jesus because he first loved me
it tells me what my father had in store
for every day and though I tread a dark
sun back he'll sunshine all the way oh
I love Jesus oh how I love Jesus oh how
I love Jesus because he first loved me
it tells of one who's loving heart can
heal my deepest woe to him each sorrow
bears a part that none can bear below oh
how I love Jesus oh how I love Jesus oh
Jesus because he first loved me