Thank you.
We started this morning with our first hymn, number 472,
This Is My Father's World.
Hymn number 472,
This Is My Father's World.
Let's sing.
All nature sings
and round me
rings
the music
of the
spheres.
This
is my
father's world.
I
rest me
in the
thought
of rocks and
trees, of skies
and seas.
His hand the
wanders
wrought.
This is my
father's world.
The
birds, their
carols
raise.
The morning
light, the
lily white
bear their
maker's praise.
This
is my
father's world.
He shines
in all
that's fair.
In the rustling
grass, I
hear him pass.
He speaks
to me
everywhere.
This is my
father's
world.
Oh, let me
ne'er forget
that
though the
rock seems
off so strong,
God is the
ruler yet.
This
is my father's
world.
The battle
is not
done.
Jesus
who died shall be
satisfied.
And earth
and heaven be
one.
Amen. Let's
open with a word of prayer.
Dear Lord, we just thank you for this day to
gather together, Lord, and worship in your name.
And Lord, on this day, we just
thank you for this day.
We're thankful to you for
Pastor Thompson and his family, Lord.
And thank you for the blessing that they can come out
and that he can preach for us.
Lord, just give us ears to hear and help us.
Incline your ear to us this morning as we sing
praises unto you, Lord.
We love you. And this we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
All right.
For our next hymn this morning, let's turn to
number 437.
Hymn number 437.
This is not one that we have
yet.
It's the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
And you'll know the tune even if you don't
recognize the name.
But the children's choir is getting ready to sing
this on the 4th of July.
So I thought, let's sing it for them and really give
them some help.
They can hear the parents sing it, so parents, you
got to sing it.
If you didn't sing the last one, you're on for it
now.
437.
Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Let's sing.
Mine eyes have seen
the glory of the coming
of the Lord.
He is trampling out the
vintage where the grapes
of wrath are stored.
He hath loosed the faithful
lightning of his terrible
swift sword.
His truth is
marching on.
Glory, glory,
hallelujah.
Glory, glory,
hallelujah.
Glory, glory,
hallelujah.
His truth
is marching
on.
I have seen him
in the watchfires of
a hundred circling
camps.
They have builded him
an altar in the
evening dews and
lamps.
I can read his
righteous sentence by the
dim and flaring lamps.
His day is
marching on.
Glory, glory,
hallelujah.
Glory, glory,
hallelujah.
Glory, glory,
hallelujah.
His day is
marching on.
His day is
marching on.
He has sounded forth
the trumpet that shall
never sound retreat.
He is sifting out the
hearts of men before
his judgment seat.
Oh, be swift my soul to
answer him. Be jubilant
my feet. Our God
is marching
on.
Glory, glory,
hallelujah.
Glory, glory,
hallelujah.
Glory, glory,
hallelujah.
Our God
is marching
on.
In the beauty
of the lilies
Christ was born
across the sea
with the glory in his
bosom that transfigures
you and me as he
died to make men holy.
Let us die to make
men free while God
is marching
on.
Glory, glory,
hallelujah.
Glory, glory,
hallelujah.
Glory, glory,
hallelujah.
While God
is marching
on.
Amen.
Good singing this morning.
All right.
Welcome, everyone, to
Steadfast Baptist Church.
Good to see everyone here this Sunday morning.
If you need a bulletin, raise your hand nice and high.
We can get that to you.
On the inside, we've got our service times
and our soul winning times.
One thing to know, we've got soul winning this afternoon
at 2 p.m.
So if you can make it back with us at
2 p.m., we're going to be
talking about soul winning for a couple of hours
and see if we can get some souls saved
here in Oklahoma City.
We've got our month today and our year today.
Total is listed there as well.
And our expecting mothers, we want to keep
each one of these ladies in our prayers.
Also, Miss Whitney Reed's
baby shower
is going to be May 29th.
And that's going to be located here at the church
from 2 to 4 p.m.
So if you can make it to that,
we would love to have you. Everyone is invited to that.
Also,
we are in week number 15
of our Bible memory passage,
2 Thessalonians chapter number 2.
We're getting close to the end
of this chapter.
If you're a little bit behind,
you want to do some extra work this week to get caught up.
We're on week number 15.
So if you can quote this to a non-family
member, if you're under the age of 18,
you can receive an
ice cream reward after the service.
We've got the Mother's
Day tea party on
May 8th. That's a Saturday
from 2 to 4 p.m.
And all ladies are invited to attend.
And I believe we've gotten
everyone signed up for that that's going to be
there. And so
it's free of charge to show up
and enjoy your time
without your kiddos, hopefully.
And then on May
20th through the 22nd
is going to be the men's fellowship
retreat. And that's at Riverbend
Retreat Center in Texas.
It's about 40 minutes southwest
of Dallas area.
And so it'll be a lot of fun.
We got to go last year or
me and a couple of the guys got to go last year.
It was a great time of fellowship
and getting to meet a lot of people I didn't
know. And I've heard that there's a lot more
people that are going to be there this year. And so
if you have not signed up already, there's a
sign up sheet on the back table.
You want to make sure that you do that by
the end of this month so we can get
that information to Pastor Shelley.
And then the special preacher
for that is going to be Pastor
Stephen Anderson. And so
if there's no other reason to go, that should
be the reason right there. And
so it'll be a lot of fun and
really looking forward to that. And then we've
got our Ardmore Soul Winning event that's going
to be on June 12th
about a couple months from now.
And that's going to be a joint
effort Soul Winning marathon between
our location and the
Steadfast Fort Worth location.
And so that'll be a lot of fun
as well. And so we'll get
more details lined out in the coming
weeks for that. And then
we've got a lot of guests with us here
this morning. Glad to have everyone here. Of course
we've got Pastor Aaron Thompson here
from Sure Foundation
Baptist Church in Vancouver, Washington.
And I'm really excited to have
him. And we got a fellowship with him
yesterday. And if you have
not got to meet him, please
go up to him and make him
feel welcome and let him know that
you're thankful for him coming.
That's a long ways to come all the way here and
preach for us. It's a blessing. And
we're excited to have him here for us.
If you'll come, we'll lead in the next song.
Hymn number 355.
What a friend we have in Jesus. Hymn number 355.
Alright, Hymn number 355.
What a friend we
have in Jesus.
355. What a friend
we have in Jesus.
We carry
everything
to God in prayer.
O what peace
we often
forfeit.
O what needless
pain we bear.
O
because we do not
carry
everything
to God in prayer.
Have we
trials and temptations?
Is
there trouble
anywhere?
We
should never be
discouraged.
Take
it to the Lord
in prayer.
Can
we find a friend so
faithful?
Who
will all our sorrows
share?
Jesus
knows our every
weakness.
Take it to
the Lord in prayer.
Are
we weak
and heavy
laden?
Cumbered with
a load of
pleasure.
Precious Savior
still our refuge.
Take
it to the Lord
in prayer.
Do
thy friends
despise, forsake
thee?
Take it to the Lord
in prayer.
In his arms
he'll take and
fill thee.
Thou
will find the solace
there.
Amen.
While the offering plates are being passed around
go ahead and turn if you would to Luke chapter
number 14.
Luke chapter number 14 and we'll read that
chapter as is our custom.
All right.
Luke chapter number 14.
The Bible reads
and it came to pass
as he went into the house
of one of the chief Pharisees
to eat bread on the Sabbath day
that they watched him.
And behold there was
a certain man before him
and he was
a certain man before him
which had the dropsy and
Jesus answered and spake unto the lawyers
of the Pharisees saying
is it lawful to heal on the
Sabbath day and they held their
peace and he took him
and healed him and let him go
and answered them saying
which of you shall have
an ass or an ox fallen to
a pit and with
and will not straightway
pull him out on the Sabbath day
and they could not answer him
again to these things and he
put forth a parable to those
which were bidden
when he marked how they
chose out the chief room saying
unto them when thou
art bidden of any man
to a wedding sit not down
in the highest room lest a more
honorable man than thou
be bidden of him
and he that bade thee
and him come
and say to thee give this man
place and thou begin
with shame to take
the lowest room but when
thou art bidden go and sit down
in the lowest room that
when he that bade
thee cometh he may
say unto thee friend go up
higher then thou shalt
then shalt thou have
worship in the presence of them
that sit at meet with thee
for whosoever exalt of
themselves shall be abased
and he that humbleth himself
shall be exalted then said
he unto him that bade
him when thou makest a
dinner or a supper call
not thy friends nor thy brethren
neither thy kinsmen nor thy rich
neighbors lest they also
bid thee again and a
recompense be made of thee
be made thee
but when thou makest
a feast call the poor the
lame the blind
and thou shalt be blessed for they
cannot recompense thee for thou shalt
be recompensed at the
resurrection of the just
and when one of them
that sat at meet with him
heard these things he said unto him
blesses he
that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God
then said he
unto him a certain man
made a great supper and
bade many and sent
his servant at supper time
to say to them that were
bidding come for all things
are now ready and they
all with one consent
began to make excuse
the first said unto him I
have brought a piece of ground
I must needs go and see
it I pray thee have me excused
another said I have bought
five yoke of oxen
and I go to prove
them I pray thee have me excused
another said I have married a wife
therefore I cannot come
so the servant came and
showed his lord these things
then the master of the house
being angry said
to his servant go out quickly
into the streets and lanes
of the city and bring
in hither the poor and
the main and the halt and
the blind and the servant
said lord it is done as thou
has commanded and yet
there is room and the lord said
unto the servant go out
into the highways and hedges
compel them to come in that
my house may be filled
for I say unto you that none
of those men which were bidding
shall taste of my supper
and there
was great multitudes with
him and he turned and said unto them
if any man come to me
and hate not his father
mother and wife and children and
brethren and sisters yea his
own life also he cannot
be my disciple and
whosoever doth not bear his
cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple for
which of you tending to build
a tower sitteth not down first
and counteth the cost
rather he have sufficient
to finish it less happily
after he hath laid
the foundation and is not
able to finish it all that
behold it begin to mock
him saying this man began to
build and was not able to
finish or what king
going to make war against
another king sitteth not down first
and consulteth rather he be able
with ten thousand to meet him
that cometh against him with twenty
thousand or else while another is
yet a great way off
he sinneth
an embassage
and desireth conditions
of peace so likewise
whosoever
he be of you that forsaketh not
all that he hath
he cannot be my disciple
salt is good
but if the salt
hath lost his savour
wherewith
is it to be seasoned
it is neither fit for the land
nor yet for the dung hill
but men cast it out
he that hath ears
to hear let him hear
let's pray heavenly father lord we just thank you so much
for this day lord
we just thank you for pastor thompson
and that he was able to come
and preach for us today lord we just
ask you at this time that
you would just fill him with your spirit lord
and we just pray that you'd open
our hearts and our ears to your word
lord just ask now that you'd keep
distractions to a minimum
and we thank you in Jesus precious
name
amen
alright well it's great to be in
oklahoma city this morning for church
and I just want to thank
pastor Shelly for the opportunity to preach
here and everything's been great so
far everybody's been very hospitable
and we really appreciate that
and so I just wanted to say thank you once
again the game night was really fun last
night that was the first time I played a card game in a long
time so um
when we started trying to gamble though that was
like you know just kidding
just kidding
we didn't gamble alright
well the title of the sermon this morning is
count the cost count
the cost let's look at verse number
25 in our text here it says
and there were great multitudes
with him and he turned and said
unto them if any man come to me
and hate not his father and mother
and wife and children and brethren and sisters
yea in his own life
also he cannot be
my disciple let's have a word of prayer heavenly father we
thank you lord so much for this great church
steadfast baptist church in
Oklahoma City lord I pray you bless this church
and all the people in it and lord I pray that
it would be a powerhouse of soul
winning and red hot
fiery preaching for many years to come
lord I pray that you'd help everyone
in here to focus
on the message today and lord that
we all know that we need to count the cost and many
things in our life and especially the
cost of following you lord Jesus in
your name we pray amen
okay so the Bible
specifically says here and people really get
hung up on this verse number
26 it says if any man come
to me and hate
not his father and mother and wife and children
and brethren and sisters
yea in his own life also
he cannot
be my disciple those are
hard words aren't they
and we think well you know
we're taught in church that we're supposed to love
our wives we're supposed to love our parents we're
supposed to honor our parents we're supposed to
honor and love our brothers and
sisters and you know
can't we have a life
can we have a life and
the answer to that is yes you should and
yes you can but when it's
when you're comparing it to the life that you're
supposed to be living in Christ that's supposed to be
as hatred to you
so if anybody gets in the way of that
life that you're trying to live for Christ
then it should be as hatred to you
if your own wife hates God
and look these situations
happen if your own wife hates God
then who are you supposed to choose your wife
or God you're supposed to choose
God when
it comes to your own life and the things that you
do and the job that you have and all these
different things what are you supposed to love
more your life or your life
in Christ you're supposed to love your
life in Christ and look what it says
and it says you
can't if you don't do this you
cannot be my disciple and
so our love
for Christ should appear as hatred
to those other people that we love that's
how far the chasm should be
that's how far that it should be away
from our love for Christ
and many people would say well that's really hard to do
Pastor Thompson I know but
what is Jesus saying here I mean he's not mincing words
is he look at verse number 27 it
says and whosoever what does that word mean
anyone right whosoever
doth not bear his cross
and come after me he cannot
cannot be my disciple
if you're not going to pick up your cross
daily and follow after Christ you can't
be his disciple isn't that what it
says right it's not it's not
saying but what about no what
about nothing so and look
at verse number 28 says for
which of you intending to build a tower
sitteth not down first
and counteth the cost
if you're going to do a new fence
in the backyard don't you try to
figure out do I got enough money to buy all the
cedar for this fence do you guys have cedar
fences down here okay I don't know if you have
wood down here do you have wood
I'm teasing I'm teasing
but
so but in the northwest
there's plenty of wood it's just really expensive
there for some reason those tree huggers
drive the prices up up there so I don't know
what's going on all these you know
occupy protesters are taking up
all the timber they're putting it against the walls
for the protest you know so they're driving
up the prices but anyway
yeah it says that
if you're going to you got to count
the cost if you're going to do some kind of building project
and man you guys know what this is all about don't you
you have to count the
cost do you have enough to finish it
are you going to get to the point and then there's like
six slats that are not at the end
and the dogs can come through with each fence
and back and forth and or you don't
have enough to buy the stain for the wood
or something and then your neighbors are going to
begin to what to mock you
right they're going to say he went to build
a fence and he couldn't finish it
right that's what that's and
men will mock each other for things like that
you know men love to mock each other in the workplace
it's just you know if we like
you we're going to mock you that's just the way it
is but if you
if you do something badly in the
construction business anyway you know
you're going to get mocked even if they do like
you they're still going to mock you because you're not
good at doing one thing or the other
but what Christ is talking about here says
if you're intending to do something whatever
it is you're intending to do you need to count
the cost before you do it
whether you have sufficient
to finish whether you have enough money
to finish it or whether you have enough
gumption and enough spirit in
you to finish what you're doing
right and so we're supposed to be able to
finish God wants us to finish strong
doesn't he Paul the apostle Paul talks a lot in the Bible
about finishing strong
and going for that prize of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus
right and so
the Lord Jesus Christ he doesn't want us to just
say hey I'm going to try being his
disciple I'm going to try to be his disciple for a little
while but if it gets too hard you know I'm just
going to quit no you're supposed to
count the cost whether you have sufficient
to finish what you're
starting and if you want to be Christ
disciple you have to be willing to finish
what you started you have to count
the cost what is it going to cost you
to follow Christ well you know what it's
going to cost you according to these verses it's going
to cost you everything it's
going to cost you everything but it might not
cost you everything but if it is are
you willing to lose everything in
order to follow Christ we should be able
to do that we should be willing to do
that if you're not you can't be his disciple
that's what it says right and you're
like well that sounds really hard Pastor Thompson
it does sound really hard but
you know God has grace and mercy towards
us also I mean are you going to lose all your family
members all your brothers and sisters you
could they might all just hate God
and not want to get saved you're like well
why would God not want my family members to get
saved well God wants all people's family
members to be saved but see people
have a choice we're not Calvinists here
God's not a Calvinist God
and he we have this thing called
free will and a lot of us when we got
saved in this room probably went
really hard at our family members and tried to get
them saved but did they all get saved no
and now they think you're in a cult don't they
so
so but you're coming to this
church why because you know that
this church is a church that preaches
the truth and it stands
on the Bible God's word alone
and you know you're not going to get a bunch of
fluff and all these you know fun
centers that are around that are running all
these big numbers these big mega churches
that's not what it's all about to you it's about the
truth you know if you're seeking the truth you're
going to go to a church that preaches the truth
you're going to want to go to a place that sends
you out soul winning so you can
go out and win the lost to
Christ and you can go
to a church where you're going to be edified and learn
the truth of the Bible and you
know that the pastors or the preachers
that are up here are going to do their best to try to edify
you and to train
you up to work in the
you know because our ministry is basically soul
winning at our types of churches isn't it
and that's mainly what we want what our
main mission is to do but you know there's other things
too there's fulfilling the great commission
which is baptizing people
teaching them the Bible you know
and teaching others to go out and do the same things
also but look what it says
in verse 29 so
you're supposed to have you're supposed to count the
cost verse 28
you're supposed to have sufficient to finish it
and then look what it says in 29
less happily after he hath laid
the foundation and is not
able to finish it
and all that behold
begin to mock him do you know
that your family members are waiting for you to quit
and they're
waiting for you to quit and you think that they're going to go
oh you tried honey
oh it's ok no they're going to mock
you behind your back they might mock you
to your face and
that's a terrible feeling to have
your family throw it in your face after they said
we know that you were just kind of going through a little phase
now you know believing on the Lord Jesus
Christ is not a little phase being his
disciple is not a little phase it's
something that we're supposed to count
the cost and know that we
have sufficient to finish
what we begin to do
and that is to finish the race
to finish the race of life as a Christian
to finish strong as a Christian
and be able to stand before
God on judgment not on judgment day
but stand before God in heaven
and knowing that we did our best
that we did our very best and we
finished the race we didn't quit church
we didn't quit soul winning we didn't quit
following after Jesus we
finished that's what the main
I mean if you take anything out of this sermon today
I want you to take out of this that we need to finish
strong we need to count
the cost of everything that we do
in the Christian life
now look what it says they're going to begin to
mock you if you want to quit
if this is too hard for you you know you want
to go to cookies and Kool-Aid
community church
then go ahead and do that but
you know in your heart
that that's not what's right you know in your heart
that you need to follow the Lord Jesus Christ
and in a church like this is where you're going to be able
to have the opportunity to do that
or you can go back to the old IFB
you know you can go back to the old IFB and let them tell you
how Jesus is about to come back at any moment
he can come back in the service today
I mean how many times
did you get just ugh you just
you forget sometimes when you've been going
to this church for a while you forget what it's like
to sit in a church like that and have them just sit there
and lie to you service after service
and worship the Jews
and they have Moloch
engraved in the pulpit and they got
Israeli flags they got the American flag
they got the ecumenical Christian flag
hanging in there
and they're going to tell you how Jesus could come back at any moment
you know I got so sick of that
you know what's nice is to be able to just talk
about the things that we believe
and it's what's straight out of the Bible
isn't that nice?
you don't have to be like over in the corner with your friend like
yeah that pre-trib rapture's stupid
you know
that's kind of what
it's kind of what it's like
in one of those churches like you can't really
be yourself you can't talk about
you can't talk about doctrine
isn't it nice you can come to a church like this and just talk
about doctrine?
you know as long as it's not bozo doctrine right?
but anyway that's the sermon for tonight
but anyway
we want to be humble though don't we?
anyway
let's see let's look at verse number
30 it says Sain
so when they begin to mock here's what they're going to do
Sain this man
began to build
and was what?
not able to finish
you know what people are going to do when you're not able to finish the Christian life?
they're going to mock you and they're going to say
you couldn't finish
and what's worse than that?
not being able to finish
ladies don't you like to finish things that you start?
don't you like to finish you know
cleaning the house when you know
I'm kidding
my wife does like to finish cleaning the house though
alright?
she likes to
I don't know if she likes to clean but when she cleans she likes to finish
when she
starts to cook dinner for me
she likes to finish
you know what when I'm bowing the lawn
I don't want to leave a big patch of grass
in the corner I want to finish
you know anything that we start we should want to
finish and not just leave things undone
and nothing bothers my wife more
than leaving things undone believe me I know
I've heard
I've heard the story
she wants me to finish the things that I start too
so
anyway
we've been so busy since
you know we got in the ministry that like our house has kind of
become that house in Proverbs where it's just like
the cucumbers the
the fence has fallen over
and so you know now that I've gone full time I've been able
to kind of start doing a little more projects
you know that pressure washing job I was supposed to do
seven years ago you know
but you know
I want to finish that job but it's a big job
but what I'm saying is that you know we need
to finish what we start in anything that
we do but you know we're talking about Christ
we're talking about finishing as a disciple
but I'm going to talk about other things too that we need
to finish think about this
who's ever run a marathon in here anybody
alright we got one guy
over here he looks like he's ready
to run another one
so but like I know
I've never run a marathon before
big surprise to you right
but
but I know a guy that ran
a marathon and I was just talking like he
like the next day he was like
dead and
like he was telling me how he
had to like the like the
shirt like even the shirt you wear
when you run a marathon can
well it'll hurt you if you're running
20 what is it 26 and a half miles or something
like that isn't that a full marathon
I think it is but anyway
sees his
he was sore like I could see
like looking at him that he was sore
but he was very determined to finish
and when people set out to
do something even in a marathon what do you have to do
you have to train you have to build yourself
up you have to get the
endurance and energy to be able to do that
you know because it takes a toll
on you to be able to finish a marathon
and you train to what
to be able to finish you train to be
able to finish and that's the way it should be in our Christian life
that we we go through training
in church we go through training
by reading our Bibles we go through training
by sitting here listening to preaching
we go through training in soul winning
and all the things that we do to learn
to live the Christian life we
have to train to be able to do that so that we're able
to finish but you know what if you just
quit if it was never your
intention to finish you're never going to train up
to finish well and that's
what we need to be able to do is to train up to finish
well look at verse 31 it says
or what king going to
make war against another king
sitteth not down first and consulteth
whether he is
able with 10,000
to meet that cometh
against him with 20,000
so that's kind of an interesting
way to say something but that's kind
of the way the Christian life is
I think he kind of put that there on purpose because
when we fight the warfare that
we fight as Christians it seems
like it's 10,000
against 20,000 doesn't it because
our lives can get difficult our lives can get hard
and people do quit because the
Christian life is not easy we
always say salvation is really easy don't we
and it is salvation is
easy as believing on the Lord Jesus Christ
that's all it takes to be saved
but we always say living
the Christian life is what's hard
living the Christian life is what's hard when
your whole family turns against you that
gets hard when your co-workers think you're
weird that gets hard
when you know you go
three times a week to church that
can get hard sometimes when you're going
multiple soul wanting times plus
going to church three times a week plus doing a
full time job plus working a second job
if you're a man plus staying at home and
taking care of multiple children because we preach
to have big families it's not
easy and in churches like this it's even
harder isn't it to
live the Christian life but you know
what you have to train yourself and prepare yourself
to finish strong and finish
well and
so I think that's pretty interesting he says
to meet 10,000 with
or meet 20,000 with 10,000 because
that seems to be the way the Christian
life can be sometimes but you know I don't want to make it out
to be all hard there's a lot of joy
in the Christian life there's a lot of peace
in the Christian life you know what's peaceful
you know knowing that your kids are saved
when you go to bed at night and you pillow your head
you know that you did everything you could
to make sure that your children were
saved but you know what if you quit
there's no guarantee is there
and so you got more to think
about than just your own family
or your own self and your own hide
you have to be willing to give up your own life
for the life of your children
for the life of your wife
it's very important for your
children to be saved isn't it I mean
what are you doing this for
you know we need to be
serious about the Christian life
and make sure that we know that it's important
to finish not just for our own sake
not for the Lord's sake only
but also for the sake of our whole family
all of our children because you know
what I want is all my children to be saved
and you know what they all are
and I'm glad because
you know I've seen people drop out
and their kids weren't saved
and they cared more about their own life
and the big truck that they wanted to buy
or the house out in the country
or all this other stuff that means absolutely
nothing
in the grand scheme of things what does it compare
to the life and the soul of your own children
it's nothing
those things mean nothing
and you know what when we go to heaven
you know I have not seen or heard
those things that are
I forgot the rest of the verse
prepared for us
those things are prepared for us
because
we don't know
what heaven is going to be like but I'll tell you
it's going to be way better than it is here
so what are you so worried about your
hemi dodge diesel you know
hillbilly mobile
and you know whatever it is that you know
floats your boat your quads
and your quad life and all this other stuff
I'm just saying that because you're an
Oklahoma I don't know I'm not making fun of you
because that stuff's up to where we live too so
but you know what I'm saying
it's like how important is that stuff really
to you because most of the times when I go
to knock on doors the people with the RVs
never interested in getting saved
people with the Subarus never
interested in getting saved the people with the quads
in their garage
never interested in getting saved the people polishing
their boats outside never
interested in getting saved the people
prostrate in their front yard
bent over kneeling to their trees
and kneeling to their bushes and their
flowers you know what they're never interested in
getting saved
so why is it so important for us to
live this life of just
pleasure and luxury and try to be like
keeping up with the Joneses
it's stupid it's idiotic
and you know what hey God's gonna still give you
all that stuff anyway but you know
seek ye first the you know the kingdom of God
and His righteousness and all these things
shall be added unto you see people get it
backwards and Christians get it backwards
it's like stop working so
hard for all these extra things in life
why don't you work harder for God and you know then He's gonna
give you the extra things in life
so
anyway it says in
verse 32 or else
while the other
is yet a great way off
He sendeth in a passage
and desireth conditions of peace
so likewise whosoever
he be of you that forsaketh
not all that he hath
he cannot
be my disciple
can he be any more crystal clear than this
can Jesus be any more crystal
clear that we have to forsake
all that we have
and to us some of us probably even just
sitting here thinking man that's
that is a hard saying who can
hear it but you know what we need to hear it
at the end of the chapter it says he who hath ears
to hear you know
should hear right so look at
verse 34 it says salt
is good but if the
salt hath lost its savor
wherewith shall it be seasoned
and so now he's basically changing
gears here to say hey if you don't
have that salt if you don't have
that saltiness in you as a
Christian then it's neither
fit for the land nor yet for the dung
hill but men cast it out
he that hath ears to hear let
him hear you know your life
means nothing if you're not willing to
forsake all that you have you know you're
you know to be Christ's disciple
it means nothing unless you're willing to
forsake all you have excuse me so
let's look at Matthew
chapter 19 verse 21 turn over there
you're like pastor Thompson how
dare you tell me I can't be Jesus'
disciple I didn't say that I
mean I said it but it was Jesus' words
right
the Bible says
not not pastor Thompson says the Bible
says if you will not forsake
all you cannot be a disciple
if you have you know if you're
not willing to walk away from everything
and your own little precious
life and all the things that you think are so important
then you know
you're not going to be a disciple of Christ
period look at Matthew chapter
19 verse 21
Jesus said unto him now this is
talking about the rich young ruler as he's
called he comes to Jesus asking what
he has to do to get eternal life
he basically says he's kept all the
commandments from his youth you know
what lacky what is he lacking
you know well first of all he's self
righteous I would say because to
say that you've kept all the commandments
I would say that you're a liar
so I mean the most common thing
we do is lie isn't it so I think that
he's self righteous and he's probably a liar
right so it says
but Jesus said to him if thou wilt be perfect
go and sell that
thou hast and give to the poor
and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come
and follow me
what is he saying to him forsake everything
you have and come and follow me
isn't that what he's saying and why did he
pick this thing to say to him because
first of all he's already self righteous but
Jesus knows people's hearts Jesus
can read people's minds and he knows
what's important to him what's important to him
his life the things that he has
all of his money that's why
he you know he attacks the possessions
here Jesus does says but
when the young man heard that saying
he went away sorrowful for
he had great possessions
and so that's
why you know he didn't want to get saved
he didn't want to get saved but Jesus didn't
just say you know he said do all that
but then he said come and follow me
see but he he already
saw what it was going to cost him
to follow Jesus and he didn't want
any part of it
so then Jesus said unto his disciples
verily I say unto you that a rich
man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of
heaven and again I say unto you it's easy
for the camel to go through an eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom
of God when his disciples
heard it they were exceedingly amazed
saying who can be saved who then
can be saved but Jesus
beheld him and said unto them
with men this is
impossible but with God all things
are possible so don't forget that you know
we we go to rich people's doors
and knock on them we think these guys aren't getting saved these guys
aren't getting saved but you know what sometimes they get saved
because it's with
God all things are possible
so
um where was I at what verse was I in sorry
I lost 26
okay now look at verse 27 it says
then answered Peter and said unto
him behold we
have forsaken all
and follow thee what
shall we have therefore
what shall we have because we've done this
because isn't it true
didn't they forsake all that they have
didn't they forsake all they had and follow Jesus
they did they dropped their nets
they quit their fishing business
and all the little you know the Matthew was a
publican he was a tax collector
quit right there left his table sitting
there you know those
disciples did quit
and followed after Christ they forsook all that
they had and look at verse 28 says
and Jesus said unto them verily I
say unto you that
ye which have followed me
in the regeneration when the son of man shall
sit in the throne of his glory he
also shall sit upon
twelve thrones judging
the twelve tribes of Israel so this
is what they're going to get that's not what we're
going to get so but skip down to what you're going to get
and everyone
that hath forsaken houses
or brethren or sisters
or father or mother
or wife or children
or lands for my name's sake
shall receive an hundredfold
and shall inherit everlasting life
you're like what do you mean forsake
your children well
everybody comes to Christ
at different walks of their life
maybe you've already raised
reprobate children maybe you've already raised
children that just are not interested
in what you're interested in
you know sometimes you have to forsake those things
and I'm not saying stop loving your kids
I'm just saying that to forsake
them and follow Christ because look
your family is the biggest drag
in your life when the unsaved
family members are going to be the biggest drags in your life
they're always going to be pulling at you
they're always going to be saying why can't you
do Halloween what's so bad about
carving a pumpkin
aren't they they're going to say
well what's wrong with drinking
you know we're going to drink
if you want to come to Christmas at our house
you're just going to have to deal with it
and then you have to make the decision of
whether you really are going to
follow Christ or not whether you're really
going to say you know what well if you
keep planning birthday parties on Sundays
guess what I'm not coming
because that's their
pull on you well why can't you
just skip one church service
no I'm not skipping a
church service I'm going to go to church
why don't you stop planning stuff on the Lord's
day why don't you get your lazy
Marcus in church
why don't you come and follow Christ like
I'm following Christ see but
they always want to drag you back into the
pig pen with them they always
want to bring you back to your own pile
of vomit and they always want
to drag you away from Christ
you know why because they're
not of Christ that's why
and yeah you love them I get
that I love my family too
but I'll tell you what when it comes to my family
or God I'm going to choose
God every time
so and that's what it's saying
he's saying forsaken
brethren forsaken sisters
forsaken father and mother
there's parents out there
you should try your best to respect
them and I'm not saying you should disrespect them
I'm just saying that when it comes to serving
God serving God is always
going to be should always be first over
what you're and let me tell you they're going to
pull at your heartstrings about
everything well why
can't you just just this one time
you know and
you have to make a decision are you
willing to first take all to follow Christ
or not or are you just going to stick
with your twice dead relative
that just wants to drag you out of church
because that's what they want and you don't
always have to necessarily say that to them
you know because they're not going to understand
what it is that they're doing sometimes
sometimes that person
might not be they might just be lost not
a reprobate at all but just a
lost person that wants to
live worldly and they want you to live
worldly like you used to why can't you just
be like you used to Cameron
why what's wrong with you
why can't you skip one church
service Cameron
why can't you do it
you know and people will pull at you
in all these different ways
but look what it also says in verse 29
it says or lands
see people get caught up with the
things that they possess
and we do have to listen loosen our grip
on the things of this world
and it says for my name's
sake shall receive what
a hundred fold
and shall inherit everlasting life
so not only we get everlasting life
that's the free gift that we get
but you know we also get to inherit a
hundred fold whatever you forsake
in your life has added
to you a hundred fold I'm not saying you're going to have a hundred mothers
that would be
but they might be different kinds of mothers
who is my brother who is my mother
and he's talking about brothers and
sisters in Christ mothers in the faith
fathers in the faith and so
you know you might not you're
real fleshly parents might not love
you anymore they might have forsaken you because
of what you've chosen to do
but you know what you're going to have a mother in heaven
that loves you and loves
you for who you are in Christ
look at verse 30 it says but many that
are first shall be last and the last
shall be first
if anyone in your family is more
important to Christ you can't be his
disciple if your queer relative
is more important
to you than Christ
then you can't be his disciple
and this is another thing that pulls
at people's heartstrings because we preach so hard
against the queers that
they just this is just something that we get attacked
on not only by fellow
Christians fellow
Baptist but then we also have to deal with it
with our own family members
what's wrong with Johnny he just was born that way
we know that's not
true Johnny Nixon might have been
no I'm just kidding he wasn't either
nobody's born that way
nobody's born a queer or
else God's a monster
because he says to stone them with stones doesn't he
but we're supposed to just
oh your little queer
faggot cousin we're supposed to just
you know your parents and your family
are going to pull at your heartstrings over queer
relatives I know if I just ask for a raise of hands
right now everybody in here has a
queer relative and you know
what you're supposed to do definitely
forsake them definitely
forsake them and
indefinitely forsake
them have nothing to do with them don't
let your kids be babysit by them
I mean I can't believe sometimes
what some Christians like oh
yeah just come on you know
someone was telling me about a preacher
that was saying if a homosexual comes into
this church I'm going to give him a
contract and say welcome to church
or if some
and then a transsexual
or whatever some transvestite
comes in they're going to say the same thing
you know what I'm going to say get the hell out of here
and don't ever come back
leg kicks out the door
we'd never be violent like that though we're not
supposed to be violent I'd have somebody else do it
but anyway
look your fag cousin
is not more important than Christ
or your brother
or your child
or your parents
I mean someone could be turned over to
a reprobate mind and theoretically
your parents could turn into a homo
can't they it happens all the time
so
you know are they more important than Christ
absolutely not turn to Matthew
chapter 10 verse 34
and I've said before
even if it's your Siamese twin
alright if it's your Siamese twin
you forsake that person too
and try to get yourself cut away from them if you can
alright
Matthew chapter 10 verse 34
think not that I'm come to send peace on earth
I came not to send peace
but a sword
for I am come to set a man at
variance against his father
and the daughter against her mother
and the daughter in law against her mother in law
and a man's foe shall be they of his own
household
that's what the Bible says
so why would we be surprised
that Christ would expect us to sever that
relationship with someone if he says
he came not to send peace
but a sword
why? of course he wants
you to forsake them
get rid of them get them out of your life
and obviously you don't
have to just like burn the bridge down
on the way out
unless you're talking about some reprobate
but your family members that are unsaved
honestly when you get saved
you get on fire you're trying to get
all of them saved but sometimes we do damage
when we do that because we want them
to live how we live we want them to think how
we think and unless they get converted
they're never going to think like you think
anything you say about the homos
they're not going to understand
they're really not they're not
going to take it as far as you will let's just say that
they might not like them
but they're not going to take it as far as you
so they're not
going to say they should be stoned with stones
right? they're not
so and now in this
day and age where you know I'm 46
years old and I never thought I'd live
to see where transvestites
are serving our tables at
restaurants but
like every place you go
you know you catch the glimpse of the green
hair in the it's like
green? are you trying to be the
Incredible Hulk or something?
they got all these
fangs in their face you know
when I were if you go to Walmart
now where we live
like I get mad
I'd start
turning fags into their managers and
all kinds of stuff like the last time
I think the last time I actually went in there
I just I've turned
some homos in that were talking about some really nasty
stuff in the bathroom and I came
out and I went right to their manager
when I left and I said these queers are talking
about a bunch of nasty stuff in the bathroom
I said they should be fired
but what
my point is is that things have changed
dramatically
and there's a generation growing up that are
never going to know what it's not like
to have queers around all the time and out of the closet
I mean
it was just being talked about when I
first became a Christian about queer marriage
now it's just a
it's just an everyday thing it's no big deal
and it should always be a big deal to
us
I wasn't intending to talk about homos so much so
maybe someone's struggling with severancing
that relationship with your queer relative
who is it? I'm just kidding
just kidding
or am I?
but it says the man's
foes shall be they of their own household
sometimes whole houses are divided
over Christ
so if your job, money
or land or house are more
important than serving Christ you can't
be his disciple
but guess what as a
pastor I see people make the
decision to forsake Christ all the
time and choose to go back to the world
all the time there's nothing more sad
to me than that you invest all this
time in people you invest all
this training and
all this stuff just to have them just quit
and leave or move away
you know and no matter what you
say it's never going to change they've made
up their mind they're done
and that's the saddest thing to me
but I know people can come back from that
people can come back from that
but it's very difficult
once you get back out into the
world and you start living the life that you used to live
it's very difficult to come back
but it can be done
so
what does it cost to be a disciple?
What does it cost? It costs everything
doesn't it? Turn to John chapter 15
you know what
purging
is the cost for soul winning
purging is the cost for soul winning
look at John
15 it says I am the true vine and the
father is the husband and every branch
in me that beareth not fruit he
taketh away and every
branch that beareth fruit he purgeth
it that it may bring forth
more fruit and what is it talking
about? If you think about like
I don't know like
pruning things right
you have like rose bushes or something
you're supposed to prune things back and
that hurts it that hurts it but
in the long run it makes it grow
to be more fruitful when you have fruit trees
or vines
I'm definitely not a gardener but I
understand what it's talking about here and that's what it's
talking about sometimes things have to be clipped off of you
things have to be clipped out of your life
for you to be able to be grown
and more fruitful
and the other thing that you have to do
is you have to be willing to be
purged if you want
soul winning to be a lifelong thing that you do
you have to bear the
purges that Christ does
in your life you know whatever it is
your television if it's your
video games or whatever it is
because I'll tell you what it takes extra
time to purpose to go out soul winning
it does and you can make
all the excuses that you want in the world to not
do it and you can go for 59 minutes
and 59 seconds every
Sunday at 2 o'clock if you want
but I'm sure you guys go longer than that because
we have a shorter service time
in between we have 59 minutes
and 59 seconds now
but you know look at what it
says in verse 3 it says now you are clean
through the word which I have spoken unto you
abide in me and I in you
as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself
except it abide in the vine
no more can you
except you abide in me
so you have to be willing to be purged
but you also have to abide in the vine
and like wouldn't you say that this church is kind of like
a vine there's a bunch of different fruit
in this church and you're trying to go forth
and bring forth more fruit you're trying to
you know you're trying to plant your own tree
and you know do the triple crown
where you get them saved and they come to church
they get baptized then they keep
coming to church everybody wants that
out of their soul winning
and that's a little harder to do these
days isn't it especially
in a church like this you know when people
look up the Google reviews when people
look up the website let's just be honest
it's harder to get people to come
to a church like this than it
is to hey come to
you know guess what we got
ponies for the kids to ride we got
Chuck E. Cheese every week we got a Starbucks
in the hey come to our church this week
isn't that a lot more appealing
than hey come and listen to somebody
rip your face off for an hour
it's family integrated you have to sit there and
slap your kids around and make sure
they're behaving
you know you're
encouraged to go soul winning you're shamed
into it almost
why aren't you going soul winning today
oh okay
didn't see you last week either
you know
so
it's a little more appealing to be invited
to these big community fun centers
it's harder to bring people to church get them
baptized and teaching the Bible in
this church because nobody wants to hear the word of God anymore
they want to hear fables they
want to hear these Jewish fables they want to hear
you know all the cute little stories
that make them go home feeling like butterflies
are fluttering in their bosom right
they want a Mormon church basically
but
they don't want a independent
fundamental Baptist church
it's King James only
that preaches hard on sin
that's soul winning they don't want all that
but some people do
you know and
it's important that we abide in the vine
and that we allow Christ
to purge those things in our lives
that need to be taken out
what's the cost for soul winning
to be purged and sometimes
being purged hurts and you have to let
go of those things that you don't really
shouldn't really be doing
anymore those time
even if it's just something that you do that
wastes time that's time you
could be soul winning
so the word abide means to continue
to dwell you want to
dwell in Christ you want to continue
in Christ and you know you got to
count the cost in order to be
able to do that look at verse number 5
I'm the vine you're the branches he that abideth in me
and I in him the same bringeth
forth what much
fruit so what do we have to do
to bring forth much fruit well we have to
abide in Christ
you know what we have to be willing to be purged
by him it says for without me
you can do nothing
if a man abideth not
in me he is cast forth
as a branch and is withered
and men gather them
and cast them into the fire and
they are burned now this isn't talking
about him sending you to hell this is
just talking about that basically you're like
the salt that lost its savor
you're good for nothing you're to be cast
into the dung hill you're basically
kind of a worthless Christian
if you're not bringing forth fruit you really kind
of are a worthless Christian I know brother Stuckey
just preached or he just had like a little
thing where people said that
they were really mad about him preaching this
that you're worthless if you're not going
soul winning now the caveat
to this is that is that yeah
there's people that have like maybe
you have a busted leg maybe you're you know you
just had a child and you're not you know we don't
expect you to go out soul winning right
after you have a baby it's like hey get out there
you haven't got soul winning in three days
what's wrong with you woman get out
there we're not like that
nobody's like that
but there are people that just don't want to go
those are the people that get offended
those are the people that whine and complain about it
but you know Christ said to
be willing to be purged and you have to abide
in him and so
we should count it important to go
and continue
soul winning how are you going to
abide in him and be purged
and bring forth more fruit if you just don't
stop going you got to keep going
so it says in verse seven if you
abide in me and my words abide
in you you shall ask what you
will and it shall be done unto you
here is my father glorified that you bear
much fruit
so shall you be
what my disciples
see we have
to count the cost
even when it comes to soul winning to be Christ's
disciples and what's the cost
purging getting those things
out of your life that you shouldn't have in your life
and abiding
in Christ
so what else does soul winning cost
an aching back
you're not
old enough yet to have your back ache from soul
winning maybe some of you but maybe you
already have a bad back and when you go to soul winning you feel it
it can
cost an aching back
it can cost aching feet
it can cost ridicule from friends
and family oh you're like one of those Jehovah's
witnesses huh you just go around and knock on people's
doors and bother them yep
but I'm not like a Jehovah's Witness and I'm not like a Mormon
they're trying to be like
us but they're false they're
bringing a false gospel
so what else do we get
ridicule at the door right
and being accused of being
Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons when we knock
on the door I mean it's a big
cost to go soul winning but is it worth it
for that one person that gets saved when you go out soul winning
we had five people saved yesterday
and you know what I guarantee you that
they're happy the fact that they got saved
and even if they're too stupid to realize how happy
they should be they still got saved
right
so it's a high cost to go
soul winning but you know what it's worth the cost but are
you willing to pay the cost that's the real question
are you willing to pay the cost
for soul winning
so persecution
and hatred is the cost for
living godly in Christ Jesus are you willing to
pay that cost because
when you come to a church like this you're going to get
persecuted you know
and you're like yeah the new
IFP woo yeah
and then when people start calling your work and trying to
get you fired then you're like woo the
IFP oh the old the new IFP no
people get scared
people back off and
people try to take me down all
the time people try to take my
friends down all the time and say all manner
of evil against us and they say
all manner of evil against you too
they will take
anybody and go after them for any reason
that they deem necessary and they'll sit there
and lie through their teeth
and spread it all over the internet
and spread it all over social media
and just lie about you
why because the high cost
for living godly in Christ
Jesus is persecution
that's why turn to
2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 11
hold your finger
in John 15 though hold your finger in
John 15 turn to 2 Timothy chapter 3
verse 11
2 Timothy 3 verse 11 says
and this is Paul talking
and obviously we know he was persecuted
right
persecutions afflictions
which came unto me at
Antioch and Iconium
and Lystra he was stoned
with stones at Lystra and left
for dead what persecutions
I endured but out of them all
the Lord delivered me
and all that live godly
in Christ Jesus
shall suffer persecution
shall
suffer persecution so if you're
here today and you're in a church like this
and you're living godly in Christ Jesus
because you're listening to the preaching and you're like yeah
I want to apply that to my life I want to live
godly in Christ Jesus I want to press
toward the mark of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus I want to live
the Christian life I want to be
soul winning and three to thrive
well you know what you're going to endure
persecution
and you better be willing to count the
cost because the cost can be high
sometimes persecution
is going to cost you something it's not just
some little you know wind
blowing 25 miles an hour outside
messing up your hair before you come to church
it's going to be more than that
that's what happened to me today
but anyway
my wife's holding her hair like this no
I
was holding my hair like this no
did it work?
but
anyway look
we're going to get persecuted if we live
godly in Christ Jesus
and if you're holding out for the day
when they're
going to love you again well guess what
you can just hold your breath for a long time because
it's never going to happen
do you think that your parents
you know that your parents that don't
like that you go to this church are ever going to
love the fact that you come to this church unless they
get saved they're probably never going to love that
it's never going to
get better it's always going to get worse
now we don't always
suffer persecution every
24-7 or you know
I mean some people don't but
not
everybody does even Job
god gave a reprieve to in the end didn't he
and blessed him with more than he
was ever blessed with to begin with
but what did he have to suffer
for a time you know we're going to have to suffer and some
of us will have to suffer in different degrees than other
people what are you willing
to lose for that persecution
what are you willing to lose to be able to come to
a church like this
and live godly in Christ Jesus
you can lose everything
your house I mean who knows
you know eventually if you don't have a mark
on your head or on your forehead or
on your hand you're not going to be able to
buy or sell or do anything so
how are you going to make a house payment
how are you going to make the car payment
how are you going to put food on the table
how are you going to buy all your all your
clothes and all that stuff
well you're going to be running that's probably
what we're going to be doing but you know if we're
even here when that happens we don't we don't really know
but it says
evil men and seducers
shall wax worse and worse
deceiving and being deceived
we're going to get persecuted more why
because people are going to get worse
and worse not better and better
seducers are going to wax worse deceiving
other people and so when
other people are deceived when the truth hits them in the
face they're going to get mad
and they're going to persecute you
they're deceiving and being deceived
so it's just like this mass deception
that's going on they're deceiving
them that person is in turn deceiving
them but here we are with the truth
and people don't like it
people don't like it when
we rip against the homeless people don't like it
when we teach that you should have big
families people don't like it when we teach
about going soul winning and that you're not right
with God if you're not going soul winning
people don't like that
brother I didn't even know brother Stuckey's
sermon was that controversial but apparently
he's gotten all kinds of flack over
it you know who he got flack from people
that don't want to go soul winning because they're too lazy
right yeah because they didn't count
the cost
their back hurt
I'm never going soul winning again
their feet hurt I'm never going
someone yelled at me
somebody told me to go
to hell well I told them to go to
hell too so whatever
I try not to do that
though yesterday I did tell somebody to go to hell
but it was nice wasn't it Cameron
okay I nicely told them to
go to hell but anyway
flip
your flip back to John chapter 15
look at verse 18
look this should not surprise us but I'll tell
you what it does surprise people
when the persecution actually hits
it feels like a big pressure
of anxiety that comes over you
it's hard to explain unless you've actually
been through it before but when you're under
persecution regardless of what
sometimes it can be heavy sometimes it can be
light you know I
haven't had anybody try to hurt me before
but there's people in our church that people
have tried to hurt before
and you know that's not a fun feeling
but just persecution in general
is not a good feeling but it shouldn't
surprise us look at John
15 verse 18 it says if the
world hate you you
know that it hated me before it
hated you you should take some solace in
that hey they hated Jesus
before they hated you
it's not like they you know they didn't
hate Jesus they nailed him to a cross
I mean they spit on him they mocked
him they ripped his beard out
they punched him in the face you know
they made fun of him
and did all manner of evil
against him and so it
shouldn't surprise us that they're going to hate us too
look at what it says in verse 19
if you were of the world the world will love its
own but because you're not of the
world but I have chosen you out of the
world therefore the world
hateth you why does
the world hate you because Jesus called you
out of the world you know what the world wants
their people back
and if they can't get you back then they're
going to persecute you and if they hated
Jesus they're going to hate you don't
be surprised about it look at verse number
20 remember the word that I said unto
you the servant is not greater
than his Lord if they have persecuted
me they will also
persecute you
if they have kept my saying they will keep
yours also but all these things will they
do unto you for my
namesake because they know not
him that sent me what
is the price what is the cost
for living godly in Christ
Jesus its persecutions
are you willing to pay the cost
are you willing to pay for
the price of being
godly in Christ Jesus well
you should be willing to
because you know we need to be
his disciples
now look at Luke chapter 21 verse
17 Luke chapter 21
verse 17
Luke chapter 21 verse 17 says
and ye shall be hated
of all men
for my name's sake
just underline that in your Bible
remember that it says that because
at some point if you're living godly in
Christ Jesus people
are going to hate you for it you know
and you know people are all
riled up about the mass stuff and I get it
I hate wearing them too you know I had to
wear one for hours just to come here to preach
you know that's persecution
brother
it's persecution by the government
but is it persecution
from the world that hates us
not necessary it's not a Christian
thing yet
but you know we need to
make sure that we understand what real persecution is
so don't get that confused
so now eventually that
could be something that we're persecuted
over but that's
not what it's all about you know it's not
the shame of the mask that
makes us you know
hated by the world it's the shame of
Christ they hate Christ
or they just they're not
they're of the world if people are of the world
and they don't love Christ then
they're going to persecute us
so if you go to a church like steadfast
baptist church or verity baptist church or faithful word
baptist church or stronghold baptist church or faithful word
or FWBCLA
or our church or foundation baptist
church you're going to receive some
persecution at some point have you
kind of the cost for that persecution
and you know some people
just want to make excuses
as to why they can just
get out of the Christian life and
stop following Christ they make
the dumbest excuses
ever to get out of it
and in this chapter that we actually
started in Luke chapter 14 we
get to hear some of the dumb excuses that people
use in order to not come
and serve in the kingdom of God look at
Luke chapter 14 let's go back to verse number 16
again
Luke chapter 14 verse 16
Luke 14 16 says
Then said he unto them
a certain man made a great supper and bade many
and sent his servant of supper
at suppertime excuse me
to say to them that were bidden
come for all things are now ready
and they all with one consent
begin to what make
excuse they're
making excuses
right the first said unto him
I have bought a piece of ground I
must needs go and see it I
pray thee have me excused
so let me ask you this do you ever buy
a piece of ground
who's bought a house before they actually saw it
before anybody
most people want to go see the house
come on honey let's go tour the house and let the kids
run all over and you know we want to see what
the house looks like or if you're just buying
a piece of property period
nobody's going to go and buy something
like that without seeing it first
that's an excuse that's why
these are listed as excuses because
I think that they're dumb excuses and I think
any reason for you to stop serving Christ
is a dumb excuse
but it says I must go
needs and see it I pray thee have me excused
so think about
this you got to count the cost
when you buy a piece of land
don't you you got to count
the cost so if you're thinking
this is an excuse as to why someone would
quit church or quit serving God
because they bought a piece of ground they have to go check it out
or maybe they have to move
five or six hours away
instead of going to a good church they chose the
good piece of ground and made an excuse
as to why they needed to leave church
and bought some house or something that they can't
afford have you counted the cost
can you afford that house
well everything's at a record low
pastor Thompson right now the APR
everything is just it's super cheap
right now to buy a house isn't that what everybody's
telling you oh the finance
costs are the lowest they've been in years
but how much are the houses
they're way more than
they used to be aren't they you see how they get you
and then they just
you know I'm sure everybody's heard that
the house we got to get the house now
we got to refinance now it's so important
is it really that is it
more important than serving Christ though
is buying your dream
home out in the country more important
than going to a great church in a place
where you live 20 minutes from or a place
you live three hours from
it's way more important what is
worth more that stupid piece of ground
that you're going to just go into
debt up to your eyeballs in and have to
pay for the furnace to get redone and the roof to
get done and all this other stuff you
know I've been renting until Jesus comes
I'm serious I rent
you're like you're stupid Pastor Thompson
do you know how low the interest rates are right now
I don't care
you know what I care about being 20 minutes from the church I'm at
you know what I care about
not going into debt up to my eyeballs
so I can have a stupid house
that's just going to burn someday anyway
I'm not saying don't buy a house
buy a house but count
the cost
are you trading your Christian life
for that house are you trading
your Christian life
by having to work more hours and work more
overtime because you're a single sole
provider in your household and
it's important that your wife stays home
and takes care of the house and
all this other stuff well think about how much
that's going to cost if you're never home
to spend time with your family your wife wants to divorce you
because she never sees you
and then you're up to debt in your eyeballs and you have to work
way more hours than you ever had to work before
and then the pressure of still going to church
three times a week and going soul winning
something's going to give
and you know what it's going to be it's going to be your church life
oh I got to work this overtime
do ya
did you have to buy that piece of ground
did you have to go needs and see it
you know you got to count the cost
is it more important
to have your dream home
and your dream little Cinderella life
out in the country with all your
cows and horses and your little
you know herbal tea
and whatever
what do they call the
the you know the
yeah kombucha
whatever all this healthy
lifestyle stuff that everybody is just all
you know I want to be a homesteader
well you know you should have been here when
Oklahoma was first available then
don't they have the homesteading act here
I learned that in school
okay
so
look people make excuses
for all kinds of things
but can you afford to give up on
your Christian life because you bought a piece of ground
I don't think you can
you can't spiritually afford it you probably can't
physically afford it quit going into debt
and being spiritually bankrupt
over a stupid house
and again I'm not saying don't buy a house
if you can afford to buy a house buy a house
but don't move six hours away from the church
you're at to do that don't move
three don't move away from the church
that you're already at
why would you
I mean I'm not saying don't ever move for a
different church if you're going to go to a church
that's good fine I'm not
saying that what I'm saying is
don't move away from church
that's what I'm saying
so and you can't spiritually afford it
your divorce lawyer's
going to cost you a lot of money
you know what because you know what if you get out of
God's will what is he going to do to you
he's going to punish you if you're saved
you think you're just going to go off
and live your own little life and
live stream and make all your
witty YouTube comments with your fake
name and just live out your life in peace
God's going to bring the sword against you
just know it he's going to bring the paddle
it's going to have holes in it
alright so
what about
the
cost of having a homeschooling family
are you willing to pay for that
cost because it does cost more money
you got to pay your taxes
to the government for all the public
school kids that are getting fed all the
garbage that we get fed on a daily
basis and
you know everybody's racist even
though they don't realize it and all this other stuff
but
are you willing to
husbands work outside the
home and not let your wife
work outside the home so that
you can have that homeschool family
are you willing to work more hours because sometimes
you are going to have to work more hours
but
you know are you willing to do that
for your wife to be able to stay home
wives are you
willing to pay the cost to be dresses
and skirts only because it's not
just the cost of money
you know and for one thing it's hard to find
ones that actually go past the knee anymore
and
monetarily that's not what I'm talking about
I'm talking about the shame that you get from
being in skirts and dresses only are you willing to pay that
cost because people will
you know say are you
Mormon they'll say are you
are you Russian by any chance
that's what people always think my daughter's
Russian like duh duh
goose ruski you know
she's like no
but that's what they think
but you know are you willing to pay the cost
and you know people are going to
ridicule for things like that
but don't have excuses to
to just be pants too
you know don't just keep that pair of rustlers
up in your closet waiting for the time
your husband goes out of town or something
so you can put your pants back on
you know count the cost of falling Christ
he doesn't want you to be a cross dresser does he
getting quiet in here
your old rhinestone
cowgirl jeans that have
looks like someone shot him with a shotgun
in the front
yeah these
look perfect
it's like what
they're only
a hundred dollars it's like I'll make you
a song for way cheaper than that
but anyway
but I won't because it's wicked but anyway
so look
here's the next excuse verse 19
and another said I have bought five yoke of
oxen and I go to prove them
I pray thee have me excused
now if you think about oxen
obviously those are things that you'd use to
work right you'd use
oxen to work but like who
buys a bunch of oxen
or a bunch of things for work
and doesn't look at them first
you know this is another weak excuse
he just wants to be excused
from being bitten
and that's what people will use any excuse
is just as good as the next
we were out someone yesterday me and brother Cameron
my wife and a bunch of the other guys
and
people this lady was like
we're right in the middle of a flood right here
we're right in the we're in a flood
it's like where where's the water
and
he's just like well they just want you know
people just make all kinds of excuses
yeah we got milk in the fridge
hey
I'm sorry I can't talk to you right now I got milk in the fridge
it's like
because when you don't want to do something one excuse is just
as good as the next isn't it
and that's what the way people are
and that's kind of what these excuses make me think of
but have you counted the cost
of those oxen that you wanted to buy
because
you know think about modern day what that would be
the work truck
man
you know that work truck's got to have a
24 inch lift kit on it
it's got super swamper tires on
and I don't know what the point is of having the tires
like extend past the body
does anybody know what that's all about
it's not economically
good for your gas mileage I don't know
what the point is
but I thought
if you like think of the demi or the
demi the hemi dodge
super ram diesel mega charger
or whatever you know truck that you want to buy
is that really worth the cost that it's going to cost you
because guess what just like the house payment
you add on a
$100,000 truck that you put all the extras on
it's got the
strobes and the you know fake police
sirens and it's got the deer sights
and on both sides and it's got machine gun
turrets attached to it or whatever
it's got AR-15s on every
corner you know
I need it for my work truck dang it
how much is it worth
you know like I said with all the stuff
with the house is it worth it
it's not worth it and the cost
of a new car we were talking about that
I bought a new car one time because it was so
stinking hot outside that I needed air conditioning
and I bought a new car
dumbest thing I've ever done
as far as an investment because it was an investment
it was a Kia Soul first of all
that I got way overcharged
for if you ever see
me get into the Kia Soul you'll understand
why it was so dumb
I wish I would have gotten a hemi
super ram dodge charger
or whatever diesel powered
truck with
like seal eyes for the headlights
and all that stuff but anyway
I wish I would have
but look
you can make dumb decisions with buying cars
and trucks and
you know look maybe God will give
you that super charger whatever
in heaven you know maybe we'll have
we'll be able to fly
there so it'll probably be better
right don't you think we'll be able to fly
I think those dreams when we can
fly you know what I'm talking about
you ever had those dreams you run
and like you can fly for a little
bit you know what I'm talking about
and it's like you can glide
but then you come down you have to like get another
running start and jump up again
I
think we'll actually be able to fly in the future
hopefully anyway
getting off into heresy so let's get back into the sermon
here
anyway so
you know buying a new vehicle
it could put you in a spiritually
bankrupt situation just like
it could put you in a monetarily
bankrupt situation and you know
again I know I've no
Christians that have done this I
had you know they got a new truck
going to our church
got a new truck then guess what
they had to start working overtime on the weekends all the time
every weekend every time there's
overtime posted they had to work it
and then slowly but surely
they stopped coming to services
and you know as much as I still tried
to be like hey you know I'm trying you know trying to encourage
them to come back to church and then eventually
guess what well guess what
happened just you'll never guess
guess what happened they quit church
over a stupid
truck
so why do I preach against
this kind of stuff well because
a truck can get you out of church
that's why I'm sure
they think it's so important now while God's chastening
them that they bought that stupid
truck and it wasn't even jacked up anyway
so
look it's going to cost you more
than you want to pay
it's going to cost you it can cost you
spiritually it can cost you monetarily
and look are you able to
pay are you able to pay for that
cost you know some people think that
they can but then why if you if you
add it up how much it was going to cost you
then why you got to work so much overtime to get it
because you didn't count the cost that's why
so look at verse
number 20
and it says and another
said I have married a wife and therefore
I cannot come
I have married a wife therefore I cannot
come that might be the only legit excuse
in this whole bunch right here no
I'm just kidding but
seriously count the cost of
marrying a wife count the cost of marrying
a husband and I'll say this
this is very important
point right here this is very important
because people get so oh
I just I want to get married I want to start
the perfect new IFB family
you know she's going to obey me
and call me lord
he's going to be my knight in shining armor
and he's going to love me
and he's going to he's going to talk
sweetly to me but really he's going to be out underneath
the car working on it all the time
he's going to be skipping church
you know and look
that's all I'm saying is that you need to pick the right person
if you're going to marry a wife
you know and that wife is
an excuse to get you out of church
then that's a stupid decision
isn't it?
it's a stupid decision
I've married a wife therefore I cannot come
can't come to church because
I didn't pick a spiritual wife
I didn't pick a wife that actually wanted
to come to church I didn't pick a wife
that actually wanted to do the things of God that I wanted to do
and you spent all that time
and you spent all that money on the wedding
and now she doesn't even want to come with you
as a matter of fact she doesn't even like you anymore
is that where you want to be?
young people?
no you don't you want to be
with someone you want to marry someone
that isn't an excuse for you to not
come to church right?
you need to count the cost of marrying
a spouse
because you know ladies
you might be happy to marry Mr. Studmuffin
you know he's real handsome now
he's got a six pack he's got
you know 24 inch pythons or whatever
but maybe he doesn't have a spiritual bone
in his body
maybe he's dumb as a post
maybe he doesn't care about working hard
for your family
what is most important in life
you know obviously following Christ
but you know if you're going to pick someone
to live the rest of your life with maybe it should be a person
that actually wants to live that life with you
because if you're fighting
upstream all the time
it's a very sad
sad situation
and you know men
if you're marrying some woman
that you think is your Cinderella
you put the glass slipper on it fits perfectly
oh you know she's so new IFB
but then
any kind of persecution comes
or maybe she was just making up stories to try to get
with you or whatever
then next thing she becomes Jezebel
you know you don't want to marry Jezebel
do you?
so what I'm saying to you is this
when you get married
you better count the cost
you better make sure you get to know them
you better get into marriages
and I know like Pastor Mendez's
advice for people is to go for one year of seasons
before you marry somebody
and I agree with that
I think that you should go through a season with them
because how do you know
what they're going to be like the first time you go to the river
if they
got their bikini on
the next thing you know there's all these guys
ogling them, hey you got married to her already
but you know if you wait that season
and then you're like hey maybe I shouldn't marry this girl
she's a little loose
maybe I shouldn't marry this guy
you know he's got his shirt off showing his hulking
muscles to everybody, all the women are fawning
around him, you know it can
make a difference. Where are you going to spend
Thanksgiving?
That's a rough one isn't it?
Wherever the best food is
amen?
I don't want to go to my mom's
but those fights
happen. I'm not even
going to ask for a raise of hands, I already know they're going to come
up.
We went to your family
for Christmas and it sucked last year, we're going to mine
again
and that's, those things happen
so just get to know the
person. Are they on there
are they on your team
and are they on team Jesus? That's the most
important thing whether they're saved or not.
So you got to count the cost before
marrying a wife
look at verse 21
so that servant came and showed his lord these things
then the master of the house began
being angry
said to his servant go out quickly into the
streets and lanes of the city and bring
in hither the poor and the maimed
and the halt and the blind and the servant
said lord it is done as thou has commanded
yet there is room
and the lord said unto his servant go out
into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in
that my house may be filled
for I say unto you that none of these
men which are bidden shall taste of
my supper. Now listen to me
nobody's more important
than the kingdom
think about this guys at work
aren't those people that
they think that if they left
then the company would fold up their tents and be done
they
you know they're just all bitter
they're mad
because they didn't get their way about something
and they think that they're the greatest worker
and maybe they are a good worker but maybe
their attitude just sucks
but there's those types of people
in Christianity too
where they think well this church wouldn't move on without
me and my tithe money
this church wouldn't move on without me and my
piano playing skills this church wouldn't move on
without me who else is going to clean the church
guess what somebody else is going to do it
next man up
next woman up that's what's going to happen
you're not greater than the kingdom of heaven
you're not greater than anybody else in this church
and I'll tell you what
God's going to move on without you
the kingdom of God is going to move on
without you and you know what you're going to be sitting there
bitter in your house
watching live streams of Benny Hinn or something
or going to some lame church
and still bitter at the new IFB
it's your fault
quit thinking you're bigger than the kingdom
and that's what God's basically saying
right here is like they're not
going to taste my supper you want to make excuses
you want to quit you want to get out
well get out and you know that's fine
it's going to be you that suffers for it
and your family
because God's kingdom is going to march on
right
his truth will be marching on
like we sang earlier
so
Luke chapter 9 verse 61
Luke chapter 9 verse 61 I'm almost done here
Luke chapter 9 verse 61
Pastor Shelley said I can preach as long as I want
so
and the air conditioning feels nice in here
so
I'm just I'm really comfortable right now
if you need to stand up
and you know
slap yourself or something you can
anyway
Luke chapter 9 verse 61 says
Jesus said unto them no man
having put his hand to the plow
and looking back is fit
for the kingdom of God
and so God doesn't want us to look back
once we put our hand to the work
he wants us to keep going
what did Jesus say about Lot's wife
remember Lot's wife what did she do
she turned around and looked back at San Francisco
right as it was burning up
God told her not to look back
don't look back
you know when we look back and our soul
draws back into perdition we don't want to be
that kind of a Christian
we want to be one that's moving forward
for the kingdom of God not looking back
and I'll tell you this
people don't quit
and make excuses to quit
and blame the leadership for that
they're wicked
I'm sick of that I'm sick of that
happening all the time I'm just gonna
since I'm at another church nobody else is hearing what I'm saying
anyway so
it's okay but here's what I get
irritated about when it's fine
people quit go do what you
want I'm not your daddy you know
I care about you I want you to continue
on but if you don't that's still your
choice we're not in the
you know cults will try to keep you in
but we're not a cult
we'll kick you out okay
we don't want to try to keep people in that don't want to
be here but when you leave don't
make the pastor your excuse
as to why you're leaving
that's something that's irritating
or they'll say other people
in the church
you know are you going to
church for those other people are you
going to church for the pastor
you know it just
amazes me how many people
well you know the pastor will do so many nice things
for them and their family they'll do
all this stuff they'll call
they'll pray they'll stay up late talking to
them on the phone they'll do
all these things help them out monetarily
whatever they can do to help these
people and then in the end
the pastor does one thing that they don't
like they're gone
the pastor's a reprobate
the pastor's no good anymore
let me just tell you something right now
pastors make mistakes too
and not all pastors
no pastors are sinless
has pastor Shelley ever gotten up here
and said he was sinless before
we talked to a guy yesterday that
apparently didn't sin or a lady that didn't sin
anymore she keeps all the commandments
but I'll tell you what I don't
I want to
but there's a war between our
spiritual man and our fleshly man
and sometimes that flesh wins doesn't it
but it's
weird to me how people can be like
oh I love this pastor I like this pastor
this church is so great and then people start doing
a thing or two that they don't like and they're like I'm out
of here the
new IFB is a cult and then they leave
right isn't that what they do
isn't that what they say they're just waiting
for something to get out of church for
and they're like aha I found it
and then they
walk out and blame the pastor for
that because they don't want to serve because
they didn't count the cost of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus
they didn't count it but then they
want you to pay for it
I'm not taking that
and I don't think pastor Shelley should have to take it either
so to recap
everything that I said
we need to count the cost of following Christ
not just monetarily
but spiritually more importantly
than anything else and we need
to count the cost of
following you know for soul winning
for our life and church
you know choosing the right
spouse whether or not
to get a house or not
now I hope you don't think that I think
you're wicked if you're buying a house okay I'm not saying
that I'm just saying
if it's going to count
if it's going to cost you your spiritual life
that maybe it's a decision that you should make
if moving away in the
middle of nowhere to
Podunk Holler wherever that's
I looked for it on the map I couldn't find it
but if that's more
important than you than serving Christ
you need to get your priorities
straight and you need to get your heart
right because following
Christ and being his
disciple is the most important thing
we can do in this life Philippians chapter 3 I'll just
close here verse 14 says
I press toward the mark
of the prize of the high calling of God
in Christ Jesus and that should
be every single person's goal
Heavenly Father we thank you Lord so much
for the great church Steadfast Baptist Church
and for all these fine people here
I pray Lord that you would help us to just
internalize this sermon and Lord
even this preacher here
and I just pray that Lord we'd always be
making decisions that are
for the spiritual good of our family
and for ourselves and Lord
that we would not quit
and not have lame excuses when we do so
Lord in Jesus name we pray, Amen
I turn if you would to
Psalm 126 in your white handout
should be a white handout in the chair
under your chair in the chair in front of you
or beat your neighbor up and take it from them
or in your Bible Psalm 126 is there as well
Psalm 126
Before we get this song started
Psalm 126 says he that goeth forth
and weepeth bearing precious seed
shout out let's come again
it says they that go in tears shall reap in joy
that's another cost that you need to have
counted for yourself going soul winning
so keep that in mind don't just sing it
because it's there think about the words
Psalm 126 let's go ahead and sing
When the Lord turned again
the captivity of Zion
we were like them that dream
Then was our mouth filled with laughter
and our tongue was singing
Then said they among the heathen
the Lord had done great things for them
the Lord had done great things for us
Whereof we are glad
Turn again our captivity
O Lord
as the streams in the South
they that sow in tears
shall reap in joy
they that sow in tears
shall reap in joy
Then said they among the heathen
the Lord had done great things for them
the Lord had done great things for us
Whereof we are glad
He that goeth forth and weepeth
bearing precious seed
shall doubtless come again
with rejoicing
bringing his sheaves with him
Then said they among the heathen
the Lord had done great things for them
the Lord had done great things for us
Whereof we are glad
Amen with that you are dismissed
you