back to anchor Baptist Church. If you want to find a seat and grab a hymnal, for our first hymn,
turn to 372. We're only going to sing that first verse. This is our kind of men's preaching night
plus crowd pick songs. So we're going to start with 372, the first verse. Then after that first
prayer, I'll call on picks from the crowd. 372, let the lower lights be burning.
372 will sing there on the first.
Brightly beams our Father's mercy
from his light out sever more,
but to us he gives the keeping
of the lights along the shore.
Amen.
All right at this point. We will start crowd pick songs Bethany what you got ma'am. I
Don't think the hymnal goes that far, but if someone can help out what what song is it?
Okay, brother Zach
328
328 I want that mountain
328, I want that mountain.
328, they're on the first.
I saw the giant pairlessness upon the mountain high
He laughed so hard if I abandoned thee
This I'll stay until I cry.
I want that mountain if it belongs to me.
I want that mountain.
Christ liveth in me, 238 Christ liveth in me.
I think I know, I think I know this well enough to sing and I know the chorus for sure.
Okay, 238, we'll sing there starting on the first.
Once far from God and death.
Tristan, what you got? Which one? Number two. Him number two. Glory to his name.
Him number two. Glory to his name.
Him number two they are starting on the first
449, okay, 449.
Dwelling in Bula Land, 449, 449, Dwelling in Bula Land.
449 there, on the first.
a bulletin raise your hand and an usher will bring you one. On the front you'll see we are on our
grace week for our Bible memory passage so last week to be able to memorize and quote
Galatians chapter one to an adult non-family member doesn't have to be to me it could be to any adult
non-family member quote that and you'll get a prize coming up real soon service times are listed
there 10 30 for Sunday morning 4 30 for Sunday evening and 7 o'clock for our Wednesday evening
Bible study we also have all of our soul winning times listed there below and all those meet here
We do have our year to date statistics so far for soul winning
360 for the month so far. Praise God for that
We do have our upcoming events. Like I said this evening is the men's preaching night and each preacher will have
20 minutes to preach their sermons
We've got three preachers tonight and your time will start as soon as you reach the pulpit
As soon as you reach the pulpit your time starts and then when you are done preaching
Please just pick the next name so that the next preacher knows who is up
I'd appreciate that.
And then after the service, when Cameron's done
leading the last song, he'll just pray for the food.
And then if the men could help set up tables
for our potluck this evening, I'd appreciate that.
This upcoming Saturday is the Tinker Air Show
Fellowship Event, June 28th.
June 29th is Brother Ben Nyeen preaching
both services for us next Sunday.
Excited for that.
August 27th or the 31st is the Fire Breathing Baptist Fellowship in Texas and
also October 6th through the 11th is the Bahamas mission trip. We do also have on
the right some information about a visitor card and online giving. We also
do have our prayer list. Please keep all those requests in prayer throughout the
week.
And as always, if you have any additional requests,
please email the church.
We'd be happy to add that for you.
That's going to be it.
We'll go ahead and keep going with our crowd pick
songs this evening.
All right.
Four more songs that I need.
Yes, ma'am.
Hailey.
176, so you said?
176.
Jesus loves the little children, 176, 176. Jesus loves the little children.
176, we'll sing there starting on the first.
Jesus loves the little children.
Precious in his light, Jesus loves the little children of the world.
86 in the garden, hymn number 86.
Him number 86 will sing there on the first
Jesus paid it all.
It's all right.
Him number three, Jesus paid it all.
Him number three,
we'll start there right on that first verse.
I hear the Savior say,
Thy strength indeed is small.
370 throw out the lifeline 370 we'll sing there right on the first
the plates are passing if our first preacher would get ready, and that will be myself.
to Luke chapter number 18, Luke chapter number 18.
Luke chapter number 18, I'd like to read starting in verse 9.
We're going to look at this parable that Jesus spake, Luke 18 verse 9.
The Bible reads,
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others.
Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a Republican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even
as this publican.
I fast twice in the week.
I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as eyes into heaven, but
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other.
For everyone that exalted himself shall be abased,
and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The Bible, Jesus speaking this parable,
and you really just have this picture of two people.
And one guy is comparing himself to others and he's like,
man, I'm glad I'm not like that guy.
I'm glad I'm not down and out like old boy or whatever.
Like he's not doing, he's not living right.
I'm doing, and look, all the things that the Pharisee listed.
These are good that he's like not an extortion or he's not unjust.
He thinks he's not at least.
He's not an adulterer.
He fasts twice in the week.
He gives tithes of all that he possesses.
These are good attributes that the Pharisee has.
The problem is, is he's comparing himself to other people
to make himself feel better or look better.
And he thinks that that's what's going to justify him to God.
And really we get in verse nine what's at his heart.
It says,
unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others.
So you have this one guy, he's comparing himself to someone else, he thinks he's great,
but it's coming from the heart of the fact that he's actually despising other people
because he's comparing himself to others and thinking how good he is.
And then we have this other guy, we have this publican
who won't even lift up his eyes to heaven, he's showing himself to be very humble
and he just says, God be merciful to me a sinner.
And Jesus is saying, hey, there's these two guys but one of them is actually justified.
One of them is actually right and it's the man that's humble.
And my sermon title for you this evening is this, be objective, not relative.
Be objective, not relative.
Now, let's define objective and relative
so that we can all be of the same understanding.
The word objective, if you look it up in the dictionary,
means this, not influenced by personal feelings or opinions.
That's what it means to be objective.
It means it's not your opinion if something is right
or just or good or fair, it just is, it's a fact.
It also means objective means considering
and representing facts.
That's the dictionary definition of objective.
So someone that's objectively minded
will not consider how they feel or their feelings
or the way the wind is blowing.
They're just going to consider what is fact.
And the Bible is that fact.
But what is relative?
Well, relative, the definition of relative is
considered in relation or in proportion to something else.
And unfortunately today, Christianity, the world wants Christianity to just mean,
hey, you're relatively good.
Hey, you're not as bad as that guy.
It's literally Pharisee religion is what the Christianity of the United States has become.
Well, I'm not that guy.
Well, at least I'm not like that.
But what we should be as Christians is objective, not relative.
We should not be looking to someone else to gauge how righteous we are.
We should be looking here to gauge how righteous we are.
And we should be humble like the Pharisee that said,
God, be merciful to me a sinner.
Not like, man, I'm glad I'm not like that guy.
I'm glad I'm not him.
You know, which, look, that could be easy.
In the flesh, sometimes it's easy to drive by somebody
and think like, yeah, I'm glad I'm not that guy.
And sometimes it's true.
You are glad, but it's not of you,
and it's not to puff yourself up and be so self-righteous.
We should just be objective and look to the Bible
to determine if we are, in fact, righteous.
So I have three points for you,
three quick points that are kind of two-parted.
Do's and don'ts this evening
on how to be objective, not relative.
Here's the first point.
Don't, these are dos and don'ts, okay?
So don't compare yourself to others.
Don't compare yourself to others.
Luke 18, verse nine, we see where this comparison mentality
comes from, we read this verse, but let's read it again.
It says,
And he spake this parable unto certain
which trusted in themselves that they were righteous
and despised others.
Turn to second Corinthians chapter number 10.
Second Corinthians chapter number 10, when you start comparing how righteous you are just in relation to somebody else's life,
let me just let you in on a secret.
You hate that person that you're comparing yourself to because you're being prideful.
You're looking at someone else and look, you're not generally picking out all the good things that someone else is doing.
You're going to look at someone else failing and you're going to go, oh, I'm so much better than that.
You know why? It's because you despise that person.
And that's what Jesus is saying is,
hey, these people that are going to compare themselves to others,
it's because you despise other people.
When you want to lift yourself up over others,
it's because you despise others.
When you want to have the preeminence
and you want it to be the you show and all about you,
why? It's because you despise other people.
2 Corinthians chapter number 10,
again, what's the first part of this point?
Don't compare yourself to others.
2nd Corinthians 10 verse 12 says this,
For we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves,
but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise.
Paul's like, look,
We don't want to get to a point where we're all just like,
yeah, but I'm better than brother Matt in this area,
and I'm better than Zach in this area.
So I'm just great because you're always
going to cherry pick areas that other people maybe
aren't as good as you in some area.
But then you're going to just ignore
all the places where other people actually outdo you
because you despise others.
And you might say within yourself, what?
I don't hate people.
I don't despise my brethren.
Nobody just wakes up one day and is like,
I'm just going to hate everyone today.
I mean, like maybe a reprobate, sure.
But like, none of us in here are going to wake up one day
and just go, I'm just going to hate everyone.
But it starts small.
It starts as, well, man, at least I'm better than that guy.
At least I'm better than that.
And then it's like, well, at least my family's
better than that family.
Well, at least our church is better than that church.
And look, objectively speaking, the things
that the Pharisee was bringing up, they're good things.
There's nothing wrong with identifying what's good and doing good and saying good is good because good is based on this
But what's wrong is trying to be relatively good. Well, I
May not be the Bible standard. I may not be three to thrive, but I'm going twice and that guy's only going once
So I mean like in the grand scheme of things. No, no, you're not good
because you think you're wise in your own eyes. Why? Because you're comparing yourselves to others
and it's going to lead you down a path where you despise others.
Turn to Romans chapter number 3.
It makes me think about people who like,
you cannot talk to, and I've brought this up multiple times in sermons,
of the guy either at work or a relative that
There's nothing that you could ever say to impress this guy because he's done it and he's done it better
Somehow every experience that you've had in your life. They've just done it better
Even though they may have literally never done it. They've done it, but you know what I mean like yeah
Well, I it's like the fishing story. It's like well my fish that I caught was this big
It's like they've never been on record of doing that. Well, I just didn't record it
That's why they didn't have it at that size believe me. It's like the Donald Trump like nothing. I feel like
He would ever say, like, wow, that's awesome. I've never done that.
It's like Trump is always just like,
I know it. Everybody knows it.
You know, they said I'm the best.
We love God or whatever.
Romans chapter 3, it makes me think of this.
Verse 27, where is boasting then?
Look, the Bible would not have to bring this up.
We'll read the whole verse.
Where is boasting then?
It is excluded by what law?
Of works, nay, but by the law of faith.
If it were of our works to go to heaven, and it were just hey, everybody needs to be the Cameron show or the whoever show,
then yeah, you could boast about stuff.
You could say, well, I'm getting to heaven because I'm relatively good compared to the world.
But it's excluded because none of us are good, for there are none good.
There is none to do with good instead of not.
We all fall short, so it's stupid.
It's not wise, as what Paul said in 2 Corinthians, to compare ourselves among each other because it's dumb because we're all sinners.
You would just be like, I'm a sinner, you're a sinner.
That's the comparison that you can make.
Not like, well, I'm so much better,
and he's so much better.
So this is not wise.
It's not wise to be a boaster.
This is not how we're even saved.
It's not how we should have our mentality
in the Christian church.
I don't think that anyone here does that necessarily.
But again, it starts small, and it might start at home.
It might start as like a private thought.
And then you could like tell your wife, like,
man, you know, I'm just so glad that we're not like such-and-such family.
And then it like kind of builds and it grows and it festers.
You just need to nip it in the bud right now and get rid of that thought.
So look, don't compare yourself to others, but do compare yourself to Christ.
Turn to Philippians chapter number 3.
Philippians chapter number 3.
So look, if we're going to be objective and not relative,
here's what you have to do.
Don't compare yourself to others because they're not Christ.
You're not having a good standard when you compare yourself to someone else living their life.
Here's what you should compare yourself to, Christ.
Philippians chapter 3 verse 13 says,
But this one thing I do, for getting those things which are behind and reaching forth
under those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus.
You know, we should identify the mark, we should identify the standard that Jesus Christ
set for us, then we compare ourselves to that.
You know why?
That's objectively good, and you're always going to fail.
It's not something relative that, oh, that's not a fact, or it's just your feelings of
Jesus Christ is just objectively the way, the truth and the life.
He is perfection.
That's the mark that we should compare ourselves to.
You're like, well, I really like comparing myself to others.
Okay, compare yourself to Christ.
That's what you're allowed to do in the Bible
and you're going to really quickly get tired of comparing yourself to others
if all you can compare yourself to is Christ.
Because you're going to notice you fall short constantly.
You're going to not lift up your eyes to heaven
and you're going to start saying, Lord, be merciful unto me at center.
So look if we want to be objective and not relative don't compare yourself to others do compare yourself to Christ
Here's point number two. Don't do what's right in your own eyes
judges chapter 17
judges chapter number
17
Don't do what's right in your own eyes
This is an attribute of a very specific kind of person.
Don't miss this, Judges 17 verse 6 that says this.
In those days, there was no king in Israel,
but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
You know, just like the Pharisee, this guy is like,
man, look at all these things I'm doing.
I think I'm right.
I think I'm so just white because I compare favorably
to random Joe Blow or whatever.
But notice what the attribute, what this kind of person,
what this stems from, what kind of person this stems from
is what I'm trying to say.
It says in those days, there was no king in Israel,
but every man did that, which was right in his own eyes.
Now here's the thing, we have a king.
We have the Lord Jesus Christ. We have the King of kings.
So we're not going to do what's right in our own eyes.
We have the King to tell us what is or isn't right.
We're not here to establish our own kingdom.
We're not here to establish what we think is good and what relatively I'm going to do.
Hey, you need to do what's right in the king's eyes, not what's in your own eyes.
And here's why it's a problem to do what's right in your own eyes.
Proverbs chapter 21.
And you say like, well, is it really a problem to do what's right?
Is like everyone messed up in this?
Well, let's just see what the Bible says.
Because that's what's important.
That's objective, not relative.
Look at Proverbs 21 verse 2.
It says this,
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord pondereth the hearts.
You ever notice any person that makes a mistake?
I guarantee you they can justify that mistake.
No matter how egregious it is, it takes humility to just say,
yeah, I screwed up, my bad.
Because if you give any person an attempt
to justify any mistake at any severity,
they will justify it.
They can.
That's the flesh.
Just like, well, but here's the thing, that's relative.
It's not objective.
Because objectively, sin, not justifiable.
There is no way to get around it.
You're just like, I have the flesh, it was wrong, period.
versus if you let... Well, you just don't understand the situation.
I was back into a corner. I had to do this. I had to lie.
Right? Don't do what's right in your own eyes.
Do what? Do what's right in God's eyes.
Don't be relative. We want to be objective.
Proverbs 21, you're there. Look at verse 3.
It says,
Turn to Genesis chapter 3.
I'll read for you while you turn there. Genesis 18.
But you're turning to Genesis 3.
Genesis chapter 18, God speaking about Abraham, and he says this of Abraham.
For I know him, this is Genesis 18 verse 19, for I know him that he will command his children and his household after him,
and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
You know, justice and judgment is the way of the Lord.
The way of your own eyes is not justice and judgment.
You have to submit to this.
We need to be objective Christians and not relative Christians.
We don't need to do what's right in our own eyes.
We need to do what's right in God's eyes.
The last point this evening, I heard you, I had you turn to Genesis chapter 3
and this, this is just rampant today.
Don't let the world define Christianity.
Do not let the world define for you what Christianity is.
Genesis 3 verse 1,
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made,
and he said unto the woman,
Yea, hath God said,
ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
I mean, this is like a day one temptation
that the devil, the world, other people are going to
challenge the Bible and define for themselves what they think Christianity
is. Here's the thing. Christianity is objective.
It is not relative. Meaning what? I don't need the world's interpretation on the Bible.
I need God's Word. Right?
Deuteronomy 22 verse 5. I want to look at one example.
as we close out this evening of not letting the world define Christianity
because we could look at a ton of places throughout the Bible to define this.
But how about Deuteronomy 22, verse 5?
A verse that many of us are probably very familiar with.
Deuteronomy 22, verse 5 says this,
So here's what I wanted to do.
I wanted to look up how the world defines this.
And let's see what the world says this verse means.
So I went to Reddit.
That's the world though, right?
I mean, these are the four.
I went to the Christianity subreddit.
So these are people online professing to be Christian,
professing they believe the Bible.
to see what they believe Deuteronomy 22.5.
And look, they have talked about this subject.
This is not a verse that they don't know, okay?
They know.
Here are some of the reasons why we don't want to let the world
define Christianity.
Here are the top rated comments on a very popular post about,
what does Deuteronomy 22.5 mean?
Like a person genuinely going to a Christian subreddit,
they don't know better.
They're just asking, I have some comments, some screenshots.
Clothing is sociocultural and relevant to its common context.
We don't follow Deuteronomic law anymore.
So people are just like,
not only did this not mean anything then,
because it's context,
and we just don't follow it now.
They're giving you multiple reasons why the Bible is just not true.
That's what the world will tell you.
Well, let me tell you why.
Here's one, this guy.
This is just... I'm just going to read this. This is a quote from Reddit.
This is, again, super amount of upvotes on this.
Everyone's like, people under this were like,
that is such a great write-up.
This was so moving.
Let me just read you this comment. See if you feel the same way.
We are not under Mosaic law and the idea of a male and female garment even if it were in effect is vastly different across time and culture
Men in the Bronze Age near East Wars skirt like garments
So what you today might call a man in a dress obviously breaking the command would not even raise eyebrows
Of course men today in just for one of a few examples Scotland and Indonesia also wear skirt like garments
But they are certainly not in any way trying to present as a female nor
they'll be understood as doing so.
Young boys and young girls both wore dresses until very recently.
High heels used to be a very masculine feature.
Pink and blue used to be reversed as the stereotypical boy and girl color.
What I'm getting at is it's basically unanswerable.
Even if we need to do apply it, we don't.
Wanted to apply it, I'm not nearly so neurotic, or should apply it, I think it would certainly
That's like the top comment and everyone's like such a great write-up. Hey, hey, I'm objective. I'm not relative
I'm not gonna let the world define Christianity. It says the woman's not gonna put on that which pertains to a man
It's abomination men don't put on that which pertains to a woman abomination
Do let the Bible define Christianity if we want to be objective John 17 16 says this
They are not of the world even as I am not of the world
Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth.
This evening, I want us to be objective Christians,
not relative Christians, and you have two options.
You can be of the world, or you can be of the word.
It's your choice.
If you're of the world, it's relative.
And five years from now,
everyone's going to be doing something different,
and they're going to think it's relatively good.
Five years from now, this is going to say the same thing.
500 years from now.
Same example. This will be the exact same.
2000 years ago, this is the same.
A thousand years from now, if we're still here, same thing.
Or you could just be a relative Christian and let the world define it for you.
With that, we'll end. Be objective, not relative.
We draw our next preacher. I should have done this earlier on. I forgot to do that.
Our next preacher is...
Brother Alex.
There's only one name left in this.
He'll be Brother John, the last preacher.
And so for the beginning of this sermon,
I just want to start us at Luke chapter four and verse eight.
And what it says is,
And Jesus answered and said unto him,
Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written,
Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,
and him only shall thou serve.
So, the Bible makes it really clear that we can't really serve two masters.
You can't serve both God and mammon.
And I think what the context of this verse is talking about is Jesus spoke about how
he was actually going to die on the cross and save the whole world, that Peter not really
wanting that why.
It's because just like today, Peter was looking for, a lot of people in the world are looking
to for a heavenly kingdom that is on earth, right?
Every other religion, except for Christianity,
Jews are waiting for their Messiah to come on earth,
Muslims are waiting for their Messiah to come on earth,
Hindus, every religion is waiting for somebody
when he already came.
And what people tend to get lost in is that
the kingdom we're working towards is not one on earth,
it's one in heaven.
And that winds up causing a problem
where our priorities are now focused on things on earth
treasures in heaven and so the title to say sermon I want to start off with off
with or title this is a kingdom in heaven non-earth a kingdom in heaven not
on earth and so I'd like to go to Romans 8 please
And I'll read, it's going to be chapter 22 through 23, and it says,
For we know the whole creation growneth, and travaileth in pain together until now.
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the spirit.
Even we ourselves, grown within ourselves, waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body.
So the thing is, even though we're saved, we all still fall short.
Right? When we're sanctified, unlike a lot of those, like, you know...
I'd say people who profess themselves to be Christian, who believe in Lordship salvation,
perseverance of the saints, just because you're saved you're not all of a sudden going to like
walk away from grievances or temptations that you were raised up in, right? If I got saved and I
was an alcoholic before, that doesn't mean when I got saved all of a sudden I look at alcohol I'm
like oh that's not tempting to me anymore. It still is. It's going to be a battle until basically
the day you die. And that's the thing is that we're not getting our perfected bodies and have that
perfect world until Christ comes and we all get our new bodies and new spirit. So what's the application?
with this, right, is that a lot of the world is groaning because of sin, our sin, right?
And the thing is, is that all these people think that they can get this perfect world
now when they're blinding themselves about their own sin, about how it's not that big
of a deal.
And what this is going is that, basically, I think with a lot of people is that they
thinking that nothing is going to happen,
nothing has changed, so why am I even here?
So for example, there's this group.
There's these soy jacks, where they basically
get these little caricatures of people.
And a really popular one that has been going through the mass
media is the chud, basically this depiction
of this balding black-haired loser with glasses like this.
And one of the things, depictions is,
is always bet on nothing.
that nothing ever happens, right?
And that once you really start delving deep
into the actual mechanisms of how things work
and how things operate, you start realizing
it is actually getting to be a really hopeless situation.
I think most of us already know there's
a false dichotomy between the left and right paradigm.
A lot of people, even Malcolm X back in the day,
would say that, hey, Democrats are evil,
but Republicans are worse because they'll just lie to you
and then do exactly the opposite of what they did,
what they tell you, but do it slowly.
And so the thing where I'm going with this
As you start wanting to get involved with the world,
you start realizing, really, how many things are actually
working against you to try to do things the right way.
For example, if anyone keep up with politics, recently,
Trump won the election.
And for example, we got a new FBI director, Cash Patel.
He's like, Epstein didn't kill himself, right?
It's like, oh, yeah, we're going to go change the FBI,
do all those things.
Next thing, he gets in, swears in,
and him and the other guy from Fox News is like, oh, yep.
I saw the document.
Epstein did kill himself.
He goes on, the Joe Rogan podcast tells everyone,
yeah, I believe Epstein killed himself,
even though everyone he talked to before would say,
no, if you believe that he actually killed himself,
you actually are compromised.
You have some influence behind you, behind it.
So the thing is, is that we kind of know,
like, even when the JFK files are released.
no one got punished for it because all people who were actually part of that crime were already killed
or were already dead. Same thing as it is when out with the Epstein is that nothing's really
happening. They're always talking about releasing the files but nothing ever happens, right? So
the problem is that causes people to be very distraught about what to do, right? It's like oh
I'm trying to work so hard trying to do things the right way and then nothing ever happens and then
And that's the point of the sermon,
is that the focus is that we're not
trying to establish and make this heavenly, Christian,
nationalist, super country, and maybe make it 110 countries
for the Brazilians, not 109, you know?
But so anyways, I'd like for you guys to go to
Second, sorry, Hebrews 8, chapter 8 for me, please, and it'll be verse 4 through 7.
For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law,
who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God,
when he was about to make the tabernacle, for, see, sayeth he, that thou make all things according
to the pattern, show to thee in the mount. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry,
by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises,
for if the first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
The thing is is that again like if we were really to have that heavenly king the earthly kingdom on earth
Well, that was the first covenant was that as long as the children of Israel obeyed all of God's commandments and everything
They the kingdom would have still remained to this day, but because we're sinners
that didn't happen. And God knew that. And so that's why it's always been by faith. It's always
been a pattern of things. He saw the kingdom, which is in heaven, and made a pattern of it.
We're just trying to emulate that, right? And just try to be an example, a light to separate
ourselves, to show them, to tell people of the gospel, right? And so,
The thing is is that a lot of Christians again, they get bit that's the thing is like they get bitter at God because they're expecting
Carnal results, right?
The problem is is that suffering still happens on this earth and going back to that beginning story when Jesus talks about how he's gonna be
Offered up he tells Peter get behind me Satan the thing is is that Jesus no one here is doubting the faith of Jesus
He was filled with the Holy Ghost. He was perfect never had no sin in him, but here's the thing he prayed
Day like all night then woke up his disciples take hey, pray for me guys. Come on goes that praise again
Begging God to pass this cup if it were possible to somebody else
But did God answer his own son's prayers? No, he still had to suffer
He still died on the cross and so the question then is this is that what the whole point of our
Struggle on earth is that he's waiting to sort out the tears from the wheat, right? It's that most of time it's actually
Again, if the easiest option was actually the most moral one,
then everyone would do it.
The whole point is that it's testing everybody's hearts.
It's testing whether people would believe or not.
He's giving everyone an excuse to believe or not.
That's why you always hear Atheist say,
well, about those people in Africa.
Or, oh, well, if bad things happen to good people, then,
oh, man, God is unrighteous.
I can't believe in him.
That's the whole thing.
He's just giving you an excuse to make that choice
and that free will to not believe or to do so.
The thing is, is that what we should focus on is this, is that it's not whether or not
I only do good because I'm hoping to be rewarded on this earth or for some carnal reward.
In Luke it says, don't Senors and Publicans do the same where it's favor for favor, tit
for tat.
No, it should be.
love without dissimulation.
That's the point, the application of the sermon,
is that we should try to do charity
not for motivation of a sort of Christian national kingdom,
a kingdom on earth for earthly rewards.
Our eyes should be set on the things
where moth and dust don't corrupt.
It's the treasures in heaven.
That the thing is is that we shouldn't expect
to be delivered all the time for every struggle
and just never suffer.
ever. Suffering still exists in this world. There are people who are blind, born blind today,
who will be blind till the day they die. The thing is that's why we can't really necessarily
look forward to that heavenly kingdom on earth because we're still sinners and there's still
tragedy and suffering that still happens without cause. There are people who are blind not because
of the sin of themselves or the sin of the parents. It's just chance happening to them all and it's
One so the thing is is that instead of being blackpilled. It's that we should look for 7 and how do we do that right well
That one of the things that we should really focus on is charity not charity in the sense of like you know just
Throwing your money everywhere, doing all that sort of stuff.
No, it's that we should try to encourage each other
to actually continue each of our own races
to cross the finish line, to get that crown of life,
and to have God say to all of us,
well done, my good and faithful servant, right?
And so in Hebrews chapter 10, if you may,
it's verse 24 through 25.
It says,
and let us consider one another to provoke unto love
and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together
as a matter of some is, but exhorting one another
and so much more as ye see the day approaching.
The day approaching is the coming of Jesus Christ. The thing is is that
The reason why the world's not necessarily gained better, ever since, like, even from the founding of America, every single president, even George Washington, was a Freemason.
I'm not going to go into that whole thing. We're not doing conspiracy theories right now.
It's always seems to be like basically when the Bible talks about moving the boundaries the landmarks, right?
It's just like every day goes by
Wicked people are just moving that landmark over and over and over as wickedness just seems to take more and more ground day by day
And so as a day comes approaching
There will be more reason that leads in the revelations, the great falling away.
So as the day approaches, as the day when Jesus comes back,
that means there's more reason for people not to want to come to church.
There's more reason than ever for, like again, you have, there are people who aren't safe,
there's Hindus who come here and like, or actually like one of the like most
wealthiest people in the country, right? People who don't even believe in God
who are having that success. There's very little, again, there's people who live like five minutes away from this church
there's so many reasons to just like oh well I don't really need God I forgot
about the name of the Lord you don't see why they need to come to church
right and then the same people who do show up just as what Jesus said
there's a fence that will come by that will lead them astray and then they'll
go lost be lost but not like Lucid salvation just wander away from God
and so
The thing is is that the main priority with this is that as the world gets darker, as things get worse,
we should try to be better people to encourage each other, seek the wealth of others and their rewards in heaven,
and succeeding in their Christian walk, pick up their burdens, so that way we encourage each other,
so that nobody, again, as the Bible puts it, when you put a bunch of bands together, they're harder to break,
the thing is is that the more involved we are in each other's Christian's walks,
know a great encouragement that people have done here for me is like I've been
unemployed for like God knows how long but the most encouraging thing was
people just asking me hey any update on that I'm praying for you like the thing
is like I know people pray for me without having to message me but it's an
encouragement to want to try to continue in the faith being like hey I
understand the struggle you're going through hey don't fall away from God
we're praying for you keep the faith that's the thing is that we have to
pick up the burdens from other people while carrying our own right that's the Christian walk
that's the love to help cover each other's sins right and to help overcome obstacles and problems
in our lives and so that I would say like again like that was the most important thing and then
I'll just leave and end on one last point is Matthew chapter 25 verse 34 through 40
Right he says this then shall the king say unto them on his right hand come
Ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world
For I wasn't hungered and he gave me meat. I was thirsty and he gave me drink
I was a stranger and he took me in naked and he clothed me. I was sick and he visited me
I was in prison and he came unto me then
shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee and hungered, and fed thee,
or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When we saw thee as stranger, and took thee in, or naked, and clothed thee.
or when we saw the sick or in prison and came unto thee,
and the king shall answer and say unto them,
verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it
unto the least of these, my brethren,
ye have done it unto me."
See, the thing is, is that you can be the best soul winner
ever, going soul winning 15 hours a day,
or right after work, you just go straight, right?
But here's the problem, is that
One of the problems with the Bahá'u'llah trip was that we didn't have enough silent partners.
That means there was not enough people to go out in pairs to actually go out and reach all the classrooms for the gospel to be preached.
The thing is is that...
Like a pair of three is still just a group of three people still one pair that goes out soul winning a group of four
It's two people. That's twice the number of doors being knocked
So really the best thing to do is not yes
It's to go and preach the gospel
But the thing is also to be a minister and encouragement to others to want to go with you
And that's why the devil tries to send challenges and tribulations and sufferings our way does it get us to quit
And that's why when we go that's why we go to church to renew ourselves
It's to encourage ourselves and encourage each other and to take on each other's bird
to pray for one another, to look after each other's needs, right?
That's what Jesus was talking about here, is that that's what we're supposed to do,
is encourage each other to go and preach the word, to remain separate, to still be that light
as the world gets darker. And that's the end of the sermon. But yeah, thank you, and Brother John.
Second Samuel chapter 23.
God meant preaching night is awesome. Definitely thankful for this church and the opportunity to
reach. Second Samuel chapter 23 you have there the these be the last words of David.
2 Samuel chapter 23 starting in verse 6 the Bible says but the sons of Belial shall be
all of them as thorns thrust away because they cannot be taken with hands but the man
that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear and they shall
be utterly burned with fire in the same place these be the names of the mighty men whom
David's Mighty Man for basically the rest of the chapter there.
We'll stop there, but I want to focus on a few things for context of this.
These are the last words recorded in the Bible of David.
And it's not the peace of David's life that's recorded.
You know, he's reflecting on his life of the highlights
and the things that stood out to him most.
And it is the mighty man that he had
that were surrounding him in the battles that he fought
and the warfare that he waged.
And of course, the Bible calls David a man of war.
And the Bible even says that the Lord is a man of war.
And that David is a man after God's own heart.
And war is not always a bad thing.
Typically the wars that the United States gets involved in are a bad thing, but here we have in this chapter a few things
number one is that
David is a man fighting the battles of God for God and he's fighting the enemies of God
because we here we have
The sons of Belial the Philistines David's at warfare with and the Bible here is likening them to
thorns thrust away
So, we can see here that the Bibles got this comparison of somebody who's going to go after
thorns and pull thorns up, and the Bible says here that the man that shall touch them must
be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear.
And the Bible is kind of illustrating here that if you're going to go after this, if
And David here had these, I think it's 37,
correct me if I'm wrong, but 37 mighty men
that he had with him to fight these battles.
And I'm gonna go through some characteristics
here in this chapter that are listed of David's mighty men
that we as Christians can look to
and to attribute and embrace in our life
that will help
men of God, great men of God do even more works for God.
But these sons of Belial in the Bible that are likened to thorns,
it kind of parallels with Hebrews chapter 6.
I'll just read, you don't have to turn there.
You'll be in 2 Samuel 23 the whole time,
but Hebrews chapter 6, the Bible says in verse 7,
for the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh off upon it,
and bringeth forth herbs,
meet for them by whom it is dressed,
receiveeth blessings, blessing from God.
But that which bear thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh under cursing whose end is to be burned
And so the Bible here is talking about reprobates,
those that are rejected of God,
their end is already determined.
Their end is already decided, it's to be burned.
They're bearing thorns in these sons of Belial.
The enemy that David is focused on in these battles that he's fighting
are to be burned.
They're rejected of God.
And reformation for these types of people is off the table.
Their end is decided, it's to be burned.
Notice there also that it is the offensive fight of a Christian, not always the defensive
fight of a Christian.
The Bible says in Proverbs 28, they that forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep
the law contend with them.
And the Bible says that we should earnestly contend for the faith.
And if someone would say, hey, it sounds like you're in a lot of contention,
sounds like you're contentious.
And yes, the Bible does say that only by pride come with contention.
And yeah, it doesn't always have to be the offensive person that's being prideful.
You know, a lot of people that get corrected by the Bible,
get corrected by the Word of God, their pride won't let them succumb
or submit to what the Scripture actually says.
But it is often times in the Christian life that we should be taking things on the offensive when we're fighting the wars of God
Second Corinthians chapter 10 if you're following along just keep a place there in in 2nd Samuel
Second Corinthians chapter 10 verse 3 he says for though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh
for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
So we have here the example that David's giving,
the battles he's fighting, our actual battles,
physical battles that he was fighting,
that we can draw spiritual pictures from
in the New Testament of spiritual warfare
that we're fighting.
And while to be one of David's mighty men,
in his battles, yeah, you had to be a man, okay?
But in the spiritual warfare that we're fighting,
I mean, it's universally applicable.
The good attributes that the men,
that the mighty men that David had,
they're universally applied.
And notice that the verse says that mighty through God,
if you wanna be a mighty Christian,
it's gonna be through God that you're gonna do that.
And you wanna be one of David's mighty men today,
spiritually fighting the spiritual battles,
it's going to be by God.
And so we have there this this illustration given that the man that's going to touch these things that touch these thorns
Must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear
And I often think about like going to construction sites and everybody's got these PPE
They want you to wear and you must wear a hard hat. You must wear safety glasses
You must and I was even like last week it just happened like I was screwing in a nail with a drill
And I used the wrong bit and I like stumped off and just like straightened in my hand
and everybody's seen people use the wrong tools
to get the job done that they wanna get done.
And yeah, you might even do it successfully,
but it's not gonna be as convenient.
It's gonna take you a lot longer.
You may even hurt yourself.
And that's why the Bible, God is prescribing.
That somebody who's going to go to war against the enemies of God in this world has to be fenced with iron
Has to be supported by the people around him that are strong
And we have this a great example of David's mighty men
But you know, we want to be a church that's the pillar and ground of the truth in Oklahoma City
And I don't know how many people I've heard say
over the years that, oh man, I just wish I had
a good church that was standing for the truth.
I wish I had a good pastor that was preaching
what the Bible says unapologetically.
I wish I had a pastor that would just stick it
to the sodomites and not let off at all.
And look, we have that today.
But here's the question, here's the question.
Are we giving him, are we being the tools
that he needs to get the job done?
because I think obviously there's always room
that we can improve on this.
And my first attribute of David's mighty men
is that we need to be sharp.
As Christians, the Bible says that iron sharpeneth iron.
And when you just show up to church and you know what the Bible says and you have a lot of wisdom and knowledge about the scriptures and you can contribute to conversations, maybe in something you've read, you're asking questions, provoking us all just to think and rack our heads for a little bit.
You know, that is a good thing. It's good to challenge one another. And it's a great attribute for a Christian to have.
And nobody came here today to a fundamental Baptist Church by accident.
I mean, it happens every once in a while, somebody stumbles in,
and it's just like, where's life church?
It's like, well, yeah, it's down there, they got a sign.
And it's usually when the hardest sermons are being preached, by the way.
But nobody is here by accident.
You showed up today to a fundamental Baptist church.
And it's important that you realize that
because this isn't just a church
that you just showed up to
and you're gonna clock in and clock out.
You showed up today to be challenged.
You showed up today to learn more.
You showed up today to help others grow.
And it's not just a weekend warrior type situation
of a church.
You're in a church that cares about what the Bible says.
You're in a church that cares about each other
our mutual growth, and nobody is wanting to necessarily stay an immature Christian their
entire Christian life. We need to be growing as Christians and maturing as Christians and showing
ourselves approved unto God. We want to edify each other. And the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 4,
For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And that is our authority.
That is what we use as our weapon, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
And the more that we use in practical application,
the sword of the spirit, in controversy,
in settling disputes, in deciding what is right,
what the position is that's righteous,
and what the position is that's incorrect,
the more that we use that,
the more we're gonna have skill in the Bible,
the more experience in applying the Bible
to situations that we're gonna have.
Hopefully you kept a place in 2 Samuel 23,
the Bible says in verse nine there,
After him was Eliezer, the son of Dodo, the Ahohaite,
one of the three mighty men with David,
and they defied the Philistines
that were gathered together to battle,
and the men of Israel were gone away.
He arose and smote the Philistines
until his hand was weary.
And his hand clave unto the sword.
And the Lord wrought a great victory that day,
and the people returned after him only to spoil.
So we have this picture here of him just fighting.
He's got this sword and he's just swinging it.
Just so used to just swinging this sword
that eventually he's weary and his hands
just got this sword and it's clave unto it.
And he can't even let the sword go anymore.
And he's just walking around with a sword.
And as Christians, when we get used to just reading the Bible every day,
day in and day out, and applying it to every situation,
all the advice that we give people and the trials of life,
when we're using that sword, that's sharp.
You know we get used to using it and eventually we can't we could be like Jeremiah
That says that the God's words shut up in his heart and he was weary weary with for bearing
and he could not stay, right?
And so, you know, it becomes impossible for that person
to just drop the sword, you know?
After you've used the sword for just so long,
and look, there is fatigue in general
that comes with fighting a fight,
that comes with long time being in warfare,
constantly fighting, but it is generating that result
of having the sword clave in your hand,
That we can embrace and that will help us be this fence of iron
Second Samuel 23 you look down at verse 11
Verse 11 it says and after him was Shema
The son of Aggie the Harheit and the Philistines were gathered together into a troop
Where was a piece of ground full of lentils don't focus too much on the lentils there brother Cameron
the people fled from the Philistines, but he stood in the midst of the ground and
defended it and slew the Philistines and the Lord wrought a great victory. And the
Bible says that he stood in the midst of the ground, that the people fled and that
he stood in the midst of the ground.
And one thing that's important is that we're steadfast.
Be steadfast, unmovable, right?
Always abounding in the work of the Lord.
And to have it settled that I'm gonna be in church
every time the doors are open, right?
It should almost kind of come a little bit of an offense.
If somebody's like, hey,
are you gonna be at church on Sunday?
It's like.
Am I going to be a church on Sunday?
Of course I'm going to be a church on Sunday.
You know, it should just kind of bother you a little bit.
Look, and if it doesn't, and if it's an actual legitimate
question, maybe you should fix that, right?
If we want to be like David's mighty men,
if we want to strive to be a church that's giving the pastor
the tools that he needs to do a great work for God,
it might be who of you to show up every time the doors are
open to have that settled.
Have it settled, not just right now
when everybody else is showing up too.
Have it settled when everybody else is fleeing.
When everybody else's wife figures out
that not everybody's perfect
and they nag their husband until they get out of church.
Look, and if that's somebody that's listening to this,
I'm not mad at that, but you can fix that.
And you should fix that.
Have an independent conviction
that makes you wanna show up to church.
When everybody else even is not
2nd Samuel chapter 23 look down at verse 13
The Bible says and three of the 30 30 chief went down and came to David in the harvest
in the harvest time under under the cave of
A Doolim and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of riffam
and David was then in and in hold,
and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
And David longed and said,
oh, that one would give me drink
of the water of the well of Bethlehem,
which is by the gate.
And the three mighty men break through the host
of the Philistines and drew water out of the well.
of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it
and brought it to David.
Nevertheless, he would not drink thereof,
but poured it out unto the Lord.
You know, so it's almost like this.
It's almost like we're, you know,
kind of gathered around his guys,
talking and pastor comes up and he says,
hey, you know what sounds really good?
You know some brisket from Bucky's would be like pretty nice right and we see brother Alex
He's just like turns around. He's without saying a word just grabs his keys
He's like, where'd he go comes back over six hours later. He's like, hey, here's your brisket master, you know, right?
And that's the thing here's the thing about David's mighty men. They were willing
David didn't even ask for that. He just said that just sounds good. He didn't even ask for that
And David's mighty men were so willing that they just say less.
It's done, right?
So how many of us, when Pastor says, hey, I like shirts and ties?
Hey, I like jackets.
Hey, Saturday is the soul-winning time to come.
Hey, he's not telling you to wear a shirt and tie.
He's not telling you you have to, right?
Not individually, anyway.
But look.
if he says he likes it, if he says that,
that's something he wants.
Why wouldn't you do that?
You know, as mighty men, as mighty people of God,
we can take this attribute and apply it.
You know, he wouldn't even have to almost
even tell us to do anything.
I imagine, I imagine David after this happened,
is just a little bit more careful
about the things he says he likes, right?
I mean, he almost got to practice caution.
Like, you know, it would be really cool.
And I was like, whoa.
But willingly doing things for your leader makes it so that it's not grievous for them, right?
And we want to be that. We want to be able to take an intent of our leaders and run with that and
Accomplish great things for God and we need to be mighty men
So the Bible says that that the man that will touch them
Must be fenced with iron and the staff of the spear. You say well, David was perfect. No, he wasn't
David had problems, right?
And look, every man is going to have problems.
That doesn't mean he's not doing a great work for God.
That doesn't mean our leadership isn't worthy of our support.
And look, to what degree?
To the degree that David's mighty men
were supporting their leader.
And you know, you shouldn't be striving
to be the entire fence yourself.
Like, we're all just one iron in this fence, right?
But we want to be mighty. We want to be sharp with the word of God
We want to be steadfast. We want to be plugged in. We want to be grounded in our church
And we want to be willing to do the things that are necessary in order to do a great work for God
So here's here's the thing. Are we fencing pastor with iron? I hope we all strive to do that
And I hope this has been edifying to you with that all in Lord. Thank you so much for the opportunity to preach pray Lord that
You would help us all to be
Yeah, this time we'll do one final song brother Jeremiah, I know you've been waiting
448? Is that what you said? 448? 448 and we will sing the entire hymn 448.
Brethren, we have met to worship.
448 all four verses starting on the first
could please have the men move the chairs and set up tables. So this time
let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you again for this evening, for the edifying
preaching of your word. I pray that you would be with us, that you'd bless the
food to our bodies, and be with us and keep us safe as we go our separate ways.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. With that you're dismissed.