(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. If you can grab your hymnals and open up a song 448. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. If you can grab your hymnals and open up a song 448. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. If you can grab your hymnals and open up a song 448. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. If you can grab your hymnals and open up a song 448. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. If you can grab your hymnals and open up a song 448. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. If you can grab your hymnals and open up a song 448. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. Welcome to Stronghold Baptist Church. Welcome to bashing billing in the The Holy One comes now, when we pray and boldly stand up. When we shower all around, when we see more shakers rounding, something on the brink of war. Death is coming, hell is moving in, where to let them go. See our fathers, and our mothers, and our children sleeping down. Red, red, red and rolling in a filthy shower all around. Sisters, will you join and help us? Sister, hey, hey, hey. Will you help such trembling mourners who are struggling, are risking? Tell them all about the Savior. Tell them that He will be found. Sisters, pray and boldly stand up. When we shower all around. Let us love our God supremely. Let us love each other too. Let us love and praise for sinners too. Our God makes all things new. Then He'll call us home to heaven. At His table we'll sit down. Christ will earn Himself and serve us with sweet men all around. Amen. Brother Micah, do you want to stop in the word of prayer? Amen. We can turn to our next song, song 418. Song 418, Am I the Soldier of the Cross? Song 418. Sing this out of the verse. Am I a soldier of the cross, the foster of the man? And shall I be to own His God, or was to speak His name? Must I be carried to the skies on fiery beds of peace? While others want to win the prize and sell the bloody scenes, are there no clothes for me to face? Must I not stand the flood? Is this my world of friend to praise to help me unto God? Sure, I must fight if I will pray. Increase my courage, Lord. I'll bear the toll and endure the pain supported by Thy word. Amen. All right, great singing this morning. It's great to have you all here with us on a beautiful Sunday morning at Strong Old Baptist Church. This time, we're going to go through our announcements. If you do not have one of these bulletins, just lift your hand up real high. We'll make sure that we get one out to you. Keep your hands up high. Make sure we get one out to you. And if you open up to the first page, you will see our service times listed there. Sunday morning, 1030, Sunday evening, 5 p.m., Wednesday night at 7 is our Bible study. We're going to be in Hebrews, chapter number 5. This week, we've got the soul-winning opportunities listed there, as well as the salvations and the baptisms for the month of September, as well as for the year. Offering totals listed down there at the bottom of the page through the month of September. Let's go ahead and count up. If you have any salvations to report for the week, slip your hand up real quick. We'll get those counted up. Anyone have any salvations? Yes, sir. Is that Thursday? Amen. Anybody else have anything? All right, very good. Of course, we've got the soul-winning time this afternoon, 1.30. Brother Jesse's leading that, so show up for the soul-winning time if you want to come out with us and preach a gospel this afternoon. Let's go to the prayer requests. If anyone gave me a prayer request, I apologize for not getting it added this week. I'm going to go through all my stuff again later. I had to get this stuff done quick. There's been all kinds of chaos in my life recently, so probably shouldn't be admitting that, but it's true. It happens from time to time, and if I left anything out, go ahead. If I did leave something out, drop another note for me. That would just make sure that we get something added. I did add Faye Henry to the list. Brother Austin and his brothers, they had to leave last week because of her illness, and now I actually had a chance to talk to her yesterday. I don't know if she's improving or not. Brother Austin sent me a text this morning, and she's still in a lot of pain, and it seems to be there's a lot of problems compounding there, so appreciate the prayers. She's got a UTI, but then also a kidney infection. She's on antibiotics right now, but she's only taken them for a couple days, so usually it takes multiple days, especially if it's a really bad infection. It might be five before you even start to feel the effects of it, so pray for her. Pray that if there's anything else going on, that the doctors will be able to figure that out, and just pray God's healing on her and give her some comfort and some relief. Not fun going through that pain. She was explaining the pain, and I was able to empathize because I recently had my eardrum ruptured, and that was some intense pain that I felt. I was just like, man, I know what you feel like, so I'm sorry you're going through that, but it was a high-level pain, so pray for her. I did get an update also on Henry, so that 2-year-old, we were hoping to have the last treatment. It's not his last treatment. He's got two tumors that they don't know if they're benign or not, but they're large enough that they'll cause him problems, so now they're determining the best course of action for taking some surgery to remove those tumors. I think they're waiting. I don't know if they biopsied him or not. I asked if they did. I don't remember what the answer was, but either way, they're planning on removing him, and he's doing well. I actually saw him, and he looks great for a little boy. But he's still going through that, so he's doing okay, but obviously there's still more treatments to be had, and I continue to pray for him. And then Steadfast Baptist Church, continue to pray for them. I saw a news article somewhere saying that they came to an agreement with the landlord, but I haven't spoken to Pastor Shelley personally, so I don't know any of the details or anything like that, so I'm hoping that at least for the short term, they'll be able to stay and continue to operate without all the distractions, because this is a huge distraction, to have to deal with that or the building. I mean, it's enough of a distraction for me, having to deal with an expansion, which is great. It's exciting, it's good, it's fun, it's new, but it's just more work. But they have to deal with even litigation and stuff like that. That is not fun. So pray for Pastor Shelley, pray for his family, pray for the church, and pray for the ministry, pray for everything that's going on there, that God will send the angels to encamp about them and smite the teeth of those wicked people that are trying to shut down the work of God. I mean, let God do it, but pray for God to do it. That's a good prayer for that. So anyways, prayer request, that's a prayer. Does anyone have any updates on prayer requests? Anything that, all right, very good. On the next page, September challenge, church attendance, so a challenge this month, church three times per week, that's how often we are holding services, so if you can make it to church three times a week, that's the goal, that's the challenge, and if you do not live close to our church and you're only able to make it sometimes due to the distance, great, we love having you here and we understand if you can't make it here to all three services, but the challenge still remains, because the challenge isn't come to this church three times a week, the challenge is just go to church three times a week, so try to find a church that would be still within your range of being able to make it and attend a service at least for this month. I encourage you to do that all the time if there's services that you can't make here. I encourage that, I think it's a good thing to do, I think you could still learn, even if it's not the best church or whatever, it's still good to get in the house of God and just make sure you're in the habit of going to church, so that's a challenge for this month. Homeschool field trip, so we already had one, I think I had a lot of fun last week, and we've got the next one coming up here, Southern Belle Farms in October. Please, please, please, RSVP sign up, use the sign up sheets if you're planning on coming, it really helps us out a lot for the planning. This one will have lunch included also, so if you're going to the next homeschool field trip, lunch will be provided at that event. Hebrews chapter four, last two verses of Hebrews chapter four, we are on week eight, and then you get a bonus two weeks to put everything together, put that whole chapter together if you're doing that Bible memory, and to be able to quote it, word perfect, I know that I still owe prizes, and I'm so close to getting caught up on those prizes, it always seems to be right there, but it's not happening this week, so stay tuned, we'll get Hebrews three taken care of soon enough, we might just group it in with Hebrews four and then just get it all taken care of at once, but Bible memory, then we got the upcoming events listed there, I did make that change, so December 10th is going to be our gingerbread house making activity and the caroling, brother Peter, I didn't get a chance to talk to you, does that work for you, brother Devin already said, he's like hey, that works for me, I know you guys have headed it up in the past, and it should work, okay, it just makes sense to me to combine both of those events for those, especially for people driving distances, if you want to do both, great, obviously you don't have to do both, do whatever you want, gingerbread house making, by the way, is not just for kids, it's for all ages, I think sometimes the adults get more into it than the kids do, kids like eating the candy, the adults like making the houses really fancy, so it's a lot of fun though, come to that if you can, I'll get the times in there as we get closer to that event, and then the Christmas service, this year Christmas day falls on a Sunday, and I'm not known for changing service times just in general at all, but I am going to for Christmas day, I want to do a potluck in between the services, and we're going to actually hold the service, we're going to move that evening service up, so that we can have church service in the morning, a nice potluck, fellowship, and then immediately following that the next church service, and then we'll be opened up for the rest of the afternoon, that everyone who wants to go out soul-winding, can still go out soul-winding, you have the whole rest of the afternoon, choose how much you want to go out and preach the gospel, or whatever you want to do with the rest of your day, it's going to be there, so I'm not canceling soul-winding, I'm just shifting the times around, so that we can have, I'd really like to have everyone together, and have a really nice potluck here, so that's the plan for Christmas service, birthdays and anniversaries down there at the bottom of the page, and I believe that is it for announcements, we do have that building open next door, appreciate everybody helping out, we didn't have the key earlier this week, we brought a bunch of stuff, and whatever, I don't know, hopefully the AC is working there now, that was the reason why we didn't have the key, because they're trying to get the AC fixed over there, so we're still some cleaning that needs to be done, so if you do, we're not very heavy today as far as attendance goes, but if we do get backed up, there are some restrooms over there, but they need to be cleaned still, and stocked and everything, so that's kind of emergency overflow, and also please, I'm going to say this, as long as we have this building open, parents know where your children are, don't let them just go in there, and be running around or whatever, especially just unattended, I don't want to have, you know, it's an open space, and I really don't want to have a bunch of, if it becomes a problem, I'm just going to lock it up, and we're not going to use it, but try to make sure you're keeping track of where your kids are, so that we're not, you know, this isn't just a play area, basically, because in here, we've got plenty of adults around, we see what's going on, I don't want people going in there, the only reason to go in there is to use the restroom, or if you haven't seen it yet, feel free to take a tour, go ahead and check it out, so anyways, that's the plan, and I'm submitting the, I got the revision, so one other point, just to keep everyone up to speed, I made a revision to our plan on how we're doing everything here, and I wasn't going to include this on the original plan, but I decided to just get this done as well, we're going to be removing the wall between the current mother baby room in the foyer, and the back wall where the storage is, and we're going to open up, and that's going to be one big space that we're going to have available for like eating, that's where the vinyl is on the floor, it makes the most sense for cleaning, we'll be able to set up tables, it'll totally be set up with refrigerant, with all the things that you need to eat here at lunch, so we don't have to come in here anymore, and all of that could be done in that area, that also makes it easy for overflow seating, if we ever have big events, we have a nice big open space, that'll be very easy to be able to hear and see the preaching in the event that we just need a bunch of extra seats, so that's part of the plan now, that's easy work, and we'll get that done, and we've got, we'll be adding three mother baby rooms here, so getting rid of that one won't be a big deal, we're going to just be moving to those, and that's all when the project gets underway, so I will also have more, I'll have a list of things that need to get done, after I submit the work, and I talk to a contractor, we'll see the things that we can do, versus what they're going to have to do, there's certain things, I think even with the demo, there's certain things that they might have to do, this wall goes up really high, so we've got to determine, a structural engineer needs to look and see, and make sure that taking out all this wall is not going to pose any problems, with leaving the wall going up to the roof, the roof is really high, so some things we're not going to be able to do, we're going to leave that up to the licensed, insured contractor to get done, but anything that we can do, we'll do, and there's also a bunch of other things that we'll be able to do, that have nothing to do with contractor work, it's just doing some lights, doing the ceiling tiles, doing whatever, all the extra stuff, painting that needs to be done, so any questions on that, you can talk to me about it later, but I'll come up with a list, as soon as I get a little bit more information, and we can move forward with that. That's it for our announcements this morning, Brother Peter, please come up, and lead us in our next song. Alright church, can you open up your hymnals, song number 250. Song 250, burdens are lifted at Cal. Song 250. On the first Days are filled With sorrow and care Hearts are lonely and free Burdens are lifted at Calvary Jesus is very near Burdens are lifted at Calvary Calvary, Calvary Burdens are lifted at Calvary Jesus is very near Cast your care On Jesus today Leave for worry and fear Burdens are lifted at Calvary Jesus is very near Burdens are lifted at Calvary Calvary, Calvary Burdens are lifted at Calvary Jesus is very near On the last Troubled soul The Savior can see Every morning and day Burdens are lifted at Calvary Jesus is very near Burdens are lifted at Calvary Calvary, Calvary Burdens are lifted at Calvary Jesus is very near In church while the offering Plates are being passed around You can open up your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 7 That's Romans chapter 7 And as we do customary here at Stronghold Baptist Church I'd like to ask Brother Jesse if he can please do that for us Romans chapter 7 the Bible reads For when we were in the flesh the emotions of sin which were by the law Did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death For when we were in the flesh the emotions of sin which were by the law Did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death For when we were in the flesh the emotions of sin which were by the law Did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death For when we were in the flesh the emotions of sin Did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death But now we are delivered from the law that being dead wherein we were held That we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid nay I had not known sin but by the law for I had not known lust except the law said Thou shalt not covet but sin taken occasion by the law For by the commandment rod me all manner of For without the law sin was dead for I was alive without the law Once but when the commandment came sin revived and I died and the commandment which was ordained To life I found to be unto death for sin taking occasion By the commandment deceived me and by it slew me Wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good Was then that which is good and make death unto me? God forbid but sin that it might appear sin That working death in me by that which is good that sin by The commandment might become exceedingly sinful For we know that the law is spiritual but I am carnal sold under sin For that which I do I allow not for what I would that do I not But what I hate that do I if then I do that which I Would not I consent unto the law that it is good Now then it is no more I that do it but sin that dwells in me For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing For to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not That I do now if I do that I would not It is no more I that do it but sin that dwells in me I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me For I delight in the law of God after the inward man But I see another law and my members warring Against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity To the law of sin which is in my members O wretched man that I am Who shall live with me for the bodies of death I thank God through Jesus Christ Our Lord so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God But with the flesh the law of sin Kevin if you would please do a prayer Alright so the subject I want to preach on this morning is actually there's a couple passages that we just preached on recently one of them is here in Romans 7 we went through this passage not that long ago and then in Hebrews chapter 3 we're going through Hebrews as well on Wednesday night and you want to you can turn to Hebrews 3 if you'd like I'm just gonna read two verses from there it's where the title of my sermon comes from but we're going to be looking at Romans 7 here in just a minute Hebrews chapter 3 verse number 12 the Bible says take heed brother and lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief and departing from the living God but exhort one another daily while as called today lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin and the title of my sermon this morning is the deceitfulness of sin and this is kind of a broad subject I'm just talking about sin in general because sin is going to be able to be applied personally to you and whatever sin that may be but we need to understand just from a high level perspective the deceitfulness of sin now I'm preaching to people and go back and turn to Romans chapter 7 if you would you know obviously this is going to be great wisdom for anybody but I'm talking to people who trust the word of God people who are born again believers and we don't want to end up being fools right obviously we know we're not perfect we know there's going to be times when someone falls but having the knowledge first of all is just key just understanding the deceitfulness of sin because we have this sin nature that's going to try to convince us to get into sin right there's going to be times where you're tempted and you feel some type of fleshly lust to do something that is contrary to God's laws to God's commandments to what God is telling us that we ought to do you're going to have the thought you're going to have the urge the desire to do things that are wrong and having just the basic understanding and the refresher of the deceitfulness of sin will hopefully help you to resist that urge whenever that comes when that temptation comes around to go wait a minute you know this I know that this isn't really it's all cracked up to be and understanding just that sin itself is deceitful it's a deceit it's a lie should help you at least in your mind now we're trying to reign in and control our bodies right because the body's going oh man I just want whatever right if it's someone who just just wants to get drunk or wants to do drugs your flesh is just going like yeah let's do it it's going to be fun it's going to be cool right but understanding that sin is deceitful and just remembering go wait a minute you know yeah there's this one aspect of this that seems like it's going to be good it seems like it's going to be fun it seems like I'm going to have this pleasure or whatever understand that that's just the front on the backside there's a lot more that goes along with that every single time with sin there's a cost there's a price that you have to pay and it's always always always more than whatever supposed benefit you think you're going to get from that sin now understanding our sin nature before we get into some specifics because we're going to go through some very specific examples of sin in general but that concept of just sin being deceitful the whole point is to try to trick you Satan is a liar he's the father of lies Satan wants you to break God's commandments he's in rebellion to the Lord and he wants as many other people to be in rebellion to God as well and he does so by making things look a lot better in enticing people to do the things they shouldn't do going all the way back to the Garden of Eden what did he do with Eve he enticed her with that fruit and tried to convince her hey look no this is really good knowledge of good and evil you'll be like a god you'll be you know he was he was kind of lifting up this forbidden fruit to her as being something that you know she hadn't considered before but now all of a sudden wow yeah that's starting to look really good right but but what was the catch on that one well the catch is in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die now the deceit was well you shall not surely die but that's the deceit and that's the deceit with so many people thinking well I'm just gonna do this sin I mean nothing's really gonna happen though right like I know that the Bible says not to do this but I'm just gonna do a little bit and I'm just gonna like it won't it'll be fine I'll get away with it no one will know that's a deceit it's a lie don't think you know you may be able to to fool some people for a while with your sin first of all it's not gonna last that long even if you are able to and even if you could keep sin from other people you can't hide it from God and that and that is the biggest reason in itself not to sin is knowing you can't hide anything from God the Bible says be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever man soweth that shall he also reap whatever you choose to do in this life in this world it's gonna come back on you God is not mocked don't think that you could just deliberately disobey the Lord and go off and do whatever you want and it's not gonna have a consequence and that there's not gonna be a price to pay because there is Romans chapter 7 look at verse number 9 the Bible says for I was alive without the law once but when the commandment came sin revived and I died and the commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death for sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it slew me now this is you know we're gonna get more into this but look at how serious that is sin deceived me and sin you know it's kind of personifying sin but is using the force of the commandment because God's commandment has consequences right like thus saith the Lord thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not steal thou shalt not you know all these commandments and then the commandment has a recompense the commandment has a punishment right sin is breaking that commandment and deceit the deceit is thinking well that's not really going to happen right but no the Bible says for the wages of sin is death so when you're deceived into committing sin he's saying hey it deceived me and by it slew me by the commandment because the commandment is like hey look this is this is what you're gonna get when you commit sin you're gonna die in a day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die oh and now you're dead and that's perfect in the context here because he's saying I was alive once without the law but he says but when the commandment came sin revived and I died you know I believe every single person is born into this world not a sinner so whereas we believe that because of Adam's sin we've inherited a sin nature we have a fleshly nature about us but that does not mean that every person born in this world is unsaved from the day of their birth that is not true the innocent child that dies in the womb that dies is a suckling the innocent child is going to heaven when they die because they're not a sinner okay once they understand there's a law and understand there's commandments and understand right and wrong and have that accountability have that ability to reason and understand hey wait there's some things that are wrong there's some things that are right whatever age that may be for each individual when the commandment comes then sin comes into effect because you could actually choose and you make the decision to not do that which is right and then that's when you die just like Adam and Eve when they were first created they didn't need to be saved they were sinless until sin came and then they died we all go through that same experience once sin comes though then we die and then we need to be born again make sense? so he's saying the sin deceived me and slew me and we understand I mean that's how powerful sin is it brings death you know the end of sin is death and I don't care what sin you're talking about you say well I don't understand how lying the end of all sin brings death there is no good fruit there is no good outcome at all that will come from sin think about things even just something like lying because you might think well no no no me telling this lie is actually you know it's going to keep me out of trouble you know you did something and then your boss asks you did you do that no it wasn't me you know it was it was that person see that helped me no you think you think it helped you in that short term short perspective but when the Bible says that be not deceived God is not mocked whatsoever man so that I shall reap God's going to make sure that that sin is going to find you out God doesn't leave that unpunished that's why I said you might be able to deceive everybody else around you into thinking you got away with it and be like no that actually helped me see the benefit of me sinning was I didn't get in trouble for that not yet not yet and children take heed to people who have been around a lot longer than you because the older people in this room can testify that the Bible is true not just from reading it but by experience and the older you are the more experience you have and I can tell you for a fact every single time you think you're going to get away with something it turns around and comes back on you you can't you don't get away with it the deceit is thinking you can let's keep reading here he says wherefore in verse 12 the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good was then that which is good made death unto me God forbid it's not the law's fault is basically what he's saying but sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good I mean think about how horrible sin is it's taking something that's good and turning it into something to be used as a tool of death right that's how serious and how bad and how wicked sin itself is so I mean don't don't ever try to downplay sin it is a big deal but sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful for we know that the law is spiritual but I am carnal sold under sin for that which I do I allow not for what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I if then I do that which I would not I consent unto the law that it is good now that it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not for the good that I would do would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do now if I do that I would not is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me sin is what's continually trying to get us into trouble essentially right if you're saved you've got the new man you've got that new spirit you've got the the law of your mind as the Bible's talking about here versus the law of your flesh there's another law on your member that's trying to make you to sin so we have that struggle and that struggle is daily but we need to get our flesh under control because we always have a choice and part of that choice here's the thing since it's the law of your mind your mind is what needs to be deceived the flesh has the desire the flesh has the lust the flesh is just going to crave what the flesh craves all manner of sin all manner all manner of sin the flesh is just going to want to be like yep give me more of that that's what the flesh wants but our mind can control our flesh we can make the decisions that we need now the flesh has that desire and in your mind if you want to give in to that flesh you're going to start trying to make justifications for that sin and you hear other people make justifications for their sin I think one of the best examples of people trying to justify their sins are people who want to consume alcohol drink some beers well I'm just going to have a shot I'm just going to do this or it's just sometimes or whatever and try to justify their actions with the Bible with the word of God that's like it's like sin using the commandment and trying to turn it into something bad I mean that's it's horrible right and I hate hearing that when people try to do that it's actually one of my pet peeves specifically with alcohol because there is no good thing that comes from drinking alcohol it's poison bottom line drinking booze is poison yes I'm a teetotaler no booze it's not good for you but people say well Jesus turned water into wine I know he did he absolutely did it was not an alcoholic wine and I'm not going to go in depth on that subject I've done that so many times the word wine is used in the Bible as juice as well as alcoholic wine that we commonly use it today it is not only used for alcohol all the time if that were the case just in that one example in John chapter 2 at the at the marriage feast in Cana it would turn Jesus into someone that is taking people who have already well drunk a bunch of wine and give them more wine if wine always meant alcohol what that would mean is that he's given people they're at a party they've already consumed well drunk if it's all a bunch of booze and people have well drunk a bunch of booze they're going to be intoxicated and you mean to tell me that Jesus is going to go hey here's some more let's bust out the vintage wine now because they're saying like wow it was really good wine what like more alcohol content no Jesus is not going to help people indulge in their sin there's absolutely zero defense against drunkenness you know people try to say well you could have you know they try to pick out different verses say well you could have a drink here and there it falls on its face first of all but second of all without even getting into that drunkenness is absolutely 100% very clearly a sin 1 Corinthians chapter 5 that's a reason to break fellowship with people that people will be kicked out of this church if you're a drunkard you're not even allowed to come in and be part of this church if you're a drunkard that's how serious of a sin it is look it up for yourself 1 Corinthians chapter 5 and you mean to tell me a sin that serious that Jesus is just going okay here you go have some more booze when he came to seek and to save that which is lost he's going and helping people stumble around and be blind not a chance in hell that Jesus would do such a thing ever that's what you have to accept if you believe that every single mention of the word wine means it's alcohol you would have to accept that which is blasphemous and especially in that context because the reference is to his blood when Mary comes to him and says hey they have no wine and he says woman what have I to do with thee you know my hour has not yet come and he's talking about him shedding his blood just like when we observe the Lord's Supper we eat unleavened bread and we drink wine to symbolize the body and blood of Jesus Christ well guess what the reason why the bread is unleavened because leaven represents sin and Jesus flesh was sinless but you know what his blood was pure also so we don't have the fermentation or the leaven of the drink in that either it's pure the pure blood of the grape is what we drink like the Bible talks about the wine that's found in the cluster that's non-fermented that's non-alcoholic that's pure represents a pure blood of Jesus Christ don't let sin deceive you going well I think it's okay to drink because fools repeat that the vast majority of people I've heard try to use that argument know almost nothing about the Bible they've just heard someone say that and it sounds good and they want to justify their sin so they just repeat what they've heard and know nothing about the subject whatsoever and it's easy then oh yeah you don't know what you're talking about yeah because you just want to justify your sin because you don't actually like hearing what the truth of the matter is you've been deceived by sin and guess what that's going to bring you it's going to bring you to the gutter it's going to bring you to the toilet it's going to bring you to poverty it's going to bring you to having all manner of sin in your life you give yourself over to alcohol that's what happens your eyes shall behold strange women and your heart shall utter perverse things that's the truth that's what Budweiser doesn't want to tell you that's what all the hard liquor the Jack Daniel that's what they don't want to tell you they don't want to show that side they want to show the high class people having their scotch right and oh you want to be this person with all this money and look how sophisticated they are or whatever or people at the beach you know playing volleyball or you know and it's like yeah have a Bud Light it's light it's refreshing no no it's poison here drink a cup of poison yeah they're not going to say that this poisons for you it's a deceit and kids don't get deceived by these things trust the word if you've trusted Jesus Christ to be your savior trust the rest of the Bible trust all of it it is true take heed listen to some people who've been around for a while as well and have learned this unfortunately maybe the hard way and can just confirm the words of this book yep it's true yep everything that the Bible says is sin will lead you into a bad life it'll bring burdens on you it'll bring baggage upon you that you don't want to have to carry for the rest of your life but you know what once it's done it's done in many many many cases the course of your life is changed through sin and you can't take that back take heed don't be deceived by sin now there's a lot of people I'm going to shift gears just slightly here and it still completely has to deal with the deceitful and the sin but when it comes to obviously when it comes to salvation there should be nothing holding a person back from being saved because being saved has nothing to do with you living a righteous life being saved is asking a savior to save your soul I mean it's like drowning in the middle of a lake and going yeah but I don't really want to follow all those rules ask for someone to save you right get that life jacket get the little ring get something to keep you from dying then you can choose to live ultimately live how you want but get saved a lot of people don't understand salvation we talk to people all the time how many people have talked to someone where they're like well I don't know if I'm ready to make that commitment yet because they've got whatever sin in their life and they know they're not ready to just give that up right now and it's people because they don't understand salvation it's like no we're not asking you to give up your booze in order to get saved now look yes you should give up the booze get rid of it today but that's not what it takes to be saved look today we need to focus on is calling on the savior to save your soul because you're in trouble man you need to be saved worry about following all the commandments of God after you're saved but right now you need salvation because the more you stand on the fence and go I don't really know the more opportunity one you're probably going to be more prone to sinning which the wages of sin is death now of course I believe wholeheartedly that that is referring to the second death the wage of sin being that spiritual death but it also brings physical death as well it's a two meaning death it's spiritual death and it's physical death there was no death at all in the Garden of Eden until sin entered in that's why people lived to be really long in the Old Testament now they still got death and it was still that spiritual death but there was no reason for any death until sin came into the world because sin brings forth death and that's why Jesus when Jesus he conquered death and when we're saved we have eternal life it's eternal it's forever it never ends there is no more death right he that liveth and believeth in me shall not see death right dieth no more there's gonna be no more death at all but those who are on the fence they don't know look get saved don't worry about the commitment the commitment comes later now that's where we weren't saved what about people who are saved and they're going I don't know man I kind of feel like living the Christian life I mean it's kind of weird I don't know if I want to join stronghold I mean yeah I'm saved but like I'm really enjoying my life I want to hang out with my buddies and kind of just do what I've been doing and just have fun look don't be deceived by sin don't be deceived by what the world has to offer okay now look if you come to this church and you actually you know even if you don't come to this church I don't care what church you go to if you start living your life according to the Bible you're gonna be weird in the world if you actually put into practice all the commandments everything that's God's saying that we should be doing and not doing in our life you put this into practice you are gonna look weird in the world's eyes you're gonna look different it's gonna cause people to ridicule you it's gonna cause some persecution people aren't gonna like that it's gonna cause you to be outcast it's gonna cause all these things it will happen it will if you are doing that because if you are following the word of God do you know who you're following? Christ what happened to Christ in this world all of those things he was beat he was persecuted he was ridiculed he was backstabbed he had all manner of evil come against him people hated him okay now look he also had people who loved him it's not all like bad right there's a lot of good that goes along with this so don't get it wrong but what I'm saying is if you're gonna live this way understand yes there are gonna be some changes in your life and those changes aren't all going to be positive of the sense of they're easy to go through but they are positive they are positive if people persecute you that is a positive thing if people separate you from their company and cast out your name as evil because of Christ that is a positive thing for you that is a good thing for you what are you talking about that doesn't sound good at all I don't want that to happen well Jesus said to rejoice and be exceeding joyful in that day for so did they to the prophets that were before you and I'm not quoting that 100% verbatim but you can look at Matthew chapter 5 look at the Beatitudes just after that it tells you that you get persecuted all these bad things happen to you they're not bad things you should be happy about it just like the disciples in the book of Acts when they were beaten and thrown into jail they rejoiced because they were thankful that they were kind of worthy to suffer shame for the cause of Christ that puts you closer to Jesus don't think that you're doing something wrong if bad things like that start to happen right it actually just puts you in close company with people who are closest to God or ultimately with Jesus Christ who is God but compare that what does the world really have to offer anyways you know a lot of people might think well I don't know if I really want and look I was one of those people for a while I knew in my heart I was the same person not going to church living my life living a sinful life week after week and you know what it brought me nothing you know how much joy it brought me I was living the deceived life trying to forget about the things of God and trying to live and do the things of the world and have worldly friends and go out and do all that stuff and living that life but you know what I was miserable now that's some of the deceitfulness though other people didn't know I was miserable and people living that wicked life right now they're not going to let on that they're miserable but I guarantee you they are it looks great but it's fake it's like fake book it's like when people want to show how wonderful everything is about their life and look at the meal I'm eating and look at my perfect room here that's everything's in perfect order exactly and then it's like you turn around yeah don't look at don't look anywhere else just look right here right and just whatever every other aspect you know people posting all the we're on this it's like look there's a lot more to that story than just that snapshot and I'm not saying you know whatever you want to post what you eat I don't care you post what you eat whatever like but we can't get this one-sided idea you know for the person who always just posts the most magnificent meal it's not every meal it's not that they might want you to think that but it's not and there's a lot more that goes into that right and here's the thing with sin there's a lot more that goes along with it the party lifestyle oh man these guys they're out every week they have their VIP here they get in wherever they want the celebrities they could go and do anything they want it's so much fun you have to understand there's a lot more to it than that that's one view that's the deceitful part wow look at them they're on TV everybody knows their name it looks so great everybody loves them they're making millions of dollars if it's so great if it's so great why can't they stay married to one person and have some stability if it's so great why is there often you know suicides and substance you know and not living out half their days why because there's more to it and there's a lot that goes in it and these people the people now the days they're going off the rails I mean they're psychopaths because the culture's gotten so there's always been an element like the in Hollywood and these industries and with especially with the media in our age where there's been a lot of wickedness and promotion and Satan's really been using that tool to deceive people but things have just gotten spiraled out of control so bad it's like I don't even I haven't I don't know what's going on the television like right now in the popular stuff but the last thing I remember seeing that was just it blew my mind was one of the one of the halftime Super Bowl events and some whore was literally was like that they had all these people in Baphomet costumes and stuff and she was literally riding on top of a beast it's like the great whore on a this is the imagery like it's biblical imagery of Satan and I don't remember and this was years ago I don't remember how long ago this was but this is how bad things have gotten how wicked and just obvious I would say how obvious it is people are so blinded they can't even oh it's art art that's the devil it's not art I mean talk about deceit and don't be deceived by that either okay pornography is not art putting up naked men as a big statue for everyone to see is not art some sodomite likes to look at naked men creates a sculpture and everyone well oh look at this this is art no it's pornography it's perverted you don't show the nakedness of anybody just out in public that's for a husband and wife and that's it deceitfulness but what does the world have to offer you know people don't want to live for Christ what does the world really have to offer fame you want to be real popular it sounds real cool you know what yeah it's real cool then when you can't step outside there's people always trying to take your picture and every little step that you do then it's going to be recorded somewhere posted on social media everybody's interrupting you can't go and sit down and just have a quiet meal because you're so famous does that sound like it's really all it's cracked up to be I mean you talk to these people they have to they literally have to live in their own bubbles because any time you go out like yeah but they're so famous yeah it's not that great it's one of those things that you think it's going to be the best thing in the world man if I just was famous like I would love that I don't care I would welcome the photographers yeah you think you would maybe you would for a week or a month or whatever right but but it's gonna it's gonna where I need to get old real fast and then you're gonna be like well you know I don't want this anymore too late you got it you're stuck with it how about promiscuity what does the world have to offer promiscuity I don't need any rules I don't want to get married okay so you want to pick up STDs have a bunch of children on a wedlock not have how about this how about just you know one of the best things about having a spouse like having a person committed to you and you're committed to them and being able to have a stable relationship where you could rely on that person always being there for you having one person in your life that you've promised and vowed to each other you know what I'm with you until you die or I die I'm there with you that's way more valuable than the person who goes out and shacks up with someone for a night and then shacks up with someone else for a night or whatever having someone that's good that loyalty and that faithfulness is unmeasurable to the person who just wants to live the sinful lifestyle of promiscuity live the life of a whore or whore monger and you know what the Bible says you know whores and whore mongers God will judge he's gonna judge you anyways your sins gonna find you out you're gonna end up with some pestilence some disease it's gonna happen you know people want to roll the dice and go oh well it didn't happen this time something there is always something that's gonna come along with that I'm telling you okay because God's not mocked it's a bottom line you think you take all these preventative measures I'm gonna do all this other stuff to try to prevent that from happening God won't allow it to go unpunished if you're a born-again believer you better believe that to be true because God is your heavenly Father and this is what I'm talking about this is this is a subject right now born-again believers who don't want I want to go the way of the world well that doesn't sound like very much fun going that way how about the you know the drunkenness and drugs I kind of covered that already how about having a lot of money well I mean that's probably the number one the number one factor number one driver what most people in this world are striving for wealth money right of all the things that this world can offer provide money is just that is the carrot dangling in front of people that's motivating people and driving them and if I just had more money everything would be better the world thrives on the pursuit of money so the world thrives on that but God's people should not God's people should not so what might you be giving up if you decide to live for Christ in turn if you go to 1 Timothy chapter 6 you might miss out on some of the luxuries that money can provide for you and I say you might God also just might bless you anyways with goods he might he might not he's not guaranteeing you all the riches but you know what King Solomon sought what was right he sought wisdom and guidance God you put me in an important position here and I want to do what's right when God asks him hey ask me what you want I'll grant it for you in a sense God was being that genie in the bottle to to Solomon and going okay Solomon what would you like here I am just ask me what you want and he asked for the right things and he asked for wisdom and he asked look God this is a big job I need to just know how to do this I want to do what's right and I need your help God help me give me the wisdom I need to do this job it's a tremendous responsibility that was righteous and that was good so God decided you know what I'm going to go ahead and I'm going to give you all this wealth and all these other things that you didn't ask for you could have you didn't ask for them but I'm going to give that to you anyways now we're going to end up going to Ecclesiastes here in just a minute after we get through first Timothy chapter 6 because we're going to learn from the man who had anything he could he could desire to ultimately boil it all down and say is it worth it to live a life hey why don't we listen to someone who actually had the experience right now we have the word of God telling us not to sin but we also God included in his word a man that he gave the experience to here you go why don't you tell us how great it is Solomon and then determine is it even a blessing to have untold wealth was it really a blessing to have all the concubines was that really a blessing in his life we'll see but look at first Timothy chapter 6 I cover this real quick verse number 6 about says but godliness with contentment is great gain for we brought nothing into this world and is certain it is certain we can carry nothing out so people want to strive after money and you all want to get all this money it's temporary first of all that is not going with you whatever you labor and toil you could learn decades and decades man I accumulate I've made all this money it's not going with you so the blink of an eye the vapor that our life is in this world you worked and toiled so hard for all that money and then it's just gone gone every last breath is gone Solomon will cover this as well verse 8 and having food and raiment let us be there with content now just contentment in itself for those of you who don't know is a huge blessing it is a blessing to be content content means I'm good if you could live your life going I'm good you know what peace you have because you know what comes with people who aren't content with what they have that always want to have this and I want to have that stress anxiety pressure doing all this extra work just so you can have this thing which isn't going to satisfy you anyways it won't you'll have that moment of oh we got it cool give it a day or a week or maybe a month of whatever it is that's just so cool it gets old fast it gets old fast I mean and look we're all to some degree guilty of this whatever you could you'd be happy about getting something achieving something that's fine but that's not what you know we shouldn't be striving and having our life about just making so much money if you're not content with what you have you're never going to have peace you're always going to be stressed out you're always going to be burdened you know what just say like hey this is what God gave me great verse 9 because if you're not content if you're not satisfied with what you have look at verse 9 but they that will be rich will means you want to be like that's your desire those that want to be rich like well I'm sick of living in this condition careful about that don't be upset with where God has you because God has you wherever it is he's blessed you with that's you know what and you know sometimes people lose stuff off their own sinful actions too right God might have blessed you a bunch and then you decide to go off and sin a bunch and now you're in a position well you know what you're reaping what you've sown be content with that though learn to be content say okay well here I am now it doesn't mean you can't work and still pursue careers that are going to be beneficial for you or whatever but that first of all you should still always be content if you can find another job that's going to pay you more money great go ahead and do it but whatever state you're in don't go oh man this is you know this is too bad because I tell you this no matter how much you make you're always going to want more if you're not satisfied with what you have if you have the mind where you're thinking if I just get this then everything will be okay if that's your thought on anything that you want in this world you won't be satisfied you won't be satisfied but if I just had this I'd be satisfied no you won't that satisfaction will last a moment and then it's gone because now your eyes will be focused to the next thing that you don't have that if I just had that everything would be great and you will continue that cycle over and over until you get it through your thick skull that look I'm going to be happy with what God gave me because those that will be rich in verse 9 fall into temptation and a snare you want to be rich you fall and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drowned drowned men in destruction and perdition boy that sounds fun doesn't it verse 10 for the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have from the faith you're an error from your faith if you're if you're loving money and I need to get more money I love money I'm coveting money I want more money I don't want money I just want the things you buy the things with the money it's the same thing okay you've heard from the faith look and pierce themselves through with many sorrows sorrow accompanies discontentment but thou oh man of God flee these things and follow after righteousness godliness faith love patience meekness what does the world have to offer oh money being greedy just trying to always earn more money yeah you're piercing yourself through with sorrows so when you're trying to weigh and make a checklist the pros and cons here's the pros of following the world's way and here's the pros of following God's way the side that has the world's way it's all any pro that you can put on there it's fake it's a deceit well I can have all this money I can buy whatever I want you know what no because you're never going to be satisfied it actually isn't a pro and you know this the more stuff you have the more time energy and money it costs you anyways the more stuff you have it's more stress it's more work it's more everything it's not all it's cracked up to be it's really not and even a person who has servants and has everything you know I'll just hire people to do all this work well not you're just paying a bunch more out right I mean just and then those people I need to make more money now because now I got to pay all these other people to take care of all this other stuff that I accumulated that you know I thought was going to make me happy and is just sitting in a garage somewhere the one time every five years I'm going to go out to this place at least I own it now whatever like whatever these stupid things go on in people's mind why you have to buy I'm going to buy a 20,000 square foot house for what rooms you don't even go into what's the purpose what's the point right whatever but they're not satisfied that's the telltale sign of someone who's not satisfied never satisfied that is not a good way to be that's going to bring you sorrow Ecclesiastes 5 let's look at what Solomon has to say about the riches and then we'll go through a couple other chapters and just overall everything that he amassed everything accumulated anything that the world had to offer Solomon at least dipped his foot into it he checked it out he tested everything that the world had to offer and we get to read the results of Ecclesiastes and for those of you if you know you've read the book Ecclesiastes it's not the most uplifting book this isn't the book you go to for encouragement right people always want to go to Psalms right it's real encouraging uplifting there's all this great the Lord's my defender man my trust in God yeah those are great hey I love those too but Ecclesiastes you're not going there it's kind of like lamentations right you're not you're not going to that for your uplifting now but there's a lot of wisdom Ecclesiastes is still a book of wisdom like Proverbs is very similar to Proverbs but with a lot of wisdom also comes sorrow I think you start to understand when you really start to understand the nature of things it's not uplifting you see the more you understand sin and its sinful nature oh man that's really bad because sin tries to deceive you and you think oh it's not that bad oh it's not that big of a deal Ecclesiastes 5 look at verse number 10 the Bible says he that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver isn't that ironic oh you love silver you're never going to have enough you love money you're never going to have enough that's a curse that is a curse and you know it's a truth it's true like no no no I could still like it and be satisfied no you can't if you love it you're never going to have enough nor he that loveth abundance with increase this is also vanity when goods increase they are increased that eat them so more goods are they're going to be that are consuming those goods is what he's saying and it goes to my point of you know the more stuff that you have you're going to need more people to help manage that stuff so all those good you may not be increase all this stuff well now you've got more people consuming it all this stuff that you've amassed is being distributed still among a lot of people and what good is there to the owners are of save the beholding of them with their eyes and basically and what good is it anyways killing a bunch of stuff you get to look at it wow isn't that cool isn't that great the sleep of a laboring man is sweet whether he eat little or much but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep there's another little fine detail that a lot of people probably never think about like oh man if I had all this money I would say you know what you have everything provided for you you're not even going to be able to sleep and that's not fun not being able to sleep I don't have that problem my problem is on the other side not being able to sleep enough but I'll tell you what it is it feels so good to lay your head down and get some like that is a joy when you work all day and you're like I'm done working and I'm going to go to sleep it makes me want to go to bed right now it's so satisfying it's so good but when you don't have to do anything because everyone else is doing it for you sleep all of a sudden becomes you know you got a problem sleeping work anyone has a problem sleeping work more work more work more but I already work work more you won't have a problem sleeping work more maybe if you're sleeping you know 12 hours a day maybe you're sleeping too much and then you're going to have a problem sleeping too so you know how you're going to work more you're going to get up earlier anyways let's keep reading here verse 13 there's a sore evil which I've seen under the sun namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt but those riches perish by evil travail and he begateth the sun and there is nothing in his hand as he came forth of his mother's womb naked shall he return to go as he came and shall take nothing of his labor which he may carry away in his hand exactly what we just read in first Timothy chapter 6 and this also is a sore evil that in all points as he came so shall he go and what profit hath he that hath labored for the wind what what so you're saying if you're working for the wind I mean the wind just comes and goes right it's just not there so you work work work work work work and stuff's all gone that's how riches are this world the riches of this world you can work work work work oh man I'm human all this stuff but then you die and they're gone and then you have the whole rest of your existence in eternity with nothing because you labored for the things that go away Christian don't be deceived by the riches of this world the deceitfulness of sin the deceitfulness of money the deceitfulness of oh man if we just add all this stuff and work work work work work work work try to get all that stuff because it's going to be gone before you know it and you're going to be left with nothing but there is a labor that you can do in this world that will that you actually can take with you there are riches and we don't actually take them with us because they're already stored in heaven for us there's rewards that can be saved up in a retirement account in heaven when you labor for the Lord when you work for God that is the most important thing that is going to be the labor that you can look back on and be like cool I actually have something to show for my time for my effort for my labor here it is and it's here forever sin the money looks great right in front of your eyes right now but that's going to be gone before you know it and it's not going to satisfy you the way you think you could be struggling and struggling and struggling man if I just had a million bucks I'd be so happy no you wouldn't you would spend it all and it'd be gone quickly that's why people who win the lottery vast majority of them super high percentage end up going bankrupt they win all this money and then they blow it all because they're never good with money to begin with because they're buying and sinking lottery tickets and then they get all this stuff and then they lose all that stuff and then they're right back if not worse than where they started because it's not the answer to your problems and also with many of those stories too people get divorced people have ruined relationships and all this other stuff that came along that they weren't expecting to happen I just thought everything was going to be great yeah you know what a lot of people start showing their true colors too after they've stolen from you and then you're looking for them for some help when you go bankrupt and they're not there anymore everyone's your friend when you got a bunch of wealth go back to Ecclesiastes chapter 1 we'll go through this really quickly now I spent a little bit more time than I thought I would at this point we're going to look at chapter 1 and 2 real quickly just to go through this list of all these things what does the world have to offer? Don't be deceived by what the world has to offer if you're deciding well I don't know how much I want to live for God I mean I kind of like where I'm at being liked by everybody and I don't you know that's kind of crazy for me getting just I mean you guys are zealous or whatever I don't really know if I want to do that well look first of all God's worth it first of all you save your soul from hell he's worth like serving you know and doing for him and listening to him and respecting his word and listening to him second he knows what's best for you and God loves you which is why he made the commandments in the first place which is why he told us all the things he wants us to do he's telling us look if you do this you'll be blessed in eternity if you follow my commandments if you do what I'm telling you to do you'll have bless that's love God wants you to have those things he's not trying to burden you and cause you grief he's saying if you do this you will be greatly blessed and if you don't do these other things you're going to actually avoid curses you're going to avoid the traps you're going to avoid the hardships and the sorrow and the grief that comes with all the problems of sin if you just listen to this your life will be great here and in the afterlife God's telling us how to do it all don't let sin deceive you into thinking that anything that God said is not true or not right or not the way it is it is the way it is and if you think no no I see this other guy and he's living great it's a deceit it's a lie it's a lie and some people have to find out the hard way you finally get into it and you go oh maybe I should have listened don't be foolish by having to learn the hard way let's look at the words of Solomon he tested it all out for us so we don't have to verse number 8 of Ecclesiastes 1 all things are full of labor men cannot utter it the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing again that goes to the unsatisfaction of things right the more you want to look on the more you want to have it just never satisfies it's a terrible way to live telling him verse 9 verse uh yeah verse 9 the thing that hath been it is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done and there is no new thing under the sun and you know at the end of the day you say oh we got this technology you know what technology is not new in general there's always new technologies but it's not really new anyways there's nothing really new people are trying to find better ways of doing the same thing there's nothing really new is there anything more of it maybe said see this is new it hath been already of old time which was before us there is no remembrance of former things neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after I the preacher was king over Israel and Jerusalem and I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith so he's saying I sought out everything that people can do with their life I just sought all of it out I just want to see what is it all good for I have seen verse 14 all the works that are done under the sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit I've seen all of it and let me just sum it up for you right now in chapter number 1 verse 14 it's all vexation it's all vanity vanity means it's empty it's meaningless it's all empty all these great works all this stuff it's empty the great pyramids yeah you could still look at them they you know what it's still vanity it's all going to be broken down destroyed and not remembered even the things that last for we could say wow it's a real long time I mean they've been up for thousands of years it's all going to be gone and forgotten attorney is a long time don't be stuck in the short term mindset and again children listen because I've been where you're at and now I am where I am and I'm sure people who have more age than I do can testify even more fully the time your perception of time changes as you age you think you have all the time in the world when you're younger because you don't have as much experience now the amount of time that we all have is exactly the same but those who are older have the perception of time going wait no this is really fast there's not enough time to do anything because the more understanding you have about the things that matter the more understanding you have about things you realize what a lot of things are wastes of time and the older you get you're going to understand hey I wish and there's going to be regrets hopefully not but a lot of you have regrets going man if I could have just done this earlier right how much better off would I be now so the wise child is going to listen to the words of God and do your best to incorporate this in your life now I mean all of us would do good to incorporate this in our life now but the younger you are you know don't think you have to experience it all for yourself if you're wise you'll take heed to these words and don't feel like well I have to go check it out for myself I'm warning you right now it's not going to be what you think it is it's not going to be anything good if you're going after sin if you're going after the ways of the world if you're going after the riches if you're going after whatever that's not of God it's going to be vanity it's going to be meaningless it's going to be empty and it's going to if anything just leave you depressed and have no real fulfillment or joy in your life when you can be content you can follow God you can live righteously there is great joy great joy peace satisfaction being able to live day to day and yeah there's always concerns in the world but it's so much better I consider I talk about my life in the past that's like my old me that life was terrible I like the new me way better than the old me as far as my life goes it's way more fulfilling now you know we can all work on areas and we all work on our satisfaction and things like that but there's a huge difference between living just always not being satisfied and always trying to do whatever get more and just being content that's a huge example right there let's keep reading here I want to get through I'm not going to expound too much more I just want to read some of these so you can see what he did so verse 15 that which is crooked cannot be made straight and that which is wanting cannot be numbered I communed with mine own heart saying lo I am come to great estate and I have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem yay my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge and I gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly I perceive that this also is vexation of spirit for in much wisdom is much grief and he that increaseeth knowledge increaseeth sorrow that's what I was talking about earlier but he said I gave my heart to know wisdom I wanted to be wise but then I also gave my heart to know madness and folly like things that are just stupid foolish you know all these different things I just went after it just to see what it was all about go to chapter 2 verse number 1 and I said in mine heart go to now I will prove thee with mirth therefore enjoy pleasure so how about just well I just want to do things that are fun right mirth just kind of pleasure happiness just doing things like what do people do to just be happy right what do I do just to be happy I'm going to go lounge by the poolside I'm going to go shopping I'm going to go you know I don't know I'm going to go to the bar like what are the things that the world do what does the world do just to provide mirth happiness well I'm going to throw a party this all ends up being meaningless you could do those things but you're only going to do it for so long it's going to be like it's empty it's not really going to fill that void going wow I'm really happy you won't really be you could try to pursue that mirth and that happiness you're going to realize it's not really there there's something still missing and that is also goes to speak to the way that God made us it's the way that he built us to get that true satisfaction and joy from the way that they and he told us the truth about it right so anyway let's keep reading I'm already over time I want to just read the rest of this I said of laughter it is mad and of mirth what doeth it you know people laugh and joke all the time but again at the end of the day hey jokes are funny you know you know the people who just joke all the time but still it's kind of like okay I mean at some point you're going to be like this is meaningless this is vanity okay so I could get everyone to laugh and always make these jokes but after a while the novelty is going to wear off and you're just going to be like it's not even fun anymore what's interesting too is the amount of comedians that commit suicide like that is staggering when you look at that and people who real famous comedians who've you know they spend their life like you would think oh they're so funny right I mean they're so funny they've got to have a lot of joy in their life they're actually the exact opposite it's really miserable I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom and to lay hold on folly till I might see what was that good for the sons of men which they should do unto heaven all the days of their life so he said I even gave myself over to wine I tried drinking just to see what that was good for you know what he found nothing I made me great works he said okay well instead of the mirth and the pleasure and the party lifestyle right and getting into that stuff that was meaningless that was empty how about working right I mean that's I'm not doing anything bad to my body I'm going to build great works I built me houses I planted me vineyards I made me gardens and orchards I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits I made me pools of water to water there with the wood that bring forth trees I got me servants and maidens and had servants born in my house also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me he's like man I built this great business and I thrived I mean I was employing all these people I'm building these great works these great buildings I'm moving water around great orchards all kinds of fruit all kinds of plants all kinds of whatever you can get in this world like I had it all way more than anyone who's ever come before me just succeeded right let's see what he says verse 8 I gathered me also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces he's like I'm getting the weird stuff that no one get their hands on the priceless stuff right just wow we found this thing this is kind of strange I got me men singers and women singers I mean he had people singing for him whenever he wanted like his own band right people today you're buying music you're listening to it recorded he's just like he had his singers like sing for me and the delights of the sons of men as musical instruments and that of all sorts the guy had all genres of music I had the guys playing heavy metal over here and the guys singing but I mean he had all sorts of music right he did everything so I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem also my wisdom remained with me and whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them think about that anything that you can have he's like I just did it go ahead sure you want that got it right now because this is ultimately I think that's kind of the pinnacle of if you're going to follow the ways of the world what else can you be looking for well anything I want I want to be able to just have if I could just do if I could get to that point and be so successful that anything I want I can just have it I could do whatever I want that is the ultimate goal of the way of the world do whatever you want anything there you go verse 10 I withheld not my heart from any joy for my heart rejoiced in all my labor and this was my portion of all my labor then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought and on the labor that I had labored to do and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no profit under the sun he looked at everything and just said it's all meaningless it's all empty and actually it just vexes me that's not peace vexation is not peace vexation is trouble vexation is something's just not right it's still just not right and everything and it still doesn't satisfy there was no profit verse 12 and I turned myself to hold wisdom and madness and folly for what can the man do that cometh after the king even that which hath been done already done who else can do anything more now he had everything now what else are you going to do get to the same point but it's already been done there's already been someone who's had everything so what you're just another one verse 13 then I saw that wisdom exceleth folly as far as light exceleth darkness wisdom is way better than foolishness I've tried both and wisdom is so far superior than foolishness it's as far as light excels darkness right like light always conquers darkness you have a dark room you turn the lights on there's no more darkness but darkness goes away when the light's there right verse 14 the wise man's eyes are in his head but the fool walketh in darkness and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all then said I in my heart as it happeneth to the fool so it happeneth even to me and why was I then more wise then I said in my heart that this also is vanity so basically saying look there's one event that happens to everybody in this world whether you're a fool or whether you're wise everyone's going to die and no matter how wise you are there's no escaping that right no matter how much wisdom you have you are not going to stop you know people want to cryogenically be frozen and do all these different things and try to cyborg themselves like you can't avoid it one event happens to them all it's going to happen you can't outsmart death it happens to everybody so then he asks this question he's like well so then what really is the difference then right he says for there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool forever seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten and how diet the wise man as the fool therefore I hated life because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me for all is vanity and vexation of spirit yet I hated all my labor which I had taken under the sun because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me now this is all speaking from the perspective of humanly speaking no matter how much wisdom you have what does it accomplish you in this life to do all these great works and do all this other stuff versus living a life of folly and foolishness at the end of the day nothing but there is advantage spiritually speaking to labor in the spiritual things when it comes to the things of the flesh whether you build this great empire and you don't get involved in some of these other sins of like drunkenness and partying and mirth and all this other stuff where you just kind of waste your time with which is just meaningless anyways you say but I'm going to do this and I'm going to make all this money and make it so I can have anything that I want that's also empty and at the end of the day you're both going to die and you're both going to be left with nothing no matter what pursuit it is you have nothing that is why it's he's going man I'm like depressed about this I'm looking at my labors now I'm just going like now it really doesn't satisfy because then the more wiser you are you're going like why did I spend so much on this and I invested so much in this and now I realize it's not really going to do anything it doesn't even do anything for me now I can just look at it and be like wow that's great Christian considering what to do with your life do I really want to serve God I don't know I don't know if I want to do that any other choice is going to leave you with nothing you're going to turn back and realize you wasted the life that you had it's all for nothing and you know the people who if Solomon wasn't like this he kept his wisdom with him Solomon was saved but the people who actually get to the point of being able to not withhold anything from their eyes they're usually reprobates and that's why they turn that's why you have like the Epstein's and all the filthy rich people that can do whatever they want and they defile children and do the worst things in the world and they think they just get away with it all but you know they're never satisfied with any of that and that's why they have to get weirder and weirder and weirder because nothing satisfies and people are giving over to that they just go for what I mean that's why they just come up with the most outlandish things that any normal person never would think of why because they have everything what else they're trying to do something new trying to find some new thrill trying to find some joy maybe this will help I don't know maybe helping people maybe hurting people maybe you know whatever like they're trying to find and it's all meaningless and it's all empty it's all for nothing do we have to work and make money yes we do man we got to support our families and that is a commandment by the way to support your family and do that but how about you be content in supporting your family be content where you're at and choose to spend your time wisely not going after the dollar not going after any of these other things riches are deceitful sin is deceitful and anything that's not of God is going to be deceitful look to the ways of the Lord trust it God loves you God loves us more than I think we even fully understand we have a grasp of it to some degree we can see the great things that God has done like giving his only begotten son like for me giving of himself making it so easy giving us this life the breath the different things we can experience in this life and also giving us wisdom when you decide to God is a good thing God is good I'm going to seek his ways not just because he told me to but I mean it also has a self benefit like this is going to benefit me the most by serving God and there's nothing wrong with that attitude either of going hey I'm going to be best off if I serve God there's nothing wrong with that attitude we're not God but I want to be as close as possible to him as I can be it takes faith because you are going to come across other obstacles and other things where people are going to try to discourage you and get you down and stop you from doing that and revile you and persecute you you come across these things right to try to derail you from actually serving God but you keep the course God is true to his promises the wisdom is here don't get distracted with the deceitfulness of sin stay on course thank you so much for your words of wisdom God we thank you for instructing us Lord I pray that you would please help us to rationally be able to make this look at your words and just understand and say God I want to live for you I pray that you would help us every day continue to not be deceived by sin and that you'd help us increase our knowledge increase our wisdom dear Lord help us to see things for what they really are and not just see the fake facade of sin that might seem alluring to us Lord help us to gain control over our flesh help us to walk in righteousness and uprightness dear Lord that we can serve you the best we can bring honor and glory to your name dear Lord and we love you please help us in this endeavor in Jesus name we pray amen all right we're gonna sing one last song before we're dismissed brother Peter please lead us all right church if you can open up your hymnals to song number 121 song 121 like a river glorious song 121 on the first like a river glorious is God's perfect peace over all victorious in its bright increase perfect yet in flow with folder every day perfect yet in flow with deeper all the way stay upon Jehovah hearts are fully blessed finding as he promised perfect peace and rest hidden in the hollow of his blessed hand never folk can follow never trainers stand not a shade of care not a blast of hurry just a spirit care stay upon Jehovah hearts are fully blessed finding as he promised perfect peace and rest on the last every joy or trial falling from above traced upon our trial by the flood of fire we may trust him fully all for us to do who trust him find him holy stay upon Jehovah hearts are fully blessed finding as he promised perfect peace and rest Amen church great singing thank you so much for coming you guys you you