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

all right we're in Isaiah chapter number 40 and look down at your Bibles at verse number 1 it says come for ye come for ye my people saith your God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned for she hath received of the Lord's hand doubled for all her sins the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a highway for our God every Valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill shall be made low and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken in the title of sermon this morning is make his paths straight make his paths straight now if you've read the New Testament for any length of time you will obviously notice these verses that this is referring to John the Baptist this is something that is quoted in the New Testament four times three times in Matthew Mark Luke and John speaking of John the Baptist and in the book of John it's actually John the Baptist saying this about himself when the Pharisees came to him and they asked him are thou the Christ are thou that prophet he said no no he says I am the one who's crying to the wilderness make straight the way of the Lord so this is a prophecy in Isaiah chapter 40 of John the Baptist let me read to you from Matthew chapter 3 you don't have to turn there in verse number 1 it says in those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand for this is he that was spoken of by the by the prophet his eyes saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight go with me to what to Luke chapter number one Luke chapter number one so a couple things that we know about John the Baptist and this is something that's commonly said of him is that he was the forerunner of Jesus Christ in other words he's the one who came and prepared the way of the Lord he was the precursor to the Savior to announce the coming of Jesus Christ that's who he was and we know that he preached the gospel he saw a lot of people saved we know that two of the things primary things that he preached was number one the gospel and number two we're gonna get into in just a bit look at Luke 1 verse 17 and he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias speaking of John the Baptist to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord so when John the Baptist came out of the wilderness preaching this was his message and in fact later on we see that he's preaching the baptism of repentance now you ask the most common heretic what does that mean they'll say well that means you know he's preaching repenting your sins that John the Baptist had a different gospel than Jesus Christ he had a different gospel than John the Baptist so you got to understand something this is a different dispensation that's what I'm saying you know they say they try to make it seem as though there's different Gospels even between John the Baptist and Jesus Christ now here's the foolishness of that is that both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ are still under that Old Testament you see the Old Testament did not stop at Malachi it stopped when Jesus Christ was actually crucified because you read the Gospels you see people still observing the Old Testament law of Moses including Jesus Christ himself okay so we said well what is baptism of repentance you know what does that really mean go to Acts chapter 19 if you would act chapter 19 this is not the message but it's worth referencing here you see every time that the word baptism is mentioned it's not always in reference to a water baptism that's what we would commonly associate that word with when we talk about baptism people would say well that's referring to water baptism and much of the time it is but there's other times when the Bible talks about baptism of the Holy Ghost or how about when Jesus Christ says that he's gonna baptize with fire you know that's talking about that's talking about casting people's souls and bodies into hell where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched well how is that baptism because they're being immersed baptism means immersed you know and so when people who are not written in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire what is Jesus doing he's baptizing them in fire right now the baptism of repentance is a biblical term it's not a biblical term that I believe we should use with unsaved people but I think it's a safe term to use amongst Christians who have an understanding of what baptism of repentance is because repentance simply means to have a change of mind right to stop trusting in one thing to trust on the Lord Jesus Christ you know the Bible talks about in Hebrews chapter number six excuse me a repentance from dead works and faith toward God right look at acts night acts 19 verse 4 it says then said Paul John barely baptized with the baptism of repentance saying unto the people so what he's about to say is explaining what the baptism of repentance is that they should believe on him which should come after him that is on Christ Jesus so the message of the baptism of repentance is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ so well why is he using baptism he's confusing people not apparently not because people were getting saved all right you see today we have a strong association of baptism with the water baptism but in these days they understood it based upon the context that it was preached at baptism of repentance means this you're in Christ when you repent of your dead works and you have faith toward God okay and that was a major sermon that he would constantly preach the baptism of repentance and many got saved under the preaching of John the Baptist but you know what the John the Baptist was not just a one-sided preacher he's not like some traveling evangelist who has like the same sermon that he preaches all over town right it just he's just gonna talk about salvation that's always gonna talk about no the Bible tells us that Isaiah said that he's a man who's crying in the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight you see John the Baptist preached doctrine John the Baptist preached against the rulers of that day and specifically we see here that is being reiterated over and over again that he was preaching prepare the way of the Lord and make his paths straight now what does this mean well when it talks about when he says make his path straight look are you an Isaiah go back to Isaiah chapter 40 if you would Isaiah chapter 40 what does it mean to make his path straight Isaiah 40 explains it to us and defines it for us look at verse 3 let's read it again it says the voice of him that cries in the wilderness prepare you the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a highway for our God every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill shall be made low and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain so what is it stating here well it's using this terminology in this illustration of a path in fact it's using the highway desert with the highway to be able to see what is in front of you to be able to see the mountains that are exalted excuse me the valleys that are exalted and the mountains and the hills that are made low is to be able to see if something is crooked you can make it straight based upon just looking upon it right the rough places become plain and the Bible says here in verse number five and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed you see when you make a path straight when you clarify what is actually there there's no question about it it's not an ambiguous path it's not a path that's vague you don't know it's not like what am I going to experience you know the opposite of something that is plain is something that is crooked because a crooked path has bends in the road does it not you don't know what's going to be around the bend you don't know what you're going to experience you don't know what you're going to see however a path that is made plain you know exactly what's in front of you no matter how far it is because it's made plain and the only way we as God's people can see the glory of the Lord God's blessing what God really wants is by making the path plain not making it all ambiguous and all vague and cryptic no just make it plain John the Baptist ministry was during a time when there's a lot of confusion you had these false prophets known as the Pharisees Sadducees and the lawyers who were preaching false doctrine they were preaching a false way of going into heaven they were saying that in order for you to go to heaven you have to be a descendant of Abraham you know they thought they were of Abraham and because of that they had eternal life a bunch of racist group of people who felt like that there are better than everyone else in fact we ran into these descendants of these Pharisees yesterday they're called the black Hebrew Israelites some of the most racist people you ever meet in your life he said what did you do I smashed him I destroyed his doctrine and after the third admonition we just walked away mocking oh you should have won him to the Lord I'm not trying to win him to the Lord that guy is a heretic he rejects the Bible he didn't want anything to do with God he's all about races you need to worry about your Mexican brothers and sisters these are my Mexican these are my brothers and sisters you know these are my mothers these are my sisters these are my brothers those who are Christians those who are born-again believers but you know it's no different what the black Hebrew Israelites is teaching than what the Jews were teaching they're raised because of a race you are superior than everyone else you know in this fool I have my New Testament and they luckily they use a King James Bible and you know I'm like well the Bible says he is not a Jew and he like coming off he's like the Bible does not say that he's a does not say that okay I can show you you know I don't want to see that Bible I only use the King James Bible I'm like me too that's not a King James Bible is like King James Version he goes no that says New Testament what an idiot so I was like fine I said fine go get your Bible and then we showed and he still subverted that because at the end of the day it's not about what the Bible says for them it's about the race you know no different than what the Pharisees were teaching even in those days there was a lot of confusion in fact the Bible says Jesus said it to the lawyers won't you lawyers for you have taken away the key of knowledge you enter in not in yourselves and then that we're entering in ye hindered they were perverting what the ways of the Lord the Bible says of our Jesus in the book of Acts and Paul said this and said oh full of all subtlety and all mischief thou child of the devil thou enemy of all righteousness will thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord so what do we see here we see that false prophets and false teachers this is exactly what to do they never make it clear do they they always make it crooked they always make it ambiguous they always make it they they can't shoot it to you straight you know but we as Christians God tells us make his paths straight make it clear make it plain don't try to hide things don't be ashamed of the Word of God don't be a Christian who you know you kind of shy away from the controversial topics of the Bible so therefore you begin to pervert the ways of the Lord you begin to make it crooked because you're afraid you're gonna offend somebody bologna we ought to make it straight amen they perverted the ways of the Lord you know the straight path is a road where you can clearly see what is ahead of you is distinct it's plain the opposite would be vague obscure it's questionable you're in Isaiah chapter 40 go to 42 if you would Isaiah chapter 42 I spilled my water can you go give me some water can I give you this go to Isaiah 42 in verse 15 it says I will make waste mountains and hills and dry up all their herbs and I will make the river rivers islands and I would dry up the pools and I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not I will lead them in paths that they have not known I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight these things will I do unto them and not forsake them you see God is all about putting the cookie on the bottom shelf he's all about people just knowing what he means right not perverting it not making it crooked not making it vague not making it ambiguous he's all about just saying look this is what I mean is this for here so I don't slip thanks he's all about putting the cookie on the bottom shelf and a lot of people churches today Christians today you know they want to sound so smart they want to sound so intelligent they want to sound like these scholars and in doing so they basically make the ways of the Lord all crooked because you know what the Bible tells us of Jesus Christ it says that the common people heard him gladly you know why because they understood my sheep hear my voice right those who were saved could understand now were they those in the New Testament they could not understand the things that Jesus Christ was teaching absolutely there's parables that he gave and specifically he gave to those who would not understand because he didn't want them to understand these are people who rejected Jesus Christ even prior to him coming they were all about the Judaic religion they follow the Pharisees they themselves thought that they were to descend some descendants of Abraham but you know what God doesn't want us to complicate his ways he wants us to understand them you know the Bible even says that God is not the author of what confusion he's got a border he's not the author of confusion and look obviously there's gonna be times in your Christian life when you read the Bible and some of its confusing but I guarantee you it's not something that's black and white like salvation you know it's not something that's black and white like the Trinity that's pretty pretty obvious in the Bible obviously you could do a deep study on the Trinity but at the end of the day the bare basics of the Trinity is it's clear it's plain it is a path that is plain there's a lot of doctrines like that that are clearly playing now are there things that are cryptic absolutely but you know what as you grow in the Lord maybe now it's not the time for you to learn those things because you're not ready to even receive it and it takes years to learn study the Bible in order to get those things you know the Bible tells us for God is not the author of confusion but of peace so what does it mean to have peace it means to reconcile differences you know God is all about reconciling your lack of understanding with knowledge you know what you don't know God wants you to know he wants to reconcile the two he wants to reconcile your ignorance with knowledge your lack of understanding with wisdom your lack of knowing what God wants you to do with understanding what the will of the Lord is be not be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is and this is the problem with many churches today you know because in their attempt to over to make things simple they actually overly complicate things don't they there's a lot of churches out there that use lingo terminologies the way they run their services the ministries that they have and they want to simplify things because they don't want to they don't want to confuse the people but they actually end up confusing them so much the more how well how about preachers that say just surrender your life to Christ make it simple just surrender it's like how how do I do that well just just surrender like how well you can start by coming to the altar come in the altar okay now what surrender and they don't want to be specific right because they themselves don't even know what that would mean right give your life to him okay so like how how do I do these things be a Jesus follower how what is it that I need to do to serve God you know and in their attempt to just oversimplify their phrases and their terminology and the way they talk they actually complicate it even more and they make it more confusing to the congregation and in fact they do a disservice because at the end of the service when people leave they think they surrender their God they're surrender their lives to God just because they came to church coming to church is not surrendering your life to God right coming to church is just coming church all right you complicate things you know the Apostle Paul said this for me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that will that will I find not you see the simple clear teaching tells you what is it that you need to do you know last week we talked about the members of Christ and how we all need to get involved right but you know I went more specific than that how do I do it play an instrument right join the orchestra go soul winning and I gave you options where with you can see that the path of the Lord is straight because look if you have a desire to do those things amen but you know what if you don't know what to do then that desire is meaningless because you don't have any actions to put to those you don't have any steps to put to those goals okay you know be a soul winner how well we have three soul winning times well how about this you know be a fisher of men all right great how do I do that we have three soul winning times where you can come and learn how to preach the gospel preach the preach the gospel how well we have something called the Romans Road memorize that and we'll then we'll talk right things need to be plain it's like here's the path you need to take just go right down there just go straight ahead and you'll find everything that you need right there that's what it means to be specific you know love God you should love God love God love God how well Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments you see when pastors say that love God they basically mean don't worry God will tolerate your sin or at least that's how people take it you know as long as you're in sin as long as you love God and you don't have to come to church but you love God you don't have to read the Bible but you love God false that is a crooked path that is a confusing path that is not the highway of the Lord that's not how you're gonna see the glory of the Lord revealed how do you do it well if you love me keep my commandments how do I do that we'll start reading the Bible start coming into church and you'll find out what the commandments of the Lord are we need to make sure that we as John the Baptist are making his path straight we're not ambiguous in what we say we're not cryptic we're very clear plain explaining people this is the highway this is where you need to go okay go with me if you would to Isaiah 45 Isaiah chapter 45 look what it says on Isaiah 45 in verse number one I will go before thee and make the crooked places straight I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut and center the bars of iron and I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places that thou mayest know that I the Lord which call thee by thy name and the God of Israel you see God is for showing us the hidden treasures of his word is he not but does he use it through this ambiguous pamphlet called a devotional book Charles Spurgeon devotional books you know these lame books that from a Calvinist you know the way we are supposed to learn the Bible is just submit yourself into the ministry of the Holy Spirit open down mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law you know give yourself to reading to exhortation and to doctrine and the Bible tells us that he will give us understanding well I want to know the deep things well the Bible says that the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God you don't even know stinking commentary to teach you the deep things of God the only thing a commentary is good for is toilet paper and fuel for fire we have the best commentary living within us we have the Holy Spirit of God who wrote the Bible why not reference him to teach us the hidden things the treasures the hidden treasures of God's Word and you want the Bible tells us to study to show thyself approve them to God a workman that needed not to be what ashamed rightly divided the one of truth you know that tells me people who go outside of the Bible right they go outside about to these commentaries to these unsafe heretics shame on you because you disregard the ministry of the Holy Spirit to actually teach you what the Bible actually has to say you have to hear this phrase just give it to me straight right what does that mean just tell me plainly I mean don't you hate it when people are just kind of like they want to tell you something but they can't like seem to get around it well here's the thing and and they give you this whole spiel this whole story is just like just tell me what you're gonna tell me give it to me straight tell me plainly what is it that you're trying to say and look that's the way we need to live life we need our path to be playing we you know what is directly in front of us go to mark chapter 7 if you would mark chapter 7 I've known pastors that will preach an entire sermon and you have no idea what he was trying to say I'm serious my wife says that all the time because this reminds me of you know pastor so-and-so he can preach an entire sermon and you have no idea what he's trying to say you know and he'll he'll scream and you know he'll try to raise his voice and it sounds like he's passionate but at the end but at the end of the service you're like I don't know what am I supposed to do what is he trying to say you know what's this problem well him like others simply don't have the loose tongue so to speak so what does that mean because today we hear about loose tongue as those who just can't keep their mouth shut but look what the Bible says in mark chapter 7 verse 32 and they bring unto him one that was deaf and had an impediment in his speech and they beseech him to put his hand upon him and he took him aside for them from the multitude and put his fingers into his ears and he spit and touched his tongue and looking up to heaven he sighed and said unto him F F of the that is be open and straightway his ears were open and the string of his tongue was loose and he spake plain you see spiritually speaking some people are just like this they're dumb they're mute they say all kinds of things but you don't know exactly what they're saying what they need to do is have a touch of the Savior amen from the Bible get some boldness get some clarity make the path straight and then you could explain what you need to explain and most of the time these preachers do this because they don't want to offend anybody all right they don't speak clearly they don't speak plainly they're mute in their death because they want to be mute in death because they don't want to speak clearly they don't want to tell you what the Bible actually has to say you know I got into this discussion I found out later there was a homo and you know you really believe it so how am I should we put the death that they should be killed and it's just like come on and I gave the verses and stuff and he's like well you know and they started coming up with all these explanations I was like no die and then they said this well at least I know that you preach the Bible that's what that's what they said that person is gonna burn in hell is a reprobate but even they know well at least this guy even though I hate his guts at least I know that he's speaking plainly not like these lame watered-down compromising churches and pastors where the sodomites are like well you preach against us but you allow us in your church you're trying to evangelize us but you preach against what we do you know what's up with like what does it create confusion confusion and at least people saying so do we believe this or not is this where we're supposed to do or not well what is what is that called a crooked path you don't know what do we turn right do we turn left what's around the bend we don't know whereas us it says Leviticus 20 13 that's the path well is there a left nope are we gonna make a right a man nope just Leviticus you know 2013 there's another path that leads the same way it's called Romans one they all go the same way are you sure you don't want to compromise a little bit nope you just walk down this path right here tell the sodomites to walk the path to hell right there that's the path make it plain you know look obviously there's gonna be people that no matter how plainly you speak they're never gonna get it you know obviously the extreme case would be a reverberate or how about just people who are just arrogant foolish they're stubborn they're prideful and no matter how much you explain something to them they just refuse because they don't want to give into it they want to give into the teaching of God's Word go to John chapter 10 if you would John chapter number 10 John chapter number 10 look what it says in John chapter 10 and verse 23 it says in Jesus walked into in the temple of Solomon's porch then came the Jews round about him John chapter 10 verse 24 and said unto him how long does thou make us to doubt if thou be the Christ tell us plainly Jesus answered them I told you and he believed not the works that I do in my father's name they bear witness of me so it's like just tell us plain he's like I already told you the reason you don't know is because you don't want to know you know and there's certain doctrines that we that we can teach and it's just like I don't understand why this person doesn't get it well number one either just not saved right because the Bible says in verse 26 but you believe not because you're not of my sheep as I said unto you my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me or two they're just they're just stubborn they're just unwilling to listen to the truth they don't want you to give them the straight path they want you to they want the crooked path is what they want okay so what am I saying I'm saying we shouldn't make God's ways confusing it should it shouldn't mean crooked it should just be plain I mean think of Daniel the Bible says of Daniel that he dissolved doubts you know people shouldn't leave a conversation with you with doubts confused not understanding they should leave thinking well that guy just dissolved my doubts that guy just explained everything that I needed to hear so let me give you a couple points regarding this subject of making this path straight and look John the Baptist did a great job at this did he not because the Pharisees came to say are that the Christ nope oh you're that prophet nope he's just like I told you plainly I am not that Christ I'm not the Christ I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness he told him plainly hey when he went to Herod preached against Herod it wasn't like hey you know God loves you and you know this is Sam but we're all sinners we're not perfect and no he wasn't having like an American you know flag day or something at his church where he brings in all the politicians and the policemen he tries to honor them he gives them a certificate right you guys know what I'm talking about what is it called American Sunday or something patriotic Sunday American hero Sunday he wasn't having an American hero Sunday at his church where he's inviting all these politicians and all these people he's not inviting hair to come so he can honor him for being an adulterer no in fact he preached against them and told them plainly it is not right for you to have your brother's wife cost him his life but hey at least he made the path straight you know he didn't go to the Pharisees just because they're a bunch of old geezers false prophets you know because they're older than him and say hey you know you know get you guys are the old man the Bible says get me into the old man and I'm no I don't want to disrespect you guys you guys have been serving the Lord a lot longer than me no he says you generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come that's what he told them in spite of how young he was in spite of how old they were you know why because he was not a respecter of people oh you should respect your elders even if they're heretics no no because if there's some old fat geezer out there who's a false prophet he's perverting the ways of the Lord oh he's older than you yeah but this book is older than him suck on so guess what we have one on you because what I'm preaching from is older than even him you know we need to make sure that we recognize we're not respectably look by default we honor those who are older than us right we don't treat people who in our church who are older than us like that you know people in our church who are the elderly or older even if you know cuz I'm young amen you know they're older than why are you laughing you know you're older you know we tried as best as we can to reverence them or not to represent but show respect you know to rise up before the hoary head etc but if they they're known to preach false doctrine I can care less how old they are in fact that makes it even more wicked because they're older because they've been around the block a lot longer so guess what they've been rejecting the right path a lot longer as well you know John the Baptist didn't care and guess what John the Baptist was like 34 maybe at this time right 34 maybe even 35 because he's a little older than Jesus he's young guy and yet he's telling them plainly he's telling Herod plainly he's telling the Pharisees plainly you are generations of vipers he's preaching the Word of God and look he fulfilled the prophecy that Isaiah said of him did he not he made straight no one questioned who he was and if they did he gave him a plain answer and they knew exactly who he was and it cost him his life go with me forward to Acts chapter number 20 Acts chapter 20 we need to be like that you know we need to make sure we just speak plainly and look I'm not saying be rude I'm not saying be you don't be discreet okay you know some person comes in and and you know they're not familiar with the rapid rate doctrine and you just started dropping f-bombs fag this and fag that and fag you and all this and they're just like and you're like I'm like telling them plainly shoot it to them straight that's not what I'm saying because we gotta have some discretion do we not you know obviously we're not just trying to like scare people we want to scare the wrong people away but the people who want to grow in the Lord you know gotta be patient with people like that you know use some discretion okay look maybe they don't even know maybe they didn't even heard of reprobate you know you just start dropping the reprobate they're just like I don't know what is that is that what you guys call each other here something like hey brother reprobate you know use discretion I'm saying in general this is what should characterize us that we are not afraid to show what the Bible actually teaches we're not trying to make it obscure you know cryptic we want people to make sure we understand they understand what we're saying and what we believe so let me give you some principles regarding making this path straight number one make its path straight in our church right our church should clearly say who we are what we believe and what we believe according to the Bible you know there's not a lot of churches that have their name outside with independent fundamental that's actually shameful for a lot of independent fundamental Baptist churches believe it or not now you think you're like what no that was like a knee-jerk reaction is like what like yeah the old A of B hates to put stuff like that on there but why because they want to make it crooked they want to attract some of the worst people they're just trying to grow a church and so what they'll do is they'll put Baptist in tiny little fonts and letters and crossroads the name of the church or cornerstone you know they'll make a big sign or whatever and then they'll put Baptist because they don't want people to know they're trying to make it crooked I'm a Baptist amen I'm an independent fundamental Baptist you know there's churches that are ashamed believe it or not of being King James only now they'll preach King James they'll preach on it they'll say that it's the Word of God but they don't put it on their website they don't want to put it on materials they don't want to say talk too much about it from behind the pulpit why because they are ashamed of it we are King James only and let me let me make let me make the path a little more clearer than that just that because we're King James only we reject all modern perversions of the Bible we don't accept ESV's we don't accept NIV's we don't accept NASB's we don't accept New King James versions of the Bible and if we accept them it's to take them and throw them yeah burn them or throw them in the trash or if we run out of toilet paper and that's the only thing that they're good for yeah I don't think you should say it like that just say you're King James only no no we want to make the path clear we want to make sure that we reveal what God wants why would we be ashamed of the Word of God in order for us to say what is the Word of God we have to teach people what it isn't the ESV is not the Bible the NIV is not the Bible these scriptures take many oh may a lot of scriptures out of the Bible they pervert the ways of the Lord they make them crooked hey let me since we're on the topic of Bibles how about the reign of Valera 1960 you know a lot of churches make that way crooked do they not they have there's these King James only churches and they'll have a Spanish ministry with a Spanish pastor using the reign of Valera 1960 which is your equivalent to a new King James Bible and in fact it not only reads like the New King James Bible it has a lot of areas within it in that Bible they read like the NIV they read like the ESV completely omitting hell out of the Bible talk you know teaching a works based salvation you know why is it that every Christian denomination is comfortable with a reign of Valera 1960 I'm talking about Jehovah's Witnesses will use it I'm talking about Pentecostals will use it of course the Baptist will use it you have Catholics to reuse it you know why because that stupid Bible teaches all those doctrines found within those cults that's why and I'm not joking I mean when you remove hell and you put say oh that's perfect for the Jehovah's Witnesses you know when you say in 1st Peter 2 2 that desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow into salvation that's perfect for the Pentecostals you know and by the way the reign of Valera 1960 has tons of phrases and terminologies that is Catholic based talk about Catholics you know so well this is doesn't pertain to me well I'm just making the path a little clearer for you so you're not confused about that you said what do you use well I use I use the reign of Valera Gomez but I'm good with the 1569 I'm good with the 1602 these are good Bibles to use but the night the 1960 is trash oh I know a pastor out there who preaches like you do and he uses the 1960 that's a lack of integrity lack of integrity to use a 1960 preach the same doctrines here know that the 1960 is wrong and still persist to use it and look you wouldn't listen to a pastor who preaches from a new King James even if they had their one saved always saved even if they were post trip pre-wrath even if they were replacement theology wife because that's a deal breaker that's why is it should it be any different for a Spanish no in the Spanish world that is also a deal breaker and in fact let me give you let me just chase this rabbit for a little bit okay let me give you an example this is how important this subject this topic is it's so important this church would not exist literally this church would not exist because when we left our old church when we were excommunicated out of our old church when I had a conversation with Pastor Anderson he told me hey do you have a church to go to I said well you know there is one church it's a Spanish church I say but I was planning to move to your church you know once we got ready and we're ready to go and he said so what's the problem with that I'm like well I guess yeah I guess I could go there and he says you sound a little unsettled is there something you're not telling me I'm saying yeah there's something there's there is something and it's bothering me they use a 1960 he goes well I can't recommend that church this is why they use a 1960 I was like I don't know he's like why don't they go with this I wanted to go with this and I'm just like I don't know that's that's the only thing that's gonna hinder me from actually going to that church and he says I can't recommend it I said so what am I supposed to do and then he says well I've always wanted to start a church in LA and the rest was history you know but the 1960s garbage you know why because it perverts the ways of the Lord oh it can't be that bad you know in Daniel when Nebuchadnezzar saw Meshach Shadrach and Abednego in the furnace of fire and the fourth was like unto the Son of God they put it the Son of God's yeah reign of Alera 1960 says that garbage yeah but I like those still sermons though so what are you a principled person you have integrity if so screw the 1960 it's trash go with the Gomez why not go with the look my favorite one is the 1569 Biblia de loso which is the Bible of the Bear reads reads beautifully right brother Eddie's the Spanish expert in the world of the world he is okay and you know it reads beautifully it reads like the King James you say why is it that these independent fundamental Baptists are using the 1960 because pride because they've been shown over and over again why it's wrong you know what they don't want to lose their Pope their Pope support you know because in the Spanish world there's independent fundamental Baptist popes as well and they don't want to stop they don't want them to stop inviting them to go preach at their conferences you know they don't want to lose their friends they don't oh we might lose all our friends and the churches that support us lose them if it's for them for the purpose of the 1960 you don't want those friends anyways because if that's what they're reading that's what they uphold and look these Spanish pastors they won't tell you this but they believe the 1960s better than the King James oh yeah I've spoken to it I've dealt with this issue over the last five six years and it's the same thing over and over again you show them that they're wrong they're like well this is a better translation than the King James no it's not your translation is a perversion of God's Word it's crooked it has false doctrine and we can show you from their own Bible that it's a perversion of God's Word look as much as I hate the new King James I hate the rent of a layer in 1960 it is trash it's toilet paper it doesn't deserve to be behind a pulpit of an independent fundamental Baptist Church and shame on the pastor shame on the preacher who stand behind the pulpit to use that garbage and claim that they're an independent fundamental Baptist preacher claim that they're King James only but yet they're using that garbage new King James version in Spanish shame on them he said why are you mad because I want the past to be plain you know when I was a Spanish pastor when I was a part of that Spanish ministry I was thrown into that kind of blindfolded I've never done that before I've never preached in Spanish before they say here's the Bible we use I said great I figured you know this is a King James Church they would know the issue I'm fine with it I began to preach out of it I'd be gonna realize this is bad there's words that are wrong in this Bible this teaches a workspace salvation and I would go to the people and ask them why does it say grow into salvation you're like cuz that's what you do I would go out soul winning with people from that ministry who would tell people at the door you don't have to believe in hell to be saved all you got to do is believe false doctrine that's the fruit of the 1960 you know I want for people to say of us in our church what the woman at the well said of Jesus what is that come see a man which told me all things ever I did is not this the Christ you know cuz when Jesus went to the woman at the well he's like you've had five husbands she was like man I perceive the dollar profit you know what she went back to that guy told me everything what does that mean he told me plainly go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 if you wouldn't you know we want to make sure that our church is clear hey we're King James only hey we believe in soul hey we believe in old-fashioned hymns we reject you know modernism we reject CCM we reject worldliness you know we reject modalism we reject oneness hey we reject Calvinism we reject Zionism oh you're just trying to be controversial no I'm just making the path straight try make it clear you know we put it out on YouTube so that look we we go the second mile man you know you don't have to wonder what you're gonna experience here before you come here you can go on YouTube and find out for yourself go look up the hottest sermon go look at the most controversial stuff go look at we want it to be plain what we believe because God commanded us to make his path straight don't don't confuse the people oh yeah we're King James but you know if they bring the new King James is fine you know just let them go they'll learn no oh so it's okay for you to read the Bible and you know the true Word of God but not for the person it's like people who preach out of the 1960 but yet in their own private time they read the Gomez and yes there's people like that it's okay for them to get the Word of God but when it comes to their congregation they feed them crap tofu while they're munching on the steak I'm gonna read to you from Matthew 10 it says fear them not therefore but there is nothing cover that shall not be revealed and hid that shall not be known what I tell you in darkness speaking in the light and we hear in the ear that preachy upon the housetops what does God saying don't be ashamed say it 2nd Corinthians 3 11 says for it if that which has done away it was glorious much more that which remain is glorious seeing then that we have such hope we use great plainness of speech he's like I'm I try to make it as plain as possible what we believe and as a church that's exactly what we're supposed to do you know don't be ashamed that we're replacing the theology hey don't be ashamed of me either amen you know oh yeah that pastor is pastor Bruce me yeah it's a good church though man it's good all the good people don't be ashamed of me I'm not ashamed of you don't be ashamed of me in public this isn't it hasn't happened but this is preventative amen I don't want to take a picture with you because I you know then associations just don't be ashamed of me why you know we shouldn't be ashamed of our pastor friends we shouldn't be ashamed of pastor Fritz look I found it an honor to be amongst these men that they would even call me a friend amen because they're doing great works they're being persecuted all but the world hates them yeah that means they're doing something right you know we want to make sure that we're clear we're distinct we're open and we're unapologetic yeah he said that sorry about that you know it's just he just hates all those and it's just this thing he has and no and look people will respect you more listen to me because that's what we want to do we not want people to respect us that's it that's okay desire to have that's good but the way but the way you get it can be wrong or good you know the way you gain respect is just not not moving answering discreetly kindly and saying yes we believe the Bible says that I can show you a bunch of different scriptures about that you're like well I don't like that well you know that is what the Bible says though so we're not gonna move from that they'll actually respect you that much the more if that's where you stand they don't respect the crooked the crooked answers the cryptic answers because at that point they realize oh this person is afraid oh they just don't want to offend me fool you with that go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 if you would 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 what's the title of the sermon make his path straight let's make it straight in our church hey the vision that we have for our church is plain is it not it's through soul winning we've laid out the plan of what we're gonna do as a church to preach the gospel to see people saved not just here in Jerusalem but in Judea Samaria the uttermost parts of the world you know we're gonna be taking a missions trip in a couple months with brother Belan and some of the other fellows and you know what we make that's that's plain but we're gonna go we're gonna go see people saved eat food and come back home make it plain not trying to add all this fluff and whipped cream on top of the vision no just meat and vegetables amen just plain that what you see is what you get okay look our Sunday morning services are not for Sunday morning visitors right that's very popular in other churches where it's like the Sunday morning service is more like extra tative and you know just want to encourage you and you know just just very encouraging churches for believers and we've had tons of visitors who come and guess what they get saved and they come back and they keep growing you know we don't want to make the messages crooked make it plain what we mean so people can understand plainly but knowing that hey make its path straight in our gospel presentation as well you know we should not be the type of soul winners that are so intelligible regarding the gospel do you just leave the person more confused than when they when you first met them make it plain hey what's wrong with using the Romans Road I've been so winning for 12 years going on 13 years and the Romans word a road has worked every single time hey it's the Romans Road it's the path that is plain it's clear oh you know I just like to put my spin on it and go to Isaiah and go to Exodus I like to start in Genesis it's the Word of God but you know what you're doing you're not making it plain God wants it to be clear why because he wants people to understand the gospel the Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 11 3 but I fear less by any means as a serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ see it's simple to get saved is it not we don't want to have all this theological terms that we use when we go out and preach the gospel and you know these things that people just don't understand we want to make sure that our gospel presentation is so clear that even a small child could understand you right because the goal is not for you to show off your spiritual prowess your spiritual ability to just you know what an extensive vocabulary you have the purpose is to show them the path of the Lord how Jesus is the way the truth in the life very simply right now look obviously you want to learn more because as you go so winning as you frequently go so many you run into a lot of issues where people will ask questions that you don't know but that's how you learn you get stumped at one door guess what you're able to answer it a week later two weeks later a month later because you're like that's not gonna happen again okay I'm gonna skip some some things here go with me if you would to Proverbs chapter number 8 Proverbs chapter number 8 we're talking about making this path straight make his path straight when you go out and preach the gospel don't seek to be some spiritual giant you know seek to talk to people who are open look my favorite people to is the low hanging fruit I mean that fruit that's so low he just and it just falls right it's just ready why because you don't have to go so extensively into the gospel in order to get them saved they're just ready you give them the basic points and they get it okay now look this is not I'm not saying don't be thorough because that's another issue as well because when you're not thorough you're not showing them the ways of the Lord you're still making it confusing okay because if they don't understand what you're saying how you're gonna get them saved you need to make sure that you're you're able to read people and not just answer for them all the time right you don't want to because look sowing for us there's churches that sowing and it's like a one-sided conversation the entire time the person doesn't answer they just talk and then they just pray and they count it as a salvation we don't want that sowing should be an interactive thing right because you're talking to them you're making sure that their soul understands what you're saying so you have to have a balance of not confusing them by overloading them with so much biblical information but also don't be so skim on the gospel they just they don't understand you gotta have a balance of both okay and we need to make sure that we make that path clear look that's one of the reasons why we don't use the word repent when we go preach the gospel now it's a biblical word in regards to the gospel is it not because they're repenting from their dead works and having faith toward God but you know what that word repent has had such a strong association with repent of your sins even unsaved people know that they've already have that you know ingrained in them through false religion we don't want to confuse them any further because of the fact that they have already been influenced by crooked paths we just want to say look it's just believe now as they come to church as they learn they'll understand what repent actually means and there be times when they like maybe they'll even ask and you can explain them right there at the door but for the most part we want to use great plainness of speech say you know seek to not know anything save Christ and him crucified just as the Apostles said now here's another one make his path straight in your daily decisions that's pretty practical is it not but what I mean by that well sometimes people try to people over Christians over complicate the will of God I'm still praying about this decision whether I should do this or not and you know what you don't have to do all that there are certain things look if you read the Bible you'll say you'll come to the conclusion oh I don't even have to pray about going to church cuz I gotta go God says I got some things you don't even have to pray about you just gotta know what God says about it and then you do it don't over complicate the decisions that you make in your life look look at what God says to do and don't do and take advantage of the liberty that he gives you let me just remind you we're not Calvinists here a lot of the independent fundamental Baptists have been influenced by Calvinists to believe in this you know this mystical sovereignty of God where you're just like a puppet I'm just praying God that God just moves me and I just do everything no he lays out the rules he lays out his word and he gives us the liberty to choose you know it's you would not be outside of the will you would not be backslidden or outside of the will of God if you left our church to go to another church that believes right on the by one stuff okay am I not right with God no you'd be right with God cuz you're still going to church well somebody was praying about you know why make a decision be decisive choose you this day what you will do all you have to do is know what God tells you to do and not to do and then you have the liberty to make the decision on your own okay the Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding of all they that do his commandments so you know what a good way to make wise decisions is just do the commandments that God has already told you to do so there won't be fog whether you should do this or that you basically do what you're supposed to do and guess what God leads you because you're already doing what you're supposed to do look at Proverbs 8 verse 8 all the words of my mouth are in righteousness there is nothing forward or perverse in them you know crooked they're all playing to him that understandeth and write to them that find knowledge now you say well man I'm just having trouble figuring out what I should do okay you know what I should do what decisions should I make often that's a case of just someone who just slothful and obeying God's commandments why because the Bible says the way of the slothful man is in hedge of thorns but the way of the righteous man is made plain see the slothful the reason it's a hedge of thorns is because he's not actually putting in the word to keep God's commandments period you know he wants the product without the process right he wants the blessing and the reward without actually putting in the work to actually get it whereas God says hey the way of the righteous is made plain why because the righteous walketh uprightly he's secure he's doing what God tells him to do therefore opportunities open he takes them and he's blessed because of it this is how this works okay look set clear distinct goals for yourself why not and let me talk to the men for a little bit first because men we are goal-driven we should be we should want to accomplish things what are you accomplishing this week what are you doing with your life are you learning something new you have a goldy you're trying to reach are you reading a new book how are you improving as a man oh you know I'm gonna sleep eat sleep eat work sleep eat hey good good for you if you're working but you know how about a goal well my goal is to go to church next Sunday that's good that's a start but can we go a little further than that why don't you actually create a substantial goal for yourself to improve yourself as a man all right make it plain well I got I got a plan that I'm gonna serve God so how is that gonna what are you doing so what's the plan I don't know I'm just you know that's just what I want well you know what a dream without a plan is just a wish that's all it is don't live your life just wishing you're a better Christian just wishing you're a better father just wishing you're a better wife or a better husband don't wish it make it happen I'm not talking about the power positive thinking either I'm talking about just setting a goal okay by the end of this month I'm gonna have read my Bible through by the end of three months at this date here's the deadline for me to do something and reach it make a clear path for yourself don't make these crooked paths where you know this is what I want to eventually I want to get to this point no make a goal for yourself young men you know say all right today is my last day playing video games you're like I don't want to hit that goal yeah why not this is when I want to grow up you know when I was a child I spake as a child understood as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things and by the end of the day I'm gonna put it away why not figure something out make something happen our church should be filled with men who just want to make something happen you know where people could say something about to happen the Bible says Psalm 5 verse 8 lead me o Lord in thy righteousness because of mine enemies make thy way straight before my face Psalm 27 11 teach me thy way o Lord and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies go to James chapter 3 we're almost done we'll go to this verse and then one more verse and we're done number four make his path straight to the lost you know we need to make sure that as Christians we're not living the double life because when you live a double life what happens you confuse people of what real Christianity is right because you say you're a Christian you say you're a Baptist you say this you say that but you're worldly you know you don't talk about the Bible you just kind of live a worldly life you know what you're doing you're creating confusion and what does the Bible say in James 3 verse 11 does the fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter can the fig tree my brethren bear olive berries either a vine figs so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you let him show out of a good conversation his works and with meekness of wisdom the Bible says in Proverbs 25 verse 26 a righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain and a corrupt spring you see we need to make sure that when people look at us and say oh yeah that's a Christian in fact they look like a Baptist right look at all those kids skirts Baptist music Baptist attitude Baptist King James Version Baptist not like lose the window Pentecostal it's a short mini skirt that's a Pentecostal wait Pentecostal or hoochie mama both you know faggot or really soft watered-down denominational Christian both don't confuse people people should look and say okay that obviously is a Christian you know obviously this person's a Baptist obviously this person seems to be a righteous person this family looks like a godly family or they look like they go to church there should be no confusion about that we don't want to confuse people when they see us look I'm not just talking about appearance but just our conduct our conversation period our lifestyle at home should match our lifestyle here at our job we're not just weakened Christians you know a weak end Christian is a weakened Christian because you're only living like a Christian only on the weekends this is our life amen and lastly let me just say this is make his path straight to your children this is important the Bible tells us in Proverbs 22 6 train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it you know it's very important parents is that you make the path clear to your children and don't expect them to go on the path but you walk that same path as well because isn't it weird if you make their your children walk that path but you take a crooked one you take some some worldly path but you expect them to do right why don't you do why don't you tell him to do as you do why don't you actually lead the way train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it why because the path is clear people who have children who forsake the Lord that get out of church they get out of the will of God is because the parent veered off the path as well that's what it is oh man I just trained no you took you went off the path don't leave the path and look obviously children when they grow up they have their own volition they have their own will they were gonna make their own decisions but is the Bible not true the Bible is true so look if you really believe in the path why don't you walk it before you tell your children to walk it you want your children read the Bible you should read the Bible too you want your children to pray you should pray too you want your children to be faithful in church you should be faithful too you want your children to live a godly life talk to yourself first because they follow by example and you lead by example make his paths straight to your children you know we as Christians this was should characterize us right here this is the path we're gonna take we're not bearing off we're not going to the left hand nor to the right let that eyes look straight on this is the way we're gonna go it's very clear we can see if there's rocks ahead we can see if there's broken glass we can see if there's any hindrances it's clear we don't have to question where we're going amen spider-heads and I'm order for a father we thank you so much for your word thank you for the path that the Bible has set for us I pray God that you'd help us Lord to do our best to remain on the path and to teach others what the true path is and to make it clear help us not to be Christians that make it all obscure and confusing you know we need to make sure that we proclaim with confidence what you've commanded us to and not be afraid of their reaction not be afraid if they're offended fear you we should fear you we don't want to be ashamed of the Word of God and I pray God that you'd help us to to continue to make the path clear make it straight and so people would know in Jesus name we pray amen