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Amen we are in Deuteronomy chapter number 6 in verse 15 where the Bible reads for the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee and destroy thee from off the face of the earth ye shall not tempt the Lord your God as he tempted him in Massa he shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God and his testimonies and his statutes which he hath commanded thee and the title to sermon this evening is the witness of God is greater the witness of God is greater now here we see in verse number 17 that God commands us to diligently keep the statutes the commandments but he says the testimonies as well now what is a testimony a testimony is simply a statement or a declaration some sort of witness that someone gives of something okay we the Bible would also use the phrase when someone bears record of something right this is someone's testifying someone giving witness of something that they've seen something that they know and they bear it as a fact go to Psalms chapter 19 if you would so specifically is when we bear a record of something specific and the Bible says that we ought to diligently keep the statutes precepts commandments but it also says the testimonies of the Lord now all of these words are used interchangeably in the Bible they're all referring to the Word of God okay precepts is talking about the Word of God the by the commandments are the Word of God the testimonies are the Word of God look at Psalms 19 and verse number 7 the Bible reads here the law of the Lord is perfect as brother Alex was praying they're converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple so what is the Bible saying here it's saying that God's testimony helps people who are simple to become wise what does it mean to be simple well simple simply means this is that you don't know a whole lot okay and we live in a society today where obviously the world doesn't know anything about the Word of God but we but it's that's expected but you know what's shameful is when God's people don't know the Word of God when God's people neglect to read the Bible they neglect to know the commandments of the Lord they refuse to learn the precepts and testimonies of God and in fact it gets gotten to the point where they uphold the philosophy of the philosophies of this world much higher than the Word of God but the Bible tells us here that the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple you say well you know what brother Bruce I don't know a lot of Bible well you know what you need to get into the testimonies of the Lord because that'll make you wise okay that'll help you to know the things that you didn't know before and to perfect your understanding look at verse 8 the statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than gold yay then much fine gold sweeter also than honey in the honeycomb moreover by them is thy servant worn and in keeping of them there is great reward now keep in mind again Commandments precepts testimonies these are all used interchangeably and all fit they all produce the same exact result when we obey them when we keep those Commandments now go to first John chapter number five now we can break apart every single one of these words but obviously they all mean the same thing but I want to focus specifically on the word testimony all right because that's something that I think we can relate to we often hear that word used very frequently when someone says I want to give a testimony or I want to testify of something they want to bear record of an experience that they had or of a truth that they know okay well the Bible says that God has testimonies the difference is is that God is always true God is always speaking the truth there's never a lie within the Lord okay it is impossible for it for God to lie whatever he promises whatever he says in his word is true but we're gonna look real briefly at the witness of the Godhead all right now when I'm referred to the Godhead I'm referring to God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit which is commonly known as the Godhead first John chapter 5 and verse number 6 says this is he that came by water and blood even Jesus Christ not by water only but by water and blood and it and it is the spirit that beareth witness because the spirit is truth for there are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one so the Bible is clearly telling us here that there are three that testify there's three that are bearing record it's the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost now go with me if you went to John chapter 15 and the Bible says these three are one what does that mean they're God it doesn't mean that they blended all one into one another and that Jesus is the Father the Father is Jesus the Holy Spirit is God or excuse me the Holy Spirit is the Father we understand that they are all God okay not separate gods one God three distinct people that's what the Bible is teaching us here and look if it taught anything different why would he separate him into father son father word and the Holy Ghost why don't you just say that God is just one no it makes it completely it makes a distinction to say there's the Father here's the word and here's the Holy Ghost yes these three are one but he clearly made a distinction between the three now it says there that they bear record though what are they bearing record of well look at John 15 we're gonna look at the witness of the Holy Spirit first and foremost verse 226 says here but when the comforters come by the way when the Bible refers to the comforter capital C that's referring to the Holy Spirit he said why would God call the Holy Spirit comforter because that's exactly what he does he comforts us okay and we can look in Romans chapter number eight where the Bible talks about that he prays for us he makes utterances for us he prays according to the will of God for us and what does he do and he and in context in Romans chapter 8 it's talking about when we go through hardships okay see when we go through hard times and trials and difficulties we shouldn't go to the end to the entertainment of this world to get our mind off of things we shouldn't go to drugs or recreational drug abuse or alcohol you know what we need to go to we need to go to the comforter because that is the built-in comforter that God has placed within a safe person to help us during a time of trial but it says here but when the comforters come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the spirit of truth which proceeded from the Father he shall testify of me and he also shall bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning go to John chapter 16 just a chapter over so the Bible says here that the Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus Christ okay he bears witness of the truth the truth is Jesus John chapter 16 and verse 7 says nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you and when he has come he will approve the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment of sin because they believe not on me of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more of judgment because the prince of this world is judged I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now how be it when he the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will show you things to come he shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you so here we see that the primary responsibility of the Holy Spirit is to testify of Christ and the Bible says here that he will guide you into all truth so you said what can I take away from that simply this is that the Holy Spirit will never contradict what the Bible says so when you hear these charismatic type churches these Pentecostal type churches when they try to say that they got some revelation from God that God revealed unto him through the spirit of truth well you know what if it contradicts the Bible that wasn't the Holy Spirit right why because the Holy Spirit testifies of the Word of God and testing you said well I think say to testify to Jesus Jesus is the word so he's gonna testify of God's Word and God's truth he's gonna bear witness of that Bible says he shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and I'm leery of religions who only focus on the Holy Spirit all the time you know they undermine Jesus Christ they undermine God the Father and they're always lifting up the Holy Spirit they say well you know the Holy Spirit you know the Spirit hasn't spoken to me about that specific sin if he's spoken to you about that that's one thing but to speak to me about that you know he hasn't spoken to me about it then you don't have the Holy Spirit okay because the Holy Spirit will tell you the same thing that he told me in regards to sin why because he's not gonna he's not double-tongued okay he's not a hypocrite all right he's not a politician he's not gonna speak out of both sides of his mouth and tell you what you want to hear and then tell someone else what they want to hear the Holy Spirit will bear witness of the Word of God and the it makes sense because the Bible says that the the flesh profit is nothing it is the spirit the quick and it's my words that are speaking to you they are spirit and they are life the Bible says go to first John chapter number four first John chapter number four you know it's a trendy doctrine of what people say well you know what the Holy Spirit spoke to me about something you know and usually it's they do their it's their own agenda something that they want to do you know for example you know when they when a when a person wants to get divorced oh well God led me you know it's a spirit that led me to believe that that this is what I should do no then you don't then it's a spirit lowercase s okay and it's not of God it's what the Bible would say we'll call him first Timothy or excuse me first Timothy chapter 4 a seducing spirit okay it's not the Holy Spirit why because the Bible will never tell God will never tell you through his Holy Spirit to get divorced okay divorce is wicked it's wrong it's sinful and the Bible speaks clearly against it in fact the Bible says God hated putting away putting away in the Bible is another word for divorce okay and the Bible clearly says God hates it so why would the Holy Spirit leads you into a teaching and to a practice that's against the Word of God doesn't make any sense 1st John chapter 4 and verse number 1 says here beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world I often think of the wealth and health prosperity gospel preachers when I think about this you know you see them on television shows and I send in your $20 send in $50 $100 the Spirit of God told me that you have cancer and I can heal you have that cancer you know it is a spirit that's telling him but it's not the Holy Spirit okay he's greedy of filthy lucre is what he is and he's trying to make money off of people is what he's doing okay but it says there don't you know don't just believe everyone just because they say they're of God doesn't mean they are of God you know Jehovah's Witnesses will say they're of God Mormons will say they're of God you know all these false religions will say they're of God but you know what we have to do we have to try every spirit well how do you try it is what they're saying compatible to what the Word of God says if it's not then it's not of God simply put verse 2 hereby know ye the Spirit of God capital s every spirit that confess it that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that confess it not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist where have you have heard that it should come and even now already is in the world so the Bible is telling us here that the testimony of the Spirit is that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh you know what that tells me it tells me any person who holds to a modalist oneness position is of the Antichrist because they're denying that Jesus Christ came in the flesh they're saying that God the Father became Jesus Christ well they're denying it right there because the Bible says no Jesus Christ came in the flesh and it's a God the Father came in the flesh and said that Jesus came in the flesh okay and if you deny them to guess what you're the Spirit of the Antichrist according to the Bible why cuz you're denying the witness of God you're denying the witness of the Holy Spirit okay and we understand that the witness of God is true go to Romans chapter number 8 you know modalist oneness they're they're Antichrist is what they are and I'm not saying every single person who's even deceived by them are our Antichrist but you know the people the fools who are promoting this garbage the ones who are propagating this false doctrine the ones who are trying to prop it up and try to fight against Trinitarians they're the Antichrist oh I think they're sincere they're sincerely wicked okay Romans 8 verse 15 but what else does the Holy Spirit bear witness of for you have not received the spirit of bondage verse 15 again to fear but you have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father the spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God so what's another thing that the Spirit testifies of what testifies that we're saved you see we believe that once you're saved you're always saved okay so there should never be a time in your life as a Christian you question your salvation do you wonder well you know man am I really saved you know why because the Bible tells us here that when that the Spirit of God bears witness it testifies that we are the children of God when the Bible refers to someone being a child of God it's basically saying it's insinuating it's saying that you are saved is what you are because once you get saved you're a child of God okay the Bible tells us in 1st John chapter 1 in verse number 12 that once we receive Christ we believe on him God gives us the power to become the sons of God that's what the Bible teaches us so once we're saying we become children of God but the Bible tells us here that the spear bears witness that we are the children of God you just know you're a child of God you say well brother Bruce then what if I'm questioning whether I'm saved then what if I don't what if I still doubt if I'm safe then you're probably not saved that's just probably that's what it means because if you're doubting that you got saved that means you are holding on to a teaching or a belief that you have to do something to maintain your salvation you say well man I don't know if I really got saved you know I think I lost my salvation because I sin well then in that case you're still believing that you have to work or keep the commandments of God to remain saved or to prove that you are saved it doesn't work that way you see the Bible doesn't teach us that we have to repent of our sins to be saved doesn't teach that at all okay the Bible just says we have to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and now shall be saved and you say well how do you know it's not by repenting of your sins we know that for a fact simply aside from the fact that the Bible witnesses and doesn't say anything about repenting of your sins the Bible says this therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law and over and over it emphasizes the fact that to him that worketh not okay and so if you're doubting whether you're saved or not talk to us right after right after the service get saved and then we're gonna have some baptisms afterwards you can get baptized right after that now baptism has nothing to do with salvation but it's the next step after salvation but here says that the Spirit bears witness there's something within us that's called the Holy Spirit that just confirms and says hey I'm saved I know I'm saved that's why you run into someone who's been like involved in sin and has been out of church for a long time they're saved and they know for a fact they're like no I'm saved I know I'm saved first of all they have the spirit of themselves that's bearing witness but you know the Bible also teaches us that God chastises his children when they get involved in sin so they're probably getting a paddling from the Lord okay that's confirming of the fact that they're saved but the Bible says here that he bears witness with our spirits so the Bible teaches that once we get saved the Holy Spirit of God comes to live within us we see that in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13 through 14 we also see that in Ephesians chapter number 4 that this Holy Spirit of God is sealed within us until the day of redemption and he bears witness that we're the children of God that's something that should never be something that we question now do we question God's love every once in a while yeah when you're going through a hard time you wonder man does God love me what's going on even John the Baptist question right but to question whether you're saved or not you're doubting that that's not biblical and if you say well I still think because I'm just I'm doubting you know I'm not behaving myself like a Christian the Bible doesn't say you have to behave like a Christian to be saved okay I know we know some wicked false prophets who behave like Christians but they're not saved you know some evil wicked people in this world who claim to be Christians who claim to be pastors and all these things but you know they're not saved okay so it's not based upon what we do go to John chapter number 10 so there are three that bear record in heaven the Holy Ghost obviously is one of them he bears witness of Jesus Christ he bears witness of the word he bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God the Bible says and look don't think that's weird or charismatic to say that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit I don't I can't explain it I just know this I know within me I'm saved okay it's just like the spirits bear witness he's done it's like it's like someone a voice inside of you that say not audibly but just saying hey you're saying you're a child of God that's not something you doubt you know for a fact it's the assurance that we have within ourselves John chapter 10 and verse 24 we see here also the witness of Jesus Christ verse 24 says then came the Jews round about him 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 you believe not the works that I do in my father's name they bear witness of me 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 go to John chapter number seven John chapter number seven so we see here that Jesus Christ witness really was within his works the works that he did bore witness that he was the Son of God he was God in the flesh okay John chapter seven in verse number six says then Jesus said unto them my time and it's not yet come but your time is always ready the world cannot hate you but me it hate it because I testify of it that the works thereof are evil so what did Jesus Christ testify of the evil works of this world and what was the result of that people hating him okay this is in in stark contrast to the Jesus that many churches portray today the he's just meek and humble which he was that he was very kind and loving which he was but they completely negate the fact that he was judgmental Jesus Christ was judgmental okay he judged the whole lot and in fact the Bible says here that he testified of the works of the world that they were evil that's why people hated him okay and look he said but that's Jesus but you know we're supposed to walk in the footsteps that Jesus walked so that means we're supposed to testify of the evil of this world as well right even what the result of that will be the people will hate us Christians and non-christians safe people and non safe people they will all hate us why because we're testifying of the works that they are evil what are we saying we're bearing witness of the evil works of the unsafe people of this culture we're bearing witness of the evil works even of our own brethren okay and that the result of that is they'll hate us but you know we're just following the template that Jesus Christ left us he testified of the works that they were evil that goes to show me that Jesus Christ was being very judgmental that goes to show me that Jesus Christ though he was meek and humble he judged the world he testified that man that's evil that's wicked that's evil and that's wicked he preached very hard on these things okay John chapter 5 and look we should we should preach hard against it as well you know we should talk about the sins of this world we should talk about divorce and how wicked it is we should talk about fornication and how wicked it is we should talk about false doctrine and how wicked it is and expose religions for who they really are right oh we shouldn't judge religions they say they're Christians I can care less if someone says they're a Christian at their words are not matching up to what the Word of God says they're gonna get testified against right that's how it works you know Jesus Christ for three years testified against the religion of Judaism he grounded the powder the Bible says okay he testified against that he called them sons of devil he called the Jews the sons of devils he testified hard against them why because that's what he was sent to do and look he's not revealing anything new he was basically he's saying look you're doing out in the open I'm just gonna testify that that's what you're doing you see a lot of the times even in modern days there's an elephant in the room and everyone knows about it and then people get mad at us because we just hate hey there's an elephant in the room why are you being judgmental it's like I'm just saying what everyone already knows I just got the guts to say it you see what I'm saying so we're not being judgmental we're simply pointing the finger to the elephant in the room hey did you see the elephant in the room hey guys there's an elephant in the room Baptist churches are teaching a false doctrine did you guys know that you know Baptist preachers are condoning divorce did you know that you know they're not they're not so winning correctly did you know that everyone knows it we're just lifting up our voice like on trumpet crying out loud sparing not and showing our people God's people their transgression look at John chapter 5 so now we're gonna look at the testimony of God the Father verse 31 says I bear witness of myself if I bear witness of myself my witness is not true there is another the bearers witness of me and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true ye sent unto John and he bear witness unto the truth but I received not the testimony from man but these things I say that you might be saved so I like what he's saying here okay because he's basing this off of the law that specifically said that out of the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established you see God's manner of seeing someone who's guilty or condemning someone to who's guilty you needed at least two to three witnesses to say hey that person did it okay and he said look if I bear witness of myself my witness is not true that's not saying that he was lying he's just going according to the Word of God to say no we need two or three witnesses right he says John bear witness of me and obviously we knew that John was telling the truth because but I'm not gonna receive witness of man and what it says here verse 35 he was a burning and shining light he's given him credit and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light but I have greater witness than that of John he's like I don't even see John's witness I have a greater witness than that for the works which the Father hath given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me and the Father himself which had sent me hath borne witness of me ye have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape and you have not his word abiding you for whom he had sent him you believe not so who did God bear witness of the Son Jesus Christ now here's the interesting thing it says there in verse number seven ye have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape now if Jesus Christ were God the Father then he's a lunatic right here because they're just listening to him speak as he's speaking is he you have neither heard his voice it was like well hold on a second Jesus we're hearing him right now the God the Father is right here and then he said this nor seen his shape well who were they looking at if he's supposedly God the Father and in fact the Bible says in 1st John 1 1 that which was from the beginning which you we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon in our hands of handled of the Word of Life so these people who are on earth they handled of Jesus they handled Jesus they saw him with their eyes they heard him but Jesus and if Jesus if that's not true if God the Father is Jesus then Jesus lied in verse 37 because he said you have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape and first John 1 1 says no we heard okay we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon in our hands have handled okay see no man had seen God at any time they've seen Jesus but not God the Father go to Deuteronomy or excuse me go to John chapter 8 John chapter 8 I'm gonna read to you from Deuteronomy chapter 19 in verse 15 this is where this concept comes from and it's a good concept to go by look that's why anytime this is the reason why anytime if I have to speak to someone in the church maybe to give them the boot or they're getting they're getting disciplined I take two people with me all the time okay at least two to three people with me all the time because out of the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established if someone tries to tries to accuse me falsely of anything that I've said I got two witnesses I got another witness here I think that's a good template to go by Deuteronomy 19 verse 15 says one witness shall not rise up against the man for any iniquity or for any sin in any sin that he sent it at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter be established now John chapter 8 verse 14 look at the Bible reads here Jesus answered and sent it to them though I bear record of myself yet my record is true you see he's not contradicting himself what he said earlier in the passage that we just read you know he says though I bear witness of me my witness is not true he's just saying this according to the law we need two or three witnesses but he reaffirms it in John chapter 8 where he says though I bear record of myself yet my record is true why because he is the truth for I know whence I came and whither I go but ye cannot tell whence I come and whither I go ye judge after the flesh I judge no man and yet if I judge my judgment is true for I am not alone but I am the father that sent me it is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true I am one that bear witness of myself and the father that sent me beareth witness of me now if God the Father is Jesus Christ then that doesn't make any sense right because that means they're one that's not enough witnesses but he said the mouth of two witnesses you know why because it's God the Father God the Son and those are two distinct people okay or else it wouldn't make sense you see what I'm saying so this this nonsense that God the Father is Jesus Christ is foolish because then Jesus Christ is a liar he can't witness of himself why because you need two or three witnesses but you know what because they're two distinct different people the witness of God is right there the witness of Jesus Christ and God the Father those are the two men that we're talking about here okay first John chapter 5 and verse 9 go to first John chapter 5 verse number 9 I am one the beareth witness of myself and the father that sent me beareth witness of me you see the oneness modulus heretics well you know according to them that would be like he's very witness of himself and he's like two and one but he's only one I mean I don't know how you make sense of it but it but it makes sense no it doesn't according to the the law here it wouldn't make any sense you need two actual people not a schizophrenic God you know where it's just like well he's Jesus in one mode and then God the Father and another and they're both testifying but it but it but it holds water no that's a schizophrenic God we don't serve a schizophrenic God there's three distinct people here first John chapter 5 and verse number 9 says if we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater for this is the witness of God which he had testified of his son so just remember this you're gonna run into a lot of people in life that will sound very convincing they'll make a good argument against anything maybe it's against something that you believe right but just remember this if we receive the witness of men the witness of God is always greater so it doesn't matter how convincing they are or what type of so-called proof that they have and you know how elaborate their argument is against whatever doctrine the witness of God is always greater okay now this is specifically referring to the witness of God of his son verse number 10 says he that believeth on the son had to witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a liar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his son so the record that God gave of his son is if we believe on him we shall have everlasting life if you choose not to believe on the son which is Jesus Christ you've made God a liar because that means you're trusting in something else he's like no I'm not gonna believe just on Jesus Christ I'm gonna believe on Jesus Christ and do good works well then you've made God a liar because God is saying no all you have to do is believe on Jesus Christ and you can have everlasting life okay that's what he's saying in verse 11 and this is the record that God had given to us eternal life and this life is in his son not in his son and in his in your works not in his son and in keeping the commandments not in his son and getting baptized not in his son and repenting of your sins just in his son he that hath the son hath life he that hath not the Son of God hath not life very simple these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God go to Mark chapter 14 so the witness of God the Father is of his son saying hey believe on Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved all you have to do is believe on Christ that's it not your works not in any keeping of the commandments and look most of the people in the world when they hear something like this you know a lot of self-righteous people is it why keep the commandments of God but they don't understand there's not there's more than ten commandments in the Bible ten commandments are just those famous commandments that we know about there's hundreds upon hundreds heaps upon heaps of commandments in the Bible and that's not we're not even including the thou shall right there's there's a lot of thou shall not so try to fit those into your obedience mark 14 in verse 56 for many bear false witness against him against to Jesus but their witness agreed not together and there arose certain and bear false witness against him saying we heard him say I will destroy this temple that is made with hands and within three days I will build another made without hands but neither so did their witness agree together when I think of this verse I think of the oneness modulus their witness agree not together you know they sound like a bunch of fools why because false doctrine at the root of it is just pure lies you ever met a chronic liar if you ever met a chronic liar they're these kind of people that they have to keep lying right and but it's eventually they get caught why because they have so many lies that they have to make they can't cover their tracks as well you know what I mean and so what happens they get caught very easy but you know what when you're only telling the truth you don't have to cover anything just keep telling the truth whereas lies is like you have to remember every single lie that you told and you never agree there's never truth being spoken out of your mouth whereas if there's truth truth always is in agreement the Bible says we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth okay now go to 1st Corinthians chapter number 10 so I just want to start off with that the witness of the Godhead okay the witness of the Holy Spirit is why he testifies of Jesus Christ by the way it's interesting that the Bible says that the witness excuse me out of the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established well we just saw three witnesses right there father son and the Holy Ghost these three are one these are the witnesses if these three were one as in only one person that God the Father is Jesus Christ that witness that wouldn't agree hit or two okay why is that because they need we need three to establish every word of God all right now these are the testimonies of the Lord the testimonies of the Lord testimonies of God the Father testimonies of God the Son testimonies of God the Holy Spirit but the testimonies of the Lord can also be summed up in the lives of people we find in the Bible because you have to think about oh you know if I were to come to you and I say hey Chad tell me your testimony you know how did you get saved you know or mark tell me your testimony how did you get saved how did you get into an independent fundamental Baptist Church all of us would agree on those of us are saved all of us would agree on how we got saved oh I believed on Jesus Christ you know I trusted Jesus Christ etc but obviously we would differ in in our lives afterwards how we got into an independent Baptist Church but what does it mean when we were given our testimonies basically we're we're bearing record of the experience that we had right that's what it's talking about so in the Bible we see that we see the lives of people in the Bible the testimonies of the Lord are the lies found within the Bible these are people that have had successes but they've also had failures okay now why are there testimonies in the Bible so we can know what not to do and we can know what to do okay so we can look at a life of the life of David right and know that we can have the courage and the confidence to face the Goliaths in our life but at the same time we could look at the life of David and see his sin with Bathsheba the adultery that he committed and all the wicked things that he did and say okay that's something that I shouldn't do so the testimonies of the Lord are specific principles and doctrines that we find within the lives of people in the Bible look at 1st Corinthians chapter 10 and verse number 11 excuse me verse number 6 says now these things were our examples to the intent we should not luster after evil things as they also lust in neither be idolaters as were some of them as it is written the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer now all these things happen unto them for our examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come so we see here that all these people these wicked people in the Old Testament they made a lot of mistakes but you know what the Bible says it's written for our admonition so when you're tempted to fornicate you're not gonna do it why because the testimonies of the Lord shows that God killed a lot of people in the desert when that when they committed that wicked sin of idolatry the Bible tells us that when we're tempted to complain what do we do we look to the testimonies of the Lord of those who murmured against the Lord and the destroyer came and destroyed them you know it instills the fear of the Lord in our hearts you said well I didn't know these things well that's what the Bible says that the testimony testimonies of the Lord makes wise the simple so maybe you don't know but now you know okay now go to 2nd Samuel chapter 11 and this is a common thing that we see throughout the Bible there's people in the Bible that learn from the mistakes and the successes of people in the Bible okay from the testimonies of the Lord here's an example 2nd Samuel chapter number 11 and 2nd Samuel chapter number 11 let me turn to myself 2nd Samuel chapter number 11 2nd Samuel chapter 11 is basically it's an unfortunate chapter but it's when when David fell into sin okay he committed adultery with Bathsheba and then he he's trying to cover it up right because when you lie you got to cover it up and so now he's trying to get Uriah to go back home to to basically be with his wife so that the baby that she's gonna conceive people will think that it's of Uriah now that isn't work because Uriah is a just man he's a righteous man he decides not to do that he wants to be in the war with with the King soldiers so he goes back so the next best step the best best step that David sees is that well I guess I'm just gonna have to kill Uriah so he plots this entire scenario he sends Joab to go and put him in the hottest part of the battle which by the way shows that Uriah is a tough tough cookie I mean the hottest part of the battle is like you're probably not gonna come back okay that's where everyone dies all right so he sends Uriah to the hottest part of the battle and then he comes he dies obviously and when Joab sends a messenger to David he tells the messenger hey let King David know that Uriah is dead okay so this is where we're at in the story look at verse 19 and charged the messenger saying when thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king and if so be that the king's wrath arise and he say unto thee wherefore approached he so nigh into the city when he did fight knew you not that they would shoot from the wall so he's telling look in case King David tells you this which is interesting because obviously Joab knew that David knew right so my guess is the reason he's about to say what he's about to say is because maybe this is a common phrase that they would say in those days all right knew you not that they would shoot from the wall verse 21 who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubasheth did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall that he died in Thebes why went ye nigh to the wall then say thou thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also so he says look in case he brings up this parable this proverb you bring up the fact that Uriah is dead and basically you're off the hook okay now who did he use as an example as a testimony Abimelech Abimelech is found this is a story that's found in Judges okay and Abimelech was was killed the Bible says of a certain woman when she dropped the millstone and break his skull so now throughout the ages he's used as a byword in a proverb for military use to say hey guys don't go don't go next to the wall when we're fighting in a war why because don't you remember Abimelech so Abimelech is used as an example testimony of the Lord what not to do in war now there's a spiritual application to that as well I think we shouldn't get close to the wall of the world okay why because the world's gonna drop a millstone in our heads and ultimately destroy us all right that's a sermon for another day now let's see here go to Deuteronomy I'm sorry go to Job chapter 23 the Bible often talks about the byword and the proverb these are the testimonies of the Lord so when we talk about the testimonies of the Lord we're talking about the testimonies that the witness of the Godhead but it's also talking about the lives of those who are in the Bible that are timeless principles that we can learn you know even though these guys didn't have cars they only had sandals they had horses you know the actions that they took still relate to us today okay and it would be wise for us to glean wisdom from this don't go to the self-help books don't go to the philosopher the unsaved philosophers of this world go to the testimonies of the Lord see what the Bible has to say about your situation see what the Bible has to say about your depression okay like oh man I don't think depressions even in the Bible it talks about God no the Bible talks about depression now it doesn't use the word depressed you know it talks about how the soul cleaveth unto the dust which is exactly how you feel when you're depressed right it talks about all those things we just need to read the Word of God because it's written for our admonition all scriptures given by inspiration of God okay but the testimonies of the Lord as I mentioned in the very beginning of the sermon are the precepts that are the teachings of what the Bible simply teaches about doctrine now look at job 23 I'm gonna give you just an introduction to that verse 12 neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food go to Psalms 138 so job has a great attitude in regards to the Word of God okay and his attitude is this I esteem I value God's Word more than even my necessary foods okay does that mean he didn't eat he only read the Bible no he's just saying it's more important to me than food so what God says from his word was very important to job he esteemed it he valued it look at Psalms 138 verse number 2 I will worship toward that holy temple and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name by the way side note here that's why it's important who cares whether people say they're Christians or not oh you know I think they're saved and they're good people because they're Christians he's magnified his word above his name okay yeah but they have Christ in their name but he's magnified his word above his name so if what they're even if they call themselves Christian that they're of Christ if the Bible says complete something different than what they're practicing and believing then guess what we will go with the Word of God says why because as job said we're to esteem the words of his mouth more than our unnecessary foods okay now go to Galatians chapter number six okay so this is what I want to get at when it comes to this point we ought to esteem God's Word more than anything else including the testimony of others okay because there's there's it's always been a trend but there's a thing that always where people get caught up and well I heard this testimony of someone you know of this person or whatever you know and they they esteem the testimony and the experience that someone had above what God says even when God blatantly teaches something in the in the Bible and it's clear as day they'll take the testimony of someone else over that but that's ungodly that's wicked why because the Bible tells us we ought to steam the words of God more than anything else even God steams his word above his name so if he has steams the Word of God above his name don't you think he would esteem his word above someone's testimony now we live in a day and age where people talk about testimonies all the time and again I'm not against testimonies I think everyone here has a testimony and I love we love talking about our testimonies okay because it's the things that God has done in our lives but they don't trump the Bible our experience never trumps the Bible okay now specifically let's get into this preaching the gospel okay when we preach the gospel don't give your your testimony you know your testimony is not the gospel all right even if you got saved the correct way that's not the gospel okay I'm not against you telling that person your testimony after they get saved but the gospel is the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ that's what the that's what the gospel is so the gospel like well let me tell you what God did in my life you know and by the way that's where this false doctrine of having a relationship with God you know I'm a friend of God I have a relationship with God I know God all these things comes from you know you ever knock on the door and say you know are you ask them are you 100% sure that if you die today you go to heaven you're like yeah I got a relationship with God I had this experience with God you know they're steaming their experience and their dreams more than God's Word Galatians 6 14 says but God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified into me and I into the world you see the Apostle Paul had an amazing testimony okay I'm talking about his personal testimony I mean when you're like getting knocked off your high horse and the road to Damascus the light is shining down and Jesus Christ comes to you he commissions him he was like you know persecuted in the church he was a blasphemer that's an amazing testimony but you know what when he went to go preach the gospel he he determined not to know anything save Christ and him crucified here you're like well let me tell you what happened to me okay no the way he got people saved is by preaching the gospel okay and look if you're one of these people who just want to talk about your testimony when you go out so winning then you're just trying to glorify yourself is what you're trying to do you want to talk about how wonderful you are and you want to glorify yourself we ought to glorify the gospel of Jesus Christ okay by specifically highlighting what Christ has done for us through the gospel okay now go to 1st Corinthians on the see here go to 1st John excuse me chapter 5 we already read this but we're gonna read it one more time you know it's notorious for this is like victory outreach okay Calvary Chapel all these modern type churches they like to give the testimonies and they like to talk about how there are drug addicts back in the day you know I came to church with a heroin needle in my arm and you know and then you know God changed my life and took away those desires and all these things and look that's all show right is what that is okay by the way let's let's make sure we keep the amens and the the all those things with the men okay so here in this church what we believe is that no lady should say amen or shout out loud or anything like that and look you're in if you're new here we're not mad at you or anything like that but in our church this is what we believe according to God's Word okay we love everyone here and by the way we're thankful when people are with the sermon amen they ought to be but if you're a lady in our church and you're with the sermon this is what you do you could just nod let's go dr. Rita she does these things she you know dr. Rita is very quiet you know but when I'm preaching hard my wife says that she goes like this she wants it to just but she holds herself you know I'm cool with that but you know what the Bible says that ladies ought to keep silent in the church okay so victory outreach they're notorious for these things okay and you'll find people at these at these false wicked churches or by the way sin is still rampant in there you know and they want to talk about all God did this in my life and you know he told me to marry someone else and I got a divorce and it's been wonderful ever since you're a liar is what you are okay you're a liar why because the Bible says there if we receive the witness of man the witness of God is greater this is for this is the witness of God which he had testified of his son you know oh you don't know my testimony brother I don't want to know your testimony you know the only testimony I want to know is so how did you get saved you know oh I you know I had a dream one day and God led me to an alley where I found a track you know I found a Bible in the wind blew the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and I just you know boom put my finger there you know I don't believe that okay now so this is this is rampant in these churches and in independent fundamental Baptists get fooled by these churches like oh they're Christians they're just a little off no they're like off the deep end is what they are right okay they don't believe the right gospel you know I went to a victory outreach funeral for a guy who left who had left our church he had gone to one of these churches and he died and he was murdered actually and I remember going to his funeral and and just to honor him and his death because he was a friend of mine and I remember the people the guys were getting up there to testify they weren't even talking about they're like you know salvation is a process you know it's all about a process if we need to make sure that we're we're we're we're we're we're striving to do what God pleases because that's because salvation is a process of God that's false you know and there's there's they're saying that because they're still involved in all kinds of wicked sin that's why they have to say that salvation is a process okay now look again I'm not against testimonies but I am against putting testimonies above God's Word okay what I have you turn to have you turn anywhere go to John chapter 11 go to John chapter 11 if I had you turn somewhere else sorry about that John chapter 11 here's a good testimony okay often people will say well I don't know if they really got saved you ever heard that you give someone the real gospel and some people say yeah I don't know if they got saved or not well what'd you tell them I you know they have to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ did you tell my eternal security yeah I told them did they say they believe you had to say they believed it I just don't know man well according to the Bible they were saved you see these churches also what they like to do is they want to accompany an emotion with the belief you know and by the way sometimes salvation is emotional you know sometimes when people get saved they break down in tears that's a beautiful thing I love when I leave someone to the Lord and they just break down in tears it touches my heart but that's not gonna be everyone some people are just like stone-faced when they get saved they're just like yes you know yes I believe that yes you know and it's just it doesn't affect them at all but guess what they're still saved you know and you're people might be like well you know what you know I just believe that if someone gets saved they're gonna show it they're gonna they're gonna it's just gonna show in their countenance not everyone's like that and we need to make sure that the realize that the testimony of God is still greater okay and the testimony of God is this if they just believe they're saved they don't need to get emotional they don't need to have a change of life or a change of lifestyle to be saved look at John chapter 11 verse 25 Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die believeth thou this he just said believe that's all he said do you believe this okay then that then that settles it right there and unfortunately a lot of Baptist have gone into this false doctrine that if someone gets saved they have to show some sort of emotion they have to make some sort of change it doesn't work that way okay we ought to realize that if they say they believed on Jesus Christ it's not by works and they believe that it's by one saved always saved they're saved okay now go to Psalms 119 now this is the reason I was thinking about this it's because there's even Baptist who yeah they get caught up in that but I get real surprised when Baptists are getting caught up in things like I believe homosexuals can be saved right and though and you say well what do you base that off of well I heard a testimony I heard this testimony of this sodomite who got saved you know and they changed their life and now they're in church they're preachers they're living a clean life and you know I just you know what do you say about that brother here I say this I don't care about their testimony and look this is the verse that I always take people to when they bring that stupid one-liner to me look what Psalms 119 verse 24 says thy testimonies who's that that's God's testimonies are also are my delight and my counselors so if you come to me and you tell me why I believe homosexuals can be saved because I heard a testimony about this one faggot who trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior you know what I do I said well you know what God's testimonies are my delight in my counselors so the witness of God is greater so I don't care if you find some homo who said they're a homo and they're no longer a homo and they're in church and they're working in the children's ministry and they're delivering a clean life and even if they get married you can change and look like you change all you want thy testimonies are my counselors and guess what the testimonies of God says that sodomites are reprobates and they can't be saved okay and it's interesting the people who bring this when we talk about when we discuss this matter of sodomites supposedly being saved they never go to the Word of God they always highlight some faggot who supposedly got saved let me read you this article here former homosexual turned pastor shares this story of freedom Daryl Foster's is founder and executive director of witness freedom ministries a Christian outreach to men and women who struggle with same-sex attraction Foster who once lived an openly gay lifestyle started the ministry 1992 because he knows the pain of people trapped in homosexuality yeah they hate being in that sin right he grew up in a Pentecostal Christian family in a small town in Texas but he said that he knew from an early age that something was wrong in his life I had this strange perhaps attraction to other boys that means you're a pedophile that's that's not it's not this this thing it's it means you're you're a reprobate okay because no normal human being will like the the the same gender he shares his he shares in a YouTube video testimony of his intrinsically I knew it was wrong but I didn't know what to do about it he said at age 13 Foster said he was molested for several years by an older boy at church by the way that's why we don't have children's ministries that's what we don't do Sunday school or nurseries my son is on my wife's lap right now okay he's not in some room with some other people that I don't even know you know taking care of him it says he said that molestation caused him to be even more conflicted about his sexual identity but he often turned to God for answers I went to church a lot he explained I would fast I would pray I would go to the altar I did almost everything I knew to do to do that people in church said would make you right with God you know like you know did I not prophesy prophesying thy name and then I named and many wonderful works and all these things kind of like the same thing in Matthew 7 but here I was in the midst of this Pentecostal holiness spirit led not Holy Spirit all of this but it seemed like I was all alone said Foster he said he eventually told the leadership at his church about the abuse but instead of helping me he said they blamed him for it it tore me to pieces he answered he shares the pain of feeling let down by his church-led Foster to embrace the gay lifestyle wholeheartedly he said I decided that I would no longer try to be what I thought God wanted me to be I decided that I would be a homosexual by the way he decided that a long time okay he just wanted a pastor's stamp of approval on it after graduating from high school he said he left church and lived life his way for 11 years he assimilated in the gay culture by the way that's such a stupid statement he assimilated in the gay culture for 11 years like he had to learn how to be one God gives him over to a reprobate mind it says to do those things which are not convenient so when God gives you over to a reprobate mind you just do it according to the Bible you don't have to assimilate to it where am I at here it was about having fun throwing away any kind of conventional restrictions that prevented you from having the fun that you wanted he said but he said after all the parties and sexual encounters he was often left with an empty and lonely feeling in his heart and he constantly battled depression and suicidal thoughts which he should have gave in to a man one day after watching a Christian movie about the suffering that Jesus by the way look look listen to this part one day after watching a Christian movie about the suffering that Jesus experienced before his crucifixion Foster says he heard God speak to him now I don't believe sodomites can be saved obviously but let's just entertain the fact that maybe they could okay which is not true it wasn't like I went to the Bible and I saw believe on the Lord Jesus Christ he went to a movie with a passion of the Christ or something and he says your God speak to him remember the Holy Spirit testifies of Christ through his word not through some Hollywood movie we're mad here let's see oh this is what he said this is what God said I did all this just for you I mean I could almost believe that if God's like like giving him strong delusions or something like I made this movie for you so you can believe like you're gonna get saved you're not gonna get saved okay he said tears filled his eyes when he heard those words I didn't think anybody heard me or saw me and I could not believe that he would say to me that he endured this for me Foster said he took this pain what the by the way this is in quotes I mean God is telling him these things he took this pain what these people were doing doing to him he did it for me and at that time I realized it was Jesus I decided that I would ask God to forgive me he said I fell on my face before God and I began to ask him how could you love me knowing all that I've done here's the answer he can't love you in fact he will love you no more the Bible says okay and look here's the here's the thing about this I guarantee if you ask him so how did you get saved aside from this you know he's not gonna say what was the movie he said I repented of my sin that's what he'll say because any sod of my testimony you hear about they all talk about how they repented of their sin of homosexuality so how can a Bible believing one saved always saved Christian believe that nonsense when they're literally saying that they got saved by repenting of their sins right Foster went on to say I don't know how long I laid on my face but when I got up I was a new man I was a new creation all the old things have passed away in my life had become new on that day I think that's it it's nonsense you know and Christians will look at and say that's a great testimony brother Mihia I heard a testimony of a guy who's a pastor now he got saved thy testimonies are my god and my counselors Romans 1 read it they can't be saved but I heard thy testimonies and see never get to a point where it doesn't matter how good it sounds which that was like a really bad example right there that even sound convincing at all you know that was the most foolish thing I've ever heard in my life but you know what Christians are eating this garbage up like well he had an experience experiences don't get you saved buddy okay it's the Word of God to get you saved right now you're in Psalms 119 look at verse 24 read it again thy testimonies also are my delight of my counselors go to verse 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation I understand more than the ancients because I keep thy precepts by the way you know what the problem is with a lot of these Christians they're not keeping the testimonies of God that's why they don't understand this understand I mean the test the guy gave a good testimony well you need to listen to the testimonies of God go to verse 111 thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage forever for there the rejoicing of my heart verse 129 thy testimonies are wonderful therefore does my soul keep them how could you say that sodomites should be put to death how could you say cuz his testimonies are wonderful right you know that's so hateful for you to say that God says it's it's wonderful yeah that's a wonderful thing you know Romans chapter 1 is a wonderful chapter beautifully written the words of the Lord are pure words the Bible says okay it's a wonderful thing so for some Christian to balk at some of the things we say about sodomites when we're quoting scripture you know what you're undermining God's word you're subverted the Bible says verse 138 thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful so look you know what that means that means you know what we see in Leviticus still applies today amen why cuz they're faithful my zeal hath consuming because mine enemies have forgotten thy words whoa come on old IFB you know why there are enemies you know why my zeal is eating me up because they forgot the Word of God they forgot what God says in his word they forgot the testimonies of the Lord is what they did instead of allowing that to be their their their meditation they're allowing Fox News to be their meditation verse 157 many are my persecutors and mine enemies why yet do I not decline from thy testimonies you see when you hold to the testimonies of God you're gonna get a lot of enemies you're gonna get a lot of persecutors on both sides but you know what let God be true but every man a liar so if you don't agree with it then that's fine but you know what let God be true and every man a liar oh but this testimony that this faggot said it was so good let God be true and every man a liar he's a liar man okay don't be fooled by that what's the what's the sermon this evening I'm done the testimony is the Lord are pure making wise is simple okay and we need to make sure that we engraft these testimonies in our heart so we don't get fooled by the witness of man by the witness of these modalist heretics by the witness of sodomites that they supposedly have turned over a new leaf that's not the testimonies that we're looking at thy testimonies are my delight and my counselors that's what the Bible teaches us as fire hasn't have a word of prayer father we thank you so much for your word thank you for your testimonies I pray God that you'd help us to have a greater appreciation of the testimonies found within your word help us to believe to a greater extent the witness of God because the witness of God is greater and I pray that you bless us tonight in Jesus name we pray amen you