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

So you're there and Revelation chapter 2 and I want to do a sermon and I was just trying to think of a sermon to do you know with the anniversary here and I want to do a sermon called the the lessons from the seven churches in Asia okay so we're gonna go through these seven churches this will not be an exhaustive study through the seven churches okay so don't don't worry okay so basically what I'm doing is I'm picking out what the big lesson if there's a big lesson that I see from each church I just want to talk about that because when I think of these seven churches these are first of all these are literal churches that were there in Asia in John's day okay this is not ages of time we're not in the Laodicean age and all this other dispensational stuff but there's a lot that you can learn from these churches okay good and bad okay and and so I think that as a church we should look at these churches and say hey let's make sure that what Jesus said hey I have a couple things against you I have a few things against thee that we should look at that me like hey let's make sure that it's not against us okay because we should say as Mount Baptist Church that we want to be pleasing unto God we want to make sure that hey God is pleased with us and he doesn't have things against us okay and this is a great way of seeing okay do we have anything against us okay are we doing these things that certain churches were doing and let's start off with Ephesus so I'm just gonna go down the line here starting at chapter 2 and see what Ephesus would teach us okay and what I believe Ephesus the main all-encompassing thing that's teaching us is that we need to do the first works okay and the number one thing that I see going into these seven churches is that we need to do the first work notice what it says in verse 2 there it says I know thy works and thy labor and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not and has found them liars has borne and has patience for my name's sake hast labored and hast not fainted so notice that it's not that they're not doing anything it's not that they don't have good doctrine and they're they're they're calling out false apostles you know they're basically weeding out the tears if you will in this church so you know a lot of times these churches get a bad rap you know like Ephesus gets a bad rap here but at the same time they're not they're not just doing it nothing you know I mean they're doing things but they left off something okay and this is something if you get anything out of the message this is something that we need to not let off as this first works or the first love here notice what it says in verse 4 it says nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first work so notice that it says you've fallen from your first love how do you get back to that first love you do the first works okay and the idea here is that you know it's basically how do you get that love back you know how do you get that first love that you had when you started this church when you you know when you when when it began and you know what I think about this when we go into when we go into you know more years of this church is that we don't want to lose sight of what it was started for okay and I'm gonna get into what I believe the first works are but it was started for this for the purpose of preaching the gospel to every creature in this area okay that if you look at our mission statement if you look at our invitation actually it tells you what our church is about okay our church if you just look at the mission statement says we are a young local New Testament Church with the desire to reach all north central West Virginia with the gospel of Jesus Christ we're an independent fundamental King James only soul winning hard preaching Baptist Church we are a family integrated church with the desire to edify believers with the Word of God so they so that they will be well grounded and rooted in the faith okay that's our mission statement but notice that the first thing that we mentioned on there is that we want to preach the gospel to everybody in this area okay that is why we do this you know you say well why do you preach against you know like the homos or why do you preach hard against this or that listen that's for your exhortation so that you'll stay right with God so that you'll win more people to Christ you know why do we do what we do why do you come to church the ultimate goal is for the Great Commission which is to see people saved see them baptized and see them do likewise and so I believe that's the first works but you know what this actually out of all these churches there's some pretty bad stuff that happens in some of these churches and these are all legitimate saved churches by the way okay these aren't like reprobate churches or this isn't like alright this is the Baptist Church Philadelphia's Baptist because it's good right but you know this church over here is like the Presbyterians and this church over here is the Methodist and this church every now they're all Baptist you know well they're all they're all saved sure they don't have the Baptist name obviously but you know what I mean they're all legitimate Bible believing churches and they don't have some of them have issues some don't that are mentioned but in the end we're dealing with that across board but this church right here is the only one that says hey I will remove your candlestick if you don't get this right okay out of all the things that are mentioned in these churches which we'll get to this is the only one that says hey I'll remove the candlestick and what's the candlestick like the seven golden candlesticks are the seven churches okay you know what that means is that if you don't get this right you're no longer a legitimate church in the sight of God now you may have it on your sign you may say you're a church but if you don't do the first works and you don't have that first love then in God's eyes you're not a legitimate church okay and there's plenty of independent fundamental Baptist churches that have the name and that say they believe the right things and they they I guarantee a lot of them believe the right things but they're not doing the works and you know what I'm not here to say whether the candlestick has been removed but I don't want to be in their position okay God's long-suffering and he gives he gives grace and he gives space for them to repent but you know what some of these churches the candlestick has been removed and it's very evident that the candlestick has been removed and you know we don't want to be like that we want to we don't ever get close to that do you want to tread the line on that do you want to be in that area where God's like hey you're about to get it taken away now we want to be all the way over here where it's like it's not even close you know we're out soul winning every week we're doing so many marathons you know we're seeing people saved baptized you know where our church is growing like all this stuff you want to see that happen so where you just know hey we're not falling away from our first love okay and that tends to be the first thing that goes soul winning now notice I keep reading in verse 5 there it says do the first works it says or else I will come unto thee and will remove thy candlestick out of his place except I repent but this thou hast that thou hatest that these are the Nicolaitans which I also hate and I thought Jesus never hated anything yeah this whole idea of never hating any doctor never hating anything that people do or you know in cases in the Bible hating certain people like pedophiles and stuff like that but all that to say is that they have some good things okay it's good to have good doctrine it's good to have discernment and be able to the spy out the reprobate in the false prophet but you know what ultimately I want our church to be known for is that they cared for the lost and they actually went out and took time out of their day to see people saved okay and I'm not against them knowing hey I hate that these is Nicolaitans right I want them to know that too but in the end what should be the top priority I want people to say hey that church goes soul winning they go door knocking you like it or lump it whether they think that's dumb or whether they think that's awesome you know that should be what our church is known for okay now go to Matthew chapter 28 because I'm going to show you what I believe the first works are and again you're talking about Church okay because obviously that what's the first commandment thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart okay and what's the second commandment thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself so obviously love is the fulfilling of the law okay but ultimately what's the most love you can do for somebody show them how they have eternal life right did you say well you could feed them okay you're giving them their last meal before they go to hell you know ultimately the most love you can show somebody is to point them to the Savior to get saved okay and so that's what I believe the first love is and it it's basically stating that Ephesus has fallen from that they've left it okay and Matthew chapter 28 verse 18 says and Jesus came and spake unto them saying all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you and lo I'm with you all way even unto the end of the world amen so this is what we would call the Great Commission right Jesus is ascending up into heaven and he's saying hey here's what you need to do need to teach all nations and in Mark chapter 16 it says go you into all the world preach the gospel to every creature okay but you also need to get them baptized and get them in the church and see and and you know teach them to observe all things you know that's the full circle is then they go out now and go do the same thing okay that's the whole Great Commission go to Luke chapter 24 just to see that again I just want to really solidify this because the New Testament started when Jesus died on the cross okay the Testament hath no power until the death of the testator it says in Hebrews chapter 9 okay so it's just like a will and testament of somebody right the last will and testament of somebody if I have a will it doesn't mean anything unless I'm dead okay meaning like it doesn't have any power it's not that you don't get anything unless I die right and the same thing applies that Jesus had to die before that Testament had power okay and when Jesus died on the cross the veil was rent from the top to the bottom signifying that the Old Testament had been done away with and the New Testament had started okay so there's your starting point and when Jesus rose from the dead you know he's telling his disciples go into all the world preach the gospel to every creature now obviously they were doing that before I'm not saying like it's not saying that this wasn't being done in time past right because obviously they were preaching the gospel in the Old Testament they were preaching the gospel in Noah's day they're preaching the gospel in Adam's day you know obviously this has always been going on but at the same time we when you're talking about the New Testament Church what is the first thing that Jesus tells his disciples to do when he raises from dead you need to go into all the world and preach the gospel because their whole ministry why Jesus was here was to Jerusalem okay and he's basically saying hey we're gonna go out from that now okay you're gonna start in Jerusalem but then you're gonna go out from there that's what it says in Luke chapter 24 and verse 45 it says then open he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures and said unto them thus it was it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission for of sins should be preached in this his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem and ye are witnesses of these things and behold I send the promise of my Father upon you but tear ye in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high so he's saying hey you're gonna start this in Jerusalem because you're gonna get the Holy Ghost right you're gonna get the Holy Ghost the day of Pentecost happens and thousands of people get saved but they were supposed to move on from that okay and they kind of had to be pushed out of their comfort zone when Stephen was stoned to get outside of Jerusalem going to Samaria and then they came out of Samaria and then they went into other places to the Gentiles and all that now go to Acts chapter 1 and this last thing I'll show you to show you the first works of the first love here and we just need to remember as a church this is what we're about I don't want to ever have to like mark this out where it says that we're our mission statement is to preach the gospel to North Central West Virginia the only way I'll mark this out is if everybody gets saved in North Central West Virginia you know what we're gonna do then we got to find a different area okay but you know what that's not gonna happen right meaning that people are living and dying people are growing up and as the you know ten years from now there's gonna be more people that need to get saved and and listen not everybody's gonna get saved on that first time out you know some people need to hear it one or two times and you know what you say well West Virginia is small well within these three counties that we're trying to hit there's there's a quarter million people okay that's not nothing right I know that's not good grammar but but that's definitely a good amount of people that we can reach and obviously we're branching out to other counties we're gonna do soul winning marathons and other areas but in Acts chapter 1 and verse 4 here it says and being assembled together with them commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which said he you have heard of me for John truly baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence so this is what Jesus saying saying listen you need to wait in Jerusalem till you're in dude with power from on high and notice what it says in verse 6 it says when they therefore were come together they asked him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel and he said unto them it is not for you to know the times of the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power but ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth okay so if you want to see what what's our what's our Jerusalem right here north-central West Virginia and you can count Wheeling in there too but but north-central West Virginia that's our Jerusalem what's our Samaria or what's our Judea that would be West Virginia what's our Samaria that will that be a Samaria is a good representation of America but Samaria would be America and what's the uttermost parts of the world but the rest of the world okay so obviously that is our mission okay we're not we're not bound to just these areas you know we can send out missionaries we do missionary trips you know we can start other churches in other areas and branch out as far as like people that are wanting to pastor and you know ordain them to go start church somewhere else in another state or wherever they want to go and you know what that is the first works that is the first love and we need to not leave that okay but you know what churches get big to get a lot of money they have gymnasiums they have all this stuff and then they just say you know what you know what soul winning doesn't work anymore you know let's do some other program let's bring in a rock band you know let's do other things and as soon as soul winning goes everything else just starts falling apart you know what that is to me that's the candlestick being taken away and you know what we need to make sure that's number one and you say well are we gonna how long we gonna be here listen that's the most important okay you know if I was gonna put a principal thing on something it's that right there that's soul winning is what our church should be about okay go to Revelation chapter 2 and verse 9 Revelation chapter 2 and verse 9 now Smyrna Smyrna is a good church I mean there's nothing bad said about Smyrna so Smyrna and Philadelphia are two churches where it's just it's kind of just saying hey you're doing good okay keep doing what you're doing so not all these are bad examples okay so in this case Smyrna you know what it tells me we need to be faithful unto death okay going to the end you know this is this is a you know a marathon if you will you know we need to run with patience the race that is set before us and we need to just keep going to the end okay and revelation chapter 2 verse 9 it says I know that works in tribulation and poverty but thou art rich and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but are the synagogue of Satan fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation ten days be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life okay so now this this could be a physical death that's talking about here but it could just be meaning that you're faithful unto death meaning you die of old age but you were faithful to God through that whole time now obviously this isn't talking about salvation as far as eternal salvation because no you don't need to hold out faithful unto the end to be saved from hell okay you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ you have eternal life that's done okay but as a Christian you can be faithless all this how many times did he say to his disciples that Oh faithless generation you know how long will I suffer thee and so even even the top 12 you know his that the top disciples that he had he kept saying hey you need to have some more faith okay you're lacking faith you're faithless in this area and you know what we need to be faithful unto the end so as a church you know what we should say hey listen what we're doing right now and what we started doing we just need to do that to the end okay it's not like listen this whole idea of things being outdated is ridiculous okay the Bible is eternal soul winning you know throughout until until you have the new heaven new earth soul winning is the way it's gonna be okay personal confrontational soul winning you know door-to-door out in the parks anywhere you can find people to give them the gospel that's the way it needs to be okay and we need to do that and fan go to Hebrews chapter 3 Hebrews chapter 3 because this idea of doing stuff on to the end meaning this is that if you do it on to the end you're gonna be rewarded okay and we and if there's a desire for Mountain Baptist Church is that that the members in this church in the end will be rewarded for the work that they did for Christ okay but you need to stay faithful unto the end okay now obviously you have an inheritance in heaven which fadeth not away right no one can take away the souls that you've won if you stop today and you say well I've won you know tons of souls to the Lord and you stop today you know you still have that reward in heaven but here's thing when you die or you know you're there standing with the Lord you're never gonna say man I wish I did less okay you're gonna wish you've held out faithful unto the end and I'm gonna give you a specific reason why because actually in Revelation chapter 2 it says you'll receive a crown of life okay so don't you want to get that crown to cast before our Savior's feet notice in Hebrew chapter 3 and verse 5 says Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after so Moses is example here right he is faithful and all his house unto the end right and it says in verse 6 it says but Christ as a son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence in the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end now a lot of people take this verse and I preach this whole sermon telling you what this verse is talking about this is talking about rewards okay it's talking about how we're spiritual houses and to offer up spiritual sacrifices and you know we're the royal priesthood and this is talking about building up upon that foundation a spiritual house right and so if you don't do this listen you still have the foundation but you know what you want to have that spiritual house you want to have those rewards at the judgment seat of Christ that aren't burned up okay that would hate and stubble you don't want to be like the three little pigs okay you know worry that at all I mean I know it's not a great illustration but you know they blow down the the sticks and the straw right you want to have that house that's made of gold and silver and precious stones it's gonna be tried through the fire okay and that's what it's talking about here notice in verse 14 same principle different language it says in verse 14 for we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end okay so if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast at the end hey we're gonna be partakers of Christ now partakers what you have to understand is that some people are gonna have a better resurrection okay you know it says in Hebrew chapter 11 they did not accept deliverance that they might have a better resurrection and it talks about the fact that hey you know we're gonna be partakers of his sufferings okay so the more you suffer with him the more you're gonna reign with him the more you suffer the more rewards you're gonna get and that's the idea that is getting across here and if you don't believe me go to Hebrews chapter 10 because it really explains this well that when we're talking about holding on to the end or this confidence right keeps talking about this confidence unto the end you're holding this confidence unto the end it's not talking about you know heaven hell here it's talking about reward notice what it says in Hebrew chapter 11 verse 35 says cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompense of reward for ye have need of patience that after you have done the will of God you might receive the promise did you know that there's other promises besides eternal life you know there's other things that God promises us you know if you're if you're if you're uh if you honor your father and mother right we kind of we already covered that command but that's the first commandment with promise okay there's other promises that God gives us and one of those is rewards and notice that you have this great recompense of reward and you're gonna receive the promise after you do the will of God go to James chapter 1 just to kind of cap this off here with Smyrna I don't know how many times I've heard people say well you need to hold out faith once at the end and the crown of life represents eternal life no okay it's just ridiculous it doesn't say eternal life and you know there's a crown of glory there's a crown of righteousness and there's a crown of light you know what the crown of life means you gave your life to Christ okay you know you you were faithful in your life until the end you you you know the Bible says that he that will save his life shall lose it but he that shall lose his life shall save it that's talking about the fact that hey if you lose your life in this world you give that up here guess what you're gaining it in eternal life meaning that you're gaining the rewards of what you gave in this life for all eternity okay now in James chapter 1 in verse 12 it says blessed is the man that endured temptation for when he has tried he shall receive the crown of life notice this which the Lord hath promised to them that love him okay so Hebrew chapter 13 I'm sorry Hebrew chapter 10 explains that perfectly when it says holding your confidence unto the end you're gonna be a partaker and you're gonna be of that spiritual house it's talking about the fact that you're gonna receive the promise of reward you're gonna it has great recompense of reward and one of the promises if you do it unto the end is a crown of life do you know that you don't have to be martyred for Christ to get that you know some people say like I you know I want to be martyred because I want to get the crown of life you know that you don't have to be martyred to get that okay and I'm not saying there are other rewards for like being faithful unto like a physical martyr's death okay but at the same time that crown of life is given to anybody that will will be faithful unto the end okay or endure temptation and all that okay so you want to have for reward you want to be faithful unto the end go to Revelation chapter 2 and verse 13 so we're gonna go to Pergamos so we hit that we've hit the Ephesus we need to do the first works we hit Smyrna we need to be faithful unto the end we're gonna hit Pergamos and Pergamos what I'm getting out of this is we need to be holy separated and holy okay and this is always baffling to people that when we tell them we believe in one saved always saved like well why don't you just want to go out and kill everybody you know or like why don't you just want to do whatever you want because I have a conscience first of all I mean like before I was saved did I just want to go out and pillage and rape and like do all this stuff I mean like people are like it's almost like well you get saved and then you just become an insane person or something you know like unsaved people want to do right you know half the time but all that to say is that we are called the holiness okay and it's interesting to me those that believe salvation is is once for all it's eternal you can never lose your salvation end up living the most holy and separated lives why is that not always I'm not saying everybody does but why is it that a church that believes you can never lose your salvation no matter what if as long as you put your faith in Christ why is it that they end up living the most holy lives okay and I'm you know I'm obviously I'm not gonna talk about myself right because no one's perfect we're all just striving to be holy and all that stuff but it's interesting that that's the way it works and good revelation chapter 2 and verse 13 dealing with Pergamos here it says I know that works and where thou dwellest even where Satan's seat is thou holdest fast my name and has not denied my faith even in those days where an antepist was my faithful martyr who was slain among you where Satan dwells so we have a good church here we have a church that is faithful unto a martyr's death they're not denying his name I mean we're talking about a strong church here okay but they have a problem okay notice what it says in verse 14 it says but I have a few things against thee because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to cast the stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrifice them to idols and to commit fornication so hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing I hate repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth notice that he's not saying to the whole church okay now when he says unto the angel of the church and Sardis and the change angel of the church and Pergamos in this case he's talking to the the pastor the leader right the elder of the bishop and he's speaking to that that person personally right but he's talking about people in the church he says hey there's some there there are some people there that hold his doctrine so that means that there are some people in the church that are committing fornication there are some people in the church that are holding to this doctrine to the Nicolaitans which Jesus hates and he's basically saying hey listen you need to you need to take care of that and you say well how do you take care of that 1st Corinthians chapter 5 says if there's fornication and it's well reported of if someone's committing fornication in the church is well reported of then it needs to be dealt with meaning they need to be kicked out of the church it needs to that that leaven needs to be taken out because a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump okay doesn't mean they can't be restored okay and you say well how far do you take what do you listen I'm not at your house policing you and looking through your window okay but I'll say this if I found out that two people are living together and they're not married I'm gonna assume they're in fornication because I'm not an idiot okay cuz if you're living together and you're not married then that's happening okay it's just I'm not an idiot okay I know what goes on but all that to say is that there could be people in the church that are committing it and I don't know about it okay now in this case I personally believe that it's probably known okay because I don't believe God has unrealistic expectations on the pastor okay that I'm supposed to like have ESP and just know your thoughts and know what's going on right I just know everything that's going on and I don't want to because I don't want to be a lord over the flock okay I am to be an overseer I'm not the Lord over the flock I'm not gonna come into your house and like say hey you need to change that you need to change this because to be honest with you some of you probably come into my house say you need to change this you need to change that some of you are probably a little stricter than I am when it comes to things but that's fine you know we're all you know we all have we have to all be fully persuaded in our own mind but what we're talking about is serious sin okay you know what movies you watch is different than committing fornication being extortioner and like the different things that the Bible talks about and this is a problem we need to be holy go to first Peter chapter 1 1st Peter chapter 1 this isn't unrealistic okay because listen if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us okay this is not saying you need to be sinless okay this is just basically saying hey those sins of idolatry and committing fornication those are two things that are brought up in first Corinthians chapter 5 as being offenses to be kicked out of the church okay so those are serious sins okay and I'm not gonna add to the list okay of sins first Corinthians chapter 5 they say well what if someone's a pedophile then they then they're never gonna be allowed here ever okay you know obviously people are committing crimes you know like then they're not gonna be allowed here ever you know unsaved people and reprobates and all that stuff aren't gonna be allowed here so that's not even in the definite you know I don't need to go to first Corinthians 5 to figure out that they're not gonna be allowed here but when we're talking about saved people Christians you know first Corinthians 5 is gonna be something as far as sins go that I'm gonna go to as far as this is what's on the list I'm not gonna add to it you know that's just the way it's gonna be okay now in 1st Peter chapter 1 and verse 13 says wherefore gird up the loins of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ as obedient children not fashion yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance but as he which hath called you is holy so do whatever you want because you're saved and you know grace is sufficient this is what everybody wants you to think that we teach or that we do okay no it says as he which hath called you as holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because as it is written I'm sorry because it is written be holy for I am holy you know where that's mentioned by the way Leviticus chapter 19 that dreaded Leviticus you know Leviticus also has the fact where it says love thy neighbor as thyself and it's the only place in the Old Testament that says love thy neighbor as thyself okay there's a lot of good stuff in Leviticus chapter 19 and this is one of those okay be holy for I am holy and listen that hasn't changed okay it's not like you know well in the Old Testament they needed to be holy no in the New Testament we need to be holy and actually when I preached that sermon about sinning willfully you know what that means is that we're expected to be more than what they had back then we have the Holy Ghost living inside of us we are the temple of the Holy Ghost right now and you know what we have a little more riding on it now as far as being holy and not defiling the temple of God okay so that being said is that we need to be holy go to the second Corinthians chapter 6 second Corinthians chapter 6 this is why it's so important that the people that you hang out with and you yoke up with are saved people and not only save people but save people that are going the same direction as you okay get to walk together except to be agreed you know it talks about you know in the Old Testament talks about not like unequally yoke and oxen with another animal okay and the reason for that is because one stronger than the other and it's gonna mess up everything okay so you need to be equally yoked notice what it says in verse 14 it says be not unequally yoked with unbeliever or together with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness and what Concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols or for ye are the temple of the living God as God has said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people wherefore come out from among them and be separate said the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters said the Lord Almighty so this is a great verse and you know we usually use this for marriage which it very much applies okay if you want to get married you need to be married to a believer okay that should be a must it shouldn't even be a second thought that that's the way it should be okay and you say well I'm gonna get her I'm gonna get her saved you know after she after we get married or I'm gonna get him saved after listen ladies if you think you're getting a guy saved afterwards and you know you know how hard it is for a lady to lead a man in a relationship biblically that is hard because you got to do it under subjection okay so you need to say hey I need to find someone that's saved but listen don't stop there listen don't put your don't put your expectations down here on the floor okay don't say why he's saved or she's saved you know you should be saying hey which direction are they going I'm not saying they have to be on the level you're at I'm not saying they have to be on the level of like some mature Christian somewhere but they have to be going in the right direction right and I'd rather be yoked up with somebody that's way over here a new believer a babe in Christ that's saying hey I want to press toward the mark for the prize of high calling about in Christ Jesus and has a lot of problems okay they're trying to quit drinking you're trying to quit smoking they're trying to quit all these different things that are in their life and they're just like hey I'm going this direction you know I want to be with that person I'd much rather be with that person than the person that's above me that's going the other direction that says you know what nuts the soul winning and puts a wet blanket on soul winning and says hey I don't want to go that direction I'm gonna go back a little bit you know I want to go back into this scene over here you know I want to be with the person that's going the right direction and that's the way we should be thinking about it but we're not outside the world either okay meaning that we have to talk to people that are unbelievers we have to witness to them people that are fornicators idolaters extortioners you know if we had to separate from all that we must needs go out of the world okay and God didn't call us to go into a convent somewhere and drink the Kool-Aid okay Jesus said that we're in the world but not of the world and he says that you know you're in the world but he prays that God keeps us from the evil okay so we need to be here in order to win the lost okay go to Revelation chapter 2 and verse 19 Revelation chapter 2 and verse 19 so we get into Thyatira now this one is gonna trigger all the blue-haired feminists right now Thyatira if I had an all-encompassing theme on this one don't let women preach and teach in the church and you know what this isn't popular and I've had ice it seems like someone is always asking me this question before I ever pass in the church I have some some lady asked me you're like so what do you think about women preachers and I'm just like do we have to start off on this the person not even saved I'm talking to and like they're gonna hate me after I say this you know but you know what the truth is the truth you know that listen if a man desired the office of the bishop he desired the good work and he has to be the husband of one wife and ruling his house well so as soon as you tell me that a woman can have a husband be the husband of one wife and you're like on to 2020 it can be the case because you know she'd be a transgender woman and all this stuff listen that person shouldn't even be in the building you know that person's not saved that person's a reprobate that person is a wicked perverted person anyway so obviously they're not gonna be in that position okay so revelation chapter 2 in verse 19 that's what it says says I know thy works in charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works and the last to be more than the first so this is a working church okay this is a laboring church it's basically I know that works twice I know that works and not only that but the last works they're doing so they basically when they started off their church they were doing great things for God and now they're they're further on they're doing more than what they were doing before so this should be a testimony of what we want to have right but notice he has something against me says in verse 20 says notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which callest herself a prophetess to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication to eat things sacrifice unto idols you say well it doesn't say just teach you know it says she's also doing this or that listen that is the end game of letting women be preachers okay is that they're gonna go into all this other garbage okay and go to first Timothy chapter 2 I'm gonna give you straight-up commands in the Bible okay it's interesting your name's Jezebel is that coincidental you know that Jezebel is just never a good character now I'll say this I believe Jezebel or these people in this church are probably saved okay I I'm not convinced that Jezebel is an unsaved person and the reason why okay the reason I believe she's saved is because Jesus said I gave her space to repent okay and and she didn't okay and the reason I say that I believe she saved is because at the end of all these seven churches it says whom I love I rebuke and chasten okay so I believe Jesus loved Jezebel okay that's hard to say I'm talking about different Jezebel right but I believe that she loved he loved her and wanted her to repent of this okay and you know what this shows you that some serious things can be going on in the church okay serious things okay now in in second I'm sorry first Timothy chapter 2 first Timothy chapter 2 is that I just want you to see context of everything here in verse 8 says I will therefore that men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting and like man are also the women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shame faces and innocent sobriety not with broided hair or gold or pearls or costly array but which becometh women professing godliness with good works so we already see right here that there's kind of a difference between men and women here as far as what's you know kind of told to the man and what's told to the women okay notice in verse 11 here it says let the women I'm sorry let the woman learn in silence with all subjection but I suffer not a woman to teach nor to assert authority over the man but to be in silence it almost sounds exactly like what it said in Revelation 2 right it says because thou suffers that woman Jezebel which calls herself prophets to teach if you took out some of that in between it says thou suffers that woman to teach and what did the Bible say it says but I suffer not a woman to teach nor to assert authority over the man but to be in silence this doesn't mean that a woman can't teach children and other ladies actually Titus talks about how the elder that the aged women are supposed to be teaching the younger women to love their husbands to love their children to be discreet chase keepers at home obedient to their own husbands okay but what it's saying is that you're not assert authority over the man so that means if you had a woman up here preaching guess what there's men in the service okay so if there was a lady up here teaching a whole bunch of women you know that'd be different okay and and you say well are you gonna have a ladies conference listen I've just I've just had too many bad things I've heard from these ladies conferences that I just did not want to go down that path okay is it inherently evil okay for a lady to get up and teach women no okay it's not inherently but I see a lot of things that can be taught there that aren't good okay and the big reason for that is that you really need men to teach doctrine okay and you say why is that well keep reading in first Timothy chapter 2 verse 13 verse 13 says for Adam was first formed then eat notice this is the real reason right here says Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in a transgression notwithstanding she shall be saved and childbearing if they continue in the faith and charity and holiness with sobriety and by the way that last verse right there it's basically teaching and if you go on in the in the rest of the book there it's talking about women not being idle to marry if the young woman Mary bear children got the house that you give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully meaning that if you have children you're not going to tend to be into idleness ask anybody here that has children if they're idle okay you're like man I just had too much time on my hands yeah I'm getting in the trouble right good night all my wife wants to do is take a nap you know just once just two hours of uninterrupted sleep you know and so that being said is that but notice here is the war is the woman that was deceived now Adam ate the fruit and he sent and because of Adam sinned death passed upon all men okay so I'm not saying Adams innocence okay but the difference was the serpent didn't beguile Adam the serpent beguiled Eve in his subtlety okay there is a difference between men and women I know people don't like to hear it but thank God there's a difference between men and women okay there I mean it's not that women are lesser value or anything like that there's different roles for women than men okay it's like and you may not like this illustration but it's there's I mean a washing machine and a dryer right there they have different functions okay you say you just called a woman a washing machine maybe I called it a dryer you don't know but all that to say is that there's different roles that are given to men and women men are stronger oh I can't believe you say that well the Bible says that women are the weaker vessel and biology class will teach you that if any woman in here thinks that that they can be stronger man I'll arm wrestle you right after the service right now I don't care if you do steroids I don't care if you take growth hormones I'll take you down okay now you say well but you're a little stronger listen the strongest man will always be stronger than the strongest woman always that's science okay you know what today and in the world that we live in they're like you you Christians you deny science at least I believe there's two genders at least I still believe that you know that there's still only two chromosomes out there there's X and X X and Y when it comes to gender you know I'm not I'm not an insane person that thinks there's 70 some genders and that we can't we shouldn't even have a gender reveal party because that child hasn't decided what gender they are I mean we're living in the Twilight Zone and people don't you know they're just like oh you guys are so ignorant you must not made it past biology you must not made it past anatomy I mean I saw an article where 2 plus 2 equals 4 is racist now I mean you're like you're trolling us pastor I wish I wish but it's 2020 you know I thought 2020 was supposed to be like you know the the year of vision you know like we have 20 20 vision people are blind today how to get off on that now go to first Corinthians chapter 14 I just want to end it on I'm doing to show you another passage here because I want you to know this this is not saying that women are not allowed to talk in church okay people take this too far they're like listen you're in this building around us don't even speak well how are you gonna sing okay but this is talking about preaching a serpent authority over men meaning that you are preaching to them okay now the only exception to this rule because this is talking about in the church building okay this is talking about for believers okay women are to preach the gospel to every creature just as much as men that means women you can preach the gospel to men okay so don't take this too far and be like well I can't you can only talk to women about the gospel no this is talking about preaching to you know like to the church okay and this is the proof of that because first Corinthians 14 is all about preaching and not preaching in an unknown tongue meaning don't preach I'm not gonna preach to you in Greek right now I'm gonna preach to you in English but if this is a Spanish-speaking church then I better be speaking Spanish not English okay but it keeps talking about preachers and you know basically that they need to have they need to preach one by one and that by course and only three at a time okay meaning that you shouldn't just have like five preachers just one after another you know but you're not gonna retain it but everything should be done decently in order and it basically just mentions here by the way women are not to preach okay verse 34 so first Corinthians chapter 14 verse 34 it says let your women keep silence in the churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak but they are commanded to be under obedience as also set the law and if they will learn anything let them ask their husbands at home for it is it is a shame for women to speak in the church so when we're talking about speaking in context you're talking about preaching and you're talking about the fact that this is why you know I don't believe women should be saying amen okay I know a lot of Baptist churches they have the hankies right it's like you wave the hanky whatever but I don't believe women should be saying amen during the sermon because amen during the sermons during the preaching time this is what we're talking about okay this means that when I'm preaching ladies you shouldn't be you know asking me questions during the preaching does that make sense and you shouldn't even be and this happens and listen you know we should just try to keep distracted minimum you shouldn't be looking over at your husband saying hey you know what's this about during the sermon okay does that make sense and that's why I saying go home you know when you go home ask your husband about it right because it's gonna be distracting if every if every wife in here is just like looking over at their husband saying hey explain this to me and everybody's just having a conversation the whole point of this whole passage is that things are not chaotic in church so it makes sense like the whole point is that people don't come in and think you're crazy because everybody's speaking in different languages and like people are going you know like it's just all out of order so it's basically saying hey listen you know during the service you know men can say amen they can say all that because you know they're men okay women are to keep silence during that but if they have a question they should be asking their husbands you know basically not during the service okay so so yeah you know that'll probably get me a strike on YouTube you know probably get probably get banned listen you know all I have to say those people is just you don't have to watch y'all listen to me but you know what I didn't write this I didn't write the Bible I agree with it completely I love it I think it's I believe it's right I'm not here to say oh man I wish it was different but I didn't write it you know this was written way before I was ever born way before any of you were ever born now I go to sort of Sardis in Revelation chapter 3 Revelation chapter 3 I'm trying to speed it up here Revelation chapter 3 in verse 1 I believe Sardis is basically saying hey you need to be profitable or you needed to be an alive church you ever heard that phrase like that church is dead as a doornail okay and it's not because like everybody's dead in there like it's just a massacre happened and there's everybody's laying on the floor okay it's basically saying it's just it's you know nothing's going on they're not doing anything okay and we need to be a profitable or an alive church knows what says in verse 1 it says an M to the angels of the church and Sardis right these things said he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars I know thy works that thou hast the name that thou livest and art dead be watchful therefore be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God okay so it's basically you have a name that you live that means that that church used to be doing things okay and there's a lot of these out today okay that that church has a reputation of being a good church that they great thanks for God and you know what we need to not be living off the past you know you know what the stories that you give during your sermon should be like 15 years ago I went over here and saw these great things happen you know it should be is like last week we're out soul winning and some crazy stuff went down yeah you know and I think a brother rich you know like with I think was it last week you went soul winning and and you're giving the gospel and then to this young lady and then the father came out and got him say but he didn't realize it but the whole rest of the family came came back home and they were all sitting behind him listening to the gospel we can preach he literally preached the gospel to the whole family that gives actually up to 30 or actually up to 13 or tonight actually up to 16 verse 30 and 31 you know gives it some gravity right because it says thou shalt be saved and thy house right because Paul ended up going to preach this whole house they ended up all getting saved and believing and you know what that just happened was the last week last Sunday and you know what that is either last Sunday the Sun before I can't remember but either way it's not that long ago okay that you have these type of stories that that people are getting saved you know awesome stuffs happening and the ladies have so many stories about that you know I think I'm you know like Miss Ruth when she got her first person say she ended up getting two people saved and our first time getting people someone saved and the whole story behind that on the fact that hey this person this person's dad was like basically dying and she's been thinking about it and wanted to make sure that she knows she was going to heaven or that he would go to heaven and like this whole story is behind it and you know what if you're a dead church you won't have those stories you'll be picking stuff from decades past and anytime I ever go into a church and they're like talking about stories that happened back in decades past or talking about preaching from decades past I'm like do the Spirit of God leave like what happened like why isn't this happening now okay but go to James chapter 2 James chapter 2 and by the way James chapter 2 is talking about Christians that are not profitable and that they will not be saved from the judgment of God here in this in this life if you don't show mercy unto your brother and sister in Christ that's what it's talking about it's talking about being the friend of God and perfecting your faith okay and it's talking about being profitable notice what it says in verse 12 it says so speaking and so do is they that shall be judged by the law of liberty for he shall have judgment without mercy that has showed no mercy and mercy rejoices against judgment so this is giving you context about what you're being saved from okay it's talking about believers that are being judged by the law of liberty and that they're gonna have judgment without mercy if you don't show mercy and then it says what does it profit my brethren and it says what does the profit my brethren though a man say you have faith and have not works can faith save him from hell no from physical judgment and chastisement of the Lord meaning that you're gonna have judgment without mercy if you don't show mercy unto your brother and sister in Christ and that's what it says here it says if a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say unto them depart in peace being warmed and filled notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body what to the Prophet even so faith if they had not works is dead being alone see if you have a church full of all a whole bunch of believers they're legitimately saved and they're not doing anything guess what that's a dead church that doesn't mean they're not going to heaven but they're not getting anybody else saved they're not profiting the cause of Christ at all okay it's like that you know the Christians that are just like man I got so much faith in the Lord you know I just got mountains of moving faith well when it was the last time you went out soul winning and won someone to Christ what was the last time you you know right through the Bible where you did this or that or you did you went to church and just like wow you know I haven't done that in a while or I never did that then don't tell me you have some great faith then okay talk is cheap you ever hear that phrase you talk is cheap and you know what don't don't tell me show me and that's what this chapter is talking about basically saying hey you want to show me that you have great faith and you better do something about it you better show me by going out so winning you better show me by reading the Bible you better show me by your Bible knowledge that you have from Bible memorization you better show me that you do you have this great faith don't just tell me you have it that's as good as you telling that person to go be warmed and filled not giving them anything you know I have faith you're gonna be filled well that's not profitable okay and we need to be a profitable church and this chapter is talking about Abraham perfecting his faith by doing works okay Abraham was justified by faith way before he offered Isaac upon the altar it says in verse 21 it says was not Abraham our father justified by faith are justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar see as thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect listen what did Jesus say to the church in Sardis it says that I have not found that found that works perfect before that before God right so we need to perfect that by doing it okay it says in Scripture was fulfilled which Seth Abraham believed God who's imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God see that's what people miss about this whole passage it doesn't say Abraham believed God is imputed unto him for righteousness and the reason it was imputed unto him is because he did the works it's not what it says it's saying that he believed God that was imputed unto him for righteousness that means he's saved and he was called the friend of God why because he did the works and he became the friend of God because you are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you and the Bible says at the very end there in verse 26 it says whereas the body without spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also and that's why this church is dead in Sardis and they have a name that they live because they had works they were doing great thanks for God but they left it off so you know what you say well a church it's still profitable if you have saved people in there and you have good doctrine not according to the Bible Bible says that church is dead they're living off a name that they live right but they're dead and he's not saying that they can't be revived he's saying repent you know and there's still people there that aren't dead okay and you'll see this throughout where you have people in churches today in Baptist churches that want to go soul-winning that want to do great things for God but the pastor isn't on board you know what it comes down to the pastor's lazy and he doesn't want to get off his rear end and start doing something again okay and you have people in the church that are wanting to do it and you say well this has happened I don't know how many emails I could tell you about that I get and how many people visit our church to say the exact same thing they want to go soul-winning but the pastor won't get on board and listen if the pastor does not get on board it will not happen you can not have a church where the pastor is not soul-winning and not involved and not leading the charge where that's gonna actually keep going I know from experience and many and some of you know from experience because you were with me trying to do it with a church that we got a soul-winning program started souls were getting saved people were getting baptized but the pastor didn't want to do it himself they're also he's saved you know and they're saved and you know what if the pastor doesn't want to do it it's not gonna happen now I'll go to Revelation chapter 3 and verse 7 Philadelphia here this one I believe is basically stating that hey we need to find the doors that God is opened okay meaning this is that we we're not called to basically just bull rush our way through things and you know something's like clearly closed off to us and we got to say you know we're getting there bless God no matter what okay it's like my trip to Cyprus I was supposed to go to Cyprus I was excited about it and I was gonna go over there and I wanted to I want to win someone speaking in Greek and I wanted to take the Greek New Testament and win someone of Christ right well travel you know it's completely like cut off right now you know it still is like still people can't go across you know the international travel right now and so that got closed off what do you think I should be like I'm getting on a boat I'm taking a cargo boat over there and I'm gonna get there right no that door was closed and so be it okay maybe I was needed here maybe maybe there's a reason why I'm not to do that now notice what says in Revelation chapter 3 and verse 7 and this should give you comfort right because God's not telling us to beat our head against the wall basically it should be very evident that hey we he wants us to do this okay this is the path we should be going on revelation 3 verse 7 says into the angel of the church in Philadelphia right these things set he that is holy he that is true he that hath the key of David he that openeth no man shutteth and shutteth no man open it I know that works behold I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it for thou hast a little strength and has kept my word and has not denied my name so the basic thing I have set before thee an open door and I believe God has set an open door before us in many places okay and Colossians says this I want you to go to Acts chapter 16 Colossians says this says continue in prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving with all praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for which I all am also in bonds and it's a basis you know what did Paul saying and Ephesians chapter 6 it says that I may be given utterance that may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel okay so the idea is that we need to find the doors that are open act 16 is a great example of this okay notice what it says in verse 6 now when they had gone throughout Phrygia in the region of Galatia and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia so notice that they were wanting to go into Asia but the Holy Ghost forbade them or forbade them to preach there after they were come to Missia they assayed to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not so two times they're like hey we want to go to Asia no we want to go over to Bithynia nope then it says and they passing by Missia came down to Troas and a vision appeared to Paul in the night there stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying come over into Macedonia and help us and after he had seen the vision immediately we endeavor to go into Macedonia notices assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them so they closed two doors but he wanted him to go through this one okay so you know what a closed door should tell you is that hey there's another door that he's wanting me to go through right now okay it shouldn't just be like oh you know the cause of Christ is being stopped no it's just the fact that he's got a door and he's just trying to lead you to that door by closing other doors and saying no go over here what's interesting is that he ends up preaching to someone from Asia when they go down to Mount Macedonia Lydia so you know they were wanting to go to Asia to begin with he's like I got someone I need you to get to and he was preparing the heart of Lydia and you know she got saved and housing them and all you know the story but but all I say is that we need to find those open doors so if YouTube closes you know what I'm not gonna just like beat my head against the wall I'm not saying that we won't try to get on there and do it all that stuff but listen you know what then that doors closed and if God wanted that door to be open it would be wide open and he would allow it to be that way so I'm not just gonna fret and be like man you know what are we gonna do you're like well I'm gonna find another door and the last one here is Laodicea and this one is pretty self-explanatory everybody knows Laodicea for being lukewarm okay now I preach the whole sermon on this because I believe a lot of people don't preach this correctly okay because I'm right and everybody's wrong now obviously obviously I just I don't disagree with their doctrine okay you know it's just like sometimes the way that people explain James to I'm like I don't disagree with your doctrine but I don't believe it's saying that okay and same thing here is that when people say well lukewarm means that you need to be extreme you know you need to you need not be half in half out right you need to not be right in the middle of the road well I agree with that preaching preaching a hundred percent okay like nothing against that preaching but lukewarm Christianity is no so it says here says in verse 15 I know that works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou work cold or hot so then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold or hot nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth now the reason that I don't believe that this is like cold meaning like you're just not doing anything and hot you're like on fire for God because that wouldn't make sense that God like I wish you were cold right now the reason that I believe what it's saying is because it tells us okay notice in verse 17 says why is he lukewarm why is he gonna spew them out of his mouth because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing okay now you can read through there because it says that but you know basically you're wretched miserable poor blind and naked okay what is this teaching is that you have a church that thinks they have arrived okay so lukewarm basically is disgusting to God okay because it you drink it you drink something right you want to be cold or hot okay it's hot coffee or cold coffee or whatever you know you want the extremes it's not that cold bad right you know colds good nothing wrong cold water you know a cold drink right a cold diet coke you know on a refreshing day now I'm just kidding well I say cold monster some people would like you know no that should never be in a sermon you know but all I say is that obviously it's stating though that you need to not think you've arrived and go to Philippians chapter 3 I'm gonna read to you Proverbs chapter 1 Philippians chapter 3 is the last place I'm gonna take you here but Proverbs chapter 1 verse 5 it says a wise man will hear and will increase learning and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels to understand a proverb and the interpretation the words of the wise and their dark sayings the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction and you know what you should never think that you've arrived you should never think that you know everything you should never think that you have need of nothing listen the moment you think that just wait for the chastisement of God okay because it's coming you should always say I don't know anything when it comes to the Bible listen those that have read the Bible extensively those are the people that will say to you I feel like I don't know anything the people you need to worry about are the people that think that say to you I know it all right we run into those people out soul winning all the time right they're like oh I know that I've read through that they probably never read through it once let's just be honest they never read through it once but they know it all but the person that has read through it scores of times that person will generally say to you I feel like I don't you know every time I read through a book like in the Old Testament I'm just like I am I am deficient this book right here read through Ezekiel and then come tell me that you know everything about Ezekiel okay read through Zechariah and tell me what that what the the two women with the the wings of a stork and the the lead in the in the Ephah tell me what that's talking about then come talk to me about how you know everything about the Bible you know and there's so many things in the Bible listen it's infinite there'll be never a time where I could say I've attained until I'm with the Lord Jesus Christ now Philippians chapter 3 is hitting on this because Paul who labored more abundantly than them all he had all these revelations from God and yet what does he say right here in verse 12 it says not as though I had already attained either were already perfect so Paul so Paul is saying listen I have not attained and I am not perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I'm apprehended of Christ Jesus and he's saying listen I want to know Christ as much as he knows me that's my goal and listen that's what you should glory in you should glory in the fact glory in this that we know the Lord okay and keep reading there it says brethren I count on myself to have apprehended but there's one thing I do so he's basically saying I'm not saying I know I you know because what's the apprehended know or the same right to apprehend something's to know something to understand something right he's basically saying I count my not myself not to apprehend it I'm not saying I've attained I'm not saying I'm perfect but there's one thing I do I forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize the high calling of God in Christ Jesus you know what the church at laid to see it teaches me is that we should never be content we should never say hey we made it guys you know yeah let's say let's say a hundred people is our goal you know like that we want our church to be at a hundred people and we want to see this many people say you should never say hey we've arrived that's that's the mark you should always say nope we still have need we should still be praying for laborers we should still be praying to God it increases the church we should still be praying that we need God's help at all times we should never say that we have arrived and people that that had that mentality does it not make you disgusted when you run into those people that are just like oh yeah look at me you know you just want to just want to knock that chip off their shoulder you know what God says he wants to spew them out of his mouth that's some strong language but he's talking about Christians okay because right after this it says whom I love I rebuke and chasten it says be zealous therefore and repent so you know and some a lot of these cases here I don't believe that we're you know we don't have Jezebel up here teaching we don't have like hopefully we don't have fornication in the church it's definitely not known if we do okay or I'd be dealing with it you know there's things in here that are cautionary okay but if you ever want to look at and say hey is our church well pleasing to God then we should be looking at these churches and say hey are there things that Jesus would say I have a few things against thee okay and I think this is a good I you know going into another year with our church we should have this on our mind that hey we need to keep doing what we're doing we need to never be content with where we're at we need to keep pressing forward we need to be holy we need to be alive we need to be profitable and we need to just stick to our guns of soul winning sticking to the King James Bible sticking to hard preaching being independent all these things that we started off doing we should never leave that okay I don't care how big we get I don't care how how famous or infamous we get you know we should always stick to that same thing listen that's not going to change that doctrinal statement that that mission statement the only thing that may change is where we're doing it at okay you know that north-central West Virginia maybe we're gonna expand maybe maybe we reach everybody here maybe we need to go somewhere else because we're beating our head against the wall you know but that same statement would apply anywhere that we go okay so happy anniversary Mountain Baptist Church you know I am I am privileged and well pleased to be your pastor and to be a part of this church to see the great things that are being done and you know what we need to just always be thinking about these type of things that our church should be about we should always be pressing forward and you know what we should make next year even better you know what we should be saying we want to be reaching 300 by this time next year as far as salvation's we want to increase those baptisms if at all possible we want to see more people get in the church as you know as much as we can and you know what as a pastor I should be saying I want to preach better sermons I want to get better at preaching I want to have you know tighter doctrine I want to be able to be more dynamic I want to be able to you know just a lot of things you should be improving okay but let's end with a word of prayer every day I only follow we think of it today and Lord thank you for your word and thank you for these examples and revelation of these churches that we can either emulate or take warning and Lord just help us as members of this church to be well pleasing to you and Lord we just pray that our candlestick would always be here as long as the earth is here as long as we can be around and Lord just pray that you would help us to press toward the mark for the prize the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Lord we just love you and thank you for three years here we pray for many more in Jesus Christ's name amen