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Amen. OK, so Ezra chapter nine, only one more chapter to go in this Bible study. I've really enjoyed it. I felt that it's been really just so much we can apply to our life here, kind of building in this nation, this church. And, yeah, I hope everyone else has got a lot out of this. And hopefully you will today as well. We looked, last week we were in Ezra chapter eight, which started with the genealogy of chief men that went up with Ezra. In what is his second wave returning from the captivity in Babylon that was previously sort of 70 years. And then there was kind of this added on time as well in between now the work, what they had started doing in this point. Now, Ezra needed some Levites. We saw that some workers to take on the jobs that need doing around the house of God. And Ezra sent for some men of understanding. He chose basically solid, knowledgeable guys to help out. And after he did all of that, he proclaimed a group fast. And then we looked at the reasons for fasting, if you remember, and kind of boiled it down to either seeking forgiveness before or during trials and tribulations or before or during serving, doing great things for God. And, you know, obviously there could be a combination of those things as well. Ezra then said that they were seeking a right way for us and for our little ones and for all our substance. We looked at, you know, the right way for you might not be the right way for your little ones and vice versa. And try to get that balance as families, especially here, being able to get those, you know, the right balance for your little ones and for your children and everything else. And obviously for all our substance, he said here as well. Then Ezra got some chief priests to look after the money. But even with these top guys, these holy men, it was still counted properly, wasn't it? They still did things properly. They went on this long, treacherous journey after that. Verse 31 said that God delivered them from such as lay in weight by the way. And we talked about how, look, you know, in the Christian life, there's a lot that lay in weight by the way. And by the way, by the path is the way you're going, is on that walk. It's not, oh, well, they're only there when you stray. No, a lot of the time they're there when you're walking. In fact, they're there when you're on the correct path a lot of the time as well. And there are people laying in weight in all areas and aspects of life, just looking for something, waiting for a weight of pounds. Verse 36 says, and they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants and to the governors on this side of the river. And they furthered the people and the house of God. And two things here, new additions, you know, to the house of God and the workforce that we have here, you know, they do that, don't they? They further the people and the house of God, OK? And that's what we will always be looking for here, wanting and so happy to add new additions because they do, they further the work, they further the people as well. You know, it's nothing, you know, for me, I just love it. Love it when you get new people come and get involved and stuff. And we always want to be a place that's welcoming to new people as well. But we looked at some do's and don'ts about that as well at the end of the last chapter as well. Now, we're into Ezra chapter nine now, and it begins in verse one with now when these things were done, the princes came to me saying the people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. I'd like to pray before we continue. Thank you for this. Well, this great book that we've been studying, Lord, in this chapter now, where we're going to look at, you know, some of the pitfalls that could happen to, you know, your work, your house, you know, your people, your children. Lord, help me to just preach, you know, this message just clearly, Lord, now, boldly and accurately and full of your spirit, help everyone here to just really listen to what you were saying here, Lord, and to want to apply it to their lives, not just to be hearers of the word, but to be doers to just really want to put this into their lives, to really take heed of the warnings here as well, and just to improve this. Amen. So just a reminder, they first returned under Zerubabbel, OK, there was Zechariah and Haggai preaching. And then after about 20 years, the temple was completed, wasn't it? So there was a long period of time here. This is now 60 years after that point. So we're basically 80 years on from that first return as well. So we're now kind of going into sort of what should have been sort of just continual life serving in the temple and everything else. There's been that great start. Ezra's come along now to try and, you know, like keep things, he's excited to get there, isn't he? He's like, right, we're going to go and get involved in the house of God. Ezra turns up and the princes or principles, you could say, the leaders tell him that it's basically all just it's all gone downhill. It's all gone downhill from that beginning, from that exciting start. Look at verse one, it says, And look, this is a common theme in the Bible, OK, we see it in the Book of Judges a lot, also in I and II Kings and especially Chronicles. Great things are done by God, also by God's people. Great victories are won. And then within a matter of decades, they're messing up again, aren't they? You just see this kind of just up and down, up and down all the time. This is though also, I would say, a common theme amongst churches, too. So they do some great things with some great victories. And then the years go by, a few generations pass and it's like, where are they? Where are those great churches? Where are those soul winning churches of old? And not just here, all over the place, what's happened to them? Now, you could say, well, no, this is just those Jews again. You know, same old story, but we're not like them, right? OK, we're like, you know, we're now spiritual Israel, et cetera. Well, you know, with that in mind, does anyone know how those churches are doing over in Corinth right now? Over in Corinth, Greece, over in Crete, Philippi, Thessalonica, Galatia. How are those churches doing? Anyone know? I'll tell you what, they're not even there anymore. Done. Finished. How about those seven churches written to by John the Revelator? What happened to those? Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, where are they? Nowhere. They're not there anymore. There aren't soul winning churches there anymore. There aren't churches of the right gospel there anymore. Now, you could go, well, that was a long time ago. Where are the great churches of old in this nation? Where are the great churches of the last few generations in this nation? Where are they? Where are those churches which must have previously been preaching the gospel, at least at some point here? Tell you what, they're gone. And the ones that still exist, the ones where it's here or in other nations, those great hard preaching or previously hard preaching, non compromising, soul winning churches of old, those ones that at least are still hanging on by a thread are basically probably in a liberal, now compromising, worldly sinking ship, aren't they? If they're still there, the same ship that the others sunk in. And it just sadly, it's just such a trend, just not only in the Bible, but in Christian life and in church life. And just like those here, what really happens is they start to behave like the world. They don't separate themselves from the people of the lands. That's the pitfall. That's what generally happens to these churches. Verse two said here, for they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands. Yea, the hand of the princes and rulers have been chief in this trespass. So they started marrying the daughters of the land, marrying their sons after the daughters of the nations. Now is the message here racial purity? No, the message here is spiritual purity. OK, that's the message, spiritual purity. And the first obvious lesson is don't marry the unsaved. OK, don't marry the unsaved. Turn to 2 Corinthians 6, because some will go, well, they say they're a Christian. She says that she's a Christian. You know, well, she went to church in whatever country it was. Don't worry, I found them on a Christian dating site. I mean, how many people do you knock on the door and they say they're a Christian? Do you know half of those are probably going on a Christian dating site? How many of them are saved? Hardly ever, hardly any. 2 Corinthians 6 and verse 14, 2 Corinthians 6, 14 says, Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers? For what fellowship of righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion have light with darkness? What's yoking? What is yoking? Well, it's basically when you have a yoke, something to combine two animals to take on a workload, right? Guess what happens to the workload when one animal is lame, weak or unable to do the work? It doesn't just decrease. Eventually, nothing gets done. If you've got some big strong ox yoked up with some feeble animal, it's just going to be dragging along that other animal. Is it going to get any work done in the end? It's going to get to the point where it's unable to even pull along that animal because it's just going to burn out. And that's what happens when you're unequally yoked. It's not, well, I just won't quite do as much. At least I've got a wife. You know, at least I'm not fornicating. I found a wife or vice versa. I found a husband. Well, OK, well, he's not saved. But, you know, it's a bit of an unequal argument. At least I can still go do things of God. No, what happens is you're dragging them and that just pulls you back, pulls you back to the point where you just don't end up doing anything. OK, and that's what happens. All these people out there, so many of them. And it's very rare that you'll have someone with an unsaved partner and one of them saved and that saved person is just doing the things of God and the kids are doing it. It doesn't really happen. OK, and what often happens and what is so often the case is that they just start to drift and drift and drift and end up doing nothing for God. OK, and that sadly is the case out there. Nothing eventually gets done. Verse 15 says, what concord hath Christ with Belial, or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? So when the false Christian is worshipping, well, in one way or another, their work salvation version of Jesus, who are they really worshipping? The devil. It's Satan behind it. You know, that Jesus which requires you to do some form of works of salvation is a false Jesus. It's the devil. It's the devil masquerading as Jesus. OK, and that's to say with all these so-called Christians that people want to claim, well, they're just not quite right on salvation. But no, they've got a good Christian discipline. No, they're basically worshipping Satan. They're worshipping a false God. They're worshipping a devil. First Corinthians 10, 20, you don't have to turn there says, but I say the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice the devils. And not to God. Now, I would not that you should have fellowship with devils. It's not the same God. And when you're yoked up with those people, you're ultimately having fellowship with devils. OK, because their version of God is different to your version of God and your version of God. If you're if you're saved is the one only version of God. Right. Verse 16 says, In what agreement have the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God. It's not just that you're saying that you're worshipping God. You have the Holy Spirit in you. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they should be my people. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord in touch, not the unclean thing. And I will receive you and will be a father unto you. And you shall be my sons, a daughter, saith the Lord Almighty. Now, how do we come out from among them? Is your foundation Baptist commune starting next week? Is that what I'm talking about here? Well, no, because that's not what we're called to. We need to be in the world. We need to preach the gospel to the world. We need to live amongst the world. But we shouldn't be in marriages. We shouldn't be unequally yoked with the world. We shouldn't be in business partnerships with the world. We shouldn't be in best friendships with the world, whether that's a family member or not. Look, great. You've got your family member and everything else. But if you're like just best buddies and look, that's an unequal yoking, isn't it? Oh, well, my brother, you know, he's a great guy and everything else. Yeah, but he can't be my best friend because there's going to be an unequal yoking there. It's what's going to give in the end. It's going to be my spiritual walk, isn't it? You know, and that's the truth of life. And it could be hard, can't it? We should also be separate in our priorities, shouldn't we? Yeah, if your priorities are the same as the world, well, it sounds to me like you haven't come out from among them. You should be separate in your parenting. If you're parenting exactly like the world, don't get me wrong. Look, some parts of parenting are going to be the same. But if like all your parenting principles, everything else is based on the world, you haven't come out from among them. In our marriages, if your marriage is modeled on the world's version of marriage, you haven't come out from among them and be separate, sayeth the Lord. And also in our behaviour as well, though, we shouldn't behave like the world. OK, we should behave differently, shouldn't we? We should be able to go into a church and go, OK, there's something a bit different about these people. We're not because we're all weird in a funny way, just because we're basically trying to live for God, right? We have different priorities, different behaviour. Ezra 9 once said, now, when these things were done, the princes came to me saying the people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves. So the people of the lands doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Ammonites. And I think straight away, we think of the worst stuff here. We won't really see that. You see abomination, you think, oh, man, that's got to be the bestiality, the sodomy, all that filthy sort of stuff that we've talked about recently in our Genesis Bible study. These are wicked nations, aren't they? So they must have started marrying them and then getting involved in all that sort of filth. Now, don't forget, some were of the curse of Canaan, including the Hittites, Jebusites, Ammonites, likely the Perizzites too. I don't think it's clear what their origins are, unless I'm wrong about that. We looked at this, obviously, in our Genesis study last week. Leviticus 2023, after sodomy and other filthy acts were outlawed with the death penalty, God said through Moses, and ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation. And I think he's talking just about Canaan as a whole there, which I cast out before you, for they committed all these things. And therefore I abhorred them. OK, he hated them. He despised them for committing this stuff. Then you got the Moabites and Ammonites originally from the incest of Lot, wicked nations, too. The Egyptians weren't exactly a godly bunch either, were they? OK. But was it just the worst of the worst that God was talking about here? The most disgusting things that we could think about. Is that what it is? Now, sadly, when God's people are yoked up with the world, their best friend often will have like a favourite queer workmate, won't they? You know, it's like, well, you know, I wouldn't be friends with a sod, but my best mate in the world is friends with a sod. Yeah, his buddy at work or his cousin or his favourite uncle or auntie or something else. And that could be a problem, can't it? Sometimes the business partner, you know, doesn't want to lose the potential revenue from those perverts. Yeah, that could be a problem, can't it? You know, you've got a business partner in the world and he's going, well, I don't have a problem with them coming in and giving us the money. You're like, I don't want them anywhere near our business. I don't care. You have an unequal yoking, right? Their spouse, maybe someone who's got an unsafe spouse, they spend every night staring at queer propaganda, which is what the majority of TV is, isn't it? Just some version of queer propaganda. Those then, I believe those people yoked up will then take a more liberal stance with these animals, won't they? They will have it around their poor children more because of that. Churches will start to tolerate it more. Yeah, when you're yoked up, you don't come out from among them from that sort of stuff, it starts to become more tolerated in those sorts of churches, doesn't it? Well, it's not that bad, because my mate, their best friend is one of those. And they stop having those, what should be an extreme stance, at least compared with the world, which is just a normal stance, really, if you look back in history, right? OK, but here's the thing. My point is that there are a lot of otherworldly behaviours that are abominations, too. There are a lot more worldly behaviours that are abominations, as well as this most filthy, disgusting stuff. Turn to Deuteronomy 7, whilst I read Ezekiel 22.11, which reminds us that God hates all of this sexual sin, OK? So I'm reading Ezekiel 22.11, but you're turning to Deuteronomy 7. Ezekiel 22.11 says, And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife, and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law, and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter. So God just said at the beginning of that, one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife. Adultery is abomination. Did you know that? Adultery is abomination. God hates it. It's a disgrace. But it's almost encouraged nowadays in the world, isn't it? Some parts of the world will openly encourage it. I mean, obviously, I've seen adverts, so try and, like, encourage sort of adultery-type dating sites for, like, married couples. Like, there's all sorts of wickedness being pushed out. Like, somehow it's going to make your relationship healthier, that your marriage will be better off. And this is the sort of stuff that's out there in the world. But it says that one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife. And here's the thing. When you yoke up in the world, that becomes more likely, doesn't it? Doesn't it? Because the world think this is OK. The world calls it an affair. Just an affair. Like, it's just this kind of cute thing you do. The world acts like it's perfectly normal. The world acts like that's not even a problem. Well, you've just fallen out of love. Why wouldn't you? It's his fault, isn't it? It's his fault that that wife's gone and committed adultery because he didn't love her enough or some other junk like that, isn't it? Oh, well, if it's not a fairy tale romance out of the romance novels, you're too right you go and commit adultery. That's out there, isn't it? Am I imagining that? No, that's out there. OK, so if you're yoked up with the world, if you're not coming out from among them, if you're best friends, your best buddies, your business partners, your spouse, whatever else, those worldly type of people, then for me, that's going to be more likely in your life, isn't it? Because you're going to become desensitized to it. Deuteronomy seven, where you are, though, says this in verse twenty five. The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire. Thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein, for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it, but thou shalt utterly detest it and thou shalt utterly abhor it, for it is a cursed thing. You marry a Catholic. Next thing you know, you're packing fossilized toenails of St. Christopher every time you go on holiday. That's the sort of, honestly, people do that sort of stuff. OK, it might not be the toenails, but it's like, we need that patron saint of travelers, you know, better have a little charm, a little amulet or something of St. Christopher, because we're going away. That'll keep us safe. No, OK. Well, OK. Yeah, but that's just my spouse that does that. But I'm saved. I'm a man of God. But suddenly it's in your house, isn't it? Suddenly that stuff's going on. What, are you going to ban that? Are you going to ban the graven images? See how well your marriage does, you know, when you just start tearing away half of their religion, because it's all around idolatry and graven images. Catholicism for one, right? But just being around these people too much, what about the Buddhists? The Buddhists, you know, who again, like every time I knock on doors, I just see like these big statues of Buddha everywhere. Those weird statues of Buddha, and then you knock on the door and then they claim they're Christians or something as well. So weird, isn't it? But again, what is it? It's all idolatry, graven images. How about, we were talking about this the other day, the spiritualist who doesn't believe in God, but believes in angels. A bit strange. They don't believe in God, but they believe in the messages of God. Yeah, a bit odd, we were chatting about this the other day, yeah. But again, you know, what is that? It's all like, it's all graven images. And these guys, they'll have the statues and everything else. Oh, yeah, well, don't worry. You know, we go to church. It's all right. Yeah. But you're hanging around with these people. You're hanging around these graven, they're abomination. The Bible says they're abomination. And at the least, you become less outspoken about it, don't you? Because are you going to be outspoken about that stuff in front of you? Your kids are there. You go around, you know, the person's house, you know, the family member that you're all hanging out with, you're all best friends. You want them to have the utmost respect for them. And in front of you, just all these graven images. And what are you going to do? Just start cussing them out for it? No, you're going to keep quiet, tolerate it. Your kids are playing in front of all these graven images all the time. And that stuff is vexing, isn't it? Because look, when you see that stuff, don't you just want to smash it? You just get these little thoughts of smashing it, strawing it upon the water and making them drink it. OK, you shouldn't do that, but it does, it vexes you, doesn't it? And you do become less outspoken about it. And next thing you know, it's crucifixes up on the wall because it was dead Auntie Mary's favorite decoration. Look, I've seen that stuff. I've seen that stuff in, you know, Bible believers' houses before. Crucifixes with, you know, graven images of Jesus Christ up on the wall. Well, well, it was, you know, whoever's. I don't know what necessarily always the justification for that stuff is. But it's wicked. I mean, this is graven images. I mean, you can't read the Bible and go, well, that's OK. But believe me, you'll see that stuff. The angels everywhere, won't you? Believers with, oh, well, that's OK. Just got a little graven image of an angel somewhere or something else. Verse 25 and 26 said it is an abomination. So again, you yoke up with the land, you yoke up with the world, and then you start doing off the abominations. That for me, that's it. That's an obvious one. But jump forward to Deuteronomy 18, Deuteronomy 18 for another one. Deuteronomy 18 now and verse 10. Deuteronomy 18, 10 says, There shall not be found among you anyone that make this son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consultor with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord. And because of these abominations, the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Now, passing through the fire is child sacrifice. And the modern day version of this is abortion. But it's all the same. It's child sacrifice to whatever idol that they're sacrificing to. It's the idol of money, the idol of a nice holiday, the idol of a, you know, of a beach body or whatever the rest of it is. It's all child sacrifice. And there are Christians out there that will not only do this, not only do this, but will also then try to justify those that do. I mean, I've been around these so-called Christians that will try and say that it's OK and they'll either come out with that sort of junk like, you know, it's a woman's body and her choice. It's not even scientifically accurate. OK, it's ridiculous. But again, where does that come from? Why are there Christians that are suddenly just gone so the opposite direction to how God would want them to think about these things? I'll tell you why. It's because of yoking up with the world. It's because of the the basically it's because of the world putting it upon them in one way or another. And often it will be from best friends, from their buddies, from from all their counsel coming off the TV, off the whatever, you name it, the social media, all this sort of stuff to the point where so-called Christians are even spouting this sort of stuff. And the Bible is as clear as day about that, is that thou shalt not kill. How do you... life begins at conception. I mean, we don't even need to go to the verse. It's ridiculous, isn't it? Babies in wounds just murdering them and stuff. It's absolutely messed up. But verse 10 then says, There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire. OK, that's that child sacrifice or that uses divination or an observer of times or an enchanter or witch or a charmer or a consultant with familiar spirits or a wizard or a necromancer. Now, the modern stuff that that seems acceptable among Christians would be mediums, horoscopes, tarot readings. Look, you think that there aren't believers out there to get into that stuff. Believe me, there are. OK, believe me, there are. OK, how about here's one. How about the sorcery of recreational drugs? I remember I preached a whole sermon about this. You know, look, a lot of that is just is sorcery. Look at that, like it's like Hubble bubble, you know, toilet trouble. It's not like some just natural thing they're doing. They're going through all sorts of chemical processes to end up with their with their recreational drug. And people are telling what you think that Christians don't get involved with that stuff. What about those using cocktails of pharmaceuticals or as along with that so-called natural drugs to just get them through the day? I mean, I'm not talking about for illness. Look, there are those that will. Yeah, look, we'll go to a medicine or something. There are those that literally will just be knocking back all sorts. Oh, just, you know, I need this to get through this. I need this for that. It's not because of illness, someone just asleep or something else. It's like at what point does that go beyond just, well, I'm taking something to help with this to suddenly you're just it's borderline sorcery, isn't it? Just all these different you don't even know what half of these things are. People just a popping thing. They don't even know what it is. Oh, this makes me feel a bit better. And this one and this one and that one. Weird. What about the natural healers who do weird spiritual things? How about those ones? You think there aren't Christians out there going and doing all that weird stuff? Which has no no explanation at all as to how it works other than some sort of magical power stuff. Crystals and all this weird stuff. There's a lot of that. Oh, it's all right. It's natural. Well, you go down the natural health shop and that weird witch in there starts trying to, you know, look into your eyes and go, oh, you know, I can see the power in you. I remember every one of these guys, the power in someone or other with me or something, a lot of these people are full of witches. Right. And again, look, you use a natural remedy. Great. But some people go far and start doing weird stuff with this. How about Harry Potter and all that stuff? How about I went to the airport the other day, they had a Harry Potter store. First thing when you're going to Heathrow Terminal five airside and just a huge Harry Potter store and people are packed. People in and out of there buying what? What are they even buying? A load of witchcraft and wizardry stuff. Oh, well, no, don't worry. It's just like merchandise from the movie. What's the movie about witchcraft and wizardry? Why do you think it's so popular? And look, people get into that stuff, they yoke up with the world, they start to justify it, all that stuff's wicked. OK, believe me. And that stuff will weaken a church and weakens God's people. Turn to Proverbs six for seven more abominations that the world will often condone or at least turn a blind eye to. So Proverbs six. And we're we're we're going to we're going to look in a second. And while you do, I'm just going to read verse 12 where we were, where it says, for all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord. And because of these abominations, the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before the order, divinity, divination, observers of times, enchanting witchcraft, charming, consulting with familiar spirits, wizardry, necromancy, all that stuff is abomination, absolute abomination. It's not just a sodomy, OK? And this stuff for me, this is all the sorts of stuff that these guys in Ezra are getting involved with because they're yoking up with these women. They're yoking up with the nations. And this is all the same sort of stuff that God's people will get into today. And that is a is is a definite threat to our church. People start to get involved with that stuff. Slowly, they start to go this way or that way, that stuff. And that stuff will ruin churches. Believe me, that stuff will ruin churches. It will ruin people's war. It will ruin people's spiritual war. They'll start to drift from the things of God. They'll start to put more and more borders. There's some power in all this stuff. Look at this. Look at some more abominations. Proverbs six and verse 16 says these six things does the Lord hate. Yea, seven are an abomination unto him. OK, some more abominations. A proud look, a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood and heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift and running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies and he that soweth discord among brethren. And so a proud look. That's the abomination the world definitely encourages, isn't it? Again, an abomination that you will get from the world, at least be encouraged from the world. Yeah, we all have the flesh. But the world says, I mean, that's that's fair game, isn't it? A proud look. You're encouraged to be proud. You know, take some pride in this. I mean, what about the whole pride movement itself? Are we in pride month, by the way? They call this well, we need a sermon on that. I mean, that's just just I mean, just unbelievable, isn't it? That they've got this whole like just quid thing and they call it pride. And a proud look is an abomination to God, let alone the rest of it. I mean, that's at least their worries, to be honest, isn't it? The pride part of it. But what about a lying tongue? And yes, let God be true and every man a liar. But are you known by your lying tongue? Are you known as having a lying tongue? Basically, do you justify your lies? Do you just lie here and there and just, oh, it's OK, I just lie. Why don't you lie? We just say lie here and say lie there. That's a lying tongue, isn't it? OK, God hates it. That's an abomination. An abomination. Yet again, how many Christians will try and justify that? How many Christians are probably known by the fact that they're a bit of a liar? A lying tongue. It's an abomination. And again, it's all stuff that will then be encouraged by the world. Or at least it isn't as much of an abomination in the world as it is in God's word. Hands that shed innocent blood. Now, you know, murder, obviously not warfare or capital punishment. It's hands that shed innocent blood, OK, by the way. And obviously abortion would be a big one for that, wouldn't it? Right now, OK, that's a big one. Again, I would say sadly common amongst Christians as well. But it also applies to those who just target innocent people. And by the way, this passage, in case anyone's ever wondered about this, is about the division causer, OK, all day long. It's the false brethren type. So on the back of verse 12 to 15, which says, look at verse 12, where we are, it says, a naughty person, a wicked man walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes. He speaketh with his feet. He teacheth with his fingers. Frowardness is in his heart. He deviseth mischief continually. He soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly. Suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. And then we go on to these six things. So these people just target people to cause trouble. And in verse 16 onwards shows that God hates all of their characteristics. These types of people and a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations is another one. It is basically someone inventing evil plans, plotting and planning, manipulating. They have in their mind, they have a purpose, which is wicked imaginations. OK, feet that be swift in running to mischief. Now, mischief is a cheeky, chappy, jack the lad stuff. It's harm, hurt, injury, damage, evil. OK, it's bad stuff. There are those that just look for that stuff and jump at the chance. They look at any way to cause some problem, jump on an issue, jump on a perceived problem, fall out something they can to cause more trouble. A false witness that speaketh lies. We know a lot about that sort of stuff. Obviously, and he that soweth discord among brethren. And again, that's what it's ultimately talking about. These types of people here. God hates all that stuff. That's the seventh one that he adds on because it's a summary of them all. It's a discord, the discord maker. Now, all of that is a classic like sort of makeup of the division causer, but all behavior that Christians will partake in and justify because the world justifies most of that stuff, doesn't it? One way or another. OK, so again, that's all stuff that if you're yoked up with the world, you'll just start to just condone a little bit more. It's not quite as much because a lot of people, if you talked about some of that stuff, oh, you go, what about someone that tells lies? Most a lot of Christians sadly wouldn't go abomination, would they? Oh, yeah. Well, we're all liars, you know? Yeah, but a false witness that speaketh lies is an abomination. You know what? That person's sowing a bit of discord. You go, oh, man, one of those people that just causes trouble. No, the Bible says abomination. Yeah, it's an abomination. But we're so we're just so poisoned by the world always. We're we're poisoned by all this yoking up in one way or another that we've done over the years. Look at Proverbs 11 now and verse one is another one. Proverbs 11 one. Where the Bible says a false balance is abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight. And you know what a false balance is? You know what this this sort of verse, I just chose Proverbs 11 one for now. I mean, there's a three or four different verse in Proverbs which say the same thing. This is basically people that are going out with basically a false weight to do trading and stuff. So, you know, they're going, oh, right, well, you owe me this weight in silver for this, but really their scales actually weigh up a lot heavier or vice versa. I owe you this. So I've got a weight here to show what I'm paying you or just a simple balancing scale. But the weight itself is under and it's basically conning people. But again, how many Christians justify that in business? How many Christians will justify the sort of sales job where you're just ripping someone off? And used cars is obviously like the classic one. People think of no one trusts a used car salesman, but it's all over. State agents, all these sorts of people. You know, a lot of the time they're using a false basically the equivalent of a false balance. They're conning people. They're trying to trick them, trying to deceive them to make more money out of them. OK, that is an abomination. Dishonesty in business is an abomination to God. He hates it. Find an honest way of working and doing things. An honest way of dealing with people, because otherwise it's an abomination. But again, I mean, that's fair game, isn't it? In many, many workplaces. You go to many workplaces and they'll go, oh, no, no, say this trick. Do that. Try and con your way. Try and get more for this than it should. Who just goes, oh, well, a fair price for this is this. There we go. That's quite rare nowadays, isn't it? Just feels like everyone's trying to con you. It's an abomination, though. Look at Proverbs chapter 17 and verse 15 now, Proverbs 17 and verse 15. Here's another one. Proverbs 17, 15 says, He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord. Abomination to the Lord. And isn't that the way of the world now? And by the way, these aren't the same people. There's two. He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the world. So people that justify wicked people are an abomination. And people that condemn the just are abomination. OK, they're two types of abomination that God hates. But again, how common is that? People just constantly trying to justify wicked people for one reason or another. I mean, half the world is just justified wicked people now. Wicked people by God's law that would have probably been put to death. Constantly being justified and just people being condemned for just doing the things of God, for believing the things of God. All of that is abominations. So you show me a Christian out there that starts going, oh, well, you know, well, believing that this should happen to sodomites, for example. That's a big one right now. You know, you know, you shouldn't be saying that. You should not judge those people. Abomination. You're condemning the just for believing what the word of God says. For example, and you can think of many other examples. Turn back to Deuteronomy 22 for what is probably one of the most common ones nowadays. This is commonplace amongst Christianity. This is a commonplace abomination, which people constantly just fall on the wrong side of. For again, the only reason you could say is the influence of the world. Deuteronomy 22 and verse five. Deuteronomy 22, five says this. The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man. Neither shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all that do so are what? Abomination, abomination unto the Lord thy God. You go, why do you preach this stuff, brother? It doesn't matter what's on the inside. Yeah, it does. It does it. You know what? What that tells me, what's on the inside is somebody doesn't give a damn that it's abomination to God. That's what that tells me. I go, oh, well, yeah, but don't we just care? Well, yeah, I do care what's on the inside. But you know what? A lot of time, the outside reflects what's on the inside. Not always. People can have the outside right and the inside wrong. But you know what? If your outside's wrong, that tells me a lot of time your inside's wrong as well. I'm not talking about early days. People newly saved haven't heard the Bible preach or read their Bible properly. But look, you hear that verse preached like, how on earth do you look at that? And obviously the big ones are women. There's still not many men walking around in miniskirts. OK. Sadly, there's more than there should be, but there's not many. OK. However, look, there's a lot of women that are the opposite on this. OK, and they will dig their heels and they'll get stubborn about this and they'll be like, oh, well, it's not talking about that. What's it talking about then? What's it talking about? Someone tell me what that's talking about if it's not talking about dresses and trousers. Because I don't see what it's talking about. And you know what? People seem to have this right throughout centuries, didn't they? I mean, it's nuts. And if you weren't yoked up with the world, would this even be an issue? Considering your grandmothers or at least your great grandmothers were all wearing dresses and skirts. So why is this a problem? Oh, well, I can't bring myself to act like them. And look, this is a big issue because people just like they hate it. People growl, they get angry about this again. But what does the word of God say? It says it's an abomination. And if it was the other way round, every single woman in here would agree. If any of the men in here walked in in a dress or a skirt, you would go, why are they even allowed in here, brother Ian? Drag that punk out now and stomp him on the way out. That's what that's what they'd be expecting. The most, you know, seriously, the most nonviolent, feminine women in here would be like, stomp that guy. Stomp him. Get him, throw him down those steps. Why aren't the ushers beating him on the way out? Yeah, what is he doing? Yeah, but but no, no problem for the women to walk in in trousers. No, no problem for women to walk in tight trousers and tight jeans and all that sort of. What's the problem? What's the difference? Well, I'll tell you what the difference is. The world says it's OK. The world says it's not abomination. So we'll just go with what the world says. And look, look, the Bible's clear, isn't it? Abomination isn't, that's not a soft word, abomination means he hates it. He hates it. And you know why women justify it? I'll tell you why they justify it, because they've yoked up with the world. They've got prideful and they just thought, I'm not changing. I'm not doing it. This is how I dress. I'm not, I don't care what God says. It's wicked. It's wicked. The Bible says it's abomination. And surely this is like I said, this is just one of the easiest commands to follow. This is possibly one of the easiest commands to follow in the Bible, isn't it? How hard is it? Like any of the men here find it hard putting on a pair of trousers and not a dress. Don't put your hands up. The ushers are twitching at the back there. No one does, do they? But why is it such a problem? I'll tell you what's the problem. It's pride. It's pride. And what do you want? You want God to look down and just go, yeah, that's good. You know what this is? It's not just, this isn't like impulsive sin like we're talking about earlier. That is presumptuous sin. That is presumptuous. I know what the Bible says. I don't care. I don't care. I'm going to commit that abomination. Once you've had it pointed out, you've got no excuse. OK, now, point with all this stuff is just to point out, because we look, we can look at these past, I can't believe that lot. I can't believe that lot in the Book of Ezra. Can you believe they've yoked up and committing all those abominations? But I'll tell you what, every single person in this room probably has a will to commit some of those abominations I just read out there. And why? Because of yoking up with the world. And that's why it's so important not to yoke up with the world. You go, well, what difference does it make? Tell you what difference does it make. God looks down and sees abominations in his house. OK, God doesn't want to see abominations in his house, does he? And that's going to weaken the house. That's going to have a problem. That's going to affect others in the house as well. Ezra 9-1 said, Now, when these things were done, the princes came to me saying, the people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the land doing according to their abominations. Even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Ammonites. I'll tell you, all of that lot, all their women were wearing tight trousers. I'll tell you now, yeah? For they've taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the Holy See had mingled themselves with the people of those lands. Yea, the hand of the Britzes and rulers have been chief in his chestbars. Do you know what destroys God's people as quick as the false doctrine? As quick as the false prophets, because we look out for that stuff, don't we? I'll tell you what, worldly abominations, it destroys them. It drives a wedge between you and God. It weakens the people. It limits the work being done. It starts to take over from God. It starts to become a problem. You start to hide from the word of God. You start to hide for church. There'll be people that hide for church because of their sin, because of their abomination. They can't come to church because they don't want to hear it breached. And then they get angry. They get upset. They don't want to be in the house of God. It stops them doing the work for God. It makes them bitter. It drives this wedge of bitterness in them. Well, they can't then just serve God. And it's because of this, it's because of the abominations. It's not because of the Bible. And what they'll do is just try and blame it, blame it on the preacher, blame it on the church, blame it on someone in the church, whatever it is. But the truth is, it's their sin. It's their sin. Who was as much to blame in this? The princes and the rulers. The princes and the rulers, the leaders, those in positions of authority. And in a church like this, for one, I would be to blame if I wasn't preaching this stuff out the church, wouldn't I? That's my job here. My job is to preach out this stuff. And the thing is, yeah, we're going to lose people along the way. We'd have people that just can't take the preaching of the Bible, can't take the word of God, just start to just get pride for the thing. It must be at me and everything else. But so be it, because it's better that than having a world, a church just full of basically leavened Christians. OK, it has to be preached, has to be preached hard. But it's not just me. In a church like this, it's not just me. When respected members of a church, OK, and there are many respected members of a church here in leadership positions in the church, are just openly committing abominations. It has a knock on effect as well. So look, I could preach it from the pulpit, smash the pulpit, the abomination, abomination, and then brother so-and-so, who has a respected position in the church or sister so-and-so, whatever else, is just so clearly in whatever sin it is or whatever else. Or just disregarding that preaching about whatever it is. That has an effect on the church, doesn't it? People are going, well, OK, well, he's preaching it. However, you know, well, we just do what we can do, don't we? You know, I'll take a bit of that, take a bit of that. We're all human, you know, we'll have weaknesses. Now, yeah, we are all human. We all have weaknesses, but we should be listening to the preacher trying to drive forward. It's not just the one preacher. It's we all have a responsibility, don't we, to maintain standards in the church, to get rid of these sorts of abominations. First, he says, when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard and sat down astonished. Now, which is for me another word for astonished, OK? Now, Ezra just can't believe it. He's turned up there excited, hasn't he? I mean, that's what I feel like. I feel like Ezra's just like, I'm going to get involved, get stuck in, get to the house of God, do all this stuff. He's ready to get to work and it's basically a worldly mess. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine that if people turned up at our church and felt like that as well? That'd be embarrassing, wouldn't it? Can you imagine if someone was like, I'm going to go down that shore foundation, they got the word of God, they're preaching, they walked in and it was just full of all these worldly abominations. And they'd just be like, what on earth is going on with God's people? And I'm not talking about being a holier than thou to counteract that, OK? Just in case anyone is getting... Because that's another abomination, OK? That's pride. That's a proud look, OK? So I'm not talking about that. You know, that'd be sad, wouldn't it? But how he feels here is how it should make us feel, OK? Look, I make no apologies. When I see wickedness going on, and it's not like I say, it's not like, I'm just looking around in the church for it. Sometimes you just kind of get an inkling... Sometimes it's just something in the world or something God lays on my heart that I haven't even thought about anyone, you preach it, and then you see people going, man, I needed to hear that, and whatever it is, and then you see people saying, I'm just looking around in the church for it. And then you see people going, man, I needed to hear that, and whatever else. So that's great, you know? Amen, the Holy Spirit. But when you think of this stuff, and I make no apology, I get mad about it. We should get mad about it, shouldn't we? I don't want to see God's people just in open, blatant sin, however much they try and justify it, it should make you angry. It might make you want to preach about it, it should make you just want to get, you know, just like, get things right, guys, you know? And look, Ezra, he plucked off the hair of his head a bit. He was so stunned, so astonished, astonished, amazed, that he literally was plucking out the hairs. He's just like, I can't believe this. And imagine, he's just like, I cannot believe it. I've just travelled four months, five months, whatever it is to get here, fasted three days before, got all these people to come down, and the place is a worldly mess. And look, seriously, this will be an ongoing risk for this church. The sad reality and truth, if we went by the history of pretty much every church the world's ever had, the sad truth is, that will probably be, unless, well, unless Jesus Christ comes back tomorrow. No, I'm joking, OK? Unless we go through the tribulation, OK? At some point soon, the sad reality is, at some point over the generations, that's the likely end of this church. That's what's happened to them all. A liberal, worldly, compromising mess, which is another reason why it's so important that we raise our children in the things of God, isn't it? So important, because they're the future of this church. Because the reality is, those people you got saved today and you got saved last week, and you got saved the week before, most of them ain't coming to this church, probably ever. OK? There's not many people that have that discipline and have that zeal to want to serve the Lord. OK? And look, I'm not trying to say we're all great people here. Amen, that we've heard the preaching, we've been inspired, we've had access to the word of God and everything else to get to that point, yeah? But most people don't. And you know what? Our kids are the future of this church. And look, they need to hear this stuff, you know? They need to preach out, they need to be, they need the hard preacher, they need to be in here listening to this stuff, don't they? Because if they're out the back coloring in pictures of Jesus in a dress and all that stuff, what, they're going to suddenly at 18, 19, 20, jump into the service and be right with God and everything else, no. They need to hear this as much as we do, don't they? OK, and they need to get right, we need to make sure they get right as well. But Ezra, look, he's just so, like, I mean, what a reaction that is. He plucked off the hair of his head and of his beard and just sat down astonished. Now look at verse four, Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away, and I sat astonished until the evening sacrifice. Who assembles to Ezra? Tell you who, those that properly fear God's word. OK, those that properly fear it. Those that actually care what God says and fear him. And there's a lot of people that don't. There's a lot of people that claim to care what God says, but they don't really fear it. OK, look, if you took nothing else out of this sermon, just go, just take this out, fear God, fear God. OK, the chastisement of God is not pretty. I've talked about this, I think a week or two ago, just how often I believe sadly in life. So many times Christians are chastised in life and they won't even ever recognise the fact they've been chastised, because they don't have a fear of God. Get a fear of God, you fear God, you're going to take things seriously, aren't you? OK, who assembles to him? Those that trembled at the words of the God of Israel. Doesn't sound like it's a bad thing, is it? Reading the Bible and trembling at the words of the God of Israel. How many people are trembling when they read their Bibles? Not many, but maybe sometimes that's what, hopefully preaching will get that to you sometimes. Sometimes you might listen to a sermon and start to tremble a bit and think, I need to get right, that's what you should do. Not going, hmm, not listening anymore. He said something about me. He said something that affects me. Look, people do that, but instead they should be trembling. They should be sitting there going, man, I didn't even think about that. Because had I thought about that, I should have been changing it already and trying to change it and trying to pray to God and ask for forgiveness and everything else. Now I need to get right. That should be the response to preaching, shouldn't it? And if you're not responding like that to the word of God, I say, you're not right with God. You've got issues. It's pride, isn't it? Oh, well, yeah, but you keep preaching things that seem to be my issues every week. Well, you've got too many issues, sort them out. That should be the reaction, shouldn't it? Man, I need to tremble at the word of God, not go grrr and grumble. That will be the reaction, sadly, going forward throughout this church. And that isn't the reaction God wants to see. He wants to see people that assembled unto, well, here it says, those that tremble at the words of God of Israel because of the transgression of those that have been carried away and are astonished until the evening service. Sorry, sacrifice, same thing. Verse five says that at the evening sacrifice I rose up from heaviness and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God and said, oh my God, I am ashamed and blushed to lift up my face to thee, my God, for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. Did Ezra take a worldly wife? Nope. Did Ezra commit any of the abominations that we've just read through? Not that we can see any evidence of it all. It seems like he's just got there. But he still takes collective responsibility, doesn't he? Notice that. He said, I'm ashamed and blushed to lift up my face for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. And you know what? Look, okay, you could take this too far. However, if we're applying this to church life, we need to understand that we all have a collective responsibility in this church, don't we? And if we started to understand that we have a collective responsibility for the things that go on in the church and everything else, I think that we'd be much healthier as a church in the future, won't we, as well. And when I say things like that, because there can be a sort of a mentality sometimes of, well, I heard this or this going on. However, nothing to do with me. Oh, I wouldn't want someone to think that I've mentioned that I saw this complete wickedness going on. Now, point being with this, I'm not talking about like grassing up because someone's in sin. That's up to them, right? But when it's church disqualifying stuff, when it's red flag stuff, when it's stuff which people need to be aware of, when it's like bad stuff going on outside with it, when people are just clearly just disobeying the clear rules and the ways that you're meant to be sowing all this stuff, you need to be coming to me with that because there's a collective responsibility, isn't there? Not just, ah, well, it doesn't matter that, you know, brother so-and-so, you know, just kind of does things completely opposite to how you tell him to do it. Come to me and say, look, take a collective responsibility. Otherwise, you're as much to blame, aren't you? You know, look, all this stuff, look, you know, how we behave as a church is a collective thing, isn't it? Okay, and here, look, Ezra's taking responsibility there. And do you know what? As a preacher in this church and a church leader here, you know, I have to take responsibility for what goes on in this church, don't I? God holds me accountable for stuff in this church. Now, obviously, God sees what's going on, et cetera, but look, if I'm not preaching on stuff that I see, if I'm not dealing with issues as they arise and everything else, I'm responsible, aren't I? And look, it's important stuff that we should all think about ourselves, we should all take that responsibility. Verse seven says, since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day? And I just said, we? He was talking about the fathers back. He's talking about hundreds and hundreds, even thousands of years before, and he's going, we have been in a great trespass unto this day, since the day of our fathers. And for our iniquities have we, our kings and our priests, been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to a spoil, to confusion of face, as it is this day. And now for a little space, grace has been showed from the Lord our God to leave us a remnant to escape, to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage. So again, applying it to our rebuilding here, grace has been shown us for God, isn't it? He's given us a chance here to lighten our eyes, to revive us. Now, what a great opportunity we have in this church, don't we? But it could so easy get destroyed by our compromising. It really could. It could so easy just get smashed, just get ruined, just all go downhill if we compromise, if we yoke up with the world, if we start to commit the abominations of the world. And like I said, it's not just about me. It's not just about me compromising or anything else. A little leaven leavens the whole lump, okay? It's, again, it's a collective responsibility to it, but yes, I need to preach this stuff regularly. So, you know, you've got to get used to that, okay? Without that, the church will eventually crumble. Verse nine says, For we were bondmen, yet our God had not forsaken us in our bondage, but have extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving to set up the house of our God and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. Okay, and again, like that's where we're at here, yeah? He's extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of the UK. King Charles, you know, in the rest of it, right? He's given us a reviving. He set up the house of our God here to repair the desolations thereof. Maybe not the wall part, but let's keep going. Verse 10, And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken thy commandments, which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land unto which ye go to possess it is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness. Now, anyone think that it's really much different here in the UK? Is it just these Canaanite lots? Look, this is an unclean land, okay, isn't it? This is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness. That's what I see when I look out there, right? Ah, it's disgusting, isn't it? Sometimes it is absolutely filthy out there. And look, that's what we're in right now. However, we've been given this great opportunity. What was the commandment? He said, which thou hast commanded. He said in verse 12, Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth forever, that ye may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever. But he said, don't yoke up with them, don't try to buddy up with them to appease them. Look, he said about seeking their peace. You know, so much of that is just to appease people, isn't it? You don't really want to go too hardline with your thoughts or your views and someone asks you on the way you raise your kids or the way you do this or the way you behave at work and everything else, because you're trying to seek peace with the people of the land. That shouldn't be your goal. Our goal should be to just serve God, shouldn't it? He said, nor seek their peace or their wealth forever. Don't compromise that you could earn more. And thinking back to the church, how many churches will compromise to try and get more people funding, churches getting grants and things? Oh, well, if I like take on all that, if I get in a load of lazy workshy in here and make it into a soup kitchen, give them like, get people to donate tins and give it out to the hobos who can't be bothered to get a job, then I'm going to get an extra grant. Then I'll get funded more. I mean, we've got all these chairs off a so-called church, which basically stopped even being a church because they just gave out food to hobos and drug addicts. I mean, is that what God wants from us? No, but for them, it was probably just like, this is a meal ticket for himself as well. The guy leading it was, this is great. I just get probably a grant from the government to run this. I don't even have to do all the rest of the stuff now. And how many people do that? What about, I was thinking about this as well, with seeking their wealth and the way that people will compromise to seek wealth. The funding from, for example, the so-called Baptist churches have passed and some of them probably were real Baptist churches, of Balaam's Baptist Union, where they're basically, they're enticed into the union, which is a denomination, by basically the promises of funding, the promises of extra cash, the promises of being able to, if they're a smaller church, they get an extra grant to be a part of the union while they then provide them with the training, the special pastor trained to make them an accredited Baptist Union pastor. It's wicked as hell, right? But the thing is, is this lot have got literally hundreds of churches across the UK, which were previously independent Baptist churches, which claim they're independent, but they're not, and claim, well, we're just part of a union, but basically they've just, it's a lure of the cash. And they're seeking the wealth of the world and then compromising on the things of God for that. He said never, didn't he? He said forever. He said, neither take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth forever, forever. And another one with that as well is the people that go into the whole charity stuff. So this is, and I've talked about this a bit. So where, cause this was, I mean, this was complicated at the beginning. I was thinking, cause you don't really have anyone to ask. Go to any past Baptist church I've been at here. And you know, I might as well get advice from, might as well get advice from the mosque instead. I mean, it's the same sort of stuff. So you're like, well, what do we set up our structure here? And the lure is to be a charity registered church because then you get gift aid, yeah. Now everyone in the church gets a certain amount of money and back for the tax man on the donations they make from the church. Then we get tax breaks as well. We can get much cheaper like utilities and things like this and business rates and everything else. It's cheaper because we're now part of the charity commission. What's the charity commission? A government run institution. So now suddenly there's no separation of church and state. Now suddenly we're governed by the charity commission governed by the government ultimately. It's a government institution to be a church, which obviously we didn't do. And there was a way around that of basically registering as a not-for-profit company. So we don't have to go through and jump through the hoops of the charity commission, which you can imagine the next one will be equal opportunities when you advertise a job post and things like that. Got to put it out to the sons as well. Seriously, seriously, right? Okay, look, you can't compromise. But why do people do that stuff? Money, money. See, more cash, more cold, hard cash. And it sounds silly, but isn't that the reality? That's the reality out there. He said, never. He said, so that ye may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever. And that's the only way that a church will survive in these nations is by just rejecting all that, not compromising. Okay, and that's the thing is that people get lured into thinking that's how the church is gonna thrive. That's how it's gonna do better. I'm gonna have to make these hard decisions here. Just compromise a little bit. For the health of the church. But no, because when you do that stuff, you won't have God with you anymore. And then you're stuffed. And then you'd just be another just failing, compromising liberal church, which ends up in, well, it will end up no longer a church. He said, nor seek their peace of wealth forever, that ye may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever. You don't seek peace with the world. You don't seek the wealth of the world and you'll be healthy and you'll be okay. And it doesn't make sense, does it, when we try and rationalize according to how the world would teach us. Verse 13 says, and after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass, seeing that now our God has punished us less than our iniquities deserve and has given us such deliverance as this, should we again break thy commandments to join in affinity with the people of these abominations? Wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou has consumed us? So that there should be no remnant nor escaping. So after all that we've been given here, are we going to just break his commandments, yoke up with the world, compromise and just destroy this great start that we've had to a church here? I hope not. I hope everyone's sitting there going, no, we need to make sure, we have a collective responsibility. We need to get right. We need to make sure we're right because that is probably one of the easiest ways this church will be destroyed. Okay, forget, like, look, don't get me wrong. We should have an eye open for the false prophets. We should have an eye open for the church dividers, for the false brethren, for all that stuff. Yeah, we should. We should have an eye open for false doctrine, being pushed on our church members, maybe from outside as well. All that stuff's important. However, do you know how, for me, most of these churches end up getting destroyed? It's by the abominations of the world and people just starting to incorporate it into the church. Okay, compromising, getting liberal, starting to tolerate worldly abominations. Let's hope that we're not gonna just forsake everything we have here with that. Verse 15 says, O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous, for we remain yet escaped as it is this day. Behold, we are before thee in our trespasses, for we cannot stand before thee because of this. He said, look, you can't stand before him because of this stuff, because of yoked up with the world, because of the abominations. And if we want to stand before God as that strong tower of the first NIFB church in Europe, did you know that? We're the first new independent, fundamental Baptist church in Europe, the only one in the United Kingdom, soul winning, preaching hard, standing on the word of God. I don't know another church like it. And that's because of everyone here. Then we need to cut out all this stuff, don't we? We need to separate from the world. We need to stand fast in the faith, yeah? We need to make sure that we're not gonna compromise. We're not just gonna try and slowly just justify it and bring it in. Oh, well, brother, he is being mean to preach about this stuff. Let's try and discourage that sort of thing. Let's do a few more feel-good messages, guys. Bit more back-slapping. Yeah, we'll just ignore him if he preaches anything hard on sin and just try and, you know, until he starts preaching those feel-good ones again and stuff like that. Look, believe me, that's how this church will fail, okay? That's how it will fail. That stuff will sweep across the church. Like vermin, you know? Once you start seeing a couple of rats, suddenly you've got an infestation, okay? We're gonna need to make sure we just smash that stuff out every time, keep this church pure, keep this church clean. We need to stand fast. We need to separate from the world. We need to make sure that this church is not full of the worldly abominations. And look, what a sad state of affairs that is there, isn't it? Isn't that sad? For me, that's a really sad chapter because we've been going through this, haven't we? We chapped off, chapped, they're building, they're doing this, they had a little blip, and then the prophets come in and, you know, and you're like, they're coming down and doing this, they're choosing the chief men, all this stuff. It's all looking so great. And then a few decades pass, Ezra turns up on the scene, it's like, what happened? What on earth has just happened? 80 years from when they first came, 60 years after the temple was built, and it's a disgrace. And that's how quick churches just go downhill. It's as quick as that. And to the point where this guy's plucking his beard and his hairs out. And that's why it's so important. The hard preach is so important, and the responsibility, the collective responsibility of everyone in the church is so important, isn't it? Okay, on that, we're gonna finish in prayer. Well, thank you for your word. Thank you for what is a sobering chapter, Lord, a chapter which just should warn us just so strongly about what can and does happen to your house, whether it's the house of God in Old Testament Israel in Jerusalem there, or it's those houses of God dotted around the world, Lord, just how easily they can be destroyed, how easily they can just go straight downhill and just get ruined ultimately by sin, Lord, by the sin of your people, your people just ignoring your commandments, ignoring what you're saying, just yoking up with the world and then getting involved in all those abominations, Lord. Help us to be a church which doesn't shy away from preaching about this stuff. Help us to be a church which wants to get right. Help us to be a church that just wants to just serve you as the best we can. And one of the most important ways of doing that is to just get that other junk out of our lives, Lord, those abominations that you make so clear in your word. Help us to just be a church which is a clean church but also a loving church, Lord, a church which understands that there'll be new people, there'll be people that have hard times in life and stuff and want to pray for each other, want to help each other, but also aren't going to compromise on especially church discipline, sins, but also just when it comes to the preaching on sins, just help us to always just have a zeal for that. Help us to just keep serving you, Lord, help us go out now this week and get involved in Soul Winning Times and help us to return on Wednesday or Sunday for another day in your house. In Jesus' name, we pray all of this. Amen.