Baptist Church. We're gonna go ahead and get started this morning. If you would go
to find a seat, grab a hymnal. The first song we'll start with is number 430,
"While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks." Hymn number 430, 430, "While Shepherds Watch
Their Flock." Heavenly Father, we just thank you for this day and for all the
folks that came out, Lord, to just hear preaching in your name, to sing out
praises for your name. Lord, I just pray that you would be with all of us here
this morning, that you would open our ears and our hearts to the message that
you've laid on Brother Dylan's heart. I also pray that you just fill him with
your spirit this morning. These things we pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Alright, for our next hymn this morning, turn if you would to 146, "A Shelter in
the Time of Storm." Hymn number 146, 146, "A Shelter in the Time of Storm."
Raise your hand nice and high. We want to help get those passed out. We also have our verse for the
week there on the front, Exodus chapter number 20, verse number 17. Encourage all those that
are working on that to keep up the hard work there. We do have our service times and our
sowning times there on the inside, and our nursing home schedule as well as our month-to-date,
year-to-date stats. We will have sowning this afternoon at 2 p.m. If you can make it,
we will partner you up, give you a map, and send you out. So if you're able to stick around for
that, we would definitely love for you to do that. We've got our expecting ladies there to be in
prayer for as well on the right-hand side. Our next Fifth Sunday Fellowship is December 31st,
so New Year's Eve, and the theme for that is going to be Earl's Rib Palace. So you're in for a treat
if you decide to stick around after the evening service, and we will also kind of have a fellowship
up until the point when you're sick of being here and you want to leave. You're more than welcome
to stay till midnight, and there'll be plenty of games and fun things like that to do, and so I
encourage you to stick around for that. December 10th, which is this today, you're here, you made
it. We're going to have Brother Dylan Oz preaching for us, and if you've never met Brother Dylan,
I'd really encourage you to go and introduce yourself, meet him and his family. He's a great
guy. I've had the pleasure of getting to know him over the last couple years, consider him a great
friend, and so definitely excited for him to be here preaching for us. And then December 15th,
we're gonna have our Christmas caroling event. That's a Friday from 6 to 7 p.m., and we'll meet
here at the church at 6, and then we'll go out to a neighborhood, do some Christmas caroling,
and then afterwards we'll come back to the church for a pizza fellowship. So definitely make plans
to stick around as well for that. And then December 24th, we're gonna have a special service in the
evening. We're gonna move that service up one hour to 4 30 p.m. And we're also gonna have men's popcorn
preaching. So every man that would like to prepare five to seven minute sermon encourage you to work
on that in the coming weeks. And also we'll have a couple special music performances by some of the
kids that had been practicing for the recital. And so it'll be a fun day and you'll get out of
here a little bit early. You can spend that extra time with your family on Christmas Eve. And then
January 13th we're going to have the Ward family baby shower. So please make sure that you are
in contact with them on as far as the registry is concerned. I know that all that is set up. So if
you have any questions you can see either my wife or Miss Maddie on that. December 27th we're going
to have our first soul winning marathon of the year and that's going to be in Guthrie. So I'm
really excited about that. We've never done one in Guthrie before. It's about 45 minutes north
of the city and really depending on where you're at it may be even a smaller shorter drive for you.
There's plenty of apartment complexes there to preach at and so I'm really excited about that.
One last announcement too for some of our guests that we have just to kind of give everyone an
idea of where everything is at. We do have the mother baby room right here to my right and then
there's a nursing area as well in this back room and we do have sound in each one of those so that
way you can still listen to the sermon. There's a bathroom if you go all the way to the end to your
left. There's a bathroom here and then also another one in the kitchen area and so please help yourself
to whatever you guys need for that and that's all the announcements I have. Great to see everyone
here this Sunday morning. We're going to go to our next hymn, hymn number 196. I Will Sing the
Wondrous Story. Hymn number 196. I Will Sing the Wondrous Story. Notice on that third stanza down,
the time signature changes and what that means for those of you that don't know what a time
signature is, is the feel of the song, the counting of the song is going to change a little bit. So
196, I will sing the wondrous story. The first. I will sing the wondrous story of the Christ who died
for me. How he left his throne in glory for the cross of Calvary. Yes, I'll sing the wondrous story
of the Christ who died for me. Singing it with full muscles. Jesus found me, found the sheep
that went astray. Through his loving arms around me, threw me back into his way. Yes, I'll sing the
story of the Christ who died for me. Singing it with full bruised, but Jesus healed me,
faint was I from many a fall, those gone fears possessed me, body free from them all. Yes, I'll
sing the story of the Christ who died for me. Singing it with his still garb and red, the Savior still lives with me, I attempt safely, when I'll sing on the lips, wanting more.
Good singing this morning. As the offering plates are being passed around, please turn if you would
to Isaiah chapter number one. Isaiah chapter number one. Isaiah chapter number one. The vision of
Isaiah, the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah, Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham,
Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord
hath spoken. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
I knoweth his owner, and he asks his master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people does
not consider. Ah sinful nation, people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are
corruptors. They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger,
they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? Ye will revolt more and more,
the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot, even unto the head,
there is no soundness in it. But wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores, they have not
been closed, neither bound up, neither mullified with ointment. Your country is desolate, your
cities are burned with fire, your lands strangers devour in your presence. It is desolate, as
overthrown by strangers, and the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in
the garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Except the Lord of hosts hath left unto us a very small
remnant. We should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. Hear the
word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom. Give ear unto the law of our God, the people of Gomorrah,
to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me, sayeth the Lord. I am full of the burnt
offerings of rams, the fat of dead beasts, and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs,
or of he-goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand? Thread my
courts. Bring no more vain oblations. Incense is an abomination unto me. The new moons and sabbaths,
the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with. It is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new
moons and your appointed beasts, my soul hated. They are a trouble unto me. I am weary to bear
them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you. Yea, when you make many
prayers, I will not hear you. Your hands are full of blood. Wash you and make you clean. Put away
the evil from your doings. Before mine eyes, cease to do evil. Learn to do well. Seek judgment.
Relieve the oppressed. Judge the fatherless. Plead for the widow. Come now and let us reason
together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though
they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Ye will be willing and obedient. Ye shall eat the
good of the land. But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword, for the mouth
of the Lord hath spoken it. How is the fateful city become in harlot? It was full of judgment,
righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers. Thy silver has become dross, thy wine mixed with
water. Thy princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Every one love of gifts, and followeth
after rewards. They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto
them. Therefore saith the Lord of hosts, the mighty one of Israel, I will ease me of mine
adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies. I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy
dross, and take away all thy ten. I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors
as at the beginning. Afterward thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.
Zion hath redeemed the with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. And the destruction
of the transgressors and the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall
be consumed. For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which they have desired, and ye shall be
confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen. For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth,
and as a garden that hath no water. And the strong shall be as the towel, and the maker of
it as a spark. And they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them. Let's pray. Lord,
thank you so much to have you gathered here together today, and I pray, Lord. Amen. Well,
good morning, everyone. It's great to be here again. I know it's been a long time. And
first of all, I want to thank Pastor Shelley for giving me the opportunity to come down here and
see you guys. And, you know, I'm really excited for the future of this church and just for all the
opportunities that are that we have to serve in the ministry in different areas, different churches
right now. I'm really excited. I wanted to also thank everyone from St. Fast Baptist Church that
made it out. It's great to see all you guys as well. So it's great to have a packed house this
morning. And let me just say this, you know, the first time that my wife and I ever visited this
church, this church really did feel special to us. We really love the people here. And of course,
you know, in the new IFB, we all have the same spirit and you can visit any new IFB church and
you immediately, you know, love the people there and get along with the people there. But there
was something special about this church when we visited it. We really love you guys and we like
the area a lot. It's kind of more my style of life, you know, not as much traffic and stuff like that.
So I do like Oklahoma. I like the colder weather too. It gets a little colder here in the winter.
So really excited to be here and thank you all for coming this morning. And we're here in Isaiah
chapter number one. And I want to start off by reading verse number 10, where the Bible says,
"Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom. Give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of
Gomorrah." Now Isaiah is having this vision and God is basically speaking of the people in Judah
at this time. And of course the people in Judah was God's nation, but yet he's saying he's
comparing them to people like Sodom and like Gomorrah. You know, these people had gotten
so wicked that God was actually comparing these people to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. And
obviously, you know the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, how the people of that city were
full of homos, that they were full of reprobates that hated God. I mean, that's a pretty extreme
statement that the Lord is saying here. But notice, let's read starting in verse 11, it says,
"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me, saith the Lord. I am full of
the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts, and I delight not in the blood of bullocks
or of lambs or of he goats." So notice these people, they're being compared to Sodom and Gomorrah,
but yet they still have a form of religion, right? I mean, these people aren't atheists.
No, they're actually sacrificing to the Lord. They're sacrificing bulls and goats and bullocks.
Look at verse 12, it says, "When you come to appear before me, who hath require this at your hand
to tread my cords? Bring no more vain oblations, meaningless oblations. Incense," notice,
"is an abomination unto me. The new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot
away with. It is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts," notice,
"my soul hateth. They are trouble unto me. I am weary to bear them. And when you spread forth your
hands, I will hide mine eyes from you. Yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands
are full of blood." Notice, these people, they're not atheists here. They're performing all these
different religious actions, but God says that the actions that they are doing are an abomination to
him. He says that the stuff you're doing, my soul hates. He says, "You may be praying, but I'm not
even listening to you when you pray." And why is that? Because not every religion pleases God,
okay? And the title of my sermon this morning is "Religion That Pleases God." It is not just enough
to have a religion. It is not just enough to have a form of religion where you're performing all
these different actions. I mean, these people, look at all the stuff they're doing. They're
making sacrifices. That's a lot of work, right? That's taking their money, their assets, their
cattle, and sacrificing it unto the Lord. And a lot of people, if they were to do that, if they
were to sacrifice of their money to church, they would think, "Man, I'm a pretty good person. I'm
a pretty religious person. You know, the Lord must be pleased with my actions." But yet, God hated
what these people were doing. God said that what these people were doing was an abomination. Notice,
they're worshiping Him. They're observing the holy days. It even says that they're spreading
forth their hands, like the Pentecostals, right? I mean, these people are getting down in the
church. They're having a really passionate church service here. What does it say that they're doing?
They're praying to Him. I mean, prayer is good, right? Of course, prayer is good. But from these
people, God said it was an abomination. God said that His soul hated it. And here's the thing,
I'm all for religion. Religion is a word that's attacked today, wrongly so. But let me tell you,
your religion is worthless if it's not pleasing to the Lord. It's not enough to have religion.
We need to have religion that pleases God. If we want to have religion that pleases the Lord,
I think there's three attributes in religion that we need to have in order for us to have a
religion that is pleasing to the Lord. And number one, the first thing that we have to have is the
right salvation. Look, if you want to have the religion that's pleasing to God, step one,
you have to have the right salvation. And if you have the wrong salvation, nothing else matters.
And all of it is worthless and vain and abomination unto the Lord. Notice verse number
nine of Isaiah chapter number one. Notice it says except the Lord of hosts had left unto us. Notice
a very small remnant. What does that saying? That of this group of people, there's only a tiny
fraction that are actually saved. Notice he says we should have been like we should have been as
Sodom and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah they didn't even have that tiny
remnant. The whole nation was just reprobates except for Lot and his family. The angels took
them out of the city and he's saying right here he's like look right now the nation of Judah
unless it was just for a small group of people that are saved we would have just been like Sodom
and Gomorrah. What does that tell us? They didn't have the right salvation. That tells us that they
did not have the right salvation. Look at verse number 18. Verse number 18. Here's another clue
we can get to see that these people are probably not saved. Verse 18. Come now and let us reason
together say of the Lord though your sins be a scarlet they shall be as white as snow though
they be red like crimson they shall be as wool. Notice what happens when you get saved? Your sins
are washed away right and the Lord is imploring them to do this to get saved. Why would he be
imploring them to do that? Because they're not saved. What does that tell us? They did not have
the right salvation. Now go to Revelation chapter number seven, Revelation seven. He's imploring
them to have their sins washed away and you know God is imploring every single false religion on
this earth to have their sins washed away today. God wants all people to be saved but how is it
that we get saved? Look at Revelation chapter seven verse 14. We're going to see some similar
language here and I said unto him sir thou knowest and he said he said to me these are they which
came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and notice this and made them white
in the blood of the land. How is it that we wash our garments? How is it that our sins can be
washed away? There's only one way and it's by the blood of Jesus Christ but that is not the soap
that most religions are using today to wash their garments. Today the soap that most religions are
using is baptism like the church of Christ. Oh I know how I'm going to wash away my sins I just
have to get baptized. Wrong it's by the blood of Jesus only. You know you got religions like the
Catholic church that says I know how I'll wash away my sins I'll confess my sins to the priest
I'll do the catechism I'll do all these rituals and rites. No that's not how you wash away your
sins either. According to the Bible how is it? By the blood of the lamb. All these false religions
they always have something for you to do to get saved. There's some action you need to perform
there's some sacrifice you need to make. You know the Mormons they have to sacrifice their youth at
18 years old and go to a foreign land or a foreign state and dedicate that time to perform a mission
and they think that because they're going on a mission that they're earning their way to heaven
right or getting married in the temple or you even have a lot of repent of your sins. Baptists
people that claim to be our brothers in Christ that teach well you just have to repent of all
your sins to be saved you have to live a clean life you have to let the god become the lord of
your life and allow him to control all your actions all of that is the wrong soap and here in isaiah
chapter one what are these people doing they think that all their sacrifices all their oblations all
of them following the sabbath and the holy days and spreading forth their hands unto god and making
prayer unto him that that somehow is going to wash them of their sins but guess what they didn't even
have the right salvation and how could god be pleased with anyone that's not even saved you're
not even at step one and there's so many religions today they're working hard they think they're
following god they've been following the lord their whole life they think and in their heart
they're convinced of this truth yet they're not even safe how sad is that and look those people
need someone to wake them up and say look god is angry at you god thinks that your religion is an
abomination he hates the catholic church he hates the mormon church he hates baptists that would
corrupt the gospel of jesus christ and make it work he's angry at those people they're not even
saved go to matthew chapter number seven matthew chapter number seven and look at verse 21 matthew
chapter number seven verse 21 let's read what the lord said not every man not everyone that sayeth
unto me lord lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doeth the will of my father
which is in heaven notice not everyone that just proclaims the name of jesus christ is going to be
saved so think about all the religions that are out there all the churches that are out there
that proclaim the name of jesus christ a lot of people have a really simple-minded idea that all
those people are just saved just because they call themselves christians but notice what jesus said
in verse 22 many now that's a sad word when you keep reading this many will say to me in that day
lord lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name
done many wonderful works you know i bet you that's what the people of juda during isaiah's
time would have said lord lord have we not sacrificed all these cattle and all these animals
have we not observed the holy days have we not observed the sabbaths have we not prayed unto you
have we not said your name and done many wonderful works in your name notice what jesus said and then
will i profess unto them i never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity the only people
in isaiah's time that god knew was that small remnant that the bible is talking about everyone
else that's just putting on a religious show but hasn't put their faith and trust in the lord
jesus christ they will go to hell when they die jesus will say i never knew you not i used to know
you and you lost your salvation because you didn't keep doing good works or you didn't repent of your
sins enough no he says i never knew you because they never put their trust in christ where are
these people's trust it's very clear it's in their works when you go out soul winning and people tell
you oh i know i'm going to heaven because i'm a good person i go to church i live a good life
i save cats out of trees i help old ladies cross the street i have feed ham sandwiches to the poor
in downtown okc who are they trusting in themselves and god looks at those works and he says look this
is an abomination to me your religion is not pleasing to god why because you're not even saved
so look if we want to have a religion that's pleasing to god number one we have to be saved
we have to have the right salvation now go to john chapter number three john chapter number three
you know a good example of of this is a man named nick ademas and let's read the story of nick ademas
here in john chapter number three look at verse one it says there was a man notice of the pharisees
now who are the pharisees they're the religious class they're the religious elite of their day
they're the ones that have the law of god and are preaching the law of god the true god that is
but notice it says there was a man of the pharisees named nick ademas a ruler of the jews so this man
is religious right just like the people in isaiah he's a very religious man let's skip down to verse
number seven for sake of time and says marvel not that i said unto thee you must be born again
the wind bloweth where it listeth and now here is the sound thereof but can't not tell whence it
cometh and whither it goeth so is everyone that is born of the spirit nick ademas answered and said
unto him how can these things be jesus answered and said unto him art thou a master of israel
and knoweth not these things notice that jesus is talking to him about salvation this is a religious
leader and when he's talking to him about salvation nick ademas is kind of like what are you talking
about i don't understand this being born again thing what are you talking about the wind blowing
where it listeth and the spirit i don't understand any of this why is it that he didn't understand it
because he wasn't saved and jesus is saying wow you're a religious leader and you're not even
saved and what does that tell us there's a lot of religious leaders that aren't even saved there's
most religions are not saved of course that's why jesus said many will say unto me in that day let's
look at verse number 16 jesus goes on to tell him how to be saved for god so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have
everlasting life and isn't that a great verse arguably the greatest verse in the whole bible
and it's a verse that everyone knows and so few people understand they could quote it to you oh
what did that verse say we have to do to go to heaven be a good person what are you a master
of israel and you don't know these things you're a catholic priest and you don't know these things
you're a southern baptist preacher and you don't know john 3 16 wow that's an abomination of a
church you have that's an abomination of a religion you have when you don't even have the
right salvation look at verse 17 for god sent not his son into the world to condemn the world
but that the world through him might be saved he that believeth on him is not condemned but he that
believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son
of god and some people would hear this point which is just so simple to all of us that go to said
fast baptist church and they would say how mean that you're saying that other religions are going
to hell how mean that you're saying that these people don't have the right salvation hello could
god have made it any easier for these people to be saved god sent his son not to condemn the world
but to save the world isn't that a loving thing to do isn't it loving to give someone a free gift
isn't it loving for god to send his son to be tortured of wicked people to die on the cross to
descend into hell for three days and three nights to take our punishment to rise again from the dead
and say hey all you have to do is put your faith in the lord jesus christ to be saved isn't that a
loving god but people hear this message and they get offended at the most basic thing that we
believe salvation and how sad is that how sad that in in isaiah's time even the people of juda
you know when is when isaiah's preaching this message a large portion of them are just offended
by it that's stiff in their neck no we need to wake up this country today with the gospel of
jesus christ and remind them of true salvation go to galatians chapter number one galatians
chapter number one god loves people and wants people to be saved and that's why god is very
harsh against the false gospel because god does not want anyone to go to hell so when someone is
preaching a false gospel when someone is perverting the gospel of jesus christ that makes the lord very
angry and we'll see that right here in galatians chapter one verse eight this is paul speaking
through the inspiration of the holy spirit in verse eight he says but though we so him and his fellow
apostles or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached
unto you let him be accursed what's paul saying he says hey i've preached you the gospel if you
hear any different doctrine when it comes to salvation let that person go to hell by the way
this is a good proof against the ruckmanites that teach that paul and jesus had different gospels
because if that was the case paul would be saying right here that jesus christ is accursed
because they say oh jesus had a different gospel well paul said if anyone preaches a different
gospel than what he's preaching to let that person be accursed so if you're believing that that's a
blasphemous doctrine to believe no of course the lord jesus christ paul the apostles all christians
that are saved have the same gospel even in the old testament you know it's being referenced to
the blood in isaiah chapter 1 being washed like crimson what is that that's a foreshadowing of
christ the whole old testament has foreshadowing of christ people in the old testament were saved
by looking forward to the cross i don't care if the ruckmanites don't like that look at verse 9
as we said before so say i now again he really wants to get this message across if any man
preach any other gospel unto you than that which he has received let him be accursed and i find
verse 10 interesting he says for do i now persuade men or god or do i seek to please men for if i yet
pleased men i should not be the servant of christ notice the gospel that paul is preaching it's not
pleasing to man why is that because work salvation plays on man's prideful nature man wants to be the
one getting the honor for salvation man wants to be able to tell you look i've earned my way to
heaven by my good works i'm the one that's read the bible every day i'm the one that's prayed
every day i'm the one that's gone to church i'm the one that's done all these great things
and so i want to have part of salvation and paul's saying look i'm not trying to please man right
here because you know it pleases man a false gospel works salvation he's saying i'm trying
to persuade god i'm trying to serve god and if we want to have a religion that pleases god
we must have salvation by faith alone in jesus christ that's the only way we could please him
go to galatians two flip the page galatians two look at verse 16 paul said knowing that a man is
not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of jesus christ even we have believed in
jesus christ that we might be justified by the faith of christ and not by the works of the law
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified i love this verse because it's like
how many times can paul tell you just in one verse that you're not saved by works i mean you could
tell that paul is a preacher because he's just repeating the same things over and over and over
he's like i know some of you aren't listening so a man's not justified by the works of the law okay
if you didn't hear that you're justified by the faith of christ even we that have believed in
christ that we might be justified by the faith of christ and not by the works of the law for by the
works of the law shall no flesh be justified i mean isn't that kind of funny when you read it like
that i mean he really wants you to get the message look at verse uh number 20 i am crucified with
christ nevertheless i live saying i wasn't physically killed with him yet not i but christ
liveth in me and the life which i now live in the flesh i live by the faith of the son of god who
loved me and gave himself for me i do not frustrate the grace of god for if righteousness come by the
law then christ is dead in vain if you can be saved by following the law of god if you can
be saved by doing good works why did god have to send his precious innocent son to die for us
it would be in vain paul is saying it would be a worthless sacrifice and no one likes a worthless
sacrifice you know i think about let's just use a carnal example right let's think about the iraq
and afghanistan war where tens of thousands of america's sons shed their blood in a foreign land
for nothing what is it a vain sacrifice think about it physically i mean that's sad to think
about oh we're fighting the taliban and then biden says here's billions of dollars of u.s
equipment and here's all of america's assets and here you go and doesn't that just make all those
men sacrifice feel vain because it was but you know thank god jesus's sacrifice was not vain
jesus's sacrifice meant something right and look i'm not saying anything against those people that
served over there it's it's a condemnation of our leaders is what it is but thank god that jesus's
sacrifice is not vain it truly does cover our sins flip the page a couple more here to galatians
chapter five look at verse four this is the verse i like to use out soul winning it says christ is
become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the law you're fallen from grace look
you either have to take 100 faith in christ and trust in his sacrifice 100 or christ's blood his
sacrifice it's of no effect unto you zero effect you have to choose is salvation by works or is it
by you have to make a decision and this is the problem with the people in isaiah chapter one
go to go back to isaiah chapter one i'll read for you a famous passage here in ephesians 2 8 it says
for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of god not of
works lest any man should boast and look this church thank god is solid on this doctrine
in salvation by faith alone but we need to always remember that if we want our religion to be
pleasing to the lord we must have the right salvation and lord willing if i am ever given
the opportunity to serve as your pastor this will always be a church that preaches salvation by
faith alone that will never be compromised it's not on the table for discussion it's salvation by faith
or you're going to hell that's all that's it that's the only options you have back to isaiah chapter
number one so we talked about how is it you can have religion pleasing under god number one you
have to have the right salvation number two you have to have sanctification if you want to be a
religion pleasing under the lord not only do you need to be saved you have to have sanctification
notice verse 18 it says come now and let us reason together say of the lord though your sins be a
scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool
that's salvation but look at verse 19 if you be willing and obedient you shall eat the good of
the land that's sanctification so there's salvation believing on lord jesus christ him forgiving all
of your sins then the blessings of god eating the good of the land how is that obtained by
being obedient to god by being sanctified by being set apart by being holy by obeying god's living
standards that he gives you in the bible look at verse 20 but if ye refuse and rebel that's a
condition notice you shall be devoured with the sword for the mouth of the lord hath spoken it
that's the consequence look at verse number 21 how is the faithful city become an harlot it was
full of judgment righteousness lodged in it but now murderers notice he's saying juda this faithful
city here it's become a harlot but it hasn't always been that way notice he says it was
full of judgment righteousness lodged in it what does that teach us it teaches us that judgment
equals righteousness and he's saying look before you were a harlot as a city before you were a
whore that forsook god's commandments what were you you were a people full of judgment and a
people full of righteousness and look we need to bring back this to religion in america this word
judgment we need to bring back judgment to the house of god the bible says judgment begins at
the house of god and of course we should start by judging ourselves with the perfect law of liberty
and working on ourselves but you know what the preacher the people preaching god's word they need
to judge others too and this just sounds crazy in america like whoa we're never supposed to judge
no paul said in first corinthians five that he's judged already he was mad at them for having not
judged already you know the christians in america today have simply just not read the bible but when
god is rebuking these people he's saying look you've become a whore as a city but you used to have
judgment what does that tell us god was pleased with that god was happy when they had judgment
look at verse 22 thy silvers become dross thy wine mixed with water thy princes are rebellious
and companions of thieves everyone loveth gifts and followeth after rewards notice they judge not
the fatherless god's angry about that neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them so notice
God gives a couple of illustrations here when he's talking about these people first. He calls them and harlots. What is a harlot?
It's a whore and what is a whore like it's dirty. It's gross. It's filthy, right?
It also says that their silvers become dross. What is dross? It's waste matter. It's when you're
Purifying metals the waste matter that comes to the top the stuff that's just gross. That's that's nasty
That's stuff that isn't worth anything. He's saying that that's what these people have come like too
He says that they're like wine mixed with water. What is it?
It's something pure and diluting it watering it down. And what are some examples of the things that they were doing?
Well in isaiah 123
It says that their leaders were hanging out with thieves
Says that they were taking bribes and it says that they weren't judging righteously and it makes me think
I wonder if god looks down at our nation today and is angry at us for the same reasons
When he sees our leaders taking bribes, I don't know like the biden family a few years ago
There was even a judge in texas that was arrested and sent to federal prison who was taking bribes for criminal convictions
So you think you get your for your fair day in court turns out?
No, the judge is being paid off and he's giving you a guilty sentence
Whether you're innocent or guilty that kind of stuff makes the lord angry, you know
Because when we don't judge it affects people's lives when we decide our ideas are better than the bibles
We're just gonna disregard his commandments. No big deal. It affects people's lives. It hurts individuals
Go to John chapter number 17. So we saw the illustration that God gives here, but what's the application?
Well, the application is that God is not pleased with any religion that doesn't have sanctification that doesn't have separation
That isn't following his commandments John chapter 17. No, John 17
It's a great chapter about separation about sanctification and a lot of it is the Lord praying to God the Father
Look at verse number 11. It says and now I am no more in the world
But these are in the world and I come to thee Holy Father keep through thine own name those whom thou has given me
That they may be one as we are while I was with them in the world
I kept them in thy name those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost
But the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled and now I come to thee and these things I speak in the world
That they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves
I have given them thy word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world even as I am not
Of the world and I love this next phrase
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil
so notice when it comes to
Separation or being sanctified God's desire for us is not that we just remove ourselves from society
God doesn't want us to just move out in the middle of nowhere and have like a Christian only commune
Where we're never around unsaved people that wouldn't make a lot of sense because we're supposed to get those people saved, right?
But God's desire is that though we are in the world that we are removed from the evil of this world
And how do we do that?
We do that by sticking close to God's Word to God's commandments look at verse 16
They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. There's this word
Sanctify meaning separate set apart
Sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth
Like I said, how do we get sanctified the Word of God verse 18 as thou has sent me into the world
Even so have I also sent them into the world and for their sakes
I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth and notice the problem today
With Christianity is that when it comes to separation when it comes to?
sanctification most of Christianity today views sanctification or separation as a
As a fixed standard from the world, but not necessarily a fixed standard from God's word
So what I mean by that is when the world gets more and more liberal Christians
They're still behind what the world believes, but they kind of move with them
So, you know think about examples like this. The most obvious one is America's views on sodomy on homosexuality
I mean it used to be illegal in our country
It used to be literally having the death penalty in many areas when I went through a law enforcement program in high school
It was taught by a man in his 40s and he told me that he was arresting people for the crime of sodomy in Ada
County, Idaho in the 1990s
So look Christians have changed their view on this
But what they do is as the world gets more and more wicked with their view Christians to stay right behind them, right?
So it's like oh, you know, sure they shouldn't be put to death, but they can get married now
It's like okay
It's fine if they get married but please don't chop my children's genitals off and who knows where it's going after that, right?
But that's how the world views separation or that's how Christians a lot of times so-called view separation
But look we need to get back to the way we view sin the way we view
Sanctification is based on what the Bible says and nothing else forget Stephen Crowder's views on it
Forget Ben Shapiro's views on it or Alex Jones or Sean Hannity or any of these conservatives forget
What they think and care about what God says about it look we need to get back to a Baptist Church in America
That says no alcohol period not just we'll just don't get drunk
It's fine if we drink in moderation
But just don't get drunk says every drunk says every drunk preacher any preacher that preaches that garbage is likely a drunk himself
You know, we need to get back to saying no no alcohol period. How about this? No murdering babies in the womb
Period. Oh, what if the mom was raped? That's okay to murder a child then. Oh, what if it's incest?
Oh, that means it's okay to murder the child then no murder of a baby is always wrong period end of story
No questions asked why because I'm not interested in having just being a little bit behind what the world thinks
I mentioned in what believing what God says. How about this one today dressing modestly?
I mean, this is gone in America. The world doesn't dress modestly. They don't care about covering their nakedness
Even men today are showing off parts of their bodies like what is going on in this world? It's gross
But look, I don't care what people think about it
I care about what God says and we need to preach modesty for God's people
We need to preach that divorce is never allowed
Period and not like the old IFB taught for generations and generations that divorce is permissible
If your spouse cheats on you, you know
I read a book called the home by a famous Baptist preacher and look this this preachers a man of God
I love this man
He taught a lot of great things in his book
But he was very permissive of divorce and we need to we need to clean that up in Baptist churches where we're not telling people
Oh, yeah, if you're if your spouse has some sort of sexual immorality, whatever that means
Oh, then your your marriage bound is gone. That's what they teach verbatim
This preacher taught that the only difference between adultery and fornication
They taught that adultery is just prolonged fornication, right?
So when you get Jesus explaining the process of annulment where it says except for the cause of fornication
You can't get a bill of divorcement, which we would call an annulment
Because that separation would have happened before the consummation of the marriage. They just say well fornication is just ongoing adultery
So at any time in your marriage that your spouse cheats on you, you're good to get a divorce. That's wrong
That's wrong. And we need to preach God's living standards on this subject
How about this drugs and alcohol is wicked, you know here in Oklahoma marijuana is legal, right? It's legal here
That doesn't mean that it's right for God's people to do it doesn't matter that the world says the government says hey
This is legal. This is fine. No, the Bible says to be sober and
Smoking marijuana takes away your sobriety
It's not something that Christians should ever be involved in Christians should not be abusing even prescription medications
You know, I understand sometimes you go through a really traumatic injury or something like that
And you're given some pain pills under careful supervision of a doctor
I understand that but look a lot of people are just abusing those drugs to get high
God is definitely against that
You know
We need to get back to men getting a haircut in America and not having the stupid man bun or trying to go back
To like the Viking Norwegian era where it's like these dudes all they do is spend every day all day in the gym
And curling their hair to look like some weird Viking look. I'm Norwegian my great-great-grandfather came from Norway
My last name was Langerud for crying out loud. I don't want to have long hair though
Why because the Bible says it's a shame
Nature itself teaches us that a man should have short hair and if every single man in this world wants to get a long hair
I'm still gonna get my hair cut and you know what this world's getting so crazy
I like to keep my really short if you haven't noticed not saying you have to have it as short as me
But look I'm trying to say hey, I'm a Christian. I'm a Baptist
We're getting back to the old-fashioned standards of living and hey follow me as I follow Christ cut your hair
It's gross get back to having ladies wearing skirts and dresses and look
You know women aren't we aren't supposed to wear skirts and dresses because they're Christians
They're supposed to wear skirts and dresses because they're women. It's not even a religious issue
It's a gender issue, but of course since our society doesn't believe in gender
They also don't believe in dressing according to your gender
But you know what?
It's kind of a shame because other nations put America to shame in this when I lived in Vancouver, Washington
it was a very heavy Russian population and I can't tell you how many times my wife and I were at a grocery store and
Some you know woman would walk up to us and be like, oh the Ruskaya saying oh, you're a Russian
It's like no, she's just a woman but Russian women always wear skirts and dresses
Why because they're women because they haven't been brainwashed by trannies and drag queens that they should start
Dressing like men or vice versa men dressing like women. How about this?
We need to say no to faggots in our country. We need to say no to sodomites being in church
We need to say no to sodomites being alive
We need to get back to having the death penalty on this crime
This abomination that our nation used to have you want to know why America was great. It was because of this book
It was because of these laws
That's what made America great to begin with and you know, our nation is going down such a disgusting path to hell right now
I mean, it's it's sad what we're seeing and I'll say this Lord willing if I ever am given the privilege of serving as your pastor
We will be a church that preaches hard on sin
We will be a church that preaches the living standards of the Bible regardless of what Stephen Crowder Ben Shapiro
Alex Jones
Limp-wristed weak pastors that are afraid of the Word of God
Whatever they have to say we don't care and look we've been there. We've seen it
We've seen the videos of the Nazarene pastor saying yeah, the Bible does say in Leviticus 20 13
That's all might should be put to death, but I don't know what that means. It's like we'll say what it means
We'll say what it means here. Why because we want to be a religion that's pleasing to God. How do we do that?
We have the right salvation. How do we do that? We also have sanctification. We also have separation
We also preach what the Bible says about sin go to Isaiah chapter number one
But not only to have a religion that's pleasing to the Lord. Do we need to have the right salvation?
Not only do we need to have the right?
Sanctification, but you know what? We also need to have service
We also need to have service as Christians to be a religion that's pleasing to the Lord
Look at Isaiah chapter number one and also get your place in James chapter number one
Isaiah 1 and James 1 Isaiah 1 look at verse 23 thy princes are
rebellious and companions of thieves
Everyone loveth gifts and followeth after rewards notice this they judge not the fatherless
Neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them now if you're familiar with the New Testament
When you saw this phrase about the fatherless and the widow you probably couldn't help but think of the book of James
Now look at James chapter number one verse 27 notice what it says about religion. It says pure religion. What is this?
This is religion that's pleasing to God right here pure religion
undefiled before God and the father is this to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and
To keep himself unspotted from the world notice in that verse. We saw
Sanctification keeping himself unspotted for the world, but we also saw service
Visiting the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, you know, of course
It's great to visit people that are actually widows and actually widowers and actually orphans
You know, this church has a nursing home ministry where you go and a lot of these old ladies
They're widows and you're ministering to them and you're preaching to them. That's great. That's good service
That's pure religion as the Bible defines it. That's something that we should do
You know, we could also think about this spiritually you could stay there
I'll read for you John 1 12 says but as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God
Even to them that believe on his name notice when you get saved you become God's child
What does that mean? It means before you're saved you're like an orphan. You're spiritually an orphan. You have no father
Spiritually and so what can we do? We can go visit the fatherless by preaching people the gospel
We can go out into the community of Oklahoma City and we could preach to the fatherless and get them
Grafted into the family get them adopted and introduce them to their heavenly father. That is service
That's what we should be doing as Christians and notice how it said in Isaiah chapter 1 that they were rebellious
Princes that refused to do this, you know
There's so many churches today that are so rebellious against God's commandments that they won't go soul-winning
pastors today that just refused to go soul-winning all they want to do is live in an ivory tower and
Just spend all week reading and just doing nothing. They're not going out to the doorstep. They're not walking the miles
They're not going up the apartment staircases
They're not trying to get people into the family
Why because they're rebellious and look if we want to have a religion that's pleasing to God. We have to have service
What's one way we can do that by visiting the fatherless and widows and their affliction?
How do we do that by preaching them the gospel by being soul winners go to Matthew chapter number 28 Matthew chapter number 28
And you know, I'm all for service
I'm all for helping people that are legitimately in need and being there for people and preaching to the nursing home
I love all that, but you know, there's nothing more important we could ever do in our lives and preach the gospel
Nothing you do will ever even touch that level of importance when you preach the gospel look at Matthew 28
This is what Jesus said before he departed this world look at Matthew 28 verse 19 says go ye therefore and teach all nations
Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever. I've commanded you lo. I'm with you always
Even unto the end of the world. Amen, you know, have you ever have you ever wondered why you exist?
I'm being serious, you know, that's kind of a silly question that people will ask in the world
What's the meaning of life? But have you ever actually considered that question?
Why is it that when you got saved God didn't just take you immediately to heaven the answers right here Matthew 28
It's to go into all the world and to preach the gospel. That's why he left us here
That's why you said I will be with you always this is the heart and desire of the Lord Jesus Christ
For us to spend our lives preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, you know would to God we would have a generation of religious people
People that desire to have the religion that pleases God not pleases themself not pleases man that would just decide you know
What I'm not gonna spend my life trying to be rich
I'm not gonna spend my life trying to be some high-level CEO that just makes handfuls of money
I'm not gonna spend my life
Worshipping sports and following every twist and turn of the NFL season or the NBA MLB season
I'm not gonna spend my life just worshiping myself and spending all my free time on just
Entertainment and things that I like to do, you know what to God
We would have a religion where we decide we dedicate our lives to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ
That's what we need to do. You know, you don't need to be a pastor. You don't need to be an evangelist
You don't need to be a deacon to do that. You don't need to be a man to do that
You don't need to be an adult to do that
If you are saved you can preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and when you do that, I promise you
That's the religion that God is pleased with
people think if I just go to a big church with all the shiny bells and whistles with the nice glass and the nice music and
The nice programs and look there's nothing wrong with those things
But people think if I just go to a really nice church like that
That's the church that God's pleased with not if they're not preaching the gospel. It doesn't matter
What kind of palace you have if you're not preaching the gospel? God is not pleased with that religion
Why because they have no service go to second Corinthians chapter number four second Corinthians chapter number four second Corinthians chapter four verse one
Paul said this therefore seeing we have this ministry as we have received mercy
We faint not notice that Paul says we collectively have this ministry
You know people like to use this term full-time Christian service or you know going into the ministry full-time
And I understand what people mean by that
But the truth is that we all as safe people have the ministry of Jesus Christ
It's been committed to all of us and you personally should take
Personal ownership of the Great Commission that you're a part of that ministry and notice what he says
He says as we have received mercy we faint not I will never understand how someone can get mercy from God
How someone can get a free gift from God have all of their sins forgiven have their ticket punched from for heaven and not care
About getting that same gift to other people. I will never understand that
I will never understand how you can be so selfish to take a free gift that everybody can have it's in limitless supply
Everyone can have it and you don't even tell people about it
You don't even you don't even warn people about hell. You don't even tell people about the free gift. That's insane
I mean that is sick. And here's the thing if there was free gifts carnally you would tell people what if at your work?
Your boss said hey, let's just this would never happen. Okay, but you know salvation is a miracle
So this is an okay example. Let's just say you're at work and your boss says hey
I have I bought a thousand Ford Raptor trucks and you know what any family member you want any friend you want
Just write their name on this piece of paper and I'll give it to them for free. Here's like I'll just take one
That's messed up. I mean don't you think your brothers want a free Ford Raptor? Don't you think your mom and your dad and your cousins and your friends?
I mean, it's free. Okay, then you have heaven how much greater than a Ford Raptor, right?
And what happens if you don't get the gift? Hell how much greater of a consequence than missing out on a free car?
Just as free though just as limitless more so but you don't tell people how selfish
How do you even sleep at night if you're not a soul winner? You say you sound like you're judging?
Yeah, we need judgments. We need to have the Word of God preached
We need it to judge us look at verse 2 but haven't renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness
Nor handling the Word of God deceitfully
But by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God notice
But if our gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost if you decide not to preach the gospel
The faith that's in your heart that could be transferred from faith to faith by opening your mouth
It's hid to those people there's people that will go to hell that you could have reached if you don't preach them the gospel
That's what Paul's saying and you know Paul took this very seriously in his life
And I will show you a verse towards the end of his life about that
But before I get there look at verse 4 it says in whom the God of this world
Hath blinded the minds of them which believe not
Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them notice the God of this world
Who's that the devil it says that he's blinded the minds of them which believe not
You know if you're unsaved in this world
You're just walking according to the course of the devil without even knowing it and you're never gonna get yourself out of that situation
Someone has to preach you the gospel. You have to at least hear a video of someone presenting the gospel
You're not gonna just be blinded by the devil walking according to the course of this world and just get yourself saved
It's not gonna happen. We have to preach to them
We have to go to them look at verse 5 for we preach not ourselves
But Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus's sake, you know, we should look at
Oklahoma City the state of Oklahoma the United States of America and the world and we should say hey
We are your servants for Jesus's sake. We're not preaching ourselves
We're preaching the free gift of eternal life and we need to make ourselves
Servants to the lost people of this world by how?
ministering unto them the gospel of Jesus Christ verse 6 for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts
To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ notice that light has shined to us
Someone preached us the gospel. We got the free grace. We got the gift of God. Let's spread that light to other people
Let's let our light so shine before men and make sure that everyone gets the gospel
Look if we want to have a religion that's pleasing to God
We have to have service we have to have soul winning in our church a church that does not go soul winning is not a real
Church it's not a real church go to Isaiah chapter number one Isaiah chapter number one
Isaiah 1 look at verse 15 it says and when you spread forth your hands
I will hide mine eyes from you yay when you make many prayers
I will not hear your hands are full of blood and of course, you know
We know God is furious with actual murder violence. God hates God hates murder
But how about the blood of people on their hands?
Spiritually that refused to preach the gospel how many preachers today are standing up this morning Sunday morning in Oklahoma
And in Texas that call themselves Baptist and if you were to put the spiritual goggles on you would just see their hands
Dripping with blood why because they refuse to preach the gospel
I mean that'd be that'd be kind of a crazy thing to see but you know
That's the truth when you don't preach the gospel to people your blood is on their hands and look go to
Actually, let me just read this for you Acts chapter number 20 towards the end of Paul's life
This is what he said in verse 26 wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all
Men Wow Paul took this seriously Paul said hey
I don't want you to put on the spiritual glasses and see my hands covered with blood
No, I'm pure from the blood of all men how because he preached the gospel to everyone
that's how because he made it his life's mission to preach the gospel to every creature and you know
I wonder if that could be said of you and I today that we are pure from the blood of all men
You know if this church is pure from the blood of all men, you know, obviously, we're not perfect
No one's perfect, but we should strive in our lives to be pure from the blood of all men
Let me say this Lord willing if I'm given the opportunity to pastor this church
We will always strive to be a church that is a soul winning church
That is not something that's up for grabs. This isn't a program. That's optional
This is something that makes us a church. This is something that gives us religion
That's pleasing to God is by serving other people and the most important way that you could serve other people is by preaching them
The gospel is by being soul winners
And you know we need to make it our goal to fill out that map in Oklahoma City to reach
The Indians in this state to reach other cities in this state to go throughout other states in this country and preach the gospel
Yay, Lord willing to go to the whole world and send out missionaries and thank God for the churches that are doing that right now
You know brother Duncan or bannock going out to the Philippines. You got pastor Stuckey out there
You know you got a church being started in Poland soon
You got pretty much every other church in existence being started by pastor Thompson. I mean, it's great, right? That's that's good
That's what we should spend our lives doing preaching the gospel to the world. Let's make that our goal
Why because we want a religion that pleases God because we're not in this for ourselves. We're in this for the Lord
We're in this for other people you could say there. I'm gonna read one last verse. It says in Hebrews 10 31
It says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God
You know, don't don't be deceived in your mind today
If you think well, I'm in church this morning
So God's pleased with me or I read my Bible so God's pleased with me or I sacrifice of my money to the church
So God must be pleased with me. We saw in Isaiah. That's not necessarily the case, right?
There's more to it than that
Look if we want to have a religion that's pleasing unto God, we got to have the right salvation
We want to be a religion that's pleasing unto God. We have to have the right sanctification
We have to preach hard on sin
We have to stand where the Bible stands not where the world stands and what else do we have to do?
We have to have soul winning. We have to have service if you want to be a religion that's pleasing unto the Lord
Let's have a word of prayer Lord. Thank you so much for this day
Thank you for your precious word that leads us and guides us in this world
I just pray that you would touch the hearts of every person here with the desire to be a soul winner Lord
And they wouldn't want to live for self for any selfish reasons
They would dedicate to serving you and to serving other people. We love you in Jesus name. We pray him for the morning is
432 angels from the realms of glory. We will be acapella for this one. So
Sing it out for me. Give me some help here
432 angels from the realms of glory
Let's sing. They're starting on the first
angels from
realms of glory
wing your flight
Watching for your flaws by night
Visions be
Long in hope and
fear
Suddenly the Lord
descending
His temple
shall appear
Come and worship
worship
Christ the
newborn King
Amen! And with that