get started. Go and find your seats and get situated. Find a hymnal and we'll open to
our first song for the morning. It'll be song number 327. Number 327, higher ground. 327,
higher ground.
Go ahead and flip in your hymnal to song number 129. 129, rock of ages.
Behold, Elvin D.
Announcements. If you didn't receive a bulletin and you came in, you could just go ahead and
raise your hand. Brother James will bring them around to you.
And if you open up the bulletin, we have our service time listed on the top left. Sunday
morning at 1030 a.m. Meet for that evening service at 530 p.m. And that midweek Bible
study is on Thursday at 7 p.m. Have our soul winning times with respective leaders. And
we have our stats listed. So as of right now, we have 92 salvations for the year. So great
job soul winning. We did have that soul winning marathon in College Station, Texas yesterday.
And the total numbers for that as of right now are 28 salvations for the day. So praise
the Lord. We might have a couple more trickling in. That's what we do have tallied up. So
it was a great day yesterday. A lot of people show up. Good turnout. So again, good job
soul winning. We do have an expecting lady in the church, Sister Corinne Darnell, expecting
in June. But definitely a congratulations to them. Just keep them in your prayers, everything
that goes along with that. Everyone stays healthy. And for our upcoming preaching schedule
today we have Brother Dylan Oz. He's down here preaching both sermons for us. So definitely
a blessing having him. Shake his hand. Thank you for coming down. April 17th, we have Brother
Duncan Urbanic. May 15th, Brother Ben Naim. And then July 7th, we have Pastor Steven Anderson.
Definitely a good lineup to look forward to there. So definitely be here on those days.
Thank these guys for coming out. I'm filling the full pit for us. Some upcoming events.
We have another soul winning marathon just right around the corner in May, May 21st down
in Austin, Texas. So definitely write that on your calendar. Excited to go to Austin,
Texas. They need it. They need the gospel in Austin as much as possible. Kind of make
that place normal again. So definitely write that on your calendars. Looking forward to
that one. And then for prayer requests, we do have some things listed. Steadfast Baptist
Church for sure. Just definitely keep them in your prayers. Find a new building. Pray
for Pastor Shelley. Everything that he has going on with that church. We have Stronghold
Baptist Church listed. Like I said, we're going to start listing new IFB churches to
keep everybody in prayer. And then Brother Edward, definitely keep him still in your
prayers with his health and his leg. We had an update that one of his feet might get amputee.
But you know what, Brother Edward is a huge encouragement. He's always out there, you
know, soul winning. And I guarantee even if he has one of his feet cut off, he's going
to be out there soul winning still, you know. He's going to put a metal foot on and he'll
still be tearing it up. So keep Brother Edward in your prayers. He's a great motivation to
everybody, you know. Definitely keep praying for him. But if you do have any prayer requests,
email that into the church at purewardsbaptist@gmail.com. Pray for whatever you need. That is the announcements
for the morning. Let's go ahead and pull our hymnals back out and we'll turn to song number
413. Song number 413, "Stand up, stand up for Jesus." 413. Turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel
24. 2 Samuel 24, we'll have brother James come up and read for us. We're going to pass
the offering plate. 2 Samuel chapter 24, and we'll read, "And again the anger of the Lord
was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, 'Go number Israel and
Judah.' For the king said to Joab, the captain of the host, which was with him, 'Go now through
all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that
I may know the number of the people.' And Joab said unto the king, 'Now the Lord thy
God add unto the people how many soever they be, and hundredfold, and that the eyes of
my Lord the king may see it.' But why doth my Lord the king delight in this thing? Not
withstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the host.
And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king to number
people of Israel. And they passed over Jordan and pitched in a roar on the right side of
the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad and towards Jazar. Then they came to
Gilead and to the land of Adam and they came to Danjan and about to Zidon and came to the
stronghold of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites and they
went out to the south of Judah even to Bar-sheba. So when they had gone through all the land
they came to Jerusalem and at the end of nine months and twenty days and Joab gave up the
sum of the number of the people unto the king and they were in Israel eight hundred thousand
valiant men and drew the sword that drew the sword and the men of Judah were five hundred
thousand men and David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people and
David said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done in that I have done and
now I beseech thee oh Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done a very foolish
thing sorry for I have done very foolish for when David was up in the morning the word
of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad David's dear saying go and say unto David thus saith
the Lord I offer thee three things choose thee one of them that I may do it unto thee
so Gad came to David and told him and said unto him shall seven years of famine come
unto thee in thy land or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies while they pursue
thee or that there be three days pestilence in thy land now advise and see what answer
I shall return to him that sent me and David said unto Gad I am in a great straight let
us fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall
into the hand of man so the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time
appointed and there died the people from Dan even Bathsheba 70,000 men and the angel and
when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it the Lord repented
him of the evil and said to the angel that destroyed the people it is enough they now
thine hand and the angel of the Lord was by the threshing place of Aruna the Jebusite
and David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people and said lo
I have sinned and I have done wickedly but these sheep what have they done let
thine hand I pray thee be against me and against my father's house and Gad came
that day to David and said unto him go up rear and alter unto the Lord in the
threshing floor of Aruna the Jebusite and David according to the saying of Gad
went up as the Lord commanded and Aruna looked and saw the king and his servants
coming on toward him and Aruna went out and bowed himself before the king on his
face upon the ground and Aruna said wherefore is my Lord the King come to
his servant and David said to buy the threshing floor for thee to build an
altar unto the Lord that the plague may be stayed from the people and Aruna
said unto David let my Lord the King take and offer up what seemeth good unto
him behold here are cold here oxen or behold here be oxen for burnt sacrifice
and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood all
these things that Aruna as a king gave unto the king and Aruna said unto the
king the Lord thy God except thee and the king said unto Aruna nay but I will
surely buy it of thee at a price neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the
Lord my God of that which doth not cost me nothing so David bought the threshing
floor and the oxen for 50 shekels of silver and David built there an altar
unto the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings so the
Lord wasn't treated for the land and the plague was stayed from Israel let's
pray man all right well good morning everyone first I want to thank pastor
Shelley for the opportunity to preach and come down here it's always nice to
see you guys and thank you all for being in church this morning thank you
brother Nick for all your help yesterday with the marathon it went really well so
really appreciate it and it's nice driving down here and you know not
having any car chases or anything crazy like that just you know nice and easy
drive praise God for that that's what I'm happy about this morning so we're
here in second Samuel chapter 24 and I want to read a portion of this again
let's start reading in verse number 19 Bible says and David according to the
saying of Gad went up as the Lord commanded and a Rowena looked and saw
the king and his servants coming on toward him a Rowena went out and bowed
himself before the king on his face upon the ground and a Rowena said wherefore
is my Lord the king come to his servant and David said to buy the threshing
floor of thee to build an altar unto the Lord that the plague may be stayed from
the people so David had sinned by numbering the people now he wants to
come make an offering to the Lord and he's coming to buy the threshing floor
of a Rowena so that he can make this sacrifice to God but look at verse 22 it
says and a Rowena said unto David let my Lord the king take and offer up what
seemeth good unto him behold here be oxen for burnt sacrifice and the
threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood all
these things did a Rowena as a king give unto the king they Rowena said unto
the king the Lord thy God accept thee so a Rowena he makes an offer to David he
says okay I see that you want to make this sacrifice to the Lord let me just
provide you with the threshing floor let me just provide you with all of the
oxen let me just provide you with all of the instruments of sacrifice at no
charge for free it'll be completely free to you David just here you could have it
yourself but look at verse 24 and the king that's David said unto a Rowena nay
but I will surely buy it of thee at a price neither will I offer burnt
offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing so David
bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 50 shekels of silver and David built
there and altar unto the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace
offerings so the Lord was entreated for the land and the plague was stayed from
Israel so David when he was met with this offer of just getting everything
for free getting the threshing floor for free the oxen all the instruments of
sacrifice when he was met with that offer he says no I don't want to
sacrifice the Lord that which doth cost me nothing I want to pay for it myself
out of my own treasures I want to pay for this and God obviously had respect
under this because it says that the Lord was entreated for the land when David
did this so the title my sermon this morning is the cost of serving God the
cost of serving God many Christians today and many churches are looking for
a brand of Christianity that costs you absolutely nothing that costs you
nothing in your life it doesn't cost you your money that doesn't cost you your
time it doesn't cost you anything people want a very convenient and easy
Christianity today that's why Joel Osteen's church is filled up with tons
of people that just want their ear to be tickled because they want to just
pretend that they're righteous they heard a sermon today and they can just
pretend that they're good Christians now some of those people are paying
though because I know that Joel Osteen literally does sell seats so I guess
those people are paying but paying to hear a false prophet is not going to
please God right so I want to talk about many different areas in our life may
cost us if we want to actually serve God if we want to serve the Lord the way
that King David did and you know since it fits the context of exactly what
we're talking about point number one is that if you want to serve God it's going
to cost you your money it is going to cost your money if you're doing it
correctly now I'm not saying in an unbiblical way like these false prophets
say you know put your hand on the screen and donate a thousand dollars and you'll
receive ten thousand dollars back that's not the kind of garbage that I'm talking
about that's stuff that false prophets love to preach covetousness love of
money and things like that but we see here that there is an aspect of serving
God that may cost you some money you know a lot of you went to a soul winning
marathon yesterday and drove on your own dime and that costed money but guess
what you did that to serve God and serving God correctly can cost you your
money go to numbers chapter number 18 numbers chapter 18 and in numbers 18 we
learn about the Levites and about tithing look at verse number 6 it says
this and I behold I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the
children of Israel to you they are given as a gift for the Lord to do the service
of the tabernacle of the congregation therefore thou and thy sons with thee
shall keep your priest's office for ev everything of the altar and within the
veil and ye shall serve I have given your priest's office unto you as a
service of gift and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death so in
the Old Testament we see that God wanted to set apart a group of people for one
purpose and that's the service of the Lord they're not doing anything else
they're not getting an inheritance they're not working secularly secular
jobs or anything like that God put these people aside and he wanted them to be
full-time servants and they said that it was a gift it's a blessing to have
people that are full-time serving the people serving the children of Israel
and serving the Lord that is a gift that is a service and God set these people
apart for that reason now in the New Testament obviously we don't have the
Levites doing this it's a little bit different but it is very similar I'll
read for you Ephesians 411 it says this and he gave some Apostles and some
prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers so this is the
group of people that God has sanctified that God has set apart to do what the
work of the ministry to serve verse 12 it says for the perfecting of the saints
for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ see
church is not just a free-for-all where we just meet in our living room and
everyone's a pastor you know the woman's a pastor everyone's just sipping coffee
and everyone's a pastor no God has actually set people apart for the work
of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ for the perfecting of
the saints and even though it's not the same title as Levi it's the same exact
role service service that is the actual role of a real pile of a real minister
is someone that serves not someone that's being served but someone that
serves let's look you're still there at number 18 numbers 18 look at verse 21
numbers 18 verse 21 says behold I have given the children of Levi all the
tenth in Israel for an inheritance you ask where does you know tithing come
from where does a tenth of income come from it comes from right here a tenth
for an inherit in Israel for an inheritance for their service which they
serve even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation neither must the
children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation
lest they bear sin and die but the Levites shall do the service of the
tabernacle of the congregation and they shall bear their iniquity it shall be a
statute forever throughout your generations that among the children of
Israel they have no inheritance but the tithes of the children of Israel which
they offer as an heave offering unto the Lord I have given to the Levites to
inherit therefore I have said unto them among the children of Israel they shall
have no inheritance so the Levites they're not inheriting lands they're
not inheriting all of these things they've set aside carnal working and
they're getting the tenth or the tithe of the children of Israel now I've seen
a lot of stupid people online say that the tithe was never money it was only
livestock and it was only crops and stuff like that it's like hey I got news
for you that is money that is money you know if you're a farmer and you're
giving a tenth of your livestock to the Levites that is your money that's your
wealth you know people need to go listen to pastor Shelley's financial
series about all of these things to understand but if you are a farmer and
you have livestock that is your money okay so don't let people tell you all
You know tithing never ever has people been giving money to the work of ministry
No, that's how it's always been even before the law
That's how it was and if nothing has changed that in the New Testament, then it remains in effect
And you know my question for these people it's like do you want to have people that are full-time servants of the church or not?
How do you expect the work of God to be done if tithing is completely unbiblical no one's supposed to give the church
How do you expect the lights to be turned on here? How do you expect there to be chairs here?
How do you expect there to be food provided at the soul winning marathons?
How do you expect to have the sodomite deception DVDs and Bibles and all of these things that are the result of work being done?
Do you not want those things to be done? Well, guess what?
It's through God's ordinance of tithing and you know, some people are uncomfortable talking about it
But it's something in the word of God and I'm not ashamed of anything in the word of God
Honestly of all the things that costing God can that serving God can cost you your money is the easiest thing
It's the easiest thing if it's hard for you
It's because you're carnal and because you're holding on really tight to the things of this world because you're carnal now
The New Testament backs this up go to 1st Corinthians chapter 9 1st Corinthians chapter number 9
It's not only a Old Testament doctrine
But the New Testament backs this up in 1st Corinthians chapter 9 look at verse 7 who goeth a warfare
Any time at his own charges who who planted the vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof or who feedeth a flock
And eateth not of the milk of the flock look, you know, my brother is in the Marine Corps
If he goes to war tomorrow, he's not buying his gun. He's not buying his bullets
He's not buying his armor plates and all these things. No, you don't go to warfare at your own charge
You don't have a vineyard and just not drink the wine of that vineyard
You don't sit there and milk cows every day but not drink the milk of those cows
It makes no sense
Look at verse number eight say I these things as a man or say if not the law the same also Paul's saying
Is this just my opinion am I just saying this as a man or is this not what the word of God says?
Verse 9 for it is written in the law of Moses thou shalt not
Muzzle the mouth of the ox that shred it out the corn that God take care for oxen
You know these people that don't believe in tithing
What do you expect you expect pastor Shelley to work a full-time job and pay for all the lights of pure words Baptist Church
Pay for all the expenses personally if pure words Baptist Church all the expenses personally of steadfast Baptist Church
You know between both churches alone. It's it's probably over 200 people. You really expect one man to carry that burden
That's ridiculous. It makes no sense
It's not what the Bible teaches verse 10 or say if he all together it for our sakes for our sakes
No doubt this is written that he that plow it should plow in hope and he that thresh it in
Hope should be partaker of his hope if we have sown unto you spiritual things
Is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
And that's the thing people that don't like the doctrine of tithing
Like I said, it's because they're carnal because they don't see the benefit of reaping so many
Spiritual benefits and spiritual rewards by having people that are full-time
Dedicated servants of the church and servants of God. So the pastor is that's what evangelist is
It's what a deacon is and that is a blessing and instead they all they focus on is the money
But the Bible says that if you're sowing and hope you should reap in hope
Okay verse 12 if others be partakers of this power over you are not we rather
Nevertheless, we have not used this power but suffer all things lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ
So Paul himself he didn't take a paycheck
But even though he himself didn't take a paycheck
He was preaching this doctrine that is totally biblical if he wanted to take one
It is the law of God verse 13
Do you not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple and they which wait at the altar are
Takers with the altar even so have the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel
And so it's very clear right there that those that are full-time preachers of the gospel should live of the gospel now
There's times where you know people have been in ministry and the church wasn't able to support them and they work full-time job and pastor
And that's great. I know when I went to Sure Foundation Baptist Church, that's what pastor Thompson did for a really really long time
He might even still be doing that now
I'm not exactly sure but you know if a if a full-time man of God wants to take a paycheck
there's nothing wrong with that the Bible does teach the doctrine of tithing and if you want your church to do great things for
God if you want to serve God
It might be a little bit of a cost it might be the tithe which is a tenth and honestly
It's not that bad because the Bible even promises a blessing for those that tithe go to Malachi chapter number three
Malachi chapter number three the last book of the Old Testament you find Matthew go back one book
You'll find Malachi Malachi chapter number three and look at the blessing that God promises in verse 8 says this will a man rob
God yet you have robbed me
But you say wherein have we robbed thee in tithes and offerings people are not tithing
You are cursed with a curse for you have robbed me
Even this whole nation bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in my house and prove me now
Herewith saith the Lord of hosts if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing
That there shall not be room enough to receive it
So, you know you have two options according to this chapter if you don't tithe and you rob God
You're cursed with a curse and if you do God says he's gonna pour out a blessing
But it's not just your average blessing look at verse 11
It says and I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground
You know when everyone's getting cut for kovat or whatever you're still working
God's blessing you with a job still neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field
Say at the Lord of hosts and all nations shall call you blessed
You shall be a delightsome land say at the Lord of hosts
And so honestly people are not tithing it's because they lack trust in God to bless them
But I'll tell you what it's way way better
To live off of 90% of your income with the blessing of God on your life
Then 100% of your income with God's curse on you when the medical bills come out of nowhere
And I'm not saying that if you have medical bills your curse or anything
But I'm saying the devourer God's not rebuking the devourer for your sakes when you're not tithing when rather
You can be blessed by God by living off of the 90%
you know when I first got married I was making $15 and 50 cents an hour as a
Rebar fabrication technician, you know right as I'm married in Vancouver, Washington in a very expensive place to live
And I stayed at that wage even up till having a child and guess what I never lacked anything
I never skipped a meal
I live like lived like a king compared to the rest of the world on
$15 and 50 cents an hour and guess what even though the things were tight God never forsook me and my family
And it's better to be making $15 and 50 cents an hour tithing
Than making a hundred dollars an hour and not tithing because God will curse your life by doing it
So if you want to serve God number one, hey, hi the cost of serving God could be your money
I'll read for you Matthew 6 24
It says no man can serve two masters where you will hear he either will hate the one and love the other
Or else he will hold to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and Mammon
You should not esteem your money as something being higher than God
If God gives you a commandment about what to do with your finances
You should esteem that commandment higher than your love for money
Otherwise what you're really despising is God and you're loving Mammon instead of the other way around
Number one if you want to serve God the cost could be your money. Like I said, that's the most simple one
That's the easiest one that we're gonna talk about is your money very easy
But a Luke chapter number nine the number two if you want to serve God it could also cost you your time
It cost you your time being a disciple of Christ is an everyday thing being a real Christian being a real disciple
That is an everyday thing. If you're only a Christian if you're only a disciple of Christ on Sunday morning, you're failing
You're not a real servant of God. You're not really giving God your best
Are you absolutely not you want to serve God it could cost you your time
Look at Luke chapter number 9 and look at verse 23
Jesus said and he said to them all if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross
Sometimes on Sunday mornings whenever you feel like it
No, he says daily and follow me daily and you think about the Christian life if you've read the Bible
And you know what God expects of you. There's a lot that God wants you to be doing every single day
He wants you to read his word every single day
He wants you to pray to him and have communication with God the Father every single day
We're called to be soul winners every day. There's people that have needs
There's people that you could be praying for every single day
You'd be memorizing scripture if you're a real servant of God
It's gonna take up your time and Jesus said that if you want to be his disciple
You have to deny yourself and take up your cross daily daily serving him look at Acts chapter number five
if you'll flip over to Acts chapter number five Acts chapter number five look at verse 42 it says this and
Daily in the temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ
No, we're called to be daily soul winners
I believe very strongly that it's super important to have structured soul winning times that you pick a time
Saying that's my time every week or those are my times every week to help you be a consistent soul winner
But you know God's also called us just be daily soul winners when opportunities present themselves and you have a you know
One of those divine appointments or whatever you have the repairman come over to your house
And you know strike up a conversation and you present them the gospel people get saved like that
Every day every day in this country people get saved like that and every single day
There's numbers being reported to me at steadfast Baptist Church of people preaching the gospel every single day
And I'm sure it's no different here
Why because that's what God has called us to do is to be daily in the temple and in every house
They cease not to teach and preach Jesus Christ
What an act acts chapter number 16 acts chapter number 16 and look at number look at verse number 5
This is this and so were the churches established in the faith and increased in number daily
And man, I feel like our churches are growing in number daily like every week. I'm making the bulletin
I'm like, okay another pregnancy. All right another birth. All right. Congratulations this person. Okay. Congratulations person
It's like our church is constantly growing getting visitors
I mean we're meeting in a temporary meeting space
I believe it was last Sunday and we were four people shy of
Breaking our attendance record that we had in the main building and it's just like people just being sent the address on our email list
We're almost breaking the record
Why because God is blessing our churches and our churches are increasing in number daily
But guess what when the church increases in number, you know what else increases work work to be done
Because there's more people to pray for there's more people to minister to there's more people that have issues
There's more people to make maps for there's more people to make invitations for right more work
But guess what? That's a blessing, but it is also a cost
It is a cost of serving God by giving up of your time and it's not only you know
The full-time employees that should be putting their time into the ministry
It should be all of us because everybody should be a full-time minister of Jesus Christ
Everyone should be a full-time disciple a full-time servant of God and there's not a lack of work to be done in the ministry
There's plenty of work to do but you need to be willing to pay that cost of your time verse go to one page over to
The right acts 17 acts 17 look at verse 11
It says this acts 17 11 these were more noble than those in Thessalonica
And that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures
Daily whether those things were so you want to know what the problem is with so many Christians in America is
Because they do not read their Bible the reason why people are filling up Joel Osteen's Church
The reason why Billy Graham meets reached millions if not billions of people the reason why all these horrible false prophets are
Thriving in our country is because people don't read the Bible
But God says that it's noble when those hear the word of God preach, but they search the scriptures
Daily whether those things are so and guess what that's gonna cost
That's gonna cost your time to actually take the word of God serious enough so that when you hear something preach
You don't just accept it immediately as gospel truth without verifying it in the word of God
That's what I love so much about the new IFB style churches
Is that the preaching is just full of Bible and there's people in the room that love the word of God and read the Bible themselves
There's just your average layman seems like knows so much Bible in our types of churches and that's a blessing
But guess what? It's also a cost. It's also a cost if someone knows the Bible really well
It's because they paid the cost of lots and lots of time lots and lots of time. It takes a lot of time
I believe it takes 90 hours to read the Bible cover to cover one time 90 hours and you think about you know
Some pastors that have read the Bible just scores and scores and scores and scores and scores of times
They spent thousands of hours reading the Bible. That's you know, that's a big cost, but there's a big blessing to it
Isn't there right and every single time you have to pay something to serve God there is a reward there is a blessing
It may not be the carnal blessing that the false prophets love to tell you about but it will be a spiritual blessing
It'll be a better blessing than money or anything else like that
Go to 2nd Corinthians chapter number 11 2nd Corinthians chapter number 11 and Paul
He's talking about all the things that he's been through in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11
He's talking about how he was stoned shipwrecked beaten with rods
He went through all these horrible things and he's gonna conclude his list in verse number
28 of all the things that he's going through says this
Besides those things that are without he's saying so besides just all those things
I just listed for you getting beaten up getting persecuted. He says that which cometh upon me
There's that word again daily the care of all the churches
So when Paul is listing for us just how crazy his life is and how insane his life is one thing
He's sure not to leave out is the administration and the care of all the churches that he planted because not only is he just dealing with
All of this horrible persecution. He's also dealing with the daily administration of the churches
And why why do I bring this up because this insinuates that Paul thought hey, this is a lot of work, too
Like I know I'm being persecuted. I know I'm getting beaten up. Here's something else
That's a lot of work is the care of all the churches, right and Paul
I mean, he was just a superstar starting churches left and right he had tons of churches to care for but that just teaches us
that the ministry is a lot of work ministry is a lot of work and
Every single person is welcome and invited to take part in that work, right?
You could be a blessing to people you could be reading your Bible
You could be praying, you know
We always have the meal trains going on for people that are either going through a rough time or people that just had a baby
People that are sick or something like that. There's always a way to minister to people
There's always a way to be doing work in the ministry. And if you want to serve God, it's gonna cost you
Yes your money, but also it'll cost you your time. It will cost you your time. But like I said, there's a great benefit
There's a great blessing if you pay that price go to Matthew chapter number four
I said number one serving God will cost you your money number two serving God will cost you your time
Here's another thing that serving God just might cost you it could cost you your worldly aspirations and your goals
It could cost you to set aside your worldly aspirations your dreams the things that you wanted to do carnally
Fleshly in this in this world God might just ask you to sacrifice that to pay that price for service of him
Not everyone necessarily, but that may be something that God asks from you Matthew chapter number four
Look at verse 18 and Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee saw two brethren Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother
Casting a net into the sea but they were fishers and he saith unto them
Follow me and I will make you fishers of men now think about this
You know Peter and his brother Andrew think about this. They had a business and that business was fishing, right?
You have to think they've probably spent a lot of time, you know investigating what are the right fishing areas, right?
They've invested a lot of money into their boats and into their tackle gear
They've put all this time and thought and energy probably set up a place in the marketplace to sell their fish
I mean, that's how you make money fishing, right?
You know, they probably set up their clientele and they have their connections they have this big business and Jesus says hey guys
I know you spent your whole life building this business. I know you spent all your capital
Investing into all these things, but I want you to just forsake it all right now and follow me. Wow, that's a lot
That's a lot to ask isn't it?
Everything that these men had been spending their lives doing he says I want you to leave it right now and look at their response
In verse 20 and they straight way left their nets and followed him. They didn't think twice. They're like, okay
That's the price. That's the cost that God wants me to pay to serve him is my worldly aspirations
My goals my business that I've spent my life building. Okay
I'm straightway leaving it right now Jesus
Because when you're faced with the Lord Jesus Christ and an opportunity to serve him and you compare that to anything else in this world
Everything else is done. Everything else is garbage. Nothing else matters
And so if you're ever faced with that opportunity to serve God, it doesn't matter how big of a business you've built
It doesn't matter what a great job you've had
It doesn't matter all the goals and aspirations that you set in your life if God is asking you to pay that for him
Just pay it just straightway. Leave those nets straightway. Leave those nets, you know
There's a lot of young men that grow up and they want to be professional athletes, right? That's their that's their goal
That's their worldly aspirations, right? But here's my question. If you're a major league baseball player
How are you gonna be in church three times a week when you have a hundred and fifty two games a season?
You're playing baseball every day. They get like one day off. How are you gonna do that?
How are you gonna play in the NFL and be in church on Sunday when guess when you play Sundays?
How are you gonna do that? How are you gonna do that? You're not so look if that's your worldly aspirations
That's your goals. God wants you to sacrifice that for him
God wants you to pay that price to no longer chase after those things in service of him
You know sometimes young ladies, you know, they spend their whole life in the world
let's say that that you know, they didn't grow up in a Christian home or they just grew up unsaved and
What does the world tell every woman that they need to do you need to go to college?
You need to get a good career. You need to become a CEO, you know, and sometimes ladies they'll go to college
They'll spend hundred thousand dollars over a hundred thousand dollars in college debt and they'll get out of college and they'll get saved and Jesus says
Hey, sweetheart. I have I have something I need you to sacrifice because the Bible says I'll read for you in first Timothy 514
It says I will therefore that the younger women marry bare children
Guide the house give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully for some are already turned aside after Satan
God's will the Lord Jesus Christ's will for young ladies is not that they go to college
It's not that they work in the workforce and work their way up the corporate ladder
God's will is that they stay home that they guide the house that they bear children that they love their husbands love their children
That's what God's goal. That's what God's will is for them. Now. Here's the thing young ladies
They might have had this aspiration their whole life and they might have literally spent thousands of dollars chasing that
But what if ladies Jesus came up to you and just said hey forsake your nets right now
Would you would you have enough character?
Would you have enough love for God like Peter and Andrew and would you just straightway forsake those nets?
What if and what if Peter and Andrew just said no you think there would have been enough you think there would have been as
Much work done for God in the book of Acts without the Apostle Peter. I mean he was building these churches
He was a pastor and he was building these churches. He was preaching great and powerful sermons in the book of Acts
What if he was fishing instead garbage and there was a time in his life where he did go back to fishing
He did quit the ministry, right? But he was backslidden, but Jesus said hey, you know, do you love me Peter?
Why don't you go feed my sheep? You know, you forsook your nets the first time don't go back to it
You straightway forsook the nets Peter, you know, you had a good heart
Why don't you go back to just eating my sheep?
Because like I said, that's the only thing that matters serving God is the only thing that matters and your worldly goals and your
Aspirations in light of anything that God asks you to do is absolutely nothing
I'll read for you Psalm 37 for it says this
Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart
And I'm saying this point not because I think that God wants every person to give up every worldly aspiration and goal
I don't believe that's the case, you know
because God says that he can give you the desires of your heart if you serve him and if you delight yourself in the Lord God
can choose to give you the desires of your heart and some people God has blessed with finances and
Successful businesses and they work in the career that they love and they live in the place that they love
God not might necessarily want you to live in the perfect place that you love
He might want you to live in the place where the work of Jesus Christ is being done
He might want you to be working in the job
That he wants you to do so that you could do the most work for him go to Matthew chapter number four again
Look at verse 21. It says this and going on from this
He saw other two brethren James the son of Zebedee and John his brother in a ship with Zebedee their father
Mending their nets and he called them so same thing these people are fishermen is with they're with their father
Jesus calls them and what does it say and they immediately left the ship and their father and
Following and followed him so James and John they not only forsook the business they forsook family
They forsook living with family and you know
This is something that a lot of people have done in the in the new IFB is they've moved from far distances to go to a church
Where they can serve God better, you know
If you're living in the middle of Montana and there's no great church to go to you might need to move to Boise
Idaho and go to Shield of Faith Baptist Church, right?
You're living in the middle of Podunk, Oregon
You need to go up to Vancouver, Washington Portland area and you need to go to Sure Foundation Baptist Church, right?
That might be what God's will is for you. You know, this church is all over this country now. Thank God
It's becoming more and more people aren't having to move as far these men
They left their father and that would be hard because doesn't everyone all right, maybe not everyone
Okay, most people don't they wanted to live in the same area as mom and dad have the grandparents around
Doesn't that sound good for a lot of people it does. I understand a lot of people like no get me far away
Okay, but for a lot of people that sounds great. And hey God may want you to have that God may allow you to have that
God may give you that desire of your heart
But he may also ask you to sacrifice that in service of him and think about foreign missionaries think about evangelists
Matthew Stuckey from Verde Baptist Church
You know, I guarantee you his mom and his dad and his uncles and his cousins
They don't live in Manila in the Philippines, right? He had to sacrifice that he had to leave father and mother
He had to leave his family to go do that
But if no one was willing to do that, would we even have any foreign missionaries?
No, we need some people that are willing to leave their will worldly goals and their aspirations to pay that price to serve God
But guess what? God's gonna bless that greatly. I thank God that Verity Baptist Church of Manila exists because they have gotten
Thousands probably tens of thousands of people saved since that church was started
What if brother Matthew stuck? He said he didn't want to do it. Would that work have been done?
Possibly not someone was willing to pay that price someone was willing to sacrifice their worldly aspirations and their goals for Jesus Christ
Right and here's the thing people use this phrase, you know, they usually use it in the context of salvation when you ask them
Hey, what do you need to do to be saved and they'll say give your life to Christ now in light of salvation
That's not a good thing to say because you don't have to give your life to Christ to be safe
You have to trust in Jesus Christ to be saved
You have to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved, but let me tell you outside of the context of salvation
That's a great saying give your life to Christ
Decide that your will is going to match up with God's will for your life that you're gonna submit yourself that Lord
You know not my will but thine be done. Yeah Lord
I may have had this worldly goal and aspiration, but if you're asking me to sacrifice it in service of you
I'll do it give your life to Christ. I'm okay with that saying in that context
It's a great saying in that context Matthew 16 verse 24
Matthew 16 verse 24 Jesus said then said Jesus unto his disciples
if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me for
Whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it for what is a man?
Profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul
or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul and every single person in this world is so
Focused on just saving their precious life and just building their life and just finding their life
But Jesus says why don't you just lose that vain stuff? Why don't you just lose your vain life?
Why don't you not care about trying to find and keep and save your life?
Why don't you just lose it for my sakes because what is it profited if you gain the whole world?
What does it profit if you have all your worldly dreams and you accomplish nothing for God? What is it accomplished?
What is it accomplished? Oh, I have my dream of living on a farm out in the middle of nowhere
And my kids don't go to church and my kids don't get saved and my kids don't marry anyone saved
What does that profit rather?
You know
You could live in the dirty ghetto of Houston, Texas and come to a church where the Word of God is being preached
Where your family can grow where your kids could grow up and love God you could pay that price for Jesus Christ
Is that not worth it? That's you know, I love the song anywhere Jesus goes. I'll follow him follow follow. I will follow Jesus
Everywhere anywhere. I will follow on that's the attitude you should have
You know people have their preferences of where they like to live and you should live in a place that you like to live
Maybe God wants you to have that but maybe he doesn't maybe he wants you to live in the Philippines
Maybe he wants you to go to Mexico. Maybe he wants you to go to another country
He may ask that of you. Would you be willing to pay that price if God asked you?
Here's another cost to serving God another cost may be being shame being shamed for Jesus Christ
Go to Matthew chapter number 10 Matthew chapter number 10 Matthew 10
This is the Beatitudes says in verse 10. I'm sorry Matthew 5 10 blessed
Are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven notice?
It does not say blessed are you when everything is easy when everything's going smoothly when everything's going good
He says blessed are you when you're being persecuted for Jesus's sake verse 11 blessed?
Are ye when men shall revile now that word revile is not something that we use commonly in our English vernacular
But I looked up the definition of this word. That's what it says to assail with contemptuous or
outrageously disgraceful or shameful language to address or to speak of abusively
So Jesus saying blessed are you when people just use outrageously?
Disgraceful or shameful language speaking about you or they talk about you in just a completely abusive manner saying
That's a blessing not blessing when everyone loves you blessing when people revile you and persecute you and shall say all
manner of evil against you falsely for my name's sake rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for
So persecuted they the prophets which were before you he said your response
When you're reviled should be that you rejoice that you're happy that you're excited
But not only that he takes it to another level he's like and be exceeding glad like you just need to be like
Bubbling out with joy when people revile you what yeah, that's what Jesus said why remember?
This is the price that you pay this is the cost of serving God is shame
But what happens when you pay that price for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted?
They the prophets which were before you you know you're standing in the same company as
Moses and Abraham and Jeremiah and Isaiah and Daniel and all these prophets and of course the Lord Jesus Christ ultimately
Who is hated by this world who was reviled by this world who was despised by this world who was shamed?
by this world and paying that price of shame will get you great rewards in heaven and you know
This definitely reminds me a lot of what steadfast Baptist Church is going through right now
Because everywhere you look you look at what the community is saying about pastor Shelley and steadfast Baptist Church, and I'm thinking yeah
You know it's outrageously disgraceful or shameful language, right?
They just think that we are the scum of the earth and they think pastor Shelley is a cult leader
And you know they hold signs saying steadfast Baptist Church wants to stone their children. It's like what?
What are you talking about? It's like kill all gamers. It's like said no one ever. What are you talking about, right?
Just reviling us making all sorts of false accusations about us, right?
But look that might be the price that God has asked us to pay as a church is being shame now
Here's the thing every single peer person will be shamed every single person will be shamed
But you get the choice of who you want to decide to be ashamed in front of you want to be ashamed in front of
Sodomites in front of your neighbors in front of maybe your family in front of this world
Or do you want to be ashamed in front of God because what does the Bible say?
I'll read for you in Mark 838
This is this whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful
Generation of him also shall the son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his father with the holy angels
That's the choice you get to choose
Do you want to be reviled and ashamed in front of the world or do you want to be?
Reviled and ashamed in front of God
That's the choice that you get to make and it's sad that I see so many Christians today where it feels like most
Christians are deciding that they'd rather be ashamed in front of God. They don't want to stand with the Bible
They don't want to stand with Leviticus. They don't want to stand with Romans chapter 1
They don't want to stand with the man of God that has just been preaching the Bible. They'd rather stand with sodomites
They'd rather stand with Satanists. They'd rather stand with people that don't believe the Word of God as
Christians against those that are preaching the truth and those people are going to be ashamed in front of Jesus Christ
And you know what pastor Shelley is gonna be blessed greatly even though he's hated and despised in this world
You know what he's not gonna be in shame in front of Jesus. Praise God for that
Go to 1st Corinthians chapter number four 1st Corinthians chapter number four verse 9
Paul said this for I think that God hath set forth us the Apostles last as it were appointed to death
For we are made a and notice this world word
Spectacle unto the world and to angels and to men Paul said you want to look at us Apostles
You want to take a look into our life?
Let me tell you what our life is life like our life is like a spectacle our life is like an
Entertainment show to this world people look at us and it's just a big show
Everyone's laughing at us people are you know, they're throwing the rotten tomatoes at us. They're reviling us
They're speaking evil of us. It's like we're a spectacle to the world
That's what his life was like verse 10 for we are fools for Christ's sake, but you're wise in Christ
We are weak, but you are strong you are honorable, but we are despised
So the leader, you know is going through a lot at the expense of his followers
He's being made a fool so that his followers could be wise, right? He's getting yelled at by the world
He's getting yelled at by the protesters so that his congregation can know the Word of God and have the blessing of the Word of God
Right verse 11 even unto this present hour
We both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place now, of course, you know right now
We're nowhere near the level persecution that Paul went for you know
I could kind of identify with some of it having no certain dwelling place, right? That's steadfast baptist church right now
No certain dwelling place. Hey, but it's nice to be in some good company
If people have been through that before right and like I said, we're nowhere near the level persecution that he's gone through
But it's nice to at least identify with one of those things
Praise God for that rejoice be exceeding glad verse 12 and labor working with our own hands being reviled
We bless being persecuted. We suffer it being defamed. We entreat
We are made as the filth of the world and are the off scouring of all things unto this day
People look at the Apostle Paul. He said you want to know what people think of me. They think I'm the filth of the world
I'm the off scouring of all things people call me the scum of the earth
Right, isn't that the same type of things people say about pastor Shelley about said fast?
I'm sure it's about your pastor here, right?
But guess what? That's that's a cost to serving God
That's a price that may that God may ask you to pay and serving him is being shamed verse 14
I write not these things to shame you but as my beloved sons
I warn you right and and I'm not preaching about all the things that have happened to steadfast Baptist Church to shame you
Because you guys haven't gone through it yet
I'm warning you because it will happen to you guys as well
It will happen to you guys and you have to decide right now
You know, is that the price that I'm willing to pay am I willing to walk into church every Sunday?
Every Wednesday in front of a crowd of sodomites yelling at me
Am I willing to suffer that shame for Jesus sell it right now because it's gonna happen to you guys
Guarantee you it will happen to you guys. It will suffer persecution
Why because this church is God like the Bible promises verse 14
But though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ yet have you not many fathers for in Christ Jesus
I have begotten you through the Gospels the gospel wherefore I beseech you be he followers of me Paul saying hey
Here's all the things I'm going through. Here's all the things I'm doing. And so now I'm beseeching you to follow me
And we should be following men that have suffered shame for Jesus Christ
Following in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul following in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus Christ
Following in the step in the footsteps of our pastor, you know our earthly leader here in this church
Following in his footsteps as he follows Christ. That's what the Bible says
What's another thing that's serving God may cost you go to Acts chapter number four
Acts chapter number four and we talked about your money talked about your time talked about your worldly aspirations and your goals
Talked about being shamed some things that serving God will or may cost you
Here's another thing that serving God may cost you your freedom serving God may literally cost you your freedom now
Not every single person but this is something that you can go through look at Acts chapter number four Acts 4 look at verse 14
So they had just healed this man. It says and beholding the man which was healed standing with them
They could say nothing against it
But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council they conferred among themselves saying what shall we do?
To these men for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is
Manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it the Jews here
They see that Peter and John they healed this man. They did this great miracle and they're conferring. They're conspiring
What are we gonna do about this? We can't deny that this happened
We know that it's happening. But what are we going to do about it? Look at verse number 17
But that it spread no further among the people let us straightly threaten them that they speak
Henceforth to no man in this in this name. So what are they doing right now? Censorship, right? This is censorship
This is cancel culture. This is okay, you know, we had they have this message. Their message is true
We can't do anything to stop it, right? We can't just deny that this happened. But what should we do?
Let's just threaten them and just tell them to shut up. Maybe if we just take them out of their building
They'll shut up. Maybe if we just bring lawsuits after them
Maybe they'll just shut their mouths verse 18 and they called them and commanded them not to speak at all
Nor teach in the name of Jesus. It's like okay
It's time to de-platform you from YouTube. It's time to take away your online giving. It's time to kick you out of your building
We are going to shut your mouths. We are going to threaten you. Shut up Peter. Shut up, Paul
Stop preaching in the name of Jesus. That's what these guys are doing threatening them
We know what that's like verse 19
But Peter and John answered and said unto them whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you
More than unto God judge ye this is funny to me
He's like you you need to figure this one out on your own whether you think that I should obey you or God
I'll just let you figure that okay verse 20 for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard
So when they had further threatened them they let them go finding nothing for all men glorified God for that
Which was done for the man was above 40 years old on whom this miracle of healing was showed and being let go
They went to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them now at this point in the story
This is where real Christians are right now in America the threatening the canceling the censorship all of those things
this is where Christianity is right now, but I have to warn you the next level of
Persecution if persecution is going to increase at all it has to get physical
It has to get physical because all of these things that happen to them
We've already seen all these things in our in our nation, right and people are trying to pass laws about hate speech right?
You got countries like Germany where hate speech actually is a law you could have one literally, right?
And so this world is changing rapidly everyone's getting on board with this idea of hate speech
I would be shocked if in my lifetime. I did not see the United States of America have hate speech laws
I'd be shocked right it's probably going to happen
But the next level of persecution is physical now all this threatening and all this canceling and all this censorship
Did this stop the Apostles absolutely not and it's not going to stop the gospel of Jesus Christ
We know the Bible says that before the end comes the gospel is going to go all around the world, right?
Yeah, us out of a building is not going to stop the God or 17
Acts I'm sorry acts chapter 5
I believe x5 x4 17 then the high priest rose up and all
they that were with him which is the sect of the Sadducees and were filled with indignation and
Laid their hands on the Apostles and put them in the common prison
So what happened after the threatening after the counts the canceling after the censorship?
What was the next level of persecution laying their hands on them and putting them in prison?
This may or may not happen in our lifetime
But it may be that God price of serving him by actually losing our freedom
That could be a reality in our lifetime. I'm not preaching this to scare anyone
I'm preaching this so that you can ready your heart to realize just decide beforehand if that is a price
You're willing to pay or not for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'll read for you Isaiah 29 19
It says this the meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel
For the terrible one is brought to naught and the scorner is consumed and all that watch for iniquity are cut off
What are these scorners do it says that make a man an offender for a word?
that's what these scorers do they make someone a criminal for a word that they speak for the things that they say and
They lay a snare for him that reprove it in the gate
they want to set up laws so that the person that reproves in the gate from the Word of God is now an offender is now a
Criminal is now a lawbreaker and turn aside the just for a thing of not
This is something the Bible talks about and when we see it all over the news when we see it being
You know talked about in all of America's big corporations and in other governments worldwide the idea of hate speech
Look, we are approaching a day where in America
You'll be an offender for a word where you'll be an offender for reproving in the gate out of the King James Bible
That is what we are approaching in our country and you have to ready your heart right now to see if that is something that you
Would be willing to pay and I don't I don't stand up here preaching saying oh, I definitely would pay that price
I would have no problem. No, I'm a sinner just like everyone else and I need to pray that I would have the boldness
Also to be willing to pay that price. I'm not saying before you say oh, I for sure would pay that price
No, we all need to have a humble view of ourselves and realize
You know what? I'm a sinner and I need to pray that I would have boldness right and not just say oh yeah
I for sure I for sure would pay that price no
But we still need to preach it and we still need to talk about it because it is a possible reality that we may face
But act 16 act 16 act 16 verse number 16
It says and it came to pass as we went to prayer a certain damsel
Possessed with a spirit of divination met us which brought her masters much gained by sooth saying the same followed Paul and us and cried saying
These men are the servants of the most high God which show unto us the way of salvation and this did she many days
But Paul being grieved turned and said the spirit I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her
He came out the same hour and winter master saw that the hope of their gains was gone
They caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the marketplace
Unto the rulers and brought them to the magistrate saying these men being Jews do exceedingly trouble our city
So, you know Paul rebukes this demon possessed soothsayer and they're saying oh man these this Paul
They're exceedingly trouble our city, right? They're just troublemakers and teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive
That's a lie neither to observe being Romans liar false accuser
there's 22 and the multitude rose up together against them and the magistrates rent off their clothes and
Commanded to beat them see the threatening has already been done the threatening the canceling has already been done
So, you know what the next level was imprisonment
You know the next level was beating them physically verse 23 when they had laid many stripes upon them
They cast them into prison
charging the jailer to keep them safely who having received such a charge thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in
The stocks, you know what just like canceling Christians didn't work just like threatening them just like beating them
Guess what putting them in prison isn't gonna work either
Because the Lord's about to perform a miracle and get Paul out of prison and guess what the gospel's still gonna go out throughout
The whole world and you could try to imprison every member of steadfast Baptist Church
You could try to imprison every member of pure words Baptist Church and there's still Christians all over this world
That'll be preaching the gospel. It will not stop the gospel
But it may be the price that God has asked you to pay it may be the price that God asked me to pay some
Will you be ready to pay that price?
Will you be willing to pay that price go to Matthew chapter number 24 things that God might ask you to?
Pay things that might cost you to serve God. We talked about money talked about time talked about your worldly
aspirations and your goals. We talked about being shamed. We talked about your freedom
You know something else that God may ask you to lay down on the altar for the service of him could be your very life
The Bible does talk about this and we live in America and we live in prosperity and you know
A lot of people in this country. They've never seen what chaos looks like. They've never seen
Babylon go through anything hard. We live such ridiculously easy lavish lives in America
Everyone just has their iPhone and their Starbucks coffee every day and America just sits a queen and thinks that they'll see no sorrow
It's pretty much only people that are foreign missionaries or veterans of foreign wars that have ever seen what this world is really like
But you know what?
God someday may change that in America and God someday may ask you literally to lay down your life for him
Matthew chapter number 24 look at verse 4 Jesus answered and said unto them take heed that no man deceive you for many shall
Come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many and ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars
See that ye be not troubled for all these things must come to pass
But the end is not yet by the way don't be all troubled about hearing about you know Ukraine and Russia right now
It's happening, but but don't freak out don't be troubled because these things have to happen for the end the rapture is not happening tomorrow
Okay, after is not happening in a week from now
Okay
For sure verse 7 for nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there shall be famines
Pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places all these are the beginning of sorrows the beginning of sorrows that first part of the tribulation
The whole world's going through that together all of humanity is going through that together
but then it says this then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and
Shall kill you and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake
and so realize that if threatening us if censoring us if
Cancelling us doesn't stop us and it won't and if beating us and imprisoning us won't stop us
And it won't the next level of persecution after that that Christians will face some day is death
That is a reality that is a reality that is coming to this world, and I don't know if it's gonna be in my lifetime
I don't know if it's gonna be in your lifetime
But this is a reality that is coming someday and whatever generation of Christians that are around need to prepare their hearts
Need to take serving God seriously and need to realize that your very life
Maybe something that God asks you to pay the very cost of serving God could be your life
I'll read for you Revelation 13 7
It says this and it was given unto him the Antichrist to make war with the Saints and to overcome them
He's going to win in this short battle and power
Was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him
Whose names are not written in the book of life of the lamb
slain from the foundation of the world you think about it during the Great Tribulation when the Antichrist is in power and
The government is literally hunting down and seeking to kill Christians and on top of you being hunted down
You also can't buy or sell anything
Unless you have a mark in your right hand or in your forehead
Which the Bible teaches that Christians will not be able to take that mark
You'll not be able to worship the Antichrist will not be able to worship the devil to receive that mark
So think about how hard it would be to survive
You're on the run people are trying to kill you and you can't buy food. You can't buy clothes
You can't buy guns. You can't buy ammo right be a really hard time to survive
That's why you know the Bible talks about how those days have to be shortened for the elect's sake
Otherwise, no flesh would be safe
You wouldn't be able to last that long and I believe very strongly that there's gonna be some people some Christians that survive the entire great
Tribulation but guess what a lot a lot a lot of Christians are going to die in the great tribulation
And guess what not even in just the great tribulation because did you realize that there's been other times?
Christians were persecuted in the past where they were killed and it wasn't the great tribulation
You realize that there's Christians in parts of the world today that are being killed and we're not in the great tribulation
So guess what those people the cost of serving God to them was literally their life and that could be for us, too
Yes, even in America. Yes, even in Babylon
You also could maybe have to pay that price
Would you be willing go to Revelation chapter number two Revelation chapter number two?
Look at verse 10 fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer
Behold the devil shall be shall cast some of you into prison that we talked about that you may be tried
And you shall have tribulation ten days be thou faithful
Unto death and I will give thee a crown of life just like every other thing
We've talked about this morning when there's a cost to serving God
There's a reward and God said hey, don't be afraid of these things be faithful unto death
Be willing to pay that price for Jesus Christ
Why cuz there's a reward coming the crown of life and you know what it would really suck to get beheaded for Jesus
It would really suck to have to be put to death. Well, you know, it'd be pretty cool a crown of life
I'd be pretty cool. Hey a better resurrection. That'd be pretty cool
It doesn't necessarily sound fun to have to pay that price
But guess what the reward sounds fun and for some people, you know, maybe it doesn't sound fun for them to tithe to a local church
But the reward of God blessing you sounds fun
Maybe some people giving of your time to the ministry doesn't sound that fun, but God blessing you sounds fun
Maybe people don't want to give up their worldly aspirations. They don't want to be shamed. They don't want to be beaten
They don't want to be in prison. They don't want to be put to death
Hey, no one wants to go through anything bad, right? We're human beings. We love our own flesh. We love ourselves, right?
No one wants to go through those things but God may ask you to go through them and he's not gonna just not reward you for it
There'll be a great reward for it
And I guarantee you that none of the prophets none of the men of God that we read about in the Bible that went through
Horrible sad things none of them are regretting that they went through that right now in heaven being rewarded being comforted by the Lord
Jesus Christ, you know
You're not gonna regret dying for Jesus if that's something that God asks you to do and it's not something that's necessarily fun to talk about
But it is a reality that someday Christians will face
Let's go to Hebrews 11. This would be the last place that we look at Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith
This should be a very fitting chapter to end the sermon on this topic
Hebrews chapter 11 verse 32 says this and what shall I more say for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of
Barak Samson and of Jephthah of David also and Samuel and of the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms wrought
righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of lions quenched the violence of fire
Escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turn to flight
The armies of the aliens women received their dead raised to life again. That's a lot of successes
That's a lot of great things that those people did right, but you know, it's not all success
Here's the next one. Others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection
Hey being tortured doesn't sound fun being tortured does not sound fun
But obtaining a better resurrection sounds great doesn't it? Right and so strengthen your hearts today
Read the Bible today and realize that God has promised us a great reward for paying the price to serve him
Let's keep reading verse 36 and others had a trial of cruel mockings and scourgings. There's that shame we talked about, right?
Yeah, moreover of bonds and imprisonment. There's that prison. I'm not just making these things up
These are things that Christians have gone through in the past verse 37. They were stoned. They were sawn asunder
That's rough of all the ways to go really being cut in half. This is the Bible, you know
Oh, don't talk about that. There's kids in here. This is the Word of God. This is the pure Word of God
Okay telling us what happened. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword
They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute
Conflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth
And these all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise, God having provided
Something better some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect
So, you know, I've repeated myself several times
But I want I want you to get this in your head that none of these things sound fun and they will never sound fun
It's not like when you're actually going through the tribulation. It's gonna be like, oh, I really just want to die today
Really just want to get sawed asunder really just want to get my head chopped off. No one thinks that's fun, right?
But the rewards are great the rewards of serving God are great
Whether it's something as just small and meaningless as your money
You know why I said now at the beginning of the sermon that your money is the easiest thing
I mean, which one would you rather sacrifice your money or your life?
It's a lot easier and let me just tell you this right now
If you don't I don't even pretend like you're gonna stand strong in the tribulation
Can't even just be trusted with the least things just the filthy unrighteous mammon
You can't even be faithful to God in that and you think you're gonna be faithful unto death. That's a joke
That's a joke. You can't even sacrifice your time to serve God
You can't even be in church three times a week
You can't even go so many once a week you and you think you're gonna stand faithful unto death during the tribulation
Absolutely not you know what right now is the time to be building your character
Be building your fortitude to be building your strength by sacrificing those littler things those smaller things that God's already asked you to sacrifice
So that hopefully someday you could have the character and the strength to sacrifice bigger thing being in prison being beaten or being killed
Right and here's the thing. I just want to repeat this again. I'm not preaching this saying
Oh, I'm so strong, and I'm gonna go through all these things
I don't know if I'll have that strength
And you don't know and so one of the takeaways you can get from the sermon is that you need to be praying for each other
You need to be praying for your pastor
You need to be praying for yourself that you will have the strength to actually be faithful unto death
Right and our and as we go on in our world gets worse and worse and are we hear about stories of our brothers and Christ going?
Through hard things pray for them don't forget to pray for them because you might be put in that situation someday, too
And you're gonna want someone praying for you for strength these things are real
We read in Hebrews chapter 11 there are things that have actually happened before and there's things that are gonna happen again
And in fact the the one that we're gonna go through if we live through the tribulation
It's gonna be like unlike any persecution the world's ever seen so we need to be strong
And we need to be praying for each other and we need to be doing those little those smaller things
To gain strength to gain character to gain fortitude closing a word of prayer Lord
Thank you so much this day and thank you so much for your word Lord
Thank you that you've given us the opportunity to serve you and to sacrifice things in our life to serve you
I pray that every single person in here would be willing to sacrifice
Anything that you would ask of them in order to serve you I pray that we would all be reading your word
So that we even know what it is that you want from us God
I pray that we would always submit our will to yours and I pray that you please just strengthen us
Strengthen our pastor
Strengthen fellow pastors that are around the world
pray that you would just strengthen them that they'd be willing to face persecution and not change not stop preaching the word of God and
Even if it's necessary Lord to be faithful unto death for your service and in Jesus name. We pray amen