266 my faith has found a resting place
I think you guys can pass one out, I think there's still back there, but today is September 17th,
today's my mom's birthday and then we have our service time right there on the left,
Sunday morning 10 30 a.m, Sunday evening 4 30 p.m and Wednesday service 5 30 p.m
and then we have our sole winning times Sunday 2 p.m
And we've had a really consistent soul-winning group every Sunday.
And so I just want to say that that's really encouraging.
I want to say keep it up.
I'm really grateful for that for many years.
It was just like me and whoever was available on Sunday,
whether it was just Mike or Trey.
So I mean, if that was it, then that's all we would do.
But I'm so grateful that there's so many more.
No.
And then we found a new way to do it also with that on TV.
I'm going to write out a couple of, I guess, instructions or just a way to do it.
And then we'll probably do that like maybe once every two months or so.
And we'll get that, do it.
And then our memory chapter is Philippians 1.
And this week's verse is Philippians 1-5,
for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.
Just keep in mind we are family integrated church. We love the children. We're not going to separate them from the parents
If you get a little bit out of hand, then that's the only time I would ask you to take them to the mother baby room
And that's exactly what it is. It's the mother baby room
And then we've had for birthdays there if your birthday or anniversary is not on the bulletin
Just let me know and I can add it to the next week's bulletin and then the upcoming activities
Obviously, I've been gone for a while. So this is kind of we had some and then they all fell by the wayside
But what I'll do is I'll try to put the last quarter of the year
What just so you guys know what's coming down the pipe. I'm probably gonna reach out to
all the families individually.
I'll reach out to the men and just see what things
that they can do.
A couple of things that I've got,
that I've had in the top of my mind
that I'd like to do to close out the year is,
number one, I like to do a soul winning seminar or school
just to kind of bring everybody up to speed.
We've had so many new people,
just to know where everybody's at,
if there's anything we need to address
in the soul winning efforts.
And that also gave me an opportunity to organize the soul winning a little bit better.
I know we're going out, but it is a little disorganized.
We don't have maps.
We don't really have an area we're tackling.
When I first started soul winning here, we did have something like that, but as people
faded out, it was just like one or two people wasn't really worth all that effort.
But now we need to do that.
And then the second thing is I know a couple I want to do a couple activities for the women and for the children and for the men
Shooting I know we talked about I try to do that in the first quarter of the year
But it didn't work out maybe something along like the lines of shooting maybe something like a group activity
bowling or
Skating it's the fall. So there's gonna be a lot of little fall festivals
We might even just rent out a bunch of stuff and just do it right here with cookout. I don't really know what that looks like
But now that we have more people and I can lean on some of the families, we'll do that.
And then I do want to get us on the schedule, but I need to make sure I have all the church
members involved.
I want to invite more of the preacher friends of ours.
I just don't like doing all of it, because if somebody's not back there to man the thing
If that's the way it has to be, that's the way it has to be.
But if we can find a little bit better,
that's kind of what I'm thinking.
Then we just have some general rules there.
The big one, you know, I know the kids forget,
but kids, I don't mind the running on that side,
but let's try to keep it.
Not here just because we don't want to run into people that are in between the pews and after the service
Now that the weather is nicer if if you guys want to go out. I understand in Houston summer
I wouldn't you know even when we were a kid. We wanted to be inside our parents kept us out
But it was hot so I completely understand that
You know and the only thing clean up after yourselves your kids and you know just I think all the other
announcements are there
We do have, I did tell you, we're at 208 souls, one for the year, so that's really great.
We're looking forward to many more, and then I did update the prayer request, so on the
next bulletin that'll be updated correctly, and I think I even made the corrections.
Somebody told me, what was it, was it the mother baby room?
Did somebody tell me that I misspelled something somewhere?
Was that U-liberty?
Oh yeah, one-month-er. Thank you. I knew you were talking about one-month-er. Yeah, we have availability for your family for just one month. That's it. After that, it's over. I don't want to see you here anymore. 288.
288 let's turn over to 288
So we're gonna be back in our study in the book of Ecclesiastes, so that's where we'll be Ecclesiastes for today
288 leaning on the everlasting arms, and then I think we'll have the last guest creature next week brother Philip will be back
You helped me and oh, that's what it was. I think from now I can pause that on Monday
Yeah, so Sunday was rough. So Sunday, I don't know how I made it. So after I preached on Sunday morning, I
Actually like was nauseous and tired. I didn't even want to come back to church. I was so
Exhausted and pain and then I preached. I remember I put the then I got home and I felt even worse
And then somewhere between like six and nine I just started to feel better and then I went to bed
I slept a full night and it almost feels like I'm a hundred like I feel a hundred percent until I start moving my arm
And then I'm like oh, I'm reminded but that's now I'm in the danger zone where now I feel normal
And I got to remind myself with pain that I'm good
So thank you for the prayers because I'm actually now on the upside of the thing
I think I can now go back to three week times a week
wholeheartedly, I don't foresee any more issues.
So that being said, the Lord is the one in charge,
so he can change those things.
So I'm just telling you, that's my thought.
I don't know what the Lord's gonna do.
I wasn't planning on breaking my color, but also,
just, you know, that's the things that happened.
But 288, leaning on the everlasting arms,
288 on the first.
and secure
416 and just I didn't want to update because we were supposed to represent and obviously we weren't
able to this time but God willing we'll be able to do next time but the Mexico so many admissions
trip that they had last week it was steadfast they had 302 salvations in one week so that was
awesome they were averaging like I think 50 a day or something like that 60 and I talked to brother
But they were in the open squares and so people were confusing them for vendors because there's a lot of vendors
So maybe but I mean it was their first go without scouting. That was a scouting mission
So I think that's pretty good because you know every time you go to just get better because you learn what not to do and what to do
And so that I think that's pretty cool. So
Congrats to steadfast for that. I mean, that's awesome work. And I think they had something like
because I was in the group chat the whole time.
They had like 20 people in Mexico City, men and women.
It wasn't, and you know, sometimes, you know, usually these mission trips,
there's a lot of men, and I think it was like split down the middle,
it was like half and half, so it was a really good turnout.
But turn your handles over to page 416, the lily of the valley, 416.
With a small group like this if there's any ties are offered to strap them up there
front if not
And let's go to clean the sd's chapter four
Who will read there the first verse Boba says so I returned
Considered all the oppression. Oh, let me just turn well. Yeah, go ahead
So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the Sun and behold the tears of such as were
Oppressed and they had no comforter and on the side of their oppressors there was power, but they had no comforter
wherefore
I praise the dead, which are already dead more than the living, which are yet alive.
Yea, better is he than both they, which had not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work
that is done unto the Son.
Again I considered all the travail and every right work, that for this a man is envied of
his neighbor.
This is also vanity and fixation of spirit.
Better is in handful with quietness than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit
Then I returned and I saw vanity under the sun
There's one alone and there is not a second. Yeah, he had neither child nor brother yet
Is there no end of all his labor neither in him in his eye satisfied with riches?
Neither saith he for whom do I labor and bereave my soul of good this also?
This is also vanity. Yeah, it is a sword travail
Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor for if they fall
The one will lift up his fellow but woe to him that is alone when he falleth he hath not another to help him up
Again, if two lie together, then they have the heat, but how can one be warm alone?
If one prevail against him, two shall withstand him, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Better is poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king who will no more be admonished.
For out of prison he cometh to reign, whereas also he that is born in his kingdom become
with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.
There is no end of all the people,
even of all that have been before them.
They also, they come after she'll not rejoice in him.
Surely, this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Pastor Cobb, will you lead us in a word of prayer?
We pray for those who are not
in the Word and we are
enforcing that.
We ask now that if you would
ask him to break some of the
black goods, we might take
some of the black goods.
We pray for those who are
not in the Word and we pray
for those who are not in the
Word and we pray for those who
are not in the Word and we
pray for those who are not
in the Word and we pray for
First of all, let me just say I'm glad to be back on a Wednesday. I think it's the first Wednesday
I preach in a month, so
It's just good to get back and we are there in the book of Ecclesiastes. We we got through the first three chapters
before I had my challenge and now we're here in chapter four and
Basically, it's building up. So there's not a lot of change from the first three chapters
chapter one kind of sets up the the stage of this
kind of fleshly book. And what I mean by that is Solomon has given us the perspective initially
of just living a life without God, right? And then in the second chapter, he kind of expounds on
that. And then in chapter three, he really focuses on how there's a time for everything. And then
here in chapter four, he really kind of focuses on just the continuing, he goes back a little bit
to the vanity of life. And the title of the sermon this afternoon is just really the vanity of life.
without fellowship with God.
Even as a Christian, our life can be vain.
I think that's the biggest thing that I take from chapter four,
is that Solomon was saved,
but he wasn't necessarily close to God,
and that fellowship basically gave him this outlook,
this very sad outlook, right?
And you think about the events that have transpired
just in the last week,
and you realize that there's two groups of people already,
just like in anything in life.
There's not Republicans or Democrats, but there's those that hate life, they hate God and they just,
they have no hope. So everything is exasperated. Everything's exaggerated. I mean, we've seen
some pretty gruesome stuff. And then you have those that have hope, and then they're, they're
rising up and they're trying to do things for the righteous reason. Obviously, that's, that group
We will always be a remnant, you know, I think I saw some some statistic that pastor Shelly put out where he calculated
there's like some
number like 66 billion people have been born and he's like if there's just a small percentage, it's only like
You know three or four billion people going to heaven. I mean, obviously he's taking some statistical
Liberties, but the Bible does say that narrow is a way if you think about it
That's a vast group of people that are going to hell
And even with that statistical nuance, I would venture to say that he's probably right on track, it could even be worse.
Like the Bible when it says narrow and few there be there that go in, it is few.
I mean, look at our church, we're a soul winning Bible believing truth church, and yet compared to the size of Houston, we're not even dropping the bucket.
mean literally the buckets on its way I mean the drops on its way down to the
bottom of the buckets already dried up. I mean just to kind of give you a
comparison I'm not downplaying the size of our church. I'm just saying even if we
were running 600 we would still not even be 1% of 1% of the population of Houston.
Like that's the small you say, well, there's other churches and I believe that there's other churches that are saved
And the other like us
I'm just use using our churches an example and even then if you took all the churches in Houston
It would still represent just a very small Baptist churches that are Bible believing that are Baptist only saved by grace through faith
It's still a very small percentage of the population. You take that as a whole in our country
We probably have the highest population of saved people in comparison to lost people than the rest of the world
I mean, then you go to China, I mean, forget it, that number has got to be tiny.
You go to India, unless you're in like a section that was, you know, proselyed by missionaries,
they're off the beaten path.
You go to like the Middle East.
I mean, Europe, you name it, it's just difficult out there.
Right? Even in countries that we would think are highly receptive like Mexico, like South America,
Argentina, Brazil, you know, Peru, Bolivia, all that, there's still a very small percentage
of Christians. And most of those churches that are thriving are under who? American missionaries.
The largest church in Mexico that's Baptist, one of 7,000 people, is run by a Baptist missionary,
who learned speaking, I mean Spanish, and runs the church. I mean, it's just not that big,
you know, we're not that many, but we don't need to be. The Lord will do great things, right?
And so let's just go there. I've got four points for you, but we don't want to have a life without
fellowship with God. You know, the biggest thing that I've missed, and I know I said it before,
is during this injury, is just not being able to be involved in all the activities at church.
to a fault like you know my mom was kind of getting on to me today because I called her for her birthday
and she's like oh you just look so much better and you look younger I can tell you turn
she'll see you've been overworking you know moms are always going to worry but it is to a fault
like I will overdo stuff my wife knows that's you know that is maybe one of my weaknesses but
What else is there in life? I'd rather leave it all out on the table out on the field and then die because at the end of the
Day, that's the thing that matters the most and even then I don't think that I do it the best way
You know, I still think that I get I goof off too much and I get distracted with the things of this world too much
You know my prayer is the Lord's always like how do I just get better at being more focused on you, right?
And this is kind of what we draw from this chapter. So let's go there the first one out for you is the impressions
Under the Sun the oppressions under the Sun and we see there in verse 1 through 3. It says so I returned
So he just finished telling us in chapter 3, you know that everything's kind of bad
He closes out. Let's go there real quick in chapter 3. He says
Wherefore in verse 22 I perceive that there's nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works
for that is his portion, for who shall bring him to see what he shall be after him."
And he saw it obviously in the flesh, right? And he said,
So I returned in verse four, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun,
and behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter.
And on the other side of their oppressors, there was power, but they had no comforter.
So we see what the oppressed and they're in distress and then the oppressors guess what they're still in distress, right?
Wherefore I praise the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive
Ye better is he than both they which hath not yet been who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun
He said hey, it's better to be dead
Than to be living on either side of this equation
Right, I mean any even as a Christian Paul talks about that. He said he'd rather be with Christ. I mean honestly
We love life and I think God wired that in us because that's what keeps us here going out so and it's stuff like that
But if you ever just take time to think about it, we know heaven's gonna be so much better, right?
I mean we mourn for example, brother Kevin Rowe passed away last week
We mourn Charlie Kirk dying in martyrdom
But the thing about them is the minute that they showed up the second they showed up in heaven. They were like
This is awesome
Right, it's not like they're like how do I get back down there?
Remember those stupid movies where somebody died and then they wanted to be back
You know and and all that stuff
That's the devil trying to convince you the world's better than heaven
Nothing is better than heaven the reason that we mourn is because unfortunately or fortunately
I mean, I don't know the way that God put it together. I'm not gonna play that game
But we just don't have the the mental capacity to understand how much better it's gonna be
Right and so when we tap into the flesh, well, what's one of the weaknesses of the flesh?
We're always gonna fear the unknown
And even though we know from a biblical perspective that heaven is better, we don't have all the details filled in and so that's what we fear, right, the unknown.
And what we need to do is just overcome that fear because it's just a false feeling and realize that heaven is better.
You know, we should not be looking forward to the day of our death like we wake up, but we should be looking forward to the day of our death.
As far as like, hey, one day we're all gonna die and go to heaven.
Right, and I'm not we shouldn't rush it. Don't do anything stupid to make it get there
But we also just shouldn't be so doom and gloom and be like well, you know
Life sucks. I need to die type of thing, right?
And if we look back you don't have to turn there for the sake of time
But an Ecclesiastes and as a matter of fact don't go to John 14 go to John 14
But an Ecclesiastes
One, verse 14, he's just kind of building from those verses.
He says, I have seen all the works that are done in the sun,
and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit, right?
I mean, he establishes this right away in verse one.
And then, I mean, in chapter one and chapter three,
he says, and moreover, I saw under the sun
the place of judgment that wickedness was there
and the place of righteousness that iniquity was there.
So he's not saying anything different.
He's just expounding on it.
And what have we seen?
I mean,
The world is so like
Oppressed I guess or being oppressed that people are now just like
Reaching further than they ever need to to try to get an answer when what we should be focused on is
The souls of men and women I'll give you an example. I don't know who saw but apparently the text between
The tranny lover and the guy who murdered Charlie Kirk came out.
Who saw that or saw that came on the news and basically they're having this conversation
and he admits that he murdered Charlie Kirk and that he did it because of outrage or whatever
and he keeps referring to this tranny lover as his love or what not.
Which from a biblical perspective makes perfect sense because the Bible tells us that they are of a reprobate mind
Someone that's reprobate would have no conscious would be able to move on from murdering somebody and then just calling
Or texting his tranny lover and being like hey, you know, we this is what happened like nothing happened
But then I saw like a group of
Christians they're like do they think the Americans are so dumb that we're gonna believe this group of text and
You know that we believe that this is actually done by these guys when it and I thought to myself
Okay, well, let's just say that that it that it is that manipulative
it's still impressive and they still kill the guy and it's still somebody that's really reprobate
that has no conscience so it doesn't change the fact that whether it was the two tranny lovers
Think about how warped of it's actually worse if you think about how warped of a mind you have to be that you're like
Hey, the way we're gonna manipulate America is we're gonna create a scenario where we have a tranny couple
That's so mad at the right that that's how they killed them and then we're gonna we're gonna
manufacture this text conversation between the both of them and it has to sound like it's realistic like
That's actually demented and sick in itself like
What are you arguing about like both of them are just disgusting?
But if you look there it says
He says and behold the tears of such as were oppressed and they had no comforter, right?
So those that are oppressed without Christ they have no comforter the world is being oppressed, you know
the
The wealth gap is huge all over the world. It just keeps getting expanded and those people that are poor
Those people that are uneducated. What are they? They're oppressed
But then it says but on the side of the oppressors or on the other side where the grass is technically greener
Those that have power
They have no comforter
And it's been evident by the fact that, you know, all these celebrities and the media came out
and said all kinds of stupid stuff. Why do you react like that? You react like that because
you don't have comfort in your life. Right? I mean, the only thing, the other thing I've seen
a lot is people trying to like convince you or not convince you that Charlie Kirk was saved or not
saved. Look, at the end of the day, God uses the saved and unsaved in situations to make things
So, let's take the side of the unsaved. If Charlie Kirk is unsaved, he's in hell.
He's been there for a week. But, because he was using the name of Christ,
and I proved those verses over the weekend, good or bad, the name of Christ is still being sent.
And more people are looking at God, and more people are going to church,
and more people are seeking salvation in the last couple of years.
Probably since COVID, right?
So what changed? Nothing other than this guy suffering in hell
But I tend to think that he was saved just by I've listened to a lot of clips
And there is some confusing statements from him
But it sounds like when he's when he's talking about salvation. It's pretty clear
It's when he gets off on these little tangents that obviously and by the way our Baptist's brothers and sisters in Christ
Or just as bad as some of these contemporary churches. I mean we go knock in doors and oh, yeah, we go to clay Baptist church
I'm like, oh great
So if you were to die today, are you going to heaven? I don't know
And then you press them a little bit and then they're fine. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah when I was little yes
I am saved blah blah blah blah blah
So it's not like you can't get off the look the only reason that we're so stringent is because we do it all the time
But if we don't talk about a subject all the time, we're gonna, you know, if you talk to me
I'm not as versed as some other pastors on end times. I I'm comfortable with my knowledge of end times
I probably need to do more more study there
So yeah, if you put me in the debate, I'd probably look like a little uncomfortable and dumb behind the you know
Behind that debate, but that doesn't make me any less safe, right?
And so either one now the the advantage is obviously
God would still use Charlie Curt. I really believe he's in heaven and he used it to further the kingdom of Christ
Now is everybody that's seeking for God gonna get saved? No, but man the numbers are definitely gonna increase
I think that salvation is probably going to be easier for the next couple of months just because people are at the top of mind.
As a matter of fact, I'm just throwing this out there. This is probably a power tip. I haven't really, I've used it one time and it worked.
But I would just say, hey, you know, if you were to die there, you're going to the heaven.
And then if you get the chance to go into the conversation, I would just bring up Charlie Kurt.
be like, you don't want to be in a situation where something happens to you suddenly.
And you don't even have to be Charlie Kirk.
Literally yesterday, I saw a news article about a drunk driver in New York
that ran over a 16 year old girl, put her right into the lamp post,
and her life was snuffed out just like that.
We don't know how life, it is all vanity and vexation spirit.
We don't have I mean every day at every turn people are dying
Every what is it seven seconds? Someone dies right like every seven to ten seconds
Someone's dying we need to go out there and we need to preach the gospel you're there in John 14
Let me just read for you really quick Job 3 it says Job says why died I not from the womb
Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? Hey, we're all living in the flesh
So we're gonna feel oppressed and we're gonna feel like there's no comforter at times
All right
And so we need to realize that and learn how to recognize it so we can overcome it in Hebaq 1 verse 3
The Bible says why does thou show me iniquity and cause me to behold grievance
For spoiling and violence are before me
And there are that rise up strife and contention.
Therefore the law is slacked,
and judgment doth never go forth,
for the wicked doth compass about the righteousness.
Therefore wrong judgment proceeded."
Look, evil is everywhere.
The Bible says in Isaiah that God,
he created both good and evil.
People have a very confused idea of what evil is in the Bible. It can mean both things, right?
It can mean a very evil wicked thing, but also it could just be harmful.
The Lord uses evil in our lives to use correction sometimes, right?
He removed what?
The spirit of the Lord from Saul and he gave him what? An evil spirit.
That came from the Lord Almighty. It didn't come from the devil.
God's the one that sent a lying spirit and evil spirit to Saul.
Actually, Allying Spirit to Ahab, and that's all.
In John 14, right there in verse 12, the Bible says,
Barely, Barely, I stand to you,
He that believeth on me, the works that I do,
he shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do,
because I go unto my Father.
This is one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible,
because that's my goal.
You know, I can't do anything about my past and my youth, neither can you, but you know,
Spring Crest can go do greater works than the Lord Jesus Christ, because that's a promise
from God right here in the Bible.
And it says in verse 13, and whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that
the Father may be glorified in the Son, and if ye shall ask anything in my name, I will
do it.
Keep my commandments and I will pray the father and he shall give you
Another comforter that he may abide with you forever. Why do you get the comforter because you're doing the conditionals?
See most people get saved and they don't do stuff and they wonder why God has abandoned
It's not that God abandoned us that they're not obeying God
Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeeth him not neither knoweth him
But ye know him for he dwelleth in you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless
I will come to you yet a little while in the world seeeth me no more
But ye see me because I live ye shall live also at that day
He shall know that I am in my father and ye and me and I knew he that hath my commandments and what and keepeth them
He it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loveth of my father, and I will love him,
and I will manifest myself to him."
Judith!
Sayeth unto him not as scary it Lord. How is it that that will manifest thyself unto us and not unto the world?
Jesus answered and said unto him of a man love me
He will keep my words and my father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him
Hey, so how do you get God the Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit all together in one?
Says hey, you gotta says love them keep his sayings
And the words which you hear and the words where we're hearing from the Lord, right?
I'm sorry Jesus answered and said if you love me you will keep my words and my fathers
Will love thee and will come unto him and make our boat with him
He that loveth me not keepeth not he that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings and the words which he hears not mine
But the father which sent me
These things have I spoken unto you, being ye present with you, but the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you, peace I leave with you, and my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you, let not your heart be trouble, neither let it be afraid."
I love this whole conversation because Jesus understands our nature.
I mean, obviously he's got almighty, but it's a good reminder that not only him, but we
need to understand our nature and the people we're dealing with nature, right?
Because sometimes people freak out.
Look at this thing, it's been a week and people are still freaking out.
I mean, you've got everything from people like celebrating the death of someone to
People that are like, this is a good thing. So then you got these small groups of like we're ready for a revolution
All is just it's a reactionary
Effect of fear
Right. I mean the most level-headed reaction or responses. This is great. Let's just go do the work of the Lord
We can't stop the evil of the world. We can't stop the devil. The Lord's gonna take care of that
Our job is to just keep
Moving forward right but what happens with you know Solomon he's like saying hey
This is all just vanity and that leads me to my second point, which is the vanity of Envy
You know because of people's labor right or driven labor and and so the first thing we saw is that there's oppression
Under the sudden that we're gonna be oppressed whether they it's a Psyops and the government
Brainwash these people to kill or they just did on their own
You know what at the end of the day, there's everything is from oppression. We know that that's been around. That's what governments do
Power corrupts, right? But absolute power corrupts. Absolutely. I mean, that's just the nature of where we're headed
Go to any country outside the US and even here in the US and oppression is is rampant
I mean in Mexico, they just passed the law
Because they're getting so communist they're far gone and it's just crazy that
Starting in January the government will have access to every single financial transaction. They'll have complete visibility of all your life
That's oppressive
That's literally 1984. That's literally, you know, Russia in in the early 1900s and
Germany and you know all the
Western, I mean European countries, right that we learned in history
I mean, this is not a history lesson, but we've if you've not read enough history, you know, you know
It's all been there, but let's go there to Ecclesiastes 4 verse 4
It says again, I consider all travail
And every right work for this that for this a man is envied of his neighbor
He's like hey, man, you're gonna work hard and you're gonna do these things and guess what somebody's gonna envy you
This and this is not even talking in the spirit yet
In the spirit you're definitely gonna be in me, right?
This also is vanity and fixation of spirit and then I love this one the fool folded his hands together
And what Edith is on flesh. Hey envy
It's your worst enemy you're you're the one eating yourself inside out like you're the one just causing yourself all kinds of trouble
Says better is in handful with quietness
Then both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit
You know, I've lived long enough and I've done enough things to know that I I've experienced, you know, where I've had a
Lot of financial success and career success and man when that went away, and I just had quietness. It was so much better
You know, it's not worth it the love of money and the pursuit of this
Worldly success the best thing that's happened in life, and you know financially
I'm actually not better off than I was before sometimes. It's harder, but you know what I sleep better at night
I just have a way better life
This is a way and the riches that the Lord provides through things that I would never see. They're just so much better
Now, it means it's just so much better to just live for the Lord.
But here he's talking about how because of this, people are going to be envious and what
does it lead to?
It's vanity.
It's fruitless.
So number one, just realize the enemy is going to be envious of you, whether you're a Christian
or not.
You might as well be a Christian, so at least you earn that envy, you know, in the eyes
of the Lord.
Right, it's just it's gonna happen
If you go there to go first Timothy 6 when Proverbs 14 verse 30 the Bible says the sound heart is the life of the flesh
But envy
The rottenness of the bones literally having these feelings can make you sick
I mean, people die, you know why cancer is so prevalent?
Because we have a mental health problem.
And not like America is trying to tell you, like the Bible tells you.
The reason the cancer is prevalent, in my opinion, is not so much because you drink
Coke, because you smoke cigars.
Look, George Burns smoked a cigar every day as an adult.
And he was 99 when he died.
And he didn't die of cancer.
You know what he died of?
Being old.
I don't know if you remember that and I know I'm dating myself these everybody here
You don't even know who George Burns is don't worry about it
He wasn't that great of a guy because he tried to play God several times in several movies. Do you remember that?
It's a weird by the way never watch those movies. They're really weird, but that's a whole other thing
But you know what what will kill you is envy
Christian or not Christian you can get really sick from carrying that kind of feeling and in verse 31 says he that oppresses the poor
reproacheth who, his maker, but he that honoreth him hath mercy on the poor.
Hey, you know why we love the lost? Because we love the Lord, right? I mean, it's
selfish not to want to go out and give the gospel to people. You know, maybe we
don't all have the best way to do it, right? Like, you could criticize someone
like a Charlie Kirk.
For not giving the gospel like we do but but what he was trying to do was serve. He just didn't have the right upbringing
Hey, you got to give him. I wanted I've been a zealous soul winner since day one the minute I got saved
I knew that I wanted to lead other people to Christ
But you know, I didn't start door-to-door soul winning until 2018
2017 into 2018
What took me so long? I just didn't have anybody to teach me
But you know the more that I just sought the Lord he just kind of put the right people in my place
So, from 2005 to 2015, that's 10, so for the first 13 years of my saved life, I would
just lead like one or two people to the Lord randomly.
And I mean, it was so bad that every time that I felt like there's an opportunity to
lead someone to the Lord, I had to Google the Romans' road, print it up, and then tell
it to someone because I wasn't given the gospel regularly, whereas now I can do it in my sleep.
right for all I have sin come short of the glory God for there's not one righteous is no not one
Romans 5 8 you know revelation 2010 revelation 218 like we just go verse by verse by verse
sometimes I run out of verses and the Lord just lets me reminds me of another verse
you know we're always working on that but it doesn't matter but people get envious of these
things go to Galatians 5 go to Galatians 5 and then just just to stay on track in Ecclesiastes 2
He keeps building up on this right he says then I looked on all the works
Then my hands at rod and on the labor that I labor to do and behold all with vanity vexation of spear
And there was no prophet under the Sun
And Ecclesiastes 390 he asks the question what prophet hath he that worketh in that wearing he laboreth
Right in Galatians 5 we know these verses, but it's a really good contrast of doing works in the world or for flesh
Or for salvation versus being saved in the spirit, right?
It says now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are what adultery for an occasion, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
various emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envies,
envying, murder, drunkenness, revelings, and such a like, of the which I tell you before,
as I've told you in the time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God.
But I love this, but it says, but the fruit, not the work, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.
Against such, there is no law.
And they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the afflictions and lust.
If we live in the Spirit, let us walk also in the Spirit.
Let us not be desires of Vainglory provoking one another and being one another.
You know, I remember when I one of the things that I was fearful of or just worry some of is I got married later in life
And so I saw a lot of my friends get married and divorced or have
Marital problems and I was like that's one thing I don't want to do. I don't want to have like this tumultuous marriage
But I realized the reason my wife and I don't have a tumultuous marriage and believe me we fight so there's a difference
tumultuous means you just constantly fighting you're looking to just destroy each other and then ends in a bad divorce is
Because you apply the this attitude of you're not envying you don't have
You know revelings you don't have this just you're not just working the flesh, right?
You're overcoming
you're swallowing your pride for the things that you want to do because you love the person on the
other side. Same thing in church. Why do we have a church that probably doesn't have as many problems
as other churches? And we could, I'm not saying we couldn't have problems. And I guarantee you,
I've been here long enough and I've talked to you all of you long enough to know that
at times, maybe you haven't told me, but I've either rubbed you the wrong way or you've rubbed me
the wrong way or somebody indirectly rubbed us the wrong way. It's just life. You know, I'm not
you know, whatever the case may be, you might just be tired that day or the sound of someone's
voice irks you. But why do we overcome it? Because we're seeking to do the things in the
fruit of the Spirit, not the works of the flesh, right? In 1 Timothy 6, verse 1, the Bible says,
let as many servants as are under the yoke, count their own masters worthy of all honor,
And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather do them service because they are faithful and beloved partakers of the benefit.
These things teach and exhort, if any man teach otherwise, and consent not to the wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to Godliness.
He is proud.
Knowing nothing that's why we don't I don't care if like a PhD comes to me and tries to argue theology
They know nothing the Bible says but doting after questions and stripes of words where I've come with envy
Strife railing evil surmises perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth
Supposing that gain is godliness from such withdraw thyself
But Godliness with contentment is great gain for we brought nothing into this world
And it is certain we carry nothing out and having food and raiment. Let us therewith be content
Hey, you have food. I ate today. My wife made a really good pot rose yesterday. I the leftovers was great
I'm dressed. Thank God, right? I'm not a unit. You're not looking at a naked man up here
God says to be content
Do I have problems in my life?
Things that are that I need to take care of absolute look. I'm just gonna tell you you you know if you've had a major injury
I've been out of commission for a month. You know
Work is piling up bills are piling up like things are gonna pile up. This is just life
But then you read this stuff and you're like, well, the Lord's going to take care of it.
And you already asked, you know, when I, when I, when I first, I don't have a health insurance
because I just never had needed for it. Now we, now my wife and I are like, let's get serious
about this thing. But, but I do have a dad who's a doctor and my entire bill, I think in Mexico,
the surgery, the night at the stay, the equipment that's in my shoulder, something,
The three hours in the emergency room where they literally didn't give me any pain medication
No ice pack. They literally took an x-ray. The x-ray was $36, which was great actually, which is really rare
But the entire three hours was something like $3,300
That's insane
The Lord just take care of it. I'm glad because you know if I was trying to get a surgery in the in the States
Which I'm not opposed to do the reason that I didn't want to get the surgery in the States is because
Anybody knows that trying to get surgery in the United States is like trying to pull you know teeth back in the day
I have to go to my physician and then he's gonna have to refer me
I would have had a broken bone like that for two three weeks maybe a month
Then I got to go to the doctor. The doctor's like some butcher. He's like, don't worry.
I know your bones are fusing, but we're going to fix them anyway. So he's going to go in there and
crack them again, unfuse them, put me back together. I'd be like, it'd be like mid-November
before I was feeling the way I'm feeling right now. You know, a whole month of just, I mean,
That's a you know, it's a beautiful thing. So, you know, we just we've got to stop focusing on the vanity of life
Right, so we have the oppression under the Sun that we see there in verse in chapter 4
We have the vanity of envy and then the third point is that we have the vanity of what loneliness
One of the things that that modern society has done is that it isolates people
People are so isolated. They don't know how to deal with it, you know, brother Matt
You told me that the reason they took you into account is because you showed up and dropped off your resume at the door
You know why he took that into consideration because nobody does that anymore
They don't even know that you can't actually do that. It's like hey, just grab your resume and go drop it off somewhere
Well, what if they kick me out?
That's how people used to get jobs back in the day
You know when I had to go look for a job at 18
There was no indeed in LinkedIn like you have to go and hey
I'm looking for a job or you know remember in the newspaper or you have to get you know
You have to have a referral or someone or you go to the coffee shops
Remember they would put it on the bulletin like hiring for this and hiring for that
You guys will never know you'll live on it'll be like in your head by the time you guys start looking for jobs
But he please he asked these four verse seven the Bible says then I returned
And I saw Vanity under the sun and then he says there is one alone and there's not a second
Yeah, he had neither child nor brother yet. Is there no end of all his labor neither is his eye satisfied with riches
Neither say he for whom do I labor and bereave my soul of good?
this also
This is this also vanity. Yay. It is a sore travail and look
I mean we we've gotten to the point
There's a literally a term and I thought it was just like a social media term
But then I saw like some commercial where they're promoting that term and it's called dinks. Who's heard of dinks
What is it?
There you go dual income no kids and then it's dinks. There's a there's another acronym it's
And then it's wick I think dink dinks winks, which is dual-income no kids without children
No without
Because that's dual-income no kids
There's another another one. I think it's like if you have a dog or something they have like different acronyms
But the sad part about that is those people are still lonely because you know what brings a husband and wife together more
Better than anything children
Right, if you're really living for the Lord, you know, what's brought me and my wife closer together my kids for so many reasons
Let's just use the easy ones that are easy to call out
You know when you have to be on the same page just to get on your children just to feed the children
Just to school the children it's gonna bring you together, but also
You know, you have hope for the next generation.
You're looking forward to the fact that, you know,
one day they're going to grow up and they're going to have
children and you're going to have grandchildren and your
family's going to grow and you're just never going to be
alone. But today we're promoting a society that just wants to
be alone. Think about it. If you have no, if you have dual
income with no kids, it's great. You're going to live a great
life. But then the women, one of them dies. What do you do?
God forbid, my wife, I had a brief moment where my third daughter was born, my second
daughter was born, my third child was born, that my wife was dying, literally dying.
She bled out something like 2.5 liters of blood or whatever, it was just a rough situation.
So for a moment, like they say things flash before your eyes.
It wasn't my life flashing before my eyes, it was like a moment of, I'm going to be a
single father.
But you know what? I wasn't gonna be alone. It was gonna be tough, but I would have had my three children with me
Like that would have comforted me the Lord would have left me a comforter
Which is my three children right and the church and all the stuff that we're doing
So we just kind of look at life from the perspective of of the Lord and the book of Ecclesiastes is a great book to remind us
Hey, this is the opposite of not fellowshiping with God, right?
Go over to Genesis no actually go to Luke 10, but in Proverbs 27 verse 17 the Bible says
iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend, right? In Hebrews 10,
verse 24, the Bible says, and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works,
and let us not, I mean, not forsaking the assembly of ourselves as a matter of some is,
but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching, hey, you, I look
Whether it's a small group or a big trip big group. I just like being at church. It's good fellowship
You know, I know nobody's gonna really say anything stupid now
We all gonna say stupid stuff, but you know when you're at church you try not to be as stupid, right?
Let's just be honest because we're all trying to hold each other above reproach
Whereas when I go to work, I don't know who I'm dealing with
So sometimes people say stuff that I would normally not engage in or want to even listen to because that's not the life
They live right. I mean, that's just you and I can understand it. I just don't want to be around it
I'm just gonna be honest with you. That's why I don't listen to any of the political stuff even with all this
church Charlie Kirk stuff
I mean, I'll listen to the stuff here and there, but I'm not like turning on talk radio. I grew up on talk radio
I used to listen to Rush Limbaugh at 2 o'clock every afternoon till 5 o'clock like I was a Rush Limbaugh, you know
Guy Sean Hannity back in the day and Mark Levin and what's the other guy?
Michael Berry and but the Jewish guy in New York. I forget his name with
No, the Jewish guy in New York, the conservative guy, it'll come to me.
But anyways, I used to listen to all those guys and then, you know, I realized at one
point I remember just driving one day and I was like, I didn't say it like this, but
it really was vanity.
It was just the same thing over and over again.
I mean at one point I was just like exhausted from listening to the say it was vexing my
spirit when Rush Limbaugh was saying this is the most important election of our lifetime
every four years and Sean Hannity was like if we don't vote the right person into office
this is the end of our country every four years we've been destroying this country for
And you know what? We still live in our life. We're still soul-winning. It still works. People are still getting saved.
So forget whatever the left is saying, forget whatever the right is saying, and just listen to what the Word of God is saying.
You're there in Luke 10. I'll read for you really quick in Genesis 2.
In verse 19 it says,
And out of the ground the Lord formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air and brought them unto Adam to see
that he would call them and
whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
And Adam gave names to all the cattle and to the folly of the air, to every beast of the field.
But for Adam, there was not found and helped me for him.
And the Lord God caused the deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept,
and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof.
And the rib, which the Lord had taken from man, made he woman, and he brought her unto the man.
And Adam said this is now bone of my bones and the flesh of my flesh
She should be called woman because she was taken out of man
Therefore show man leave his father and his mother and show cleavance his wife
And they shall be one flesh and they were both naked out of this right and the man of his wife
We're not ashamed. You know where I'm not ashamed with my wife
Right God created that now obviously with the fall of man
We have shame anywhere else, but not that now when you get too comfortable in the world where you don't even feel shame
Around the world. That's when you're a little far gone, right?
But the point I'm trying to make here is God's meant for us to not be lonely from day one
He wants you to have a wife now. There are exceptions to that rule
But even then you know what he even a single person he wants them to be plugged into church and have a community
We are not an island
We are not you know preppers that are gonna go out in the mountains just never come back now
If you have land or something great, but show up to church
Show up to the mission field show up to the highways and the hedges and preach the word of God
You know, I I grew up Seventh-day Adventist and they're probably one of the most doom and gloom religions in the world
They preach the end times like every other week. There's an end times prophecy. I guarantee you
I'm not gonna do it right now
Just because I don't want to fail, but I'm almost sure I wouldn't if you just do a Google search
Seventh-day Adventist Church and end times prophecy. There's probably one going on right now somewhere in Houston, you know
They're like week long
And it's always about the Mark of the Beast and the Sunday Law and all that.
You know what they're always promoting?
Then maybe we should live away from everybody and that's the way that God's going to protect us.
But when you read the Bible from a Baptist perspective, from a biblical perspective,
from the right perspective, the reason I say Baptist because Baptist is from the Bible is
God wants us in the heat of the battle.
Daniel didn't back away.
He opened up the window and said, Hey, watch me pray.
You know, they threw them in the lion's den
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn't go run off somewhere. They were like, look at me not bow
Right, and that's where we need to get we need to get to the point where we're like, we're not gonna stop
We're just gonna continue preaching the word. We're not lonely. We've got a remnant
There's still seven thousand that haven't bowed the knee to Baal and those are the people that we need to focus on go there
Luke 10 verse 1
I was says after these things the Lord appointed other 70 also and sent them to and to before his face into every city in place
Whether he himself would come therefore said said he unto them the harvest truly is great
But the labors are few pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth labors into his harvest go your ways
Behold I send you forth as lambs amongst whoop and notice that we're going out there as lambs
So we're gonna be in the group that's oppressed
but not comfortless. You didn't say you're going to be powerful, you're going to be as lambs
amongst wolves. Who are the wolves? The ones that are oppressing. The difference is we have a
comforter with us, right? And isn't that concept of two by two? We're not lonely. Hey, when we go
so many, I've gone so many by myself, it's better to go so many in the group, right? Spirit. Because
You just and people actually listen to you better knowing hey when they when you knock on a door
There's two people at the door. They're less aggressive than if you just want
It's just I love when I go with my kids
And even then you still get attacked. I remember one time
It was at the Galveston with pure words the soul anyone and we knocked on the door and they actually called the cops
I was with brother Marcel
And the lady was like, these guys are threatening,
they're threatening to her thing.
And I remember telling the lady,
Luciana was with me, she'll remember,
she was like four years old,
but it's like stayed in her mind.
And I turned to the lady and she thought I was,
I mean, she got fired up, she got livid.
Cause I said,
I said, how threatening could we be?
I said, I'm her father, and I'm with a four-year-old child.
You're saying my four-year-old child is a threat.
Like, you're scared of my four-year-old child,
and she just lost it, you know?
And like, chase this away.
My daughter started crying.
I mean, she was four.
And, you know, a little kid would get scared easily.
And we just, we left.
We actually had a really good day the rest of the day,
but these things happen.
You know, but the advantage was what we were out as a group.
I wasn't lonely, I was with my brother Marcel, I was with the church members, I was with
the people who were like, look, if they take us to jail, somebody will bail me out.
I mean, I don't want to go to jail, but if I do, I'll just call somebody here and please
bail me out.
I'm not looking at anybody going like this they owe me. I'm just kidding. I'm just a little concerned now
I'm just kidding and then let's go to the last point so that you know
We have the impression under the Sun that that's what Solomon's talking about. Hey look
You're always gonna be oppressed whether you're poor or you're rich without Christ
Number one, but you're also gonna feel oppressed and comfortless if you're not fellowshiping with God properly
then you have you're gonna work hard and
People are gonna be envious of you and you're gonna feel like what's the point? I mean, that's life and
then
If you're like secluding yourself, then there's vanity or it's fruitless to just be lonely. So don't separate yourself from the world
Today we live life in a bubble
We live in the bubble that you decide
You know every social media
Every website
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You can isolate yourself to you where you only have one viewpoint
Like I want to look at the whole world
I mean obviously not the wicked things but I want to know what the world's up to too so I just know how to combat it, right?
But people man, they're just living in this little bubble and you know what's happened social skills are why is road rage up?
Why is murder up like what they did?
This kid literally built his persona
This sodomite reprobate that deserves the death penalty built his persona on discord
Because he got with a group of people that agreed with him and nobody was there to oppose his viewpoint and all they did was like
Oh, you're right, and you're right, and you're right, and you're right, and you're right, and he kept telling himself
Well, I'm right, and I'm right. I might as well just do it
because I've got to fix this and
Even if let's just say he did at some point engage in the other side, well, he's still gonna hear the same damn thing
Sorry to say like that, but what's what's Donald Trump's problem where he's right and he's right and he's right
And he's right and he's right and only Trump can fix that thing
And then we end up having what we have today where instead we just need to be focused on the Lord Jesus Christ
He's right and only he can fix the things. We've got to just listen to the Lord, right?
I mean that's the problem is that people are not listening
Let's go there to Clesi Estes for because I've only got a couple minutes left
I got a little got a little ahead of myself here, but it's okay
What was the point and so we have oh, I haven't give you the point so the fourth point is the strength in fellowship
Right there in verse 9 it says two are better than one. Amen. I
Love being with my wife
Before we had kids
Now that we have kids and whenever the kids aren't around I just love sometimes I'm like
Kids you all need to go to bed. I just want to hang out with your mom leave her alone
Or they'll be with us. I'm like just leave me alone. I just want to hang out with my wife. She's not your mom. She's my wife
She's not your mom today because I mean literally I mean it's like it happens once a day
Where she'll just like disappear. I don't know to go to the restroom or just to do something
I don't know Rita. She's got chores. She's doing stuff around the house and somebody walks in the room. Where's mama?
Your mama's know it just for a long, give her a chance to breathe, right?
But two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor.
There's nothing better than doing things in unison.
You know, it's not twice as much work, it's compounded, it's exponential,
it's three or four or five times more work.
That's why we want the Bible, we don't need that many laborers, we need laborers, and
then we need the Lord Jesus Christ.
He compounds the efforts.
You think that that's not a compound effort to martyr someone, and all of a sudden everybody's
receptive to the gospel?
Man, that's compound effort.
I don't even know that we could replicate that kind of effort that the Lord Jesus Christ would do, right?
It says in verse 10 it says,
If they fall, the one will lift up his fellow, but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him.
Again, if two lie together, then they have heat, but how can one be warm alone?
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him, and three fold court, speaking of what?
This is a good picture of us.
being saved in christ and doing things in christ is not quickly broken
and the one about being cold is like it always sits close to me
that's a very clear picture because i get cold easily i grew up
in the real grand valley where it's like literally 20 degrees hotter than it is
here and there's like 20 percent more humidity
all year round when my wife and i first got married we lived there for six
months and she's like what in the world where
She, we got to the end of December, like it was Christmas, and she's like, when's the cold front comes like, I'm, this is the cold front. This is it. Get ready. Shorts of the t-shirt. That's how we're going to celebrate Christmas. Right. And then I gone, I've gone camping with my father-in-law.
To Colorado and I mean they he sleeps like in you know
Just regular clothes and a sleeping bag and a sleeping bag and I'm in a sleeping bag. I'm not kidding
I'm wearing two pairs of pants long John's two pairs of socks. I'm wearing a wool jacket. I'm still cold
I'm like, but then we've gone places like you know, we've gone camping where my wife is with me
I just get to cuddle next to her. You know what? I'm not as cold
So for me that resonates a lot because I hate being cold. I'm not made for the cold
I thought I was cool when I was young the cold sucks. I don't know who can live in the cold
Good for you. The cold is not for me. So this this really hits home for me, but let's go there
Go to Hebrews 13 and in Amos 3 verse 3 the Bible says can two walk together
Except they be agreed
Hey, you also need to be in agreement
Now this also has a bigger picture. What's the two that we're talking about when it comes to the church?
It's the church in Jesus Christ
That's why we preach
Sanctification because my goal is to get you all and myself as clean as possible
So when we're presented before the Lord Jesus Christ, we can walk together
Right. That's why church discipline is important. That's why calling out sin is important
That's why preaching the whole counsel of God is important
Matthew 18 verse 18 says verily I sent to you whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever you shall lose on
Or shall be losing heaven again as I said to you that if two shall agree on earth as touching anything
That they shall ask if they shall be done for them of my father
Which is in heaven for where two or three are gathered together my name there I am in the midst of them
Hey, even if it's just me and my wife if we're doing them in the name of the Lord
We got it
That's why for years when it was just Pastor Cobb and sister Linda
Sister Karen and me when my wife couldn't come it didn't matter because it was more than two two or three gathered the Lord was with us
That's all we need in Proverbs you the other in Hebrews when Proverbs 18 verse 24
The Bible says a man that has friends must show himself friendly and there's a friend that stick is closer than a brother
Hey, some of my best friends in life now
Are in the church as a matter of fact, I think all my
My best friends are in the church.
I don't have any more friends.
All my college colleagues, everybody I grew up with,
like, I don't really talk to them anymore.
In Hebrews 13, verse five,
the Bible says,
let your conversation be without covetousness
and be content with such things as you have.
For he had said,
I will never leave thee nor forsake thee
so that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper
and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Right, it has an existential or just a much bigger application because it's not just the two of you like me and my wife
Or me and my friend or me and my kids
But also the church as a whole one member right one body of Christ with Christ
Where we can't be broken
And so we need to you know, we need to have that fellowship the strengthened fellowship
And then the last point after you we'll close this thing out is the vanity of
power
Without an enduring legacy and what I'm saying here
Let's go to verse 13 of Ecclesiast's force is better. It's a poor and wise child
Hey, listen children because the Bible says better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king
Who will no more be admonished for out of the prison prison?
He cometh to reign whereas also he that is born in his kingdom become a poor I
Consider all the living which walk under the sun with the second child that she'll stand up in his stead
There is no end of all the people, even though all that have been before them,
they also that come after shall not rejoice in him.
Surely, like exactly, surely this also is vanity and mixation of spirit.
And what is it saying? Hey, wisdom comes from having humility, right, the mind of a child.
The Bible talks about it in the New Testament that if we, you know, we got to come to Jesus as a child, right?
It really makes sense. Or you could just be an old, full...
What do we associate old people with? Grumpiness, right? Old grumpy men.
I mean, there's literally even a series of movies about that.
You don't want to get old and grumpy.
Childish but not childish like a foolish child. Just have a childlike mentality for the Lord Jesus Christ
You can you can be childlike and not be a child
Do you know I just I don't know how that just follow me here
But in Proverbs 16 verse 18 that Bible says pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit
Before a fall go to Luke one. That's where we'll close out. I love I love this little part of
this conversation Mary has but in Daniel 4 verse 30 we see it says the king spake and said it's not
this great Babylon speaking of the king who went crazy right it says that I've built for the house
of the kingdom
By the might of my power in the honor of my majesty
While the word of the king's mouth there fell a voice from heaven saying oh king Nebuchadnezzar
To thee it is spoken the kingdom is departed from the and way to make God basically do he made him crazy
Right. I believe that Biden at the end of his term was just that was the Lord's doing that he was just so kind of nut nutty, right?
I mean, maybe it was comical for us because that's the way the Lord is but it was nutty, right?
This is kind of weird, and if Trump's not careful, he can get there too.
I mean, I don't think that God's going to spare one or the other.
Trump's not better than Biden, and actually God's not a respecter of any person.
That's just the way the Lord is, but go to Luke 1, and there in verse 46, Mary gets the news, right,
that she's about to have Jesus and Mary said, my soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior, for he hath regarded the lowest state of his
handmaiden, for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath showed strength with his arm, he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of
their hearts."
He has put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree
He had filled the hungry with good things and the rich he had sent away empty
Sent empty away. He had helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy and he spake to our fathers
Abraham and to his seed
forever, you know, I love Mary here because yeah, I love the women in the Bible people just
Have a bad idea of what Baptists believe about women period. First of all, I think women are great
I think women have a great place in God's kingdom and biblical women are great preachers
I love the prayer that Hannah does right after like she rips face
You know, we don't have time for that, but I'm not gonna go through it, but I love Hannah's prayer right after she's given a son
She's like praising the Lord. I mean, it's a pretty good prayer
And then this one's great because it shows that Mary knew the Bible
I love that she said he has put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them from low degree
You know when Mary got the news she didn't like boast about it. She's just humbled and grateful
Right? We should be humble and grateful. We should have fellowship with God.
Anything that we do great in life, any enjoyment we get out of life, any pleasure we get out of life,
that we're doing it in God's, as long as we're doing it in His will, just remember that it's from God.
And if we get pleasure outside of the will of God, just know that there's judgment and punishment coming.
Right? And so we need to focus on the fact that
Life without Jesus Christ life without God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost is basically vanity
Right, we don't want to get a subscription to vanity fair or cosmopolitan. We just want to subscribe and it's free
To the King James Bible word of God, right? I mean, that's all we need in our lives is the word of God. So
It's good to get back. I appreciate you guys being patient with me. I appreciate all the prayers
And you know what it hasn't been vain
And hasn't been lonely and when it does start to get lonely and depressing this actually resonated more with me
Maybe that's why the Lord does things because the last month has been difficult
Not more difficult than other people people have lost husbands in the last month people have lost
friends people have lost
greater things than what I've lost.
This is a mild, a light affliction.
But you know, I mean, I'm still human
and there's been times where I've just kind of
wanting to get down on myself,
but two are better than one.
And so I have a wife who's,
sometimes she's kind to me,
sometimes she's tough on me.
I'm just like, I don't know if I like what you said,
but then when I reflect on it,
I'm like, well, I guess she's right, right?
But that's what we need in our life.
We need, you know, I love that my kids
have taken care of me.
I love that I have great parents still.
Thank you for my parents being alive.
I love that you guys as a church came together
and not only stepped up for the church,
but that you've been praying for me,
everybody's been so kind and everybody's been so helpful,
except for charging the lights,
you know, we forgot the time, just kidding,
I'm kidding, just that they're going out on mine as well.
But these things happen, but you know what?
It's been a, actually the last month
has been one of the greatest months of my life,
even with everything,
because you just see what the Lord's doing in our life.
That's why I'm more excited now than I was before, because I'm just like,
I don't want to break something else, but maybe that's what is required for us to continue to
grow. I'll sacrifice whatever we need to. I'm careful with that statement. I don't think the Lord
just wants to break all my bones. So, you know, I think he's going to spare me. But what I want to
close out with is let's have great fellowship with God, let's have fellowship with each other,
but more importantly, let's keep the main thing the main thing.
So let's close in order prayer. Heavenly Father, Lord, thank you so much for today.
Thank you for your blessings, Lord. Thank you for those in attendance here today.
And Lord, just thank you that we're able to serve in this country that's trying to push
these horrible agendas. But yet, Lord, you prevail. And we still have the freedom to go door
knocking. We still have the freedom to preach your word. And even if we didn't, we would still do it, but
I will just say that it's just much sweeter to be able to do it like this
Without having to stress out about it so we can get the word out not let it affect our lives
But if it's the latter, well then
We'll just show up and continue preaching the word in Jesus's name. We pray. Hey, man
Turn your handles over to page 346 and we'll close out in a word of prayer. I mean i'm in a hymn 346
Then we'll be dismissed 346
346 go for it. Stand up, stand up for Jesus. Amen.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey.
The mighty conflict, this is glorious day.