Anybody asked do you guys need a bulletin today everybody have one I think do I mean it's the one from Sunday
but today is February 11th and
Sunday morning time is service time for 10 30 a.m. 4 30 p.m.
Wednesday service is 5 30 p.m. And then Sunday so any time is 2 p.m.
I don't know how many soul winners we had but we had a kind of soul winners on Sunday
So we had a really good Sunday pastor Oz came in three services for us
I think he did a great job and then a lot of people came from out of town to see him
And so we had a big group. I would say we had at least 20 people at the soul wedding
So that was a really good memorable weekend
The memory chapter of the week or the memory chapter verse of the week is Philippians 1 18
What then not withstanding every way whether pretense or in truth Christ is preached and I and I therein
Do rejoice yay, and we'll rejoice. We are a family integrated church and then
Baptist I mean, so I'm sorry souls one for the year. We are at 31
We might be off by one or two. They think I messed up my number, but we're starting to pick up steam
So that's a great thing and then next time
Saturday not this Saturday coming but next Saturday
We are having a soul winning marathon and this is our custom you show up. We will feed you like good Baptist
We'll feed you breakfast and lunch and we'll get those maps ready and I want to thank brother
He he got us we used to have this big map, but it was a whole city Houston
It was just a it's just a horrendous to try to update it
Everything was like and and size it was mini skill and we would literally go up several blocks
And we just put a dot felt like we weren't doing any work, but he had it zoomed in
But so we'll bring that map out later so we can keep up with all that and then we had a really good
Trip to NASA with a lot of people show up. We just had we were able to I didn't realize it's basically like
Yeah, if you go to NASA you either gonna hang out or you just gonna end up on the tram the whole time
We ended up on that train like we're I think it was three times
So you go get to see like the rocket, you know all the good stuff and then pastor Oz preached for us both services
Which I think you know, I love the preaching was great exactly what we needed and we have the marathon and then March 21st
We have a soul winning marathon the day before pastor bruise Mejia first works Baptist Church
Comes and visits us and preaches for us both services
So we're really looking forward to that and then I did get the corrections and I will get those gift cards over to everybody
That finished the January challenge pray for the expecting mothers Haley and Christian Mlutich
I mean Haley Mlutich and Christian Rodgers don't get them mixed up. Sorry about that
Then in the back we have the prayer requests. I did not add my brother-in-law
But he'll be out of the hospital
Probably by the weekend, but he's just got a long road ahead of him
So just pray for a young guy only like six months younger than me
So he'll be 46 later on this year
And then I did if you notice that reduced it a little bit obviously we've updated this
Quite a bit to continue to just pray for everybody on the prayer list
We've had some answers to prayer in addition to all that and then if there's nothing else
Is there any anything I might have missed anything that we need to cover Pastor Cop anything?
No, if nothing else and turn your handles over to page 173 and then we are we are going to be in
John 8
173
Just bear with me. I am a little bit under the weather. I might have picked up something with all those people out there
So I don't I'm cold, but I don't know it's not cold
I'm just I'm pumped up on Alka Seltzer and I'd be frozen. So that's how I'm gonna make it through this afternoon
I on a 173 love lifted me love
, I did ever to give up in his blessed presence
Oh
You'll turn your Bible over to John 8 8 there on long chapter the buckle in either in John 8
continue your study we're there in John 8 verse 1 the Bible says Jesus went unto the Mount of olives and early in the morning he
Came again into the temple and all the people came unto him and he sat down and taught them
And the scribes and the Pharisees brought him unto a woman taken in adultery and when they had set her in the midst
They said unto him master this woman was taken in adultery in the very act now Moses in the law commanded us
That shut that such should be stoned
But what sayest thou this they said tempting him that they might have to accuse him but Jesus stooped down and
With his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not
So when they continued asking him he lifted up himself and said unto them he that is without sin among you
Let him first cast a stone at her and again
He stooped down and wrote on the ground and they which heard it being convicted by their own
Conscious went out one by one
beginning at the eldest even unto the last and Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst when Jesus had lifted up
Himself and saw none but the woman he said unto her woman where those thine accusers hath no man condemn thee
She said no man Lord and Jesus said unto her neither
Do I condemn thee go and sin no more then Jesus spake then spake Jesus again unto them saying I am the light of the world
He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness
But she'll have the light of life the Pharisees therefore said unto him thou bearest record of thyself thy record is not true
Jesus answered and said unto them though I bear record of myself yet
My record is true for I know whence I came and whither I go
But you cannot tell whence I come and whither I go you judge after the flesh
I judge no man and yet if I judge my judgment is true for I am not alone
But I and the father that sent me it is also written in your law
That the testimony of two men is true
I am one that bear witness of myself and the father that sent me bear witness of me then said they unto him
Where is thy father Jesus answered you neither know me nor my father if you had known me
You should have known my father also these words spake Jesus in the treasury as he taught in the temple
And no man laid hands on him for his hour was not yet come then said Jesus unto them
I go my way and you shall seek me and shall die in your sins whether I go you cannot come
Then said the Jews will he kill himself because yet say because he sayeth whether I go you cannot come
And he said unto them you are from beneath. I am from above ye are of this world
I am NOT of this world
I said therefore unto you that ye shall die in your sins for if you believe not that I am he he shall die in
your sins then said they unto him who art thou and Jesus said unto them even the same that I said unto you from the
Beginning I have many things to say and to judge of you
But he that sent me is true, and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him
They understood not that he spake to them of the father then said Jesus unto them when you have lifted up the Son of man
Then show you know that I am he and that I do nothing of myself
But as my father hath taught me I speak these things and he that sent me is with me
Father had not left me alone for I do always those things that please him as he spake these words many believed on him
then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him if you continued my word and then then are you my disciples indeed and you
Shall know that the truth you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free
They answered him we be Abraham seed and we're never in bondage to any man
How says thou ye shall be made free Jesus answered them verily verily I say to you
Whosoever committed sin is the servant of sin the servant abideth not in the house forever
But the son abideth ever for the son therefore shall make you free you shall be free indeed
I know that your Abraham seed that you seek to kill me because my word hath no place in you
I speak at which I have seen with my father and you do that which you have seen with your father
They answered and said unto him Abraham is our father Jesus saith unto them if you were Abraham's children
You would do the works of Abraham
But now you seek to kill me a man that hath told you the truth which I've heard
God this did not Abraham ye do the deeds of your father
Then said they to him we have not we be not born a fornication
We have one father even God Jesus said unto them if God were your father
You would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of myself
But he sent me why do you not understand my speech even because you cannot hear my word
Year of your father the devil and the lusts of your father you will do
He was a murder from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him when he speaketh a lie
He speaketh of his own for he is a liar
Father of it because I tell you the truth you believe me not which of you convinced me of sin
And if I say the truth, why do you not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's word
You therefore hear them not because you are not of God then answered the Jews and said unto him say we not well that
Thou art a Samaritan as and has a devil Jesus answered
I have not a devil but I honor my father and ye do dishonor me and I seek not my own glory
There's one that seek it and judges judge it fairly barely
I say unto you if any man keep my sains saying he will he shall never see death then said the Jews unto him
Now we know that thou has a devil
Abraham is dead and the prophet and thou sayest of a man keep saying keep my saying he shall never taste of death are thou greater
Than our father Abraham which is dead and who and the prophets are dead who maketh thou thyself
Jesus answered if I honor myself my honor is nothing
It is my father that honoreth me of whom ye say that he is your God yet
You have not known him, but I know him and if I should say I know him
Not I shall be a liar like unto you but I know him and keep his saints your father Abraham
Rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad then said the Jews unto him thou are not yet 50 years old
And has thou seen Abraham Jesus said unto him unto them barely barely I say unto you before Abraham was I am
Then they took up stones to cast at him
But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple going through the midst of them and so passed by
Pastor Cobb, will you pray for the message, please man, man
John 8 - we're there in John 8 and John 8 has a very similar in my opinion
It's very similar feel to John 6 whereas though in John 6 we have a bunch of disciples. There's this major conversation
There's a lot of you know, basically
vision and strife but people leave him and by the time we get to John 8
I mean, sorry, Jesus is still dealing with the same things
But now he's more on his own as before he had a big crowd that was following him and was openly
Behind him later on as we get through these chapters, we're gonna see there are still people believing in him
But because of fear of the Jews, they just don't publicly announce it and we start to see a lot of that
And so, you know when you read these for the first time or at least I did
You know, you see this interaction especially in the middle of John where he's like, hey, you are of your father
Abraham, but then your father is not Abraham
You're like what's going on here? And if you realize if you just follow the context of the conversation
He's talking to a big group and so he's addressing both those that have believed on him
But also the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the scribes
So he's basically addressing both groups at the same time and in a way Jesus always is a little bit
Exterior is to the loss. He's a little facetious
you know, he's he's
basically in a way almost like making fun of him or making it difficult for them to understand because
They should already know this right? They say hey, we're scribes. We're Pharisees. We're Sadducees
We know the Bible yet when Jesus shows up on the scene
They have no clue who he is
Although I you know, I think the reason Jesus is also really tough on them is they know who he is
And that's why they seek to kill him. It's not that they're denying reality
It said they're denying the Lord Jesus Christ. They're denying God, right?
and so we see this here and I think that's why it's so important to just set this up in the beginning and the title of
My sermon today is John 8 free or furious. I mean, that's really what ends up happening in life, right?
There's a couple ways that you want to look at
the paradigm or the spectrum of men right in in
In Christianity, you know you have on the left. Let's just say you have like the the reprobates the sons of Belial
This is a small sector of people that hate God. They're vehemently against him. They want to attack him
They're they're angry. They there's wrath about them if they could kill every one of us in here
They would you know, and I'm not just exaggerating. I'm not being a radical. That's really what they want to do
There's a group of people today in every part of the world here in Houston, Texas
That would be they would be so happy if we would all just die
All right
as a matter of fact
I keep finding out more and more every time that there are people that watch my sermons just because they don't like me from
Friends and people that have left the church to even family and you know
All it does is it like pumps me up to know that I can make them angry by preaching God's word
I mean if you're gonna watch I might as well just make you angry because I'm not even I'm just preaching the word of God
Right, but number two then we have the saved right and we have the lost now the lost
Obviously, they're kind of teetering between being condemned and then maybe having the opportunity to get saved
But then if you take the save you always have to split it into two groups and it's not an even split
You have a small percentage of Christians who are serving the Lord who are growing in Christ who are basically moving further, right?
And what I mean by that not politically, but biblically every time they open up the word of God
They they're more consistent. They serve better. They pray better. They love better
They're better soul winners over time, you know, you measure this in that days and months but decades
But then there's another group that just never does anything for Christ and that group
Sometimes tends to be a bleeding heart group that can also get furious
Against the things of God and even though they're saved they can still be at
Emnity with God and so we have to be very careful because the enemies of Christ are huge
because it could even be your own kin your own people and it's not just like
When I read the Bible and I and it says hey father and mother, you know
We'll be against mother-in-law or daughter and son
It's not just the blood like the carnal blood but also the spiritual blood, you know, maybe you have like my daughter
I mean, I'm not she's nine years old. Maybe when she gets older we'll deal with that, but God willing we won't but my daughter's nine and
I'm 46 and
There could be strife between us as she gets older from a familial or carnal standpoint
But also it could be from a spiritual standpoint, right?
Where now we're at odds because of something that has to do with Christ
But at the same time, you know next to her is Aubrey Aubrey's not my blood daughter
But she's my spiritual sister in Christ and we could be at odds
Because of whatever and I pick on the kids because obviously they're not at odds with us
they're just children but those are the things that can happen and I mean that happens all the time in churches in
Throughout all America and throughout the entire world
I mean literally some of the biggest YouTube channels in the Hispanic world because I'm looking up like
Hispanic content and people because I'm about to just really go strong on the Spanish content
And you hear you see these guys that are popular because they're just debating each other
They you know these suppose the Christians debating Catholics or Jehovah's Witnesses
There's always a little bit of contention in that world now
A lot of these people are not safe, but there's always gonna be some group of safe people
I believe in not all false religions
But there are false religions where you know
Like for example
We lead a lot of Catholics to Christ and I guarantee you a lot of them will still go back to the Catholic Church
Because that's all they've ever known and unless you plug into a church right away
You get baptized and you start learning from someone who's preaching the Word of God
You're just gonna fall back into your old ways, you know when I got saved and I was in a good Baptist Church
I mean I plugged in I got baptized that Sunday
Like I got saved like on a Monday and that Sunday I was like ready to baptize and I wanted to do more for Christ
they didn't have a soul any program and what I ended up doing was I I ended up preaching like in a
Like a nursing home, but then there wasn't any more activities. Nothing was really pulling me in and you know what I did
I just ended up falling back into my old
You know worldly ways of the things that I was doing when I was 25 years old as a single guy before I got saved
And it took a long time and a lot of Bible reading for me to end up where I am today
It's it didn't just happen overnight
So number one if you're discouraged because you you're like not where you want to be don't quit life happens
You know I get discouraged about where I'm not where I want to be and you know what?
You'll never be where you want to be as long as you're serving Christ because you know what Christ always is gonna push you
To want to do better to want to grow more to want to memorize more to want to read more
but let's go there to John 8 and let's go to our first point and
One of the things that we see here in John 8 is there's obviously there's there's some spiritual warfare going on, right?
And what he's gonna call out is all the falsehoods that are popping up, you know
they're gonna they're talking about there of a certain race of the you know, the lineage of Abraham and they're very religious people and
They're trying to basically
Enslaved or hold someone accountable without even following the proper procedures, right?
Like Jesus is not a judge at the time, you know, they're under Roman rule
There's a lot of things that are going on here for the sake of time, you know, obviously we're gonna cover some major themes
But the first point I have for you is that religion religious people or religion itself
Focuses on sin and not salvation. It's always works, right?
But if you notice the reason I said sin is because if you really pay attention to the false religions
What they always focus on is the fact that they're not as bad as other people, right?
right if you run into someone who's like
Work salvation and it's not necessarily like a seventh advantage or jehovah's witness or mormon
The biggest argument I always get from someone like that is like why just I can't accept that I can get saved
And still continue to sin or they'll say something like oh, so you're saying that someone can murder someone
And they're still gonna go to heaven, you know, because obviously what they're saying is i've never would murder murder anybody
I'm not that bad. Yeah, but you're still a sinner you're still you know
But the thing is they're nitpicking at these things and and you know, we're gonna see this in john eight
This is one of the most like uncomfortable parts of scripture for me
Because the pharisees here or the the group I think is the pharisees will read it
But the people that bring out the the scribes, they're pervy. They're they're like gross, right?
it says there in verse one says jesus went out into the mouth of olives and early in the morning he came
Again into the temple and all the people came unto him and he sat down and taught them
And the scribes and the pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery now pay attention
Well, how was she taken in adultery not? Hey, this is an adulterous woman
She's taken in adultery gets worse, right?
It says and when they had set her in the midst they said unto him master
This woman was a taken in adultery what in the very act. So what do you it's worse than you think right?
I mean, how do you take someone in the very act?
You have to be in their bedroom in the intimate setting. That's the all I mean
How else do they know that she's in the very act, right? Because they're saying it with a lot of confidence
It says now moses and the law commanded us that we should that she uh, that such should be stoned
But what says thou and of course they're trying to entrap jesus first of all
They're no longer under the mosaic log now the pharisees are they're following that but we see later on even pancha says hey
You know you do what you want with this in your law
But they had to submit to what the roman law like they had a bigger law like they're trying to get him to
Overstep his boundaries that says there in verse six this they said tempting him that they might not accuse him
But jesus stooped down and with his fingers wrote on the ground as though he heard them not and by the way as christians
We shouldn't be these weird people like i've heard this all my life
Everybody's trying to figure out what jesus wrote who's ever heard pastors or commentaries and people trying to figure out based on
The context what is it that jesus look if jesus wanted us to know what he wrote we would know it
So don't worry about it like i mean i'm pretty sure it was good enough that everybody left
Whatever he wrote really pricked at their hearts, right? But it doesn't really matter because he what he needs us to know is right here in scripture
Says so when they continued asking him he lifted up himself and said unto him
He that is without sin among you let him first cast a stone at her
And again, he stood down and wrote on the ground and they which heard it being convicted by their own conscious went out one by one
Beginning at the eldest even unto the last and jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst
When jesus had lifted up himself and saw none but the woman he said unto her woman
Where are those thine accusers hath no man condemned thee she said no man lord
Jesus said unto her neither do I condemn thee go and say no more and of course this is much deeper
Jesus came not to bring judgment to the world. Why because the world's condemned already, right?
And basically he's the savior of the world if you believe on him, you're not condemned anymore, right?
So and that may that that's uh, what is it? Sorry that stays true to Jesus nature
Because Jesus is the way the truth and the life you're not getting to heaven because Jesus is sitting in heaven being like
Oh, you're coming in because you were good. You're coming because you're bad
No, he's not even doesn't even necessarily need to be there when we get to heaven because god the father is letting us into heaven
Because we're drenched we're covered in the blood of christ. It's not because of some arbitrary decision
It's because he already paid for it. We were ran. He paid the ransom for our sins, right?
But what does the religious zealots try to do? They try to weaponize the sin, right?
They come and they're accusing like the adversary
They're the accuser of the brethren and they do it in the most grotesque and gross manner
You know makes me think of like the epstein files that just been released
And by the way, like you know as christians it says that it's even a sense to talk about those things that are done in secret
So it's not for us to be all pervy and try to find out everything was done
Basically, they're wicked. They're reprobate. We know that and and I really believe that that's another reason why jesus also is just like ignoring him
Because it's gross to be able to like they're like we caught her in the act
Well, if you look at it from just let's remove ourselves for a second
You know, it's actually kind of you know, it's called what the peeping toms women hate that. I remember growing up, you know
Into teenage years and stuff one of the things that was always is if you had like a like a friend or you know
Your clicks right and and you always had a group of friends and they there was always like the one creepy guy
That the girls talked about they're like he just gives us the heebie-jeebies. He stares too long and he looks too long
That's what these guys are doing. I mean how long were they paying attention?
How long were they doing before because they waited not only to you know, they knew she was an adulterous woman
But to catch her in the very act where's the guy that they that was with them that was with her
Why didn't they bring him according to the law, right? I mean, there's a lot
So it almost feels like this is my opinion. I'm not giving you hard doctrine here
It almost feels like they entrapped the lady, right? Like where's the other guy?
Where so she's the only one that committed the sin the other guy's just free to go
There's definitely a double standard. The bible is not a double standard
Hey, if both commit adultery at certain times it's punishable by death other times. It's punishable by other ways, right?
Sometimes it's a criminal act. Sometimes it's just a sin that's punishable by the lord jesus christ by chastisement
If you want to be careful, you know with that and you know, uh, I was talking about earlier
About how I just hate sometimes our society kind of sides with one side to the other, you know, like moms
Overall our government will side in a divorce situation or in a situation where there's kids involved
They always tend to side with the mother and they almost paint men as like these evil people
But that's not always the case
Sometimes it's the other way around like we need to not jump to conclusions just because someone comes accusing right away
You know usually with some if I hear stuff like i'm like, wait a minute
I need the whole story here. I can't just make a decision based on what you're telling me
You know go over to matthew 7 go over to matthew 7, but i'll read for you really quick in psalms
103 and psalms 103 but the bible says there the lord is merciful and gracious
Slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide neither will he keep his anger forever
He has not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us corny to our iniquities
So this is consistent with jesus even in the old testament, right?
For as the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy towards them that fear him
As far as the east is from the west so far had he removed our transgressions for
Well, how far pastor cobs done this many times i'm stealing a pastor
But how far is the east is from the west never ending that's how that's how he's removed our sins, right?
You know, I hate having hard conversations. I think everybody does but when we deal with it, you know
Sometimes I have to like address truths in life and when I do, you know, usually i'm just addressing the truth
I'm like, hey, it's been forgiven but here's here's why i'm bringing it up
It's probably because of this or that but at the end of the day
If jesus forgave you who am I i'm i'm lower than jesus. I serve the lord jesus christ
I definitely need to line up with whatever jesus is doing, right?
Obviously if it's a specific thing that we deal with it
But you know go to matthew seven right there in verse one. I had you turn to math seven
Uh when we're speaking of judgment the bible says judge not that ye be not judged for with what judgment ye judge
He shall be judged and with what measure ye meet it shall be measured to you again
And why behold is thou the mote in thy brother's eye and by the way the mote
It's just an old english word for like a speckle or just like a splinter, right?
But considers not the beam in thine own eye or how will thou say to thy brother?
Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye behold a beam is in thine own eye thou hypocrite first cast out the beam
Out of thine own eye and then thou shall see clearly to cast out the mote out of uh thy brother's eye
Give not that which is wholly unto the dogs neither cast ye your pearls before swine
Lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you ask and it shall
Be given you seek and you shall find knock and it shall be open unto you
For everyone that asketh receiveth he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be open. I love those verses
Give me a second. Sorry, like I think I must have caught something while we were out at NASA
But i've just been sick all week and instead of getting better. It's like I think i'm finally peaking but it'll probably be today
But anyways, we see this and that's what the Pharisees are doing. They're like, hey Jesus
Look at this woman that we took in adultery. Not only did we take her in adultery
We caught her in the very act and I mean there's talking to god almighty
It's probably you know, if i'm thinking it god's probably you know, obviously he's thinking in his infinite wisdom
He's like and we know this from all the other verses how you know, they they've perverted the law
And they continuously pervert, you know all the commandments of god
So they're coming at him with the wrong attitude and what is it?
It's because what they're trying to do is they want to be judge, you know jury and executioner
And the only one that actually has that ability is the lord jesus christ. It's actually god almighty, right?
We're we we don't have the ability to condemn anybody or to save anybody like with our blood now
We we get the credit when we lead someone to salvation
We save them but you know, and obviously because the proponents of people say oh, you know
You can't save anybody jesus. No, actually jesus lets us take the credit
Obviously, we know that all glory and credit goes to the lord jesus christ. All right, go over to romans 8
Romans 8 you're there in matthew just a couple of pages over but i'm going to read for you micha
7 verse 18 the bible says who is a god like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant
Of his heritage he retaineth not his anger forever because he delighteth in mercy
He will turn again. He will have compassion upon us. He will subdue our iniquities and that will cast all their sins
Into the depths of the sea. Well, how deep does the sea go nobody really knows nobody really knows
You know why because nobody's ever been able to go away that way deep. That's a fact
You know the what is it the mariana trench is probably the deepest place and they can only do where it where it cracks
But they don't know how deep that goes
Obviously we the why the bible tells us that the waters came in from below and from above
So it's probably encompasses the whole earth, but nobody you know
We don't have even the technology to figure that out, right?
And he says hey i've already cast your iniquities go to romans 8 verse 1 the bible says there
There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in christ jesus who walking out after the flesh
But after the spirit for the law of the spirit of life in christ jesus had made me free
From the law of sin and death for what the law could not do
In that it was weak through the flesh god sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin
condemned sin in the flesh
Conquered it right that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh
But after the spirit for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh
But they that are of the spirit the things of the spirit for to be carnally minded as death
But to be spiritually minded as life and peace because the carnal mind is amnesty against god
For it is not subject to the law of god
Neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please god
So when do we not please god when we're in the flesh when we lose it?
But what I wanted to focus with these verses is that like the religious people hold you to your sin
Those that are saved. Hey, we'll hold you accountable as a christian as a brother in christ
And even as a pastor i'll hold you accountable, but you know what we're gonna move on
My kids know that ever since they were little, you know, I like i've said before
Sometimes it's worth repeating in sermons, you know
I don't know that I do a lot of things right as a parent because you just never know
But I know I do this right we have a rule in the house and it's next
Hey the minute that I I get onto them
And I spank them or I chastise them. It's over. I don't want to talk about it
I don't even like them coming. You know how kids have a tendency to ask forgiveness more than hey
Look if I already forgave you ever it's over. I don't hear about anymore. Well, but daddy. I'm so sorry
It's if it's three days later
You're still asking me sorry and I'm gonna get mad because I already forgave you like I don't want to hear about it
I don't want to think about it. You know, it's past me now. I'm human
So in times I'll think about but i'm gonna try my best and my darkness
I'm gonna ask the lord to just remove that from me
You know why because jesus literally said as far as the east is from the west
Hey, i've cast everything into the sea
I don't even think about it. But yet we go around
Just being passive aggressive and reminding everybody about how much they screwed up in life
Look, you're a screw up just in case you didn't hear from anybody else this week
Your pastor's telling you you are a screw up that god's forgiving you and just so you don't feel real bad about it
You know what every time I open the book and I read the bible i'm like, oh i'm a screw up
That's just life, but let's not focus on the negative because god says hey
But you are going to do greater things, right?
All things work together for good the bible says greater is he that is in you that he is in the world like he's
We are his workmanship, right?
He that has begun a good work in you will perform it what until the day of jesus christ the bible says
So why worry about that stuff?
Don't beat yourself up. Don't beat others up about the stuff that they've done life goes on now
If they continue doing it, well, then it's not even beating them up. They're beating themselves up
You might as well just call continue call them out. Let's go to point number two. Jesus is the light
We see this in verse, uh, well right there in john 8 john 8 and verse number 12
And this is what we get the famous right make you free
So I love the book of uh, I mean chapter 8 of the book of john because it talks about truth
And it talks about freedom which are the two things that we should be most concerned about in life
Right in verse 12 the bible says then speak jesus again unto them saying
I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness
But shall have the light of life the Pharisees therefore sent unto him thou bears record of thyself thy record is not true
Jesus answered and sent him though I bear record of myself yet
My record is true for I know whence I came and whither I go
But ye cannot tell me whence I came or whether I go ye judge after the flesh. That's what they were doing
Right. I judge no man and yet if I judge
My judgment is true for I am not alone
But I and the father that sent me it is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true
I am one that bears witness of myself and the father that sent me bears witness of me
Then said they unto him. Where is thy father?
Jesus answered ye neither know me nor my father if ye had known me you should have known my father also
These words spake jesus in the treasury. It's interesting, right? Where where all the money's being held as he taught in the temple
And no man laid hands on him for his hour has not yet come by the way
Just as a side note because like I said, I told you I was going to hammer this in this is not
Oneness modalism. This is not classical trinitarianism where it's one consciousness one will because obviously saying hey
I have my own witness and there's a separate set of consciousness
That has that is bearing witness of me and by the way the things that i'm telling you
I'm not telling them of myself
but of someone that told them to me and I
You know process them and then i'm telling you right but the big thing we want to focus on here is what jesus is light
You know the more you think about this from a biblical standpoint
It really is light and darkness in life the christian walk should you should always be like a moth to flame
By the fire right those are literally the lyrics of the song even though that's not the reason that I said that but then
I said it and then maybe that's from the 90s. That's what happens when you're a 90s kid, but
But that's how moths are right. They they but for us that light actually protects us
People are always going to be drawn to the light anyways some to destruction and perdition because god is a consuming fire
You can't escape the light but you can't live in darkness because the only one that never sees darkness is jesus christ
That's why the bible says in heaven. There's no need for the sun
Sun there's no need for the galaxies because jesus is there god is there the holy spirit is there
It's all light and because he's light we need to focus on the light. You know, there's so many sins
That I mean i'm still a sinner, right?
But there's so many horrible sins that you know in in my estimation that the lord's just cleaned up
I'm so grateful to the lord, but you know, I tell my wife it's not because of me. I'm still the same guy
I'm still tempted by the same things of the world, but i'm just able to overcome them
Not me, but it's he that overcame the world, right? Like honestly
You know, you got to think about being a christian after salvation like in a program, you know
Why we come to church, you know, hi, my name is enrique. I'm a sinner. I've been a sinner for 46 years
Hi enrique. Welcome, you know, that's because that's really what it is, right?
What is the alcoholic problem that tell you if they even smell it?
It's bad, right? Well, what's the the everybody has that genetic predisposition for sin for something
Just because you don't drink alcohol and you're not a drunk doesn't mean you're not a sinner, right?
And the only way to overcome the temptations of the world is to lean on the lord jesus christ
And sometimes it takes a long time, but you got to keep at it
I mean even in the last year
I've made leaps and bounds and stuff that I was really struggling with and all of a sudden just the lord just got rid of it
You know, by the way, i'm just confessing my faults. Don't even ask me after church because I will never tell you my you know
We're not a catholic church here
So just letting you know go over to ephesians 5 because I know something i'm not kidding. I know you're not nosy, but
But in john 1 and go to ephesians 5 but in john 1 right there in verse 4 the bible says
In him was life and there was and the life was the light of men and the light shineth in darkness
and the darkness
Overhandeth it not you know why we lose friends and family because they live in darkness
You know, I got really tough on my staff today and a couple of them got flustered and one of them was like hey, you know
Nobody's ever screamed at me like I was mad
I was shouting and everything and even like my significant other and so and so's never and I was like, you know
Why because they don't love you, you know, Jesus loves you. He's gonna hold you accountable
I gotta tell you the truth. You guys are dropping the ball over the place
You know, this is obviously in business, but I use it's the same principles
I like why am I tough on people could actually care, you know, when people bring challenges to me
You know
I say I hate getting challenges because I'm actually really empathetic and they're like it like I feel that pain
My wife knows that she she knows when I'm dealing with something because I'm just like I'm literally
Living that with you to the best of my I and I've tried to turn it off
I just can't but you know why because I love people. I don't want people to go to hell
I don't want people to screw up. I don't want people to just have challenges, you know, it hurts
one of the great things about a church that's growing is the church is growing but one of the bad things is there's more people that
Are in problems and then you know, I just carry more problems
I'm not it's not some weird like, you know the movies where you know
You have that those characters that absorb the painter is no I'm just but you if you care deep
You know the Bible says that he looked out Jesus looked out and he was sore
Right. He had compassion on the people and he wept Paul said he cried and he prayed daily for the span of three years
Jeremiah was called the lamenting prophet because he cared for the people so much. So it's not you know, this weird thing
I'm not being mushy. I'm just saying when you care it just it hurts and so I'd rather you just focus on the light
Comprehend the light not live in darkness go to Ephesians 5 verse 13
The Bible says and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them for it is a shame
To speak even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret
But all things that are approved are made manifest by the light for whatsoever does make manifest is light
It makes me think of the absentee files, right those for years. They hit it in secrecy and now what is it?
Like something like five million or something like five thousand documents
It's like there was a five in there brother. Heath was telling me about it earlier. So I don't know how many five million or five thousand
Six million documents of all the gross seedy stuff emails, you know videos all kinds of stuff, right?
It says wherefore you say if the wake is thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and christ shall give thee light
See then you walk
circumspectly not as fools, but as but as wise
redeeming the time because the days are
Evil and they are evil just means harmful. You know, you think about it this weekend. We had a great weekend
We had pastor os and on saturday. We went out to nasa and on sunday. We we had a great time
We had some great food
You know who didn't get to enjoy any of it my wife because my brother-in-law almost died
And she immediately had to go visit my brother-in-law. We have to watch it because the days are evil
You know what that was not in the plans. I guarantee you when we thought of this great weekend was like
Oh, you know what? We should have a backup plan for the person who might die that we get
Nobody who thinks like that who makes plans that you're like, you know
What we need to have is a contingency plan for you know
The call you you're dreading to get you don't even though we know as humans that at some point
We're going to get that call more than once. You know that call is not unique to me and my family
I'm not asking you, you know, like
To i'm not don't pity us like you all have those calls
Every one of you in here at some point in your life have gotten that call or have or you've been that call
Where you just you're either sick or something happened to you or they're serious stuff. I mean, that's just life
It's just the way it goes. Let's go to point number three
But i'll read for you really quick isaiah 9 verse 2 the bible says the people that
Walked in darkness have seen a great light and isaiah will prophesy of jesus christ, right?
That they dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shine
Hey, you know houston is a dark city, but there's light here in the city, right?
And it's not just spring crest thank the lord that there's still a lot of good baptist churches in houston
Just because they don't saw one like we do doesn't mean that they're not good churches
I got saved in a good baptist church here in houston, texas the pastor that saved me. He's solid on the gospel
He grew up an independent baptist. He's you know, he knows his bible really well
Like I I don't I couldn't say anything negative about him our difference is that's my personal negative, right?
But I you know, I just moved on to you know, the situation I want to be in
But if you were like, hey, I need to get someone saved and I don't know who who's in that area
You could call pastor johnny pope today and he would go and he would try to leave
They don't have a regular soul winning program, but I know he'll do it
You know why because he did it for me a lot many many years ago
We might even get this but this is a good story many many years ago
uh, I had a mentor in business who was friends with uh,
Forget his name hutton gibson. I think hutton gibson is mel gibson's dad
I think he's passed away by now and I don't know if you know this about mel gibson and his family. They are staunch
Catholics not like regular catholics. They're like latin, uh speaking
Service catholics they would literally when when you have a catholic that believes that the church should be run in latin
It's the equivalent of saying hey, we're king james only independent fundamental. Well, it's the most conservative the conservative catholics and
Through connections and stuff. He befriended hutton gibson and hutton at that time had a wife
I think her name was uh, it'll come to me, but he that was like his second or third wife
She was much younger than him and then later on they divorced and this individual kept in touch with both of them
And she turns out was from houston actually not too far from where my friend trey lives. He was back in like 2012
2013 and he calls me and he says hey, she's dying hutton gibson's wife ex-wife is dying
And she's catholic and she's going to hell and at the time
This is the guy that introduced me to pastor pope and he's like go to pastor pope
And tell him that you guys need to go preach the gospel to to her and you know what he did
I picked him up at the church and we drove all the way from
1960 down over there by 59 and beach nut somewhere in that area and we went in her house
I remember sitting in the living room. She had like a helper, you know, someone that like I guess she was in hospice
So she had like the nerf there and I just sat in the living room for like an hour and a half
I think it was like two hours and he I could hear him. He was very animated much more than me
He's a way better preacher. If you ever want to just listen a great preacher listen to pastor pope
But he was just really animated and he was like went at it went at it. Were we married married Sarah?
We were right. Yeah, we we had just we were newlyweds maybe a year or two into it
And I mean it was a long day. I was without my and he went at it
He came out and he's like she rejected it. She died and went to hell but he gave it his all
So what i'm trying to say is we are not the only church that believes that people need to be pulled out
He gave it his all like he left exhausted. He was heartbroken. It just but she just wouldn't give in
I mean, obviously we can't force anybody to get saved, right?
But you know, I always remember that story even though it didn't end in a positive for it ended in a positive for him
The rewards are in heaven waiting for him. It's not his fault that she didn't get saved, right?
You know, unfortunately, that's just the way it is in life
But let's go let's go to point number three
I said we can finish it
We might if I have to break it up into two we will but uh in john 8 right there in verse 21
The bible says then jesus said again unto them. I go my way and you shall seek me and shall die
In your sins whether I go you cannot come then said the jews
Will he kill himself because he sayeth whether I go you cannot come and he said unto them ye are from beneath
I am from above year of this world. I am not of this world
I said therefore unto you that ye shall die in your sins for if you believe not what I that I am he ye shall die
In your sins pay attention that that term that's three times. He's used it, right?
This is they unto him who art thou and jesus sayeth unto them
Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning
I have many things to say and to judge of you
But he that sent me is true and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him
They understood not that he spake to them of the father
Then said jesus unto them when you have lifted up the son of man, then shall you know
That I am he and that I do nothing of myself
But as my father had taught me I speak these things and he that sent me is with me
The father has not left me alone for I do always those things that please him as he spake these words
Pay attention many believed on him. So look we got to preach
Even if we don't know who's paying attention because people are getting saved
Like I said just a couple of days ago
I found out that there's people watching that that I know don't like me
But you know what of those people that don't like me someone might hear and get saved
They just may never profess it publicly just because they're not here
They're not soul winning and they're not you know, three to thrive doesn't mean they're not saved
You know, I love that jesus is like we're just going to lead people and point number three is that unbelief
Leads to dying in your sin. What does that really mean? Like when I read that what does it mean?
Well when I die i'm going to heaven so all my sins have been removed
They've all been forgiven as far as the east is for the west when I die
I'm dying into incorruption, right? I'm not dying into corruption
I'm dying into incorruption of the you know, my spirit is already incorruptible or my soul
But then i'm just waiting for the you know, if I die before jesus comes
I'm going to come down with him and we're going to get a new body an incorruptible body
But to die in your sins means hey, you know what that really just translates to you've rejected who jesus christ
And you and remember john 3 18 said you're already condemned what you're doing is that when you when you don't believe
You're already dying to sin you're going to die in your sin. You're going to be a sinner
That's all you're going to ever focus on and that's all you're ever going to be as a matter of fact
I have it here go to john 3 verse 18
The bible says he that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already
Because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of god
And then verse 19 and this is the condemnation here. We go back that light is coming to the world and men love darkness
Rather than light because their deeds were evil for everyone that doeth evil hateth the light
Neither cometh to the light lest its deeds should be reproved
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be manifest that they are brought in god
That's why everybody does when does my mom used to say this to me growing up. I hated it
She's like nothing good happens after 10 pm, right? Because our by parents generation knew then when does bad things happen at night?
When do most people steal at night? When do most murders happen at night?
When does most anything bad happen at night? Even when you're sick, when you feel sickest at night, right?
I mean, it's just like darkness loves darkness
I mean think about it go to second thessalonians 2 go to second thessalonians 2
But in hebrews 3 verse 19 the bible says so we see that they could not enter in
Because of unbelief, you know, even the children of israel, even though they were led out of the out of egypt
Not everybody that was led was saved. That's why we know
That it's not by a race, but it's by grace, right?
John 8 is the quintessential like it's one of those I mean not just john 8 the book of john itself
You know if you really study it out
I mean it really I think that's why the jews hate it hate the bible so much because like they're in every page
opposing who jesus christ
Everywhere they go they're just of the jewelry of the jews religion judiizers and who are they opposing jesus christ
Go there to second thessalonians 2 and write them verse 8 says and then shall the wicked be revealed
Whom the lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his scumming
Why are they going to get destroyed because of the light, you know, you think the devil doesn't know that who's ever watched
I mean, obviously I I don't but growing up you ever watch all those vampire movies what destroyed them the light
The devil knows what's coming says even him who's coming is after the work of satan with all power and signs
And lying wonder speaking of obviously
false prophet and all the sable deceit
Deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved
And for this cause god shall send them strong delusion
They should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believe not the truth
But at pleasure in unrighteousness, you know
I was why I was reading an art interesting article today almost spent too much time on it because I'd want to finish
But it was an interesting article about a guy who's in the forefront of ai
And he was talking about just how crazy the world's going to be not in the next 10 years
Essentially in the next six months ai is advancing so fast, right?
But what's what's the one thing that you hear a lot about ai not the light of ai
Even though a lot of people are real positive about it the majority of the narrative that's coming from people that are ai
Whether they're pushing or not is the evilness and the darkness behind it, right?
Because they can't control the lie and it says here right says god is going to send them a strong delusion
I was watching if you guys that I will show you afterward
They did a little video montage and they will smith is if you don't know who he is
He's just an actor and in 2023 they did an ai rendition of him eating spaghetti
I don't know if you ever seen it looks horrible
It's all distorted and then they did it again in 2024 and it still looks pretty bad
Then in 2025 it looks like him that you can still see them ai and then they skipped to 2026
But they're showing you the progression. It's no longer him eating. It's him having a conversation with another person
You wouldn't know that it's ai you really think that it's a scene from a movie and he the delusion is going to be strong
Bible says if it were possible, even the elect would be deceived, right? We got to be careful with this stuff
That's why we need to know what truth is from the word of god truth is the only thing that matters and not
Like these people that just they they make up their own idea of truth the truth of god, right? I mean it's like
Chasing down some conspiracy theories are not worth it because once you find out that it's evil
Then that's all you need to know the devil's behind it
Like I don't need to know every every email and every video that jeff jeffery epstein did obviously
He was a reprobate pedophile who hung around with a bunch of reprobate pedophiles. It's evident. They're saying it not me
That's all I don't need to see anymore because the bible tells me that these people are going to exist
By the way in john 8 verse 31 point number four is truth equals freedom truth equals freedom right there in verse 31
The bible says then said uh, give me a say. Sorry guys thought I was gonna see it says
Then said jesus to those jews which believed on him if you continue in my word
Then you are my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free
They answered him we be abraham seed and we're never in bondage to any man
How says thou you shall be made free jesus answered them barely barely
I said to you whosoever committed sin is a servant of sin and the servant abideth not in the house forever
But the son abideth forever jesus really speaking of the his sinless life here
If the son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed how you get freedom to jesus christ
Period you know and it is liberating for example, honestly, i'm not even exactly i'm not trying to do this for show
I didn't know that last sunday was the super bowl until like
Midway through the morning or I think I was like on my way here and I heard something
I didn't know that it was the super bowl number one, but number two, I wasn't even interested in watching
Anything of it, you know
Like I knew that this uh, what is it bad bunny was going to be in the halftime show
I've already seen the fact that he's a queer
Sod about you know what you know what needs to happen in our country
I don't even care that it was anti-american or american. I care that our country's not putting him to death
The only thing that he's worthy of is death. That's it
Why would I want to watch someone pretending to be a man talking about how he's fornicating with a bunch of women when I've
You know, unfortunately
Not of my own doing but just through social media stuff. There's pictures of them in a pink dress
Well, I haven't seen that. Thank god. Amen. He said kissing guys and i've not seen that
Thank god because I don't want to see that. It's gross, right?
You know why because the truth makes you free
It's liberating not to worry about who's going to win the super bowl and how emotionally invested I used to get
Behind the screen and i'm not picking on you if you if you like it if you get invested
I'm just saying the more you follow christ the less interested you are in the things of the world
That's all i'm saying before everybody gets all up in arms truth liberates, right?
It just makes you free go to roman 6 go to roman 6
We got a couple minutes here. We're wrapping this thing up go to roman 6
I'll read for you really quick in psalm 119 verse 45
The bible says let thy mercies come also unto me. Oh lord, even thy salvation according to thy word
So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me reproacheth me for I trust
In thy word and taken out the word of truth utterly out of my mouth for I have hoped in thy judgments
So shall I keep thy law continually forever and ever and I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts
I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings and I will and will not be ashamed
And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved my hands
Also will I lift up unto thy commandments which I have loved and I will meditate in thy statutes
I love that first Galatians 5 verse 1 the Bible says stand therefore in the liberty wherein
Wherewith Christ had made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage
Hey, don't don't get back to it. Remember in Galatians it starts out with I marvel that you are so soon removed from the gospel
Which was once delivered unto you, you know guys like hey don't get sidetracked
Don't get back into the bondage of sin grow in christ now. That's not necessary for salvation
But if you want to have a good life
That's not free of problems
But just a good life that god's gonna bless just don't go, you know, don't go back to it go to roman 6 right there
In verse 17 the bible says but god be thanked that ye were the servants of sin
But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you being made free from sin
You became the servants of righteousness. Hey, we're serving somebody today. You're either serving god
For your serving man. Let's let's start closing this thing out right there
In john 8 point number five is the devil and I won't spend too much time on these because these are obviously very
Very common theme in the bible, but uh point number five is that the devil
Oh, i'm sorry. I was reading my own handwriting. The devil is father
Of the condemned right the devil is the father of those that are already condemned
That's why we need to pull him out of the fire in john a verse 37 says
I know that you are abraham's seed, but you seek to kill me because you have because my word has no place in you
I speak that which i've seen with my father and you do that what you have seen with your father
They answered and said unto him abraham is our father jesus says unto him
If you were abraham's children, you would not do the works of abraham
Notice he makes that distinction verse number three. He says I know that you're abraham's seed
He didn't say that that abraham was their father, but he said hey
I know that you come from a seed like that's your lineage, but remember that's not what gets you to heaven
It's actually a very great set of verses, but he says but I know but if abraham were your father
But and he says you would know me but in verse 40 says but now you seek to kill me
Amen that I told you the truth which I have heard of god. This did not abraham
Ye do the deeds of your father by the way when people say oh jesus wasn't hard
I mean, this is pretty hard. They said uh, then they said it to him
We be not born of fornication, but we have one father even god
And by the way, isn't that every false religion in the world? They're like, oh, we believe in god
Not jesus. We believe in just one god not this triune
Polytheistic obviously god is god from the bible. They want to define him jesus said unto them
If god were your father you would love me for I proceeded forth and came from god neither came I
Of myself, but he sent me. Why do you not understand my speech?
Even because you cannot hear my word ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father
You will do he was a murder from the beginning and abode not in truth
Because there is no truth in him when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own for he is a liar
And the father of it and because I tell you the truth you believe me not
Which of you convinced me of sin and if I say the truth, why do you not believe me?
He that is of god hears god's words ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of god
And you know if you tie it back to the very beginning, what do they do?
They came and lied much like the devil does right? Hey, this woman's taking an adultery in the very act
What does moses's law say?
What did what did the devil say to eve hath god not said, you know, yea had god said right like
Either twisting the word instead of just being on it right there in matthew 12 for the sake of time
You don't have to go there but matthew 12 verse 30 said he that is not with me is against me
And he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad
Wherefore I say unto you all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto me
The blasphemy against the holy ghost shall not be forgiven unto man
And whosoever speaketh the word against the son of man it shall be forgiven him
But whosoever speaketh against the holy ghost should not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come either
Make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt for the tree is known by his fruit
Oh generation of vipers
How can ye being evil speak good things for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth?
Speaketh and by the way, just because it sounds like us doesn't always mean it's us and we have to be very careful
You know pastor os did a really good job of saying that you know that sometimes it may sound
Like the right word because it sounds soft and nice and sweet but it's not you know
The word of god is not always sweet. Sometimes it's sour, right as a mexican
I understand that because I love sweet and sour
I love things that are sweet and I love things that are spicy as a matter of fact our snacks
a lot of people come to
You know learn about our snacks like our mexican heritage snacks and they're like that's not candy. It's candy to us
You know, I like a flaming hot with salt and lime and pepper and abanero sauce the tabasco
So, you know you would just and you know, it's good for us, right?
But it can't always all be sweet and it can't always all be sour
You have to have that balance and people just want sweet sweet sweet
But the reality is the bible is two-thirds sour or harsh in like one-third sweet because
You know the world is a tough place and we need to be
Really radical in this arena because human nature is just horrible. I mean just like I don't know how else to put it
People are horrible
Like I just assume the worst of everybody and I also assume the best of everybody. I have high expectations for you
But I also realize that you're capable of the lowest of lows and I realize you're capable of the highest of highs
Just like I know in myself i'm capable of both like we've got to be careful
There are certain things that I don't even want to engage in because I don't know what i'm capable of
I don't want to put myself in a situation where that would happen and the majority of people don't want to face that reality
Right. I have two
Well, I had to I have one queer uncle still alive who will eventually burn in hell and I have one who's been burning in hell
for several years most of the people liked them they were personable people they had friends and family Bible tells me that they're
Evil and full of all unrighteousness. I just got to take God as word and you know what?
I didn't want to even find out the reality is the deeper you go in it
Eventually, you will find out most people that are like
Charismatic and in the limelight they seem really cool
You ever hear those stories like and then they finally met them and they were really disappointed
right the fan finally meets their superhero the person they idolized it turns out they weren't the way they were that's because
They're human and it's probably not what you think, you know, let's go go back to John 8
Let's start closing this thing out
But in first John 3 verse 8 the Bible says he that committed sin is of the devil for the devil sinneth from the beginning
For this purpose the Son of God was manifest that he might destroy the works of them
Oh, by the way, who is first John written to to us?
So if we commit sin, who do we belong to for that period of time the devil see that's the challenge in most churches
Nobody likes to hear that part of the Bible, right?
Nobody likes to hear the preacher say hey you if you've committed since today
You know whose team you were on not God's team. You were on the losing team, but you said we're safe
I didn't say you lost your salvation. I just said that for a brief period in time. You were on the wrong team
You know, we're the worst right as we have to war with the flesh
We're constantly flip-flopping between good and evil, you know between good anyway
I don't want to jump too much because I'll start coughing. All right, but in Romans 8, let's go to verse go to John
Don't go to Romans. I want to close this thing out
But Romans 8 and verse 6 says for the to be carnally minded as death but to be spiritually minded this life and peace
Because the carnal mind is
Emnity against God. It's a guess
It's an enemy of God for it is subject to the law of God for it is not subject to the law of God
Sorry, neither indeed can be so they that are in the flesh cannot please God
Hey, if you're in sin, you can't please God, you know, yeah
But I go to church and I give tithes and I do all this who cares
you know, I also don't like knowing the tithes that come into the church because sometimes I have more information than I that I need to
Have and sometimes I'm like are these people just tithing to like get on the church's good side
Like, you know go fix all the stuff you got problems with first and then give the church money
Now that I won't take it and use it for the glory of God, right, but it's not gonna solve your problems, right?
I mean, I don't want to and by the way, it's not just you
I don't want to be guilty that Bible is very clear like hey
I need to fix stuff with my wife if I want my prayers not to be hindered
Hey, I need to be I need to not leave my children, you know and provoke them to wrath
I need to love and esteem the church better than myself and my my congregation and my brothers and sisters in Christ
Hey, if the Bible says that I need to withdraw myself and depart from certain people I need to do that
Like there's a lot like being a Christian is a hard walk. Thank God. It's not of works
I was talking to you know, one of the guys if you guys will give me one minute
We will go there. We'll close out. We don't have to read the last
Verses just turn over to up and the last point is that Jesus is truth and the world hates it
It ties in with this one of my employees that I was getting on to he's in Pakistan
He's actually a direct employee of mine out. I hired him directly from the company
and and
When I hired him, this is only like a month ago. It was great
He gave me his hours everything and then all of a sudden like earlier this week
He like dictates to me and he's like hey because of Ramadan
I'm gonna have to change my schedule a little bit. I was like, okay
Well, you know, it would have been nice to know about two three weeks ago that your schedule is gonna be different because you know
I'm I make plans based around your your job to me and I said number two
I'm the boss. I was like I don't appreciate being dictated to like you didn't even ask me if that's something you could do
And I said, you know what? I won't give you his name just in case you're but I was like I told him
I was like, but you know what you just need to get saved
So that you don't have to follow this stupid religion and have this stupid Ramadan month
And he said oh, I don't think that you can talk to me like that
I don't want to talk to you like that. I said I said his name starts with a Z
So I'll just call him Z. I said Z I could talk to you
However, I want said that's why number one I run my own business and number two
I'm safe. You don't want to work for me. You don't have to work for me number two
If you don't want to believe what I believe you don't have to believe what I believe
But I'm just telling you right now that you're headed straight to hell and that you're wasting your time
I said I said Z. Let me ask you a question. I said I'm being really serious right now
I said I'm gonna ask you a serious question
You're gonna do this thing for a whole month is Ramadan and I said what do you why why do you have to take a break?
He goes, oh, it's cuz for a prayer. I have to go pray
I can't even understand him half the time and I'm pretty good and I'm like, I've literally told them that people hate that
I say stuff like this, but it's true
I'm like dude go do some tongue twisters because I can't understand your English and like I'm like dude get to work
I want to reward you and I said what what's the purpose of this?
He's like, oh, you know, so we're closer to God and I said do you think that this gets you to heaven?
He goes, well, yeah, this is gonna I said, okay
So if this is the work that gets you to heaven how much of it you have to do
He goes well, it's kind of hard to explain right now. No, I said it's not that hard to explain how much
Because I'm telling you like if I knew that I had to do this
I would want to know how much I have to do to get there and he couldn't answer me and I said look
This is why I serve the Lord Jesus Christ because I'm saved. I don't have to do anything
I believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and I said you're gonna mess up. I'm gonna mess up
You're not even perfect in all this stuff. And I said and here's the great thing about it. I said your religion
Oppresses people there's entire countries built around your religion forcing people to believe what you believe and I said
I'm not just picking on your religion
There are Catholic religions right now
You go to the small little cities in Mexico City like it's somewhere in Mexico or south and Argentina or in you know
Peru and stuff and the little towns are oppressed because the Catholic priests run those things and if they don't do what they say
They'll kill them
And I said the great thing about working for me Z is that even though you might think that what I'm saying is jerkish
But you know what you don't have to do anything that I say and you don't have to believe anything
I believe because I don't want to force you into believing in Jesus Christ
I just want to tell you the truth
I said nobody's gonna love you more than me because I'm telling you the truth
He didn't quit and he got over it
Maybe I planted a seed but what I'm trying to say is isn't that so funny that people get so offended when you're just honest
I'm not forcing anybody to do anything. You don't have to watch the YouTube videos. You don't have to be at church
You don't even have to believe anything I say
But yeah, we're the bad guys and then everybody else who's the good guys are like shoving it down your throat
Isn't that what I isn't out what one of the songs was that everybody's complain about about this by the way
That's the stupidest name in the world right bad bunny like doesn't even and about apparently there was like some sodomy references or something
Like that. I don't know. My wife was like, is that what he says?
I was like, honey, I can't understand the guy and I speak Spanish
I don't know how anybody can follow this guy cuz he literally mumbles like a retard. It's so horrible
Well, let's close in order prayer. I didn't even read the rest of it. Actually, let's go to Colossians one
This is where I have clothes because I do want to close on a good note
It says right here in verse 16 says for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth
visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or
Principalities all things were created by him and for him and he's before all things and by him all things
Consists and he is the head of the body
Church who is the beginning the firstborn from the dead that in all things he?
Might have the preeminence who Jesus if you notice
Why do we like the book of John all of them talk about Jesus, but John really focuses in on it, right?
It's just it's the way the truth and the life. We're gonna see that later. Let's close in a word of prayer Heavenly Father
Lord, thank you so much for today. Thank you for opportunity to be here Lord
Thank you for all those that are true and faithful here today
And also thank you for all those that are true and faithful that aren't able to make it for legitimate reasons
And if they're illegitimate reasons Lord that they would just repent and come and get edified Lord
And I know that it's not in our carnal flesh
It's not the most convenient not only the time but the day of the week
Just traffic and Houston or work and life
But Lord just continue to give us the grace and the wisdom and the ability to do so
Because it's convenient for the spirit. It's convenient for edification and for our growth the Lord. Thank you for truth
Thank you for the liberty that it provides. Thank you for the freedom that it gives us and Lord
Just help us to have a great week and in Jesus name. We pray amen turn your hymnals over to page
To is it 210 or 216? Sorry. I don't know if I wrote this or not. Oh 208
Sorry, turn your hymnals over to page 208. Well, I didn't even realize that thing turned off like why is it a little darker in here?