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Father, thank you so much for the Bible, and we thank you so much that we have the opportunity to assemble here. What a blessing it is to be with people of like faith and practice, dear God. What an encouragement in a world of ungodliness and a Christian world of apostasy, dear God. We have the privilege to assemble together with others who love you, love the Bible, believe every word of God. They don't question the truth. They don't question whether the Bible is written by God. They're saved as I'm saved. They love you just like I love you, and God, thank you so much for the privilege and the right to assemble here and hear the Bible preached and just to be with people who love you and take the stands that need to be made for you, and we love you, and in Jesus' name I pray, amen. Now in this chapter, the part that I want to focus on, and I'm going to get there in just a minute, but it begins in verse number 20, but before we get there, just flip over if you would. Just flip a few pages over to 2 Corinthians 3, verse number 17, I'm going to read just one verse for you here, and we'll get back to 1 Corinthians 7. 2 Corinthians 3, 17 reads, Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Now I want to actually finish preaching my sermon that I preached two weeks ago on Sunday morning. I didn't have a chance to get all the material out there that I wanted to preach, and so this is going to be part two. I don't usually like to do part two on Sunday night because I like to just preach a totally different sermon on Sunday morning and Sunday night, but here we are two weeks later. I want to finish and go back to some of these ideas, and so I'm going to very quickly review, I'm not going to re-preach the sermon, but just very quickly review so that we can pick up where we left off in my sermon that I preached on Sunday morning two weeks ago. I'm sure you remember exactly what that is, but maybe you don't, but it was something that I entitled Liberty in the United States, and I went through and I showed from the Bible how the liberties that are enumerated in the Constitution and in the Declaration of Independence and in the Bill of Rights come from the Bible, and let me just give you a brief review and then we'll jump into the new material. And this is kind of, I guess it's a little more of a Bible study, just like that sermon was very much a Bible study. I mean we went verse by verse through many scriptures, and we're going to do the same thing tonight, but the first thing that we learned was number one, Jesus Christ has purchased our liberty in regard to salvation, and we took the spiritual metaphor that our salvation is liberty and freedom, we talked about how we have the freedom to choose whether or not we get saved, we don't believe in Calvinism, that God has before ordained, yes he has before ordained, that everyone that believeth might receive the remission of sins, that's what he foreordained, Acts chapter 10. But we see that Jesus Christ purchased our liberty, we also saw that we believe in what's called Christian liberty, we're free in Christ, Christ has called us to liberty, we're not to use that liberty as an occasion to sin, but we do have the choice to live for God or to live after the flesh, we'll go to heaven either way, we'll be His children in any case, but we're to make the choice of our own volition to say, I am going to walk after the Spirit, not after the flesh. We also talked about the fact that if you choose to walk after the flesh, you will be put into the bondage and slavery that comes with living after the flesh, whether it be addictions such as alcohol, smoking, drugs, movies, fornication, pornography, whatever the case may be, they will draw you into a kind of slavery and bondage, true liberty is making the personal choice to live for God and obey the Bible, that's liberty. And we talked about, and only Jesus Christ can give you that liberty, okay, that was the first thing we talked about, but number two, we talked about how God is not the God of slavery and bondage, He is the God of liberty, and we went through some chapters in Jeremiah and everything about that, but number three, we defined liberty according to the Bible, we gave biblical examples of what the Bible teaches liberty and freedom are, just quickly I'll blow through these, number one, we talked about being innocent until proven guilty, we saw that from Acts 22, 1 Timothy 5 and Deuteronomy 19, where God clearly stated that a person is to be innocent until proven guilty, and it even laid out exactly how to prove somebody guilty in Deuteronomy 19, but number two, we talked about that freedom was owning your own property and spending your own money, we went to Genesis 47 and we saw how Joseph and Pharaoh sold, first, here's what they did, and it was really a twisted scheme, but they took up the fifth part of the land, which was great, amen to that, right, I mean he saved them alive by taking a fifth part of their crops for the seven plenteous years, as God prophesied that there would be seven plenteous years and then seven years of famine, and so Joseph and his prudence and foreknowledge given to him by God laid up the fifth part of all the food and all the grain that was grown in Egypt and laid it up until the seven years famine came, but then what he began to do was very wrong, he sold that grain to other countries, that's fine and dandy, but he began to sell the grain back to the Egyptian people, I mean the grain that they had worked for, they had grown, they had earned, that Joseph took from them, he should have given it back to them now, it's their stuff, but he began to sell it back to them, they ran out of money, so he exchanged them their own food for their cattle, so he bought all their cattle, then he bought their own physical bodies and their land, until he owned every person and every land in Egypt, and then what he did was he said, the fifth part of everything you earn forever will be Pharaoh's because you belong to Pharaoh because we have purchased you, and they were so happy to be saved alive, they didn't realize that they were selling their children down the river by putting them in this system where they didn't own any land, and they didn't have the right to spend their own money, but twenty percent of it had to go to their government, and what happened? They sold themselves, and then Joseph did something else that was wrong, he then reallocated people in the cities and told people, you're going to live here, you're going to live here, just major big government to the extreme, and we proved from the Bible and talked about how wrong that was for him to do that, and then we talked about how whatsoever a man saw it, that's what he also reaped, all of Joseph's children went into bondage, because he put the Egyptians into bondage, and that's what happened, and that's the way that story goes, and I think most were here to hear the sermon on that one. And then the last thing we saw about what freedom is, is knowing the truth. Jesus said you should know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. And we saw that knowing the truth about what's going on in America, what's going on in our government, is part of what freedom is. Remember when Jesus said this, he said, I'm not calling you servants, for the servant knoweth not what his master doeth, he says, I've called you friends, because all the fathers told me, he said, I've told it to you. He said, now you're my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. The way to be free, part of freedom, part of not being a servant, but a freeman, is to know what's going on, and Jesus said, if you know the truth, you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. But when you're not innocent until proven guilty, when you're sending far more than 20% of your money to the government, which if you're living in America, you are, through all the different hidden taxes, and 15.3% of your income is for social security and medicare, half paid by your employer, half paid by you, you're paying one third of what you spend at the gas pump, if you took the taxes off the gas, it would be down to, you know, a buck seventy-five a gallon, okay? You're paying it every time you turn around, sales tax, they tax it on the way in, tax on the way out, and so forth. Now, this brings us to the new sermon, that was all the review. Now let's get into the new material and finish where we left off. First Corinthians chapter seven, if you're there, maybe flip back a few pages and get back there. Somebody wrote me an email in regard to my first sermon, and they were totally disagreeing with my sermon, you know, about how all these rights belonged to us, you know, as Americans, and that the founding fathers, you know, really derived these from the Bible, okay? And this is what this guy said to me, the USA guarantees me certain rights, but my Lord speaks of surrendering my rights, okay? Well, that sounds wonderful, but too bad it's a lie, and too bad there's nothing true about it. And by the way, just a side note, I clicked on this, this guy had like a blog or something that I see his name was like a hyperlink, I clicked on his name, and on his webpage he basically said that he's a sodomite, okay? He said, this is the way he said it, he's a child of the king, he's a Christian, right? But he said, don't ask me if I'm Republican or Democrat, don't ask me if I'm gay or straight, don't ask me if I'm a Lutheran or Protestant, he said these are just man-made labels that put us into bondage. I'm sorry, my friend, but I feel very free right now saying I'm straight, okay? I don't know, I mean, that really doesn't bother me, that label, in fact, I'm very comfortable telling you right now that I'm straight, okay? So basically he's saying, hint, hint, wink, wink, nah, nah, I'm a faggot, okay? But anyway, let's go through this. This is what he's saying, the USA guarantees me strict rights, but my Lord speaks of surrendering my rights. Now, number one, show me that in the Bible, government, would you please enslave us, would you please take away all my money, would you just, can you please just come search my house, George W. Bush, will you please tap my phone line, will you please look through my bedroom? Okay, no, wrong. Let's look at the Bible, and then we'll jump back into the sermon. First Corinthians chapter 7 verse 20. The Bible says here, let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Arquelle called, being a servant, care not for it. Now stop, he's saying, if you're born into bondage, if you're born into servitude, he says, don't worry about it, care not for it, that's what care means, worry. Like the Bible says that we were without carefulness later in the chapter, be careful for nothing, he says. He's talking about not worrying, casting all your care on him. He says, look, if you're born in servitude and a slave, he said, you're free in Christ. If you're a slave in the flesh, you're free in Christ. Hey, Paul was in jail many times, but he was always free on the inside because he was free in Christ. He says, care not for it, don't worry about it, but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. Did you see that? If you have the opportunity to be free, be free. Now is that not what the Bible says? He says, look, if you're called, being a servant, care not for it, but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. Rather means better, it's preferred, it's better that you're free. He says here, for he that is called in the Lord, that's what I just talked about, being a servant is the Lord's freeman. Likewise also, he that is called being free is Christ's servant. But that's the best scenario, you're free in the flesh, and you put yourself into Christ's service willingly. Hey, that's the ultimate, freedom to serve Christ to the fullest. And he says here, bought with a price, verse 23, be not ye the servants of men. Why not? Because it's not an ideal situation for us to be somebody else's bondmen and servants when Jesus Christ has purchased us, he wants us working for him, not the government, not for a slave master. I don't believe that slavery is right. Now, there were times in the Bible when people were commanded by God to be sold into slavery, but it was always temporary, always. I mean, if they owed something that they could not pay, and they committed an awful crime, and they could not pay the restitution for that crime, I think it's in my sermon later on if we get to it, he said that that person will be sold into bondage for that. But it was always temporary. There was always a seven year maximum on service to anyone. And of course, there's the year of Jubilee, when everybody was let free, every debt was forgiven, everything was released, the reset button was pushed, every 49 years later, the 50th year was the year of Jubilee. God is not a God, we're somebody born into slavery and lives their life in slavery and dies in slavery, it's wrong. And arbitrarily putting somebody into slavery is wrong. Thank God that the United States no longer has the practice of slavery, it was wrong. It's always been wrong. And so, God's saying, look, if I've purchased you, I want you serving me. Now if you're a servant, care not for it, but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. You know, people have fought for our freedom. They were being put under bondage in the past. They fought to free themselves so that they could worship God and serve God in the way that they saw fit and God saw fit. So I don't believe in this philosophy that says, because I'm a Christian, I'm gonna relinquish my rights and surrender my rights. No, I'm gonna, if I mayest be made free, I'm gonna use it rather, and I'm gonna preach freedom and preach liberty, because it's a Bible doctrine, it's a truth found in the Word of God. Let's continue where we left off. Look if you would at, I'm sorry, turn to John 18, and I'm gonna briefly go through one point and then I'll get to my second point in John 18. First of all, I have in my hand, and we're gonna compare some of this to the Bible, this is right here, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in one volume right here. It's a little pocket-sized volume, it's a really nice reference tool. It's the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. These are our two founding documents in America. Now you say, why are you bringing this up in church? Well, you're not gonna learn about it in school, that's for sure. You're not gonna learn about it in the media. So here you are in church, we're gonna look at it with the Bible side by side and learn about it. Isn't that great? Isn't that great? Are you being educated at church? Hey, I wish that churches all over America would educate people about what the truth about our country is and the truth from the Bibles. And so here in my hand is the Declaration of Independence. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? Thomas Jefferson, okay. And the Constitution of the United States of America, who's the founder, who's the father of the Constitution? James Madison. Alright? So let's open this up and let me read this for you. And this is gonna be a quick point, but let me just read this for you. Listen to me if you will. I'm gonna read the Declaration of Independence. This is starting at the beginning. We're just gonna read a little bit of it, not the whole thing. It says, when in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another. That's Great Britain ruling over America. The separate, it says, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. Listen to this. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life. Now that's the first one. Underscore that in your mind. These unalienable rights that we are endowed with by our Creator, God, the first one is life. That's the first right that we have. Liberty and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men. That's the whole purpose of the United States government was instituted, to secure our right of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness. Prudence indeed will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes. And accordingly, all experience has shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such government and to provide new guards for their future security. Now what's the number one right that the government is supposed to be securing for every American? Life. When does that right begin? According to Thomas Jefferson, according to all the founding fathers that signed their name at the back of the Declaration of Independence, you know they're all listed here, all the different men who signed their names to this document? They said that your right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness begins when you're created. Okay? It was endowed to you by your creator. That's what they believe. And he said that the purpose of government is to secure these rights and that a government that becomes destructive to those ends should be altered or abolished. And a new government made that will secure the safety and happiness and give us these rights. Life. Have you ever heard of this statement, the right to life? Right? That's what the pro-life crowd, you know, the anti-abortion, they say, we believe in the right to life! Amen! And I wonder why, when the Supreme Court justices sit and look at these cases like Roe vs. Wade, you know, about abortion, and they, they scratch their heads, you know, look at Roe, trying to figure out, okay, whether the first amendment, you know, should ban, and they say we have to allow abortion, because the intent of the founding fathers, because the founding fathers, when they wrote us the Bill of Rights, gave us a right to privacy. The same founding fathers are the ones who offered the Declaration of Independence, which they don't even look at that. It's all about the Constitution, right? The Declaration of Independence said the purpose of our government is to give us life, and a secure right of life to every American, and as soon as it becomes destructive to those ends, it's worthless. As soon as it fails to protect life, and not only that, our government destroys human life. Our government subsidizes abortion. Yes it does. Yes it does. I'm telling you, what, it's cheaper in America for a woman to abort her baby than to, than to pay the doctor co-pays to have the baby in the hospital. I mean, I remember, we had a health insurance plan, when I was, and by the way, let me just shout this from the mound up, I don't even have health insurance, I haven't had health insurance in four years. Oh, I'm so embarrassed. No I'm not. I haven't had health insurance in four years, and I don't care what Hillary says, Hillary's probably crying somewhere about the fact that I don't have health insurance. But anyway, oh, I can't believe you said that, it's so embarrassing, you're such a derelict. No, you know what, every time I've ever gone to the doctor, I paid for it. My wife had surgery, cost $14,000, I paid every dime for it, and it was still cheaper than having health insurance. And I don't want to subsidize, and I'm not saying you're wrong if you have health insurance, of course. That's what I personally choose to do with my own money. But, the bottom line is, I had a health insurance policy when I first got a job, right after we got married I got a job that had real good benefits and everything. I opened up the package and I was looking at it, and it cost, to have an abortion in the first three months of pregnancy, free. I mean, I couldn't even go to the doctor for free, I mean, if I went down to the doctor there's a co-pay, you know, 20 bucks, 30 bucks, 50 bucks, abortion, free in the first three months. Hey, in the second trimester, from three months to six months, $75, $75, okay. And then an abortion in the third trimester was like $150, something like that. And then partial birth abortion was not covered under this pretty good insurance program. But they covered it in the third trimester. I mean, babies can survive outside the womb in the third trimester. And they covered it for $150 bucks, okay. Do you actually think that Medicare and Medicaid will not fund abortions? Because they will, and it's paid for by your tax dollars, and your government is paying for people to get an abortion, okay. They're paying to murder human life. And so, they're not, they forgot all about this, didn't they? They need to get a, maybe we should mail one to everybody in our government. Every Supreme Court just mailed them, perhaps they can carry it around with them. I don't know where they'll put it in that dress that they wear, the Supreme Court justice is, but maybe they can find a fold or a pocket somewhere to stick that thing. But anyway, hey, the right to life. I believe in it. I'm standing for it. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 32-39, see now that I, even I am He, speaking of God speaking, there is no God with me, I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal. There is, neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. And of course, Exodus 20-13, thou shalt not kill, period. I believe that this right was derived from the Bible. The Bible is, God said, I'm the one that created you, is the Lord, He hath made us, and not we ourselves. Hey, God is the one who gives life, He creates life, and it makes no sense for another person to think that they have the right to take the life of someone else, it's wrong. But not only that, number two, let's talk about the fifth amendment in the United States Constitution as seen in the Bible. Look down, if you would, at John chapter 18 verse 19. You say, what's the fifth amendment? The fifth amendment, and again, this is a Bible study and a lesson on American law and American culture and history, but the fifth amendment is the right not to have to testify against yourself in a trial and the right to remain silent. Let me read it for you and then we'll read the Bible. This is the fifth amendment, part of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution. Amendment number five reads, no person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces or in the militia, when in actual service and time of war or public danger, nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb. Now listen to this part, this part I want to talk about. Nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be witness against himself. Did you hear that? Not to be witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation. Now look down at your Bible, let's see this in the Bible. John 18, 19, the Bible says, the high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world, I ever taught in the synagogue and in the temple, whether the Jews always resort, and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? Ask them which heard me, which what I have said unto them. Behold, they know what I said. Now isn't that interesting? The high priest here in this mock trial held in the middle of the night, not a public trial as the, you know, if you were living in the United States, God willing, would be given a fair public trial. He says here, in this trial, the high priest has asked him, tell us all about what you teach in your doctrine. Tell us everything. And he says, you know what, why don't you just ask the people that heard me. He said, he's basically not saying anything, but look what happens, look at verse 22. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by, struck Jesus with the palm of his hand. I mean, he just walks up, Jesus gives this answer, he says, hey, why are you asking me? Ask all the people that heard me. Now the reason they didn't want to ask the people that heard him, is because remember, none of the false witnesses could agree, okay, if you remember the story. They kept bringing up false witnesses, and none of them could agree. Why? Because they were lying, right? So none of their stories were agreeing. So then, in desperation, they're saying, well Jesus, tell us everything you said that's wrong. Tell us about your doctrine, tell us about your disciples, and he says, well ask them. But then they looked like fools when they did that, he said, well go ahead and ask them, they heard me, I said it openly to the world, let them testify of me if I've said anything wrong. And so a guy walks up to him and just goes, bam! Just slaps the Son of God across the face. Watch what Jesus says. Jesus answered him. If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil. But if well, Christ might have stopped me. He says, if I've done something wrong, go ahead and testify against me. Somebody stand up and tell me what I've said. You go ahead and announce what I've done wrong. I'm the one that's being dragged here in the middle of the night. You came out with swords and staves against me like I'm a thief, like I'm some kind of a criminal. He said, stand up and testify against me. So what do they do? They slap him down. And he said, well, if I've spoken evil, bear witness of the evil. Now look down at John 19, verse 9, just the next page, we'll see the same story played out. John 19, 9, and went again into the judgment hall, Pilate that is, and saith unto Jesus, once art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Okay, so Jesus is just sitting there silently. Earlier in the story, he was also brought before Herod. Herod asked him question after question after question after question. And Jesus opened not his mouth. As a sheep that has done before shearers, he opened without a mouth. Jesus sat there and just did not say a word, silently. Then he's taken before the high priest. He's grilled. He says, you go ahead and ask them. I'm not going to tell it to you. You ask the people that heard me. And they finally got false witnesses that they could finally found two that agreed. Eventually you put up a bunch of enough people, two of them were finally going to agree. The other two were contradicting each other. They should have been punished for lying, because they were proven in a lie. Their witness didn't even agree with each other. But of course, no matter was paid to the law about that in Deuteronomy 19. And so here they are in front of Herod, didn't open a mouth, didn't say a word, in front of Pilate, or I mean in front of the high priest, refusing to say anything. In front of Pilate, he asked Jesus, once art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. Therefore, he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. Jesus didn't feel compelled to testify against himself in a trial. Do you see that? Now, I don't know if that's where the Founding Fathers got that for the 5th Amendment, but I'm seeing it right straight in the Bible. When a man who's brought to trial says, hey, the mouth of two or three witnesses, let's go by the Bible, let's go by Deuteronomy 19, if I've done wrong, witnesses should be compelled to say, hey, I don't have to answer, I don't have to say anything, I'm just going to keep my mouth shut, you testify against me. Hey, that's the Bible, that's right. But not only that, how about the 2nd Amendment? Yes. Alright, turn to Luke chapter 22. What about the 2nd Amendment? You see, the sad thing is, most Americans don't even know about these laws that protect us, that keep us safe. You know, let me just give you an example of this. Four times, and I'm telling the honest truth, I'm not lying, honest to goodness, four times in the last about five years, I've been pulled over four times by a police officer for no reason. For no reason at all. And you know what they did? They started to ask me a bunch of questions. And I didn't, I mean I wasn't doing anything, they had no reason to think I was doing anything, I wasn't breaking the speed limit, I wasn't doing anything wrong, I mean I'm just driving along in my car, my tags were up to date, right, I mean my car was registered, I'm cruising down the road, minding my own business, and I've been pulled over four times for no reason, and what did the officer come up to me and say, so, what are you doing? Where are you going? Why are you out at this time? What are you, you know, blah blah blah, just going on and on and on, just asking me, so, how long were you working there? What are you doing over here? And you know, I didn't say it just because I didn't want to get in trouble or something, I just wanted to say, none of your business, leave me alone. I am a free person in a free society, I have the right to get in my car and drive where I want to go without being harassed for no reason. Let me give you some specifics on that, one time, I was, several, actually two times, two of the four times, I was stopped in a town called Glencoe, Illinois. It was a rich area, nice area, I was driving through there, I was working on the water treatment plant, I'm driving along, and I would basically finish work about, you know, midnight or something, and I'd be driving through town, just get stopped by the police. They walk up and take their flashlight, looking through my car, asking me a bunch of questions about what I'm doing, where I'm headed, what's going on, and I'm thinking to myself, none of your business. And I asked them, why are you stopping me? And they said, just to see what you're doing. That's what they say, just to see what you're doing. Just to see what's going on, and I'm just like, look, I'm working on the water treatment plant. And then once they got to know me, and know what I was doing, then they didn't stop me. And I told my experience to some other people, and they said, oh yeah, we had the same thing happen. Whenever I'm in Winnetka, they just, they see somebody that's a stranger, they just stop them, and just ask them what they're doing, ask them why are they here. I'm sorry, but that is not right. For me to have to answer to them about what I'm doing, I mean, I should have just said, hey, I thought I had the right to remain silent. If you have something that you're accusing me of, go ahead and give me a ticket, you know, go ahead and do something. But don't stop me and search my car. Another time I was driving through Chicago, on 35th Street in Chicago, I had another guy from the college with me, we were sitting in the car, we got stopped, they had us get out of the car, they had us put our hands on the car, okay, and they began to look through our stuff with a flashlight, and it was just parts, I mean, it was wire, it was toolboxes, it was metal boxes, I mean, it was just, it was obviously a work vehicle, okay? It was like a station wagon with work parts, it had pipes strapped to the top of it, it had a ladder strapped to the top of it, they pulled us over, they're going through the stuff, we're sitting there with our hands on the car like this, and we're looking at each other like, what is going on? And we said, is there a reason why you stopped us? They said, no, we're just checking you out, just, what are you guys doing here anyway? You know, start asking me questions. What are you doing? Where are you going? Why are you here? Now that's, I'm sorry, but that is wrong, that is not a free society, and the founding fathers, they gave us the fifth amendment and said, hey, you don't have to testify against yourself, you don't have to witness against yourself, when you're pulled over, you don't have to sit there and tell them what you had for breakfast in the morning, okay? It's none of their business. But look at Deuteronomy chapter 23, or no, I'm sorry, where are we, Luke 22, second amendment, that was the fifth amendment, the right not to incriminate yourself. That's why, if somebody comes to your house, some policeman comes to your house, and they say, we want to come inside your house and take a look around, now we're kind of getting to the fourth amendment, we want to come in your house and take a look around, this is what you say to them, no. We want to search your car, no. We want to take your kids and interview them separately, no. We want to talk to your wife separately and interview her, no, no. And I told you when I preached my other story, I carry a card in my pocket, the legal shield, you know, because I, it says right here on this card that, hey, I have the right to call a lawyer, I have the right to remain silent, don't ask me anything, don't take my kids from me, don't take my property from me, you can't take my car away from me or anything like that, until I have the right to call a lawyer and talk to them. You say, why are you preaching all this, look, we're living in perilous times. Our government is a monster that's out of control, we're living in a police state. When we drive down the road, there's police driving up and down the road, trolling, trolling for crime, just looking around, trying to find something wrong that they don't like. I wish that the police department would be like the fire department, I'll call you when I need you, that's what I like, right, just, if I need anything, I'll give you a call, okay. But, I mean, they drive up and down my street, they drive them down the streets, to me they just added 13% more police into the beat this year. And crime's still out of control, we're still getting broken into, I mean, everywhere you go in Phoenix, I just talked to a friend of mine a few days ago, had his car broken into in Phoenix, in a nice part of Tempe, I mean, it's out of control. And yet, the police are trolling everywhere, looking, looking to get you. But I'm telling you what, you ought to know your rights, and you ought to cherish your rights, and understand the fact that people died to give us these rights, and you ought to exercise your right. And I believe to exercise my right of free speech, that's what I'm doing right now, preaching the word of God, things that are not popular and not acceptable to society as a whole. I believe in exercising my right to keep silent, to not tell everybody what I'm doing, all of that's none of their business, you know, to not have to answer questions to incriminate myself. I believe in my fourth amendment right, not to be searched without a search warrant, not to have people come in my house and search my house, search my car, and it's happened to me before, and it's not an isolated incident, it's happened to many people, yeah, you can talk to people, it'll tell you the same thing. But not only that, the second amendment, I had you turn to Luke 22, the second amendment states this, in the Bill of Rights, this is a history, government lesson, slash, a Bible study, a well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, listen to this, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Now, does that say in the constitution, in the Bill of Rights, does that say that we should be allowed to have guns for hunting? No. Is that what it says? We've got to have guns for target practice, is that what it says? Well, you can have guns as long as you're shooting at a clay pigeon. Now, this amendment here is written saying that being necessary to the security of a free state, it's for security purposes, free people are people who are armed, ok? Adolf Hitler made it illegal for people to have guns in Germany in the takeover of the Nazi regime. Gun control, and guess what, it's been gun control ever since in Germany, the people still are not allowed to have guns to this day, started by Hitler all the way until 2008. Ok, in a free society, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, for protection, for security against human beings, ok? That's why you've got to have the right to have a weapon, a gun, arms. Look down at your Bible, Luke 22, 35, and he said unto them, when I sent you, this is Jesus speaking to the disciples, when I sent you without purse and scrip and shoes, lacked you anything, and they said, nothing, this is when he sent them out soul winning, don't bring any money, don't bring anything, just go preach the gospel, but look at verse 36, then said he unto them, but now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip, and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. Now is Jesus for disarming the population, Jesus saying no weapons, no, no, no, don't have any weapons, no, peace at all costs, what does he say here? He says here, he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one, I mean that's a strong statement, he's saying, you need to have a sword, if you have to sell the shirt off your back to buy a sword, buy one, and he says, for I say unto you that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, and he was reckoned among the transgressors, for the things concerning me have an end, and they said, Lord, behold here are two swords, and he said unto them, it is enough. Look if you would at Deuteronomy chapter 23, we're talking about the second amendment, Deuteronomy 23, we're comparing American law and American justice of the founding fathers to the Bible, and it's a good platform for studying the Bible and what God teaches about this, and I've got to hurry man, I'm running out of time, but good night, but Deuteronomy chapter number 23 verse 12, the Bible reads, and thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon, what weapon, now this is not talking to the military, this is just talking about to normal people, what weapon, the weapon that God's assuming that every normal person is going to have, okay, so he says, thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon, and it shall be when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee, for the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp to deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee, therefore so thy clamp can't be holy, that he see no unclean to send the eternal way from thee, hey, have a paddle on your weapon, hey, have a weapon, okay, buy a sword, God is saying here, hey, have a weapon, and there are plenty of verses in the Bible here that talk about all the children of Israel coming together as one man, and they all have a weapon, and they go out and fight the Lord's battles, every single male, between the age of 20 and 50 comes, and they all had a weapon, and they all went to battle, and God talks about when they were oppressed and in bondage, so he preached the Bible, I'm not preaching the Bible, when they were in bondage to the Philistines, in the book of 1st Samuel, there was no weapon found in the hand of any of the children of Israel, because the Philistines had taken away their weapons, you remember that? And they took away all the blacksmiths so that they couldn't make any weapons, only Saul and Jonathan were the only men in the whole nation that had a sword, because they were enslaved to the Philistines. But whenever they were in a period of freedom, they would call together, blow the trumpet inside the trumpet, and all the children of Israel would come together as one man and go fight a battle with weapons that they already had. And God says, put a paddle on your weapon, because you have a weapon, if you don't have a sword, sell your garment and buy one, because in a free society, people have weapons to defend them. Not to go out and commit acts of violence, but to defend themselves, to defend their property, to defend their family, and to defend their nation against slavery and oppression. Yes, this is true. And then on and on, I have a slew of other verses here that I'm not going to read for the sake of time that discuss people breaking into your house. And he says that if it's nighttime, if a man steal, shall steal an ox or a sheep and kill it or sell it, he shall restore five oxen for an oxen, four sheep for a sheep. If a thief be found breaking up, you know, breaking in is what he's saying, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. He's saying no one will be punished. If somebody breaks in at night and he's killed, no one should be punished. That's the right thing to do. But it says if the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood to him. He said if it's in the daytime and somebody's stealing your stuff, you don't shoot them in the middle of the daytime just for stealing something, because stealing is not worthy of the death penalty. Okay, they should just have to pay it back fourfold. But to defend yourself, to defend your life, if somebody's attacking you and it's self-defense, you can kill them. Or if it's at nighttime, hey, at nighttime, you don't go in other people's houses at night. That's an automatic death sentence, because if somebody catches you breaking up in the middle of the night, they don't know what you're doing, they don't know what weapons you got, they don't know what's going on, they got to just protect their family first and foremost. And so God's for an armed population, protecting themselves and protecting their property. But now let's quickly, man, I got to hurry for a second time, but look at Deuteronomy chapter number one. So we already finished that portion of the sermon, where we went through what is freedom, what are our rights, are the rights given to us by the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights, are they just man-made inventions, or were they derived from the Bible? The answer is they were derived from the Bible. Men who knew the Bible, who believed in the right to bear arms, the right to have your own personal property, the right not to be searched without a warrant, the right not to have to testify in yourself in court, like Jesus had to testify against himself in court in an unfair, fixed trial, like it always is when people have to confess. Now look, it's not wrong for somebody to make a confession. If somebody makes a confession, they're guilty. But to be forced to speak against yourself is wrong. And so that's that. But let me read this scripture for you. We're going to talk about the form of government that we have in the United States as laid out in the Constitution. The form of government that we have in the United States is what's known as a republic. And it's actually delineated in the Bible, and we're going to see that. But first of all, let me read this interesting verse for you. This is Isaiah 33, 22. For the Lord is our judge. The Lord is our lawgiver. The Lord is our king. He will save us. Now there we have the three branches of government, right? Judicial, the Lord is our judge. Legislative, the Lord is our lawgiver. And executive, the Lord is our king. Of course, our United States government has three branches. The judicial branch, the Supreme Court and all lower courts. The legislative branch, which is the Congress made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. And the executive branch, which is the President of the United States and his cabinet and his office. Look at Deuteronomy chapter 1, and we will see the republic laid out in the Bible. It's found in Deuteronomy 1 and Deuteronomy 16, God explaining the form of government that the children of Israel were commanded to have. Deuteronomy chapter 1, beginning in verse 12. How can I myself, this is Moses speaking, bear your temperance and your burden and your strife? Take you wise men and understanding and known among your tribes. Now, and I will make them rulers over you. Who is to take the wise men and understanding and known among your tribes? Who picks them? The people, right? Moses says, pick people from among you that are wise, that understand, and that are known among your tribes. In another place, Exodus 18, the same form of government is laid out. It says, men of truth, hating covetousness. They're not in it for the money. They're honest, true, just, righteous, well-known men and leaders among you. He says, you take them, you choose them, you take them and we will make them. He says, I will make them rulers over you. You pick them, I'll make them rulers. Look at the next verse. Deuteronomy 1.14. And he answered me and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do. So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes. And I charged your judges, that's who he chose, judges, okay? The people that we're talking about. I charged your judges at that time saying, hear the causes between your brethren and judge righteously between every man and his brother and the stranger that is with him. You shall not respect persons in judgment, but you shall hear the small as well as the great. You shall not be afraid of the face of man. It doesn't matter what people think. Do you hear what he's saying? It doesn't matter what people say to you or what people's opinion is. He says, you judge are to not respect persons in judgment. You're not to be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God's. You see this? And the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me and I will hear it. And I commanded you at that time all things which ye should do. Flip over to Deuteronomy 16 quickly, I'm trying to move fast. Deuteronomy 16 18, this is God speaking to Moses in Deuteronomy 16 18. Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee throughout thy tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment. Thou shalt not rest judgment. Thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift, for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. So we see the system of the judges laid out by God. Later we're going to see this rejected. Look at 1 Samuel 8, and while you're turning there I'll explain this to you. In Judges chapter 1, I'm sorry Deuteronomy 1 and Deuteronomy 16, we saw God lay out a very clear plan of human government. Now whose plan do you think is going to be the best plan? God's plan. What's the best law? Greater than our humanly flawed constitution of the United States, albeit it is filled with biblical principles and biblical truths, like that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, and the declaration of events, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, although the constitution gives us right that God teaches in the Bible about being innocent until proven guilty, bearing arms, being secure in your person, not testifying against yourself in an open trial again and again. The perfect form of government is to be found in the Bible from God. It is what is known as a republic. You say, what is a republic? A republic is a, you say, oh we live in a democracy. Wrong. Did you know, and if you study American history you'll know this to be true, did you know that the word democracy was considered by the founding fathers on par with a cuss word? I mean you may not know that, that may shock and surprise you, but if you study history, study the founding fathers and the American revolution, they considered the word democracy a slur word, a bad word. They would in an argument, in a debate in Congress, they would accuse people of advocating democracy. They'd say, you are preaching democracy. And that was a terrible insult. No one at that time in the 18th century in the United States claimed to be advocating democracy. Because the founding fathers knew, as we ought to know, that democracy is not a proper form of government and democracy leads to slavery, it leads to communism, it leads to dictatorship, because this is why democracy doesn't work. Because I can talk to people, and I've done this recently, I could take a liberal democrat and in 10 minutes I can have them voting for the most conservative candidate that's on the ballot. I mean I've done it in the last couple of weeks. I mean I've taken liberal democrats and sat them down and just five minutes just went, with facts. And they said, oh okay, well then I'll go vote for him. This is the problem, the will of the people can be swayed very easily to leave. I mean, one minute they want this, another minute they want this. When you have a democracy, you know what you see? You see what we're starting to see right now in this election. And again, it's illegal for me to endorse political candidates, or to oppose them, and I have no desire to do so. But you see candidates in a democracy, you see candidates saying this, if you elect me, I'll give you free healthcare, free education, free money, I'll pay off your mortgage, right? And you have people taking power by making all these promises. Are you following this? Hey, I'll give everybody who votes for me $500. Because guess what? Most people are pretty stupid, and most people are just going to be swayed by anybody who's... I mean, look, I remember when Bill Clinton was running for office in 1992, women said, I'm voting for Bill Clinton because he's a good looking guy. Put up your hand if you remember that. I mean, that's a fact. I mean, all over the news, all over people that we knew, in 1992 they said, Bill Clinton's a good looking guy. I'm voting for him. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that who you want to entrust the destiny of our country to? Well, he's a good looking guy. John F. Kennedy, great looking guy. Or somebody just gets up and makes a powerful speech. It doesn't matter what their experience is, it doesn't matter what their policy is, it doesn't matter what they believe about our right to life, it doesn't matter what they believe about anything. If they can make a good speech, they can sway public opinion. I mean, it's like playing a game of ping pong or something. It's like they're just moving people around like pawns. Going around, they know they have to win certain states, so they go there and make promises to that demographic or those people. Democracy is a world of demagoguery. A demagogue is somebody who stands up and speaks with a lot of excitement and big speech with all kinds of powerful phrases, but they're not really teaching anything. They're not really based in fact. It's all based on emotion. People can be swayed by emotion. I mean, people can believe one thing and then 9-11 happened and all of a sudden all their core principles of all that they believe changed. I mean, events should not change our core belief system that should be founded on knowledge, the Bible, our experiences. You know, it's just swayed by some event happens and all that's changed everything we read. So, that's why the founding fathers knew that a democracy where the people ruled, people are the boss. Democracy leads to dictators, anarchy, it leads to all the wrong things, okay? It's chaos. It doesn't work. Now look, do you think that the average person... Let me explain to you why democracy is not God's plan and why it never worked and never will work. Do you think that the average person in America knows anything about this book right here in my head? Declaration of Independence of the Constitution? I mean, do you think they'd give a name, any of the amendments? I mean, the average person. Do you think any of the people... I mean, just... and obviously there are many people who are educated. I'm not saying that only very few people know about it, but there are probably... I mean, let's face it. Most people in America don't even know anything about George Washington crossing the Delaware. They're just... it's just unknown to them. They don't have any clue what that means or when that happened or they don't have any clue about the amendments to the Constitution. They have no idea even how the electoral college system works. They don't know what's going on in the world and so look, even I, Pastor Anson, did you know that I'm not an expert in politics? You know, I'm an expert in the Bible, okay? I'm an expert in firearm systems, but I'm not an expert in politics. I'm not an expert in foreign policy. I'm not an expert in monetary policy. I'm just not an expert in these things, right? I didn't go to some law school. I'm not the expert. I'm just teaching you some basic things that I read in this book right here, Declaration of Independence of the Constitution. I'm not an expert. I don't claim to be a lawyer or an expert on the... I don't know. That's why the Founding Fathers and also God himself knew that the common man cannot rule a nation because he doesn't have the knowledge, he doesn't have the historical perspective to make decisions about the fate of our country. So God in Deuteronomy 1 and 16 ordained a system whereby people would elect people who were smart people, who were honest, godly, righteous, respectable people to make these kind of decisions that need to be made. I mean, doesn't that make sense? I mean, how much do you really know about, like, what's going on in Iraq right now? Now, I have a very strong opinion about the whole thing, okay? I can tell you about that. But do I know all the ins and outs of Afghanistan, Iraq, you know? Now, I know about what this book right here says about it, you know? But in order to sit there and say, like, well, you know, this, this, this... I'm not an expert. I'm just not I mean, look, if I was sworn in as the United States president tomorrow, I wouldn't know what I was doing. I'd do a lot better job than what's going on. But, look, would I really be able to just walk in and do the job? I mean, I'm just being honest with you. I'm not an expert on politics, I'm not an expert on law, I'm not, you know, I say the Bible, I say electronics and fire alarm systems, okay? So that's why we elect people that are godly, righteous people. Are they supposed to do whatever their people want them to do? No. What if, what if all the people, let's say, let's say I was elected as the congressman of San Francisco, okay? And I'm the, I'm the congressman, I just won the election. Steven Anderson is going to the House of Representatives to represent San Francisco, I mean San Francisco, I mean San Francisco. And there I am, representing San Francisco. All these San Francisco people, they're all on abortion, right? So the vote comes up in the House of Representatives. I'm just explaining the difference between republican democracy, according to the Bible, we just read it in the Bible, okay? I'm sitting in the House of Representatives, there's a vote on abortion. I've got 500,000 emails in my inbox saying, vote again, vote for abortion rights. We put you there, you listen to us, we're the constituency, you represent us, vote for abortion, vote for queer rights, vote for pornography. You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna open my Bible and read Deuteronomy chapter 1 where it says if I'm elected as a judge, as an official, as a lawgiver, I'm to do what's right. You know what it says? I mean, the judgment is God's, okay? That's who makes the decisions, God. Now the people have the right to choose who they believe is a righteous, honest, godly person that's going to make the right decisions. That's why we vote. I believe in voting, praise God, that's what a republic is. They chose in Deuteronomy 1 who their leaders were, but they didn't hold the leader on a leash and say, you're gonna do what we say. God said, no, you're gonna do what I say. The people choose the person, but the person obeys God, not the people. That's the difference between a republic and a democracy. Democracy, the people are lost all the time. They're swaying opinions, what they believe is right, wrong, they don't know what they're talking about. They can choose the guy that they want to represent them and he should obey what God says and not what man says. And so if I were there and every one of my constituents said, you say, wow, you gotta do what your constituents want, I'm gonna stand up and say, God has said this is right. Hey, I'm gonna enforce the laws of the land. Every congressman, every senator, every president of the United States is sworn to uphold the Constitution. So I got to give life to every individual. I got to make my votes according to what God says and what the Constitution of the United States says. Now do you see the difference there? See, a democracy, what if 51% of people in America believed in abortion? Well then abortion should be legal, right? Democracy, wrong. Hey, abortion's wrong, it should be wrong. It doesn't matter what the people want. You understand what I'm saying? So we do believe that people should vote for their leaders. We do believe that people set up government mandated by God, a government by the people, as it says in the preamble of the Constitution, we the people of the United States in order to form our perfect union. Hey, it set up my people to secure the liberties that God gave them in the way that God has specified in the Bible. The perfect government is a Republican form of government, and we're not talking about party systems, okay? The Republican party is so messed up, it's not even funny. And the only people that are worse are the Democrats, okay? But anyway, the bottom line is, we're talking about a republic, not a democracy, but a system that God has taught, not made by man. Man's not smart enough to come up with this. God said, you choose leaders, you put them in charge, they'll do what's right. And they will rule over you, not oppress you, but to make laws and to judge between a man and his brother and so forth. A republic. Now, turn to, we're in 1 Samuel 8. We're going to watch now, and this is where I'm going to conclude my sermon. We're going to watch now, and it's more of a Bible study really, but we're going to watch now as the children of Israel reject God's system of a, let's call it this, a theocratic republic, because God was the king, it had no king. Remember the verse that I first read? The Lord is our judge. The Lord is our law giver. The Lord is our king. Okay, that was the children of Israel. The Supreme Court justice, you know, the head was God. He was the Supreme Court, okay? The President was God. The King was God. The Speaker of the House, God. The President pro tempore of the Senate was God. Okay, but they had to have a man-made form of government, a republic set up with a hierarchy of rulers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. Now, God was the boss. What was the law? What was the legislative branch? Right here, the laws. Genesis through Deuteronomy. Who was to enforce the laws? The judges. Who was to interpret the laws? The judges. Chosen by man, accountable to God, not to man. Everybody follow this so far? God's form of government, republic, a republic under God, like one nation under God, okay, but still a republic under God. Watch the children of Israel reject this republican form of government and choose to put themselves under another man-made government, a monarchy. Watch it carefully. 1 Samuel 8 verse 1. And it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now, the name of his first form was Joel, and the name of his second Abaya. They were judges in Beersheba, and his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after Lucre, that's talking about money, bribes, and took bribes and perverted judgment. Now, what should they have done? Gotten rid of them and chosen different judges, right? That's what they should have done, according to the Bible, Deuteronomy. Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel unto Rehmon and said to him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. They're saying, we want to be like other countries, use their form of government, which is a monarchy. But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people, and all that they say unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore, hearken unto their voice, howbeit yet protest solidly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. And he said, So is God happy about them setting up a king? He said, No, I was supposed to be your king. I'm supposed to rule over you. But it wasn't just God ruling over them. It was a republic. People elected by the people ruling over them, just like we have in America. Not just like we have in America, but similar. Okay? Elected officials, a republic. Now watch what Samuel says here. God's not happy. God says, You've rejected me. You've rejected my form of government. You're doing it like other countries that are wrong. Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you. Now, tell me something. Do you think this is going to be positive or negative? He just warned them. He said, God's saying, Look, they've rejected me, but I want you to warn them what it's going to be like when they choose this other form of government like the nations around them. This is what's going to happen to them. So these are negative things. He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots. Now, ask me this. Pastor Anderson, do you believe in the draft? Do you believe it's right for the government to draft people to war? No. No. Because in the book of Deuteronomy, the first thing they were supposed to do when they went to any battle, they said, Anybody who doesn't want to be here, go home. You remember that? Go home, you wimp, you coward. Go home. And did you know that whenever people want to go to war, they sign up by the droves. You know when people have to be drafted is when they don't want to go because our country never even declared war. Woo! Maybe if the country doesn't declare war because the Congress doesn't declare war, maybe people don't want to go. Maybe the Constitution said that they're supposed to declare war. And so people don't want to go. Well, we'll just force them to go. We'll just force them to go there. I don't believe it. I believe in freedom, my friend. And so he says here, this is what he's going to do. He's going to take your son. He's not going to ask him if he wants to. He's not going to give him a job opportunity in the military. No. He says, He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots, and he will appoint them captains over thousands and captains over fifties, and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest. See, he's making the money. Reap his harvest to make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots, and he will take your daughters to be confectionaries. You know, the implication is for him. And to be cooks, you know, for him. You can read between the lines. And to be bakers for him, okay? And he will take your fields and your vineyards. He's going to take them and your olive yards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed. Oh no! Ten percent? That reminds me of somebody else. Ten percent. Who is that? What's that ten percent thing? Oh yeah, that's God. That's tithing. That's right. God demands ten percent of our income. He says, Hey, the king's going to take another ten percent. Like he's God or something. I don't know who our government thinks they are. They're like the triple quadruple God. You know what I mean? I mean, goodnight God wants ten percent. They're like, they give the Trinity a whole new meaning, okay? They get thirty percent, you know? And so, he says, He'll take your men servants, and your maid servants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep, and ye shall be his servants. Is that freedom? Ye shall be, I mean, he's talking about the whole nation. Every person, he's saying, you, plural, collectively, shall be his servants. Now, hold on a second. Let's read this verse again. You stay there. Remember where we started in 1 Corinthians 7? Do you remember this verse? Ye are bought with a price, be not ye the servants of men. Did you hear that? Okay. That was 1 Corinthians 7.3. But anyway, back to where we were. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king, which ye shall have chosen you. And the Lord will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, Nay, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. Who used to fight their battles? God. We want a king to fight our battles. And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and then rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, Harken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye of a man to his city. Oh, I can't believe you're preaching out of the death, grace, and independence, and not the Bible. Hey, I just read a whole chapter of the Bible. We've read the equivalent of like three chapters in this term. This is a Bible-based term, as always, a big word about this church. You see, David said it this way. Some trust in chariots, and some trust in horses, but we will trust in the name of the Lord our God. That's what David said. He said, Our help cometh from God, which made heaven and earth. He didn't have to have these external safeguards. And obviously, hey, I believe, I already said it. Everybody should have a weapon. Praise God. You know, I feel pretty secure if every single American had a weapon strapped to their side. I feel pretty safe. You say, Oh, wouldn't that be scary? That'd be the greatest thing in the world. Okay. Everybody has a weapon, like they did in the children of Israel, where everybody had a weapon. They didn't have to give 10% of their money to the government. They didn't have to have the government drafting and taking their men for his chariots, his horsemen. They didn't have to have an earthly king to lead them into battle. Hey, God led them into battle. They just, when the time came, when the need was there, they blew the trumpet, they sounded the trumpet, they come together as one man, and they fought the battles of the Lord. That's what happened. And they said, We don't need your help if you are afraid. We don't need your help if you don't believe in the cause of freedom that we're fighting for. We don't need your help if you're scared. We don't need your help if you just got married. Go home, attend to your family. Go home, attend to your wife. If you've been married in the last year, you're not going to fight. That's what the Bible says. We don't need your help. If you just bought a business, you just planted a field, hey, go home and take care of that. And we only want people here who want to fight, who have the guts to fight. This is what they did. Gideon obeyed this at the mouth of God. He had 30,000 troops, I believe is the number of them. I hope I don't get the numbers wrong. Forgive me if I do. He had 30,000 troops. 19,000 of them went home. He said, If you're afraid, go home. 19,000 of them, he's left with 11,000. But that's what the Bible commanded him to do in Deuteronomy, even before God had to tell him to do that again. He should have already done it because it said in Deuteronomy, it's the first thing, anybody who's fearful, go home. Hey, God's not limited to saved by many or by few. We don't need you here. And he says, you're just going to discourage the hearts of your brethren with your cowardice, with your fear. You don't want to be here. You don't have the guts to be here. Go home. You see, this is what the Bible teaches. Now, I hope that these two sermons have helped you to understand something. Well, you know, the sermon's not perfect. Again, I'm not an expert. I don't claim to be an expert. But you know what? I think we would all do well to understand the Bible and to understand the great country that we live in that was really the freest place that's ever existed in the world. You know, I mean, outside, maybe the children of Israel lived very free, under their own vine, under their own fig tree and had their own weapons and weren't oppressed in the early days. But we've been handed something by men that God used to create a nation to preach the gospel around the world through missionaries, a nation that God has used to provide a place for the gospel to flourish and to go forth and for men to stand in pulpits all over America and preach the Bible, preach salvation, knock every door in the United States and bring the gospel. I'm going to tell you something. This psalmite that wrote to me telling me that God commands me to surrender my rights, I'm sorry, I just don't believe it. If I may be free, I'm going to use it rather. If I can be free, if I have the opportunity to be free, I'm going to say like the founding fathers did, hey, freedom is worth dying for. Give me liberty or give me death. They said we want freedom, we're willing to die for it. Look, I believe that we should be educated on what our country is even about and that we should know the truth about the Bible so that we can take the two side by side and say, you know what, these are my rights, these are my liberties, I'm going to use them for the glory of God. And whether I'm going to the voting booth or whether I'm standing up behind a pulpit to make the truth of the Bible known, I'm going to stand up for the rights of Americans, both as found in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution that are derived from the word of God. Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Father, thank you for the opportunity to...