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In chapter number 2, the title of the sermon tonight is, Making Yourself of No Reputation. Making yourself of no reputation. Look at verse number 3 in chapter 2 there. The Bible reads, Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind. Let Esa seem other, better than themselves. Look at verse 5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. And what I want to preach about tonight is the idea of not worrying so much about what other people think of you. Making yourself of no reputation. Not worrying so much about whether you're popular, whether you have a good reputation, whether people like you, whether people talk bad about you. That's really not the most important thing in our lives, and the Bible teaches us that we should just go through life humbly serving the Lord, and, you know, just don't worry about it. Now, at the end of this chapter, it's interesting because the word reputation comes up again about Epaphroditus. It says in verse number 28, I sent him therefore the more carefully, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such in reputation, because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me. So this man, Epaphroditus, was a very dedicated servant of the Lord, and the Bible says that he didn't regard his life. He didn't even worry too much even about his own life. I mean, for him to live was Christ, and to die is gain, and he just wasn't that worried about it. And Paul is saying, you know, that's the kind of guy that we should hold up in reputation, and the Bible said that Jesus made himself of no reputation, but yet God exalted him. So the bottom line is that we need to stop worrying so much about what other people think about us, and just humbly serve the Lord, and let God exalt us in due time. The Bible says, let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth, strangers and not thine own lips. We shouldn't spend time and effort worrying about what other people think of us. We need to just do what we're supposed to do, serve God, love the Lord, be humble, and you know what? God will eventually exalt us. Other people may eventually recognize us, but that's not something that we should spend our time thinking about or worrying about at all. Go to John chapter 12. The reason that this is an important subject is that people go into all kinds of sin because of the fact that they're worried about what other people think. Or they often forsake a good church, or they forsake a good preacher because they're worried about what other people think. This is a major snare in the day that we live, fearing and worrying about what other people think. This even starts with children, especially in school, where they feel like they have to impress the children around them. They will often do bad things because of peer pressure. They feel like they need to fit in, or they want people to think that they're cool, so they'll do something sinful, or rebellious, or wicked, just in order to impress the people around them. Not only that, but even in a child, covetousness is developed through this worrying about what other people think, where they feel like they have to have all the name brands, and they have to have the Air Jordans, and they have to have the fancy jackets, and the sweaters, and the jeans, and all the name brands. It creates a lifelong habit of doing things just in order to please other people, and just doing things in order to fit in with other people. We need to get that out of our lives. It doesn't really have any place in a Christian's life. Even in the way that we dress as Christians, we don't need to dress to impress. We need to dress modestly, the Bible says. When the Bible says modest, it means you're being humble, and you're not trying to draw attention to yourself with how fancy and expensive your clothes are. That's why the Bible says that the woman should wear modest apparel, not gold, pearls, silver, costly array, expensive clothing. That's immodest. The Bible teaches that it's vanity, and it's a waste of our time, and a waste of our money just trying to impress people with the way that we look. Listen kids, you don't have to wear all the fancy name brands, and keep up with the Joneses, and have the trendiest, coolest styles. You need to just quit worrying so much about what people think about you. A confident person doesn't worry about that stuff anyway. You know what? Honestly, when you go around just putting on the trendiest clothes to smart people, and maybe even subconsciously to dumb people, actually what you're showing is you're showing how insecure of yourself you are when you feel like you have to dress trendy, and wear the latest fashions, and put on all the name brands. You're actually sending a message that says, I don't have any confidence in myself, so I have to wear this stuff to try to impress people, to try to fit in. This is most prevalent in the modern contemporary style pastors of our day. These guys will be literally in their 40s dressing like a 14 year old. Who knows what I'm talking about? People see these guys that are literally 40 years old, or even 50 years old, and they're wearing jeans with holes in them. They're wearing these tight low rider jeans. They got the graphic tee. They got their hair punked out, and they're trying to look real cool and hip, but anybody just looks at them, and realizes that basically they're trying a little too hard. When people are trying really hard like that, they actually end up looking like an idiot. They just look like they're going through some kind of a midlife crisis or something, when they can't just dress like they're 30 if they're 30, or dress like you're 40, dress like you're 50. Put on some sensible clothes, get a sensible haircut, a sensible pair of shoes, and quit trying to impress everybody with how cool and hip you are, because nobody's falling for it anyway. Bunch of trendy, mega church, skinny jeans, little dorks that won't just stand up and preach the word of God, and be a man, and dress normal. They have to have all these gimmicks. I don't need a purple spotlight up here. I don't need a bar stool up here. I don't need skinny jeans up here. You know, I'm going to dress the way that I want to dress, and I'm going to preach the way that I want to preach, because I'm not trying to impress people. I don't really care what they think. That's how we... You know, I care what God thinks. I'm not trying to put on a show to make people happy. And this peer pressure can cause kids to experiment with drugs or alcohol, to watch filthy things on a smartphone or on a television, just because they want to impress people or fit in. You know, if you have a child that doesn't care what people think, they're going to be involved in a lot less sin. And by the way, in the end, they're going to have more respect from the people around them. The kid who goes to school or shows up at whatever the social gathering, and is confident in his own skin, and doesn't feel like he has to impress everybody all the time. In the end, he's going to gain more respect of his peers. The older you get, you realize that, unless you're one of these contemporary pastors who just never learned that, and is still stuck on pleasing everybody. Look at John chapter 12. We can see an example in the Bible of some people who worried way too much what other people thought about them, instead of just worrying about what the Lord thought about them. Look at John chapter 12 verse 42. Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Now, what's interesting about this, the Bible says that they believed on him, and since the narrator of the Bible is talking, we know that this is the truth. These aren't people who said they believed on him. These are people who did the opposite. They didn't tell anybody they believed on him. But the Bible, the Holy Spirit, is telling us these guys believed on Jesus. And that means these guys are saved, because the Bible says that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. The Bible says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Look, these guys believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and they were saved, but they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. And because they were afraid of being kicked out of the synagogue, they wouldn't confess him openly. What did the synagogue represent? A social gathering place, a social meeting place, their circle of friends and family and so forth. They didn't want to be kicked out of that, so they wouldn't confess him openly. But stop and think about what kind of an effect it would have had. Because look at the beginning of verse 42 again. Nevertheless, among the what? The chief rulers. These guys are major leaders. These are very important people. I mean, if one of these guys would have come out and said, hey, I believe on Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is the Savior, I guarantee you that a whole bunch of people would have gotten saved as a result of that. And it wasn't just one, because it says among the chief rulers also, many believed on him. So we're talking about not even just two, three, we're talking at least four, five, six, seven, maybe ten, maybe fifteen. We don't know the number, but it was a substantial number of chief rulers. I mean, big name guys. Guys who if they came out, they had clout. And by the way, I bet you each one of them probably thought he's the only one. And he thought, well, if I come out with it, I'm going to be put out as Savior. But in reality, if one of them would have come out with it, the other guy would have said, yeah, me too. And then a third guy would have said, yep, I do too. I believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah as well. And then a fourth, and then a fifth, and then a sixth. And think about how they could have rallied so many people. So many of their followers would have been saved. So many people would have seen that. But instead, what ends up happening is that in the book of John, the Pharisees are constantly bragging and saying, none of the chief rulers have believed in him. That's what they literally say. You know, somebody comes to him and says, hey, I believe in Jesus. And they're rebuking the guy saying, you don't know anything. You're cursed because you don't know the law. You don't know the Bible. Have any of the chief rulers believed on him? No. Therefore, it's false. But in reality, a bunch of the chief rulers had believed in him. Can you see how much damage these people did to the cause of Christ by keeping their mouth shut? And they did it for one reason, because they were afraid of what people would think. And they kept their mouth shut. And as a result, a whole bunch of people didn't get saved. A whole bunch of people probably went to hell. A whole bunch of people were cursed by God when God had to bring judgment on that nation because of the fact that they rejected the Messiah. When a bunch of the chief rulers actually even believed in him. Go back to John chapter 9. John chapter 9 will see the same effect. The book of John deals with this a lot, actually. Look at verse number 19 of John chapter 9. The Bible says, and they asked him, saying, is this your son who you say was born blind? How then doth he now see? Now there was a man who was born blind. He's healed by Jesus. And the authorities are confronting his parents, questioning them, how does their son see? Because they're trying to say, this is a different guy. He did the old swaparoo. And this is not the same guy who was born blind. But then they call the man's parents and they say, yeah, we're his parents. This is the same guy. And then everybody believed that it was the same guy. So once everybody believed that it was the same guy that was born blind who now sees, now the authorities are kind of frustrated and angry. So they're kind of lashing out at the parents. Well, is this your son who you say was born blind? How then does he now see? Verse 20, his parents answered them and said, we know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But by what means he now seeth, we know not. Or who has opened his eyes, we know not. He is of age. Ask him. And they now speak for himself. These words spake his parents because they feared the Jews. For the Jews had agreed already that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, he is of age. Ask him. They knew the answer. They knew Jesus had healed him. I mean, think about what character these people lack. I mean, what if you had a son who was born blind? And what if your son was healed and now he can see? Wouldn't you be pretty thankful to the person who performed that miracle? I mean, wouldn't you think that these people would just be thrilled that Jesus had healed their son? And man, they'd be willing to be put out of the synagogue in order to stand up for the guy who healed their son. But no, they feared the Jews. So this shows you just how deep this runs in human nature. How big of a problem this is of just fearing and worrying about what people are going to think of you if you step out and speak the truth openly. I mean, to the point where even when Jesus heals your son of this horrible infirmity, you're still not going to have the guts to stand up and confess Jesus openly. It's really ridiculous, isn't it? Go to Matthew chapter 6. You know, there are so many things in this world that would be different if God's people would just have the boldness to just live their lives and speak their mind and just not worry so much about what people think about them. And just not worry, I mean, especially just if the pastors would just quit worrying so much about what their church members are going to think, quit worrying about what their fundamental Baptist brethren are going to think, or worry about what the news media is going to think, or worry about what the deacons are going to think, or the Mr. Moneybag's trustee is going to think. Who cares? Just preach the word of God and quit worrying so much about what everybody's going to think about it. And when you boldly take a stand, a lot of times people are going to rally to your cause. You think everybody's going to turn on you, but they're not. A lot of people are going to rally to you because people are drawn to the boldness and confidence of someone who proclaims the word of God boldly. What draws people away or puts people off is weak preaching, powerless preaching, soft preaching. That puts people off. The real Christians are put off by that. Real Christians, they like somebody who gets up and tells it like it is. Of course, a bunch of fake Christians are going to love to go rally to the stage that's washed in purple lights, and Pastor Skinny Jeans is going to rap with them for 20 minutes. But honestly, real Christians are put off. They want to hear somebody preach the true word of God. And honestly, if you speak up for the truth, I can't even tell you how many times I've been in a situation where nobody's speaking up about something. One person says it, and then everybody starts saying, yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing. I just didn't want to say anything. It takes one person to kind of break the silence and be that voice of the truth, and then other people will be emboldened by that. Look, if I could change one thing about America, if I could change one thing about the churches, if I could change one thing about the pastors, if I could just go into their brains and change something, I wouldn't go in there and change out their doctrine for my doctrine. I wouldn't do it. You know what? I would change. If I could just change one, and I wouldn't swap out one president for another president. I'll tell you what I could do. If I could change one thing about America or one thing about the preachers or one thing about the Christians, it would just be only one thing. I would just take away the fear. If I could just have one thing where I could just tell pastor something and they would listen to me, it would just be fear not. That's the one message. Because a lot of pastors believe right about a lot of things and preach right about a lot of things, but they're just too scared. It's the fear that's our biggest enemy today in the United States of America. It's the fear that is an epidemic in the pulpits and amongst Christians, amongst believers. If I could just give everybody one gift, it would be boldness. If I could pray one prayer for our church and one prayer for the pastors in America, one prayer for Christians worldwide, it would just be that they would not fear that they would be given boldness by the Holy Spirit. That would be the one thing. That's the one biggest problem. What's the biggest problem in America today? One word, fear. Christians are too scared. Pastors are too scared. People are too worried about what other people think. We need to just live our lives and not worry so much about what other people think. In Matthew chapter 6, we have a scripture about people worrying what other people think, and therefore they try to do their good works in front of men to try to impress men instead of just doing them because they actually want to do something for the Lord. Look at Matthew chapter 6 verse 1. Take heed that you do not your alms before men to be seen of them. Otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward, but when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Look what it says down in verse number 16. Moreover when you fast, be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward, but when thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but that thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Look at Matthew chapter 5, just a few pages left. You can see that God brings this up over and over again in the Bible because it's a big issue. People worrying about what other people think. They don't want to preach the truth or confess Christ openly or whatever the biblical truth they don't want to stand for because they fear being ostracized. They fear not being in the cool group or the in crowd. Then when they do something right, often there's a motive to do right only when it's something that will be seen of men and impress people. You see, often when you do the right things, it's not impressive unto the world around us. Now there are certain types of good works that do impress people, and then there are other types of good works that don't really impress people. For example, if you give alms, what is the giving of alms? Charity, right? Giving to the poor. If you give alms, that's a good work that really impresses people. If you give alms and you make a big deal about it and sound a big trumpet about it and publish it in a magazine, hey, I gave all this money to this. That's what these big stars do, these big millionaire billionaires. They do alms before men to be seen of them. They have no reward for that because they're doing it to be glorified of men. But then there are other good works that we do that aren't really impressive unto man, and one of those would be soul winning. When you go somewhere and you talk to people and you win people to Christ, the world isn't impressed by that at all. They're like, oh, why didn't you bring in a bunch of malt-o-meal and feed these people? That's what they say. What do you mean you preached the gospel? Why didn't you give them food and money and clothes and medicine? Why didn't you vaccinate them and spoon malt-o-meal into their mouths? Well, you know what? God has called us to preach the gospel to every creature. That does matter. In fact, it matters more than feeding people. And look, I'm all for feeding and clothing the hungry. But you know what? When you do those kind of alms, you're supposed to do it secretly. That's what the Bible says. You're supposed to do it quietly. You're supposed to not let your right hand know what your left hand does. So these people who sit there and say, well, why didn't you feed the hungry? Why didn't you clothe these people? Look, here's the thing. Even if I did, you shouldn't even know about it. So how do you know that all of us Christians aren't secretly feeding clothing and helping people that you just don't know about, and we're just actually obeying the Bible and not being like Bill Gates and Bono and everybody else going around bragging about our fake works? I mean, think about how foolish that is. Why don't you help the poor, Pastor? Well, how do you know if I help the poor? Because if you knew about it, then that would mean I'm violating Scripture by showing you and telling you about it. Of course, there are all kinds of fake poor people who come to you for help, and then you don't give it to them, and then they say, oh, you don't help the poor. No, I don't help the lazy. You know, there's helping the poor, and then there's helping the whore. And those are two different things. You know, basically, women want to go out and get knocked up. There's no repentance. There's no joining of the church. There's no cleaning up their life. They just want to live a sinful, fornicating life and just want you to give them money. I'm not interested in that. And you know what? The Bible doesn't teach that. The Bible says that if a man won't work, neither should he eat. The Bible doesn't say give money to every person who asks you because they're poor. No, the Bible says that the wise man considers the cause of the poor. The righteous man considers the cause of the poor and looks into what's behind it, not just somebody comes to you with some lying story or somebody comes to you who refuses to work or refuses to get married or refuses to live a Christian life. You know, these people who come to me and just knock on the door of the church, they don't come to a service. They knock on the door of the church in the middle of the week, and they say, oh, hey, I got this. I always just say, no, no, just a minute. I don't have time for this. Where did you go to church on Sunday? Oh, well, I didn't go to church on Sunday. Well, then how dare you come to the house of God asking for money, asking for free money when you didn't go to church on Sunday? You just think God is like an ATM machine that you just show up and just make a withdrawal? And you know, this kind of preaching isn't popular. I'd be a lot more popular if I was like Bono or Bill Gates or something. You know what's popular is just to say, oh, well, we don't care if you're fornicating. We don't care if you hate Jesus. We don't care if you refuse to work and you're lazy. We're just going to give you all the malto meal you want, and we're just going to help you and do all that. And hey, everybody, look at us. Look how godly and look how righteous we are. That's not what the Bible teaches. Poor people are people who are either disabled to where they can't work, right? And then they need to be taken care of by charity, or they are people who are working but not able to make ends meet. It's not for people who choose to just be a wicked, lazy, slothful person and then just want freebies and handouts. That's not a poor person. That's a person who the Bible says should starve. And you say, well, I don't like that preaching. Well, you know, I'm sorry that you don't like the Bible, but the Bible says that if a man will not work, neither should he eat, period. You say, well, if you preach that, people aren't going to like you, but I don't care what people think. Remember, that's what the whole sermon's about. I don't care what people think. I don't care if people think that it's right or wrong, that I don't have a special parking spot, single mother parking. Because you know what? I'm not advertising how cool it is to be a single mother. You know what? Why don't we have a parking, normal family parking? Here's for the people who actually got married and had a kid in marriage, special parking spot for you. And I'm not saying I'm going to do that, of course, but my point is, though, you know, why would I sit there and glorify, why would I glorify having a kid out of wedlock when the Bible says it's wicked and calls it ordom? You say you're not compassionate. No, you're not compassionate of my children who I want to grow up and be a virgin when they get married. Why don't you have some compassion on them and quit promoting ordom to them? I actually want them to grow up and think it's wicked to have sex before they're married. That's what I want them to think. Who wants your kids to grow up and think that it's wicked to have sex before you're married? Who wants your kids to grow up and think that? Who wants your kids to grow up and be a virgin when they get married? Who wants that for your kids? Yeah, me too. That's why I'm not going to just glorify being a single mother to please a bunch of atheists. Because all the atheists will respect us if we set up an AIDS clinic in the parking lot. I don't care what people think. That's not what the Bible says. And you know what? I've helped the poor, but I'm not going to tell you about it because I don't want to lose my reward. And if you're smart, you'll help the poor too, and you won't let your left hand know what your right hand's doing. Because the Bible says that helping the poor is between you and God. You give your alms secretly. You let the Father reward you openly. But we live in a day where churches want to brag about everything that they do for the poor, and it's usually all fake anyway. Bono's foundation where he helps Africa, his one foundation, 97% of the money never makes it to Africa. Ninety-seven percent goes to his administrative costs. Three percent goes to the people that he's supposedly helping. It's been exposed. It's been brought out. Ninety-seven percent of it doesn't get there, folks. But he brags about the millions that he gets, you know, because he hands out a bunch of condoms and malt-o-meal and whatever in Africa. Look, we need to understand that God's Word being preached, the Gospel being preached, is more important than caring for the physical need anyway. Whether people understand that or believe in that or not, that's the truth. And I'm all for helping the physical need. But you know what? The Bible says that the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth, and that preaching the Gospel to every creature is the primary work of the Church, teaching all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever Christ commands us. That's the Great Commission, last time I checked. The Great Commission involves preaching the Gospel. It involves baptizing converts. It involves teaching them all the rules that Christ taught us to observe. But see, when you do that, you're not going to impress the people of this world. They're not impressed by it. They're impressed when you do alms like a Pharisee and brag about it. That's what they want. And there are plenty of people that will give them what they want. We need to quit worrying so much about what people think, and we need to get in our Bible and study it, and we need to look in the side of our own hearts and figure out what our true motives are, and we need to pray unto the Lord and ask Him, What do you want us to do, Lord? And we need to do what God has called us to do, and quit trying to impress everybody and put on a show for everybody. Why don't we just do what's right and let the chips fall where they may? Look if you would at Matthew, chapter 5, verse 10. The Bible reads, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. And so the Bible here is clearly saying that it's a blessing when people actually think ill of you wrongly. So we don't always have to worry so much about what people think and make sure that everybody knows how righteous we are, and if somebody says something bad about us, we have to make sure and set the record straight, because we want to make sure that everybody likes us and that we're popular. No, Jesus said it's actually a blessing if people lie about you, hate you, reject you, cast out your name as evil, because great is your reward in heaven. Who cares what people think? Serve the Lord, and if people hate you, it's a blessing, the Bible says. If they rebuke you and lie about you and criticize you, persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, it's a blessing. Go to Luke chapter 6. By the way, just on the point that I was making about the fake alms, when people come here and have asked me during the week where they knock on the door, they don't come to church, they can't even sit through a sermon, they don't even have enough character to sit for one hour and listen to the word of God preached. They have zero character, so they'll show up right as the sermon's ending. Who's ever seen that? Where we've been here, the service is over. They walk in after it's over, oh hey, can you help me out? You lazy jerk, you're so lazy, you can't even sit and listen to the Bible for one hour. You have no character. And you come in here and just want a free handout, and they say, oh, you know, I want this free handout. I say, where'd you go to church last Sunday? And if they name the church, I say, then go ask them for help. But you know why they won't help you? Because they know what you are. And the reason you don't come to this church is because then we'd know what you are. You see, charity to people should go through the church. Because then if people actually came to church, we could actually get to know them and actually figure out what their needs are and meet their needs and help meet their needs. And I'm all for that. I believe in that, helping each other out in the church. And you know, the Bible says that if we see our brother have need and shut up our bowels of compassion from him, how dwelt the love of God in us? But see, that's different than just some charlatan, some fraud, some con man coming here. And you know what? I wish they would just ask me for money than to waste my time with lies. That's the worst part. The worst part is not even the money. It's the fact that they, I mean, you wish that they'd just say, look, I'm a drunk. Can I have three bucks? I'd almost just be like, here, thanks for your honesty, get out of my sight. But they come to you and they just, they just like, they have this big story and it's all lies and you can listen to it and you know it. They're not even good at lying. And you're just like, come on. And the Bible says the lying tongue hated those who are afflicted by it and it's so insulting and it's just such a waste of your time and you're just like, get to the point of their lying story. I mean, you see the same drug addicts and the same drunks and the same lazy derelicts walking up and down the street. I mean, I've lived here for 11 years. I know them by face now. Oh, Hey man. And then they try to tell you they're from some distant city. It's like, I've been seeing you here for the last 10 years. You already asked me for money five times. You've come and you're drunk. You've come in here. Hi. You've already come to me. You know, but they sit there and they, they come to you, you know, I, I, that's a whole sermon in and of itself. I don't want to get off on that too far. But what a lack of character, you know, to not, not even, not even attend a service, not even go to church, not even make a semblance of caring about the things of God, but then you just want God to give you money. My name's Jimmy. I'll take all you give me. Look at Luke chapter six verse 22, the Bible reads, blessed are ye when men shall hate you and when they shall separate you from their company and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil for the son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy for behold, your reward is great in heaven for in the like manner did their fathers under the province. So that guy, uh, that was a chief ruler, for example, in Israel who was afraid of being put out of the synagogue, he should have, he should have actually rejoiced at being put out of the synagogue if it even happened. I don't think it even would have happened because I think if one of those guys would have spoke up, they all might've spoken up and then none of them would have gotten thrown out. But let's say they all got thrown out. That's a badge of honor. Getting thrown out is a, is a, is a badge. I mean it's great to get thrown out of a synagogue because you preach the truth of Jesus Christ or you know, let's say you're ostracized at school, ostracized by your family. The Bible says, rejoice ye in that day. And then he takes a step further and says, leap for joy. That's pretty extreme. Leap for joy. You can just, you know, it's like the Toyota, right? I love what you do for me, Toyota. I mean, look, when was the last time you actually, when was the last time you actually leapt for joy? I mean, think back last time you were just like, you actually leapt for joy. When was the last time you did that? I mean, it'd have to be a big deal, right? You'd have to be really excited. I mean, that's what Jesus is saying. He said, look, somebody's lying about me on the internet. Wow. Right? Hey, I just got made fun of at work for being a Christian. Wow. Man, I've been waiting for persecution. It's finally here. I was starting to feel like a lame Christian. It's like, nobody ever attacks me. I mean, think about it. Look, I was out soul winning preaching the gospel. Somebody assaulted me. Wow. Oh yeah. Cha-ching. The rewards are racking up in heaven. And you know what? This isn't even a joke. It's real. You know, I mean, look, when brother Garrett and I got and Paul and everybody else got thrown out of Botswana, my favorite news article out of all the articles, because it was in like every newspaper, was the one that said, Pastor gloats that being deported was so much fun. That was my favorite newspaper article. And it shows a picture of me going like this as I'm being deported. Wow. But you know what? Honestly, that's how it felt. It's like, man, I'm getting kicked out of a country for preaching the word of God. This is great. Amen. And you know, I don't know, you know, I'm sure that when Paul was in that jail cell with all those crackheads, he probably wasn't jumping for joy in there. But when you got back, when you got back, didn't you feel good about it? Like, Hey, I did. You know, I suffered for Christ right now. No, no, you know, when you're going through trials, it's not always joyous at the time. In my case, it was joyous because I wasn't in a dirty jail cell with a bunch of crackheads eating out of a common food tray with, with people, everybody's digging their dirty hands in and everything. You know, I wasn't in a filthy jail cell with, you know, waste everywhere and everything. But you know, so, you know, it's easy for me to say, easy for me to gloat about how much fun it was. You know what though, honestly, honestly, there, there's going to come a day when somebody else in this auditorium is probably going to get thrown in jail for preaching the word of God at some point. And you know what? That's okay that you know what? And in fact, in fact, we should rejoice about it and say, like, look down at your Bible there, flip over to flip over to Acts chapter five. This is a great scripture. Acts chapter five, but look, forget getting thrown out of countries or thrown out of synagogues or, or, or thrown in jail or whatever. You know what? It's, it's even a badge, you know, even to just be made fun of, even to just be reproached or mocked or scorned for the things of God. You know what? That's, that's something that we should rejoice about in that day. Just when people lie about us, you know, just when people speak evil of us, we should rejoice. The Bible says in Acts chapter five, verse 40, to him they agreed. And when they had called the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. I mean, these people got it. They're actually leaping for joy about getting arrested and beaten. Isn't that what it says? And then it says in daily in the temple and in every house, they cease not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. They didn't stop. They rejoiced in it. Now look, we should not go out and seek persecution. You know, just go out like, like that fool in junior high that says, Hey, punch me in the stomach as hard as you can. You know, we don't need to just go out just looking for persecution. And you know what? There are people who do that, but you know what? When brother Paul was thrown in jail, he wasn't thrown in jail for creating some public disturbance of bursting into a bar and screaming, Hey, you're all going to hell or you know, he didn't go to jail for being a clown or a circus act going around with a megaphone doing stunts. And by the way, I wasn't thrown out for doing anything like that either. I was thrown out for preaching a sermon in church, right? And having a lady in the church service say, Hey, would you come and be a guest on my radio show on Tuesday? And then I went and was invited to a radio show and then they asked me a question and I answered it biblically. I mean, you know, just preaching the gospel from door to door and then just going on a radio show and just answering a biblical question with a spirit filled answer with a biblical answer. We don't need to go out looking for persecution. We shouldn't just go around trying to make people mad at work, make people mad at school, start fights with people and then say, Hey, I'm being persecuted because I picked a fight. But you know what though? We need to just not worry about what people think, do what we're supposed to do, preach the word of God, live our lives. And when the persecution comes naturally of its own accord, organically, we rejoice. That's what the Bible is teaching. We should strive to live at peace with all men as much as possible. I believe in that. I don't believe in just going out and picking fights and starting trouble. That's not what we did in South Africa or Botswana or anywhere else. We always go in and try to be peaceful, tried to get along, but we're not going to compromise the word of God. We're not going to compromise the truth and we're not going to say no comment when we're asked about the Bible. We're always ready to give an answer to every man. Let me hurry up here and move forward with this sermon. Go if you would to first Peter chapter three, first Peter chapter three. I'm going to have to skip some stuff for sake of time. First Peter chapter three and look at verse number 12. The Bible reads in first Peter three 12 for the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open under their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil and who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good, but, and if you suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye and be not afraid of their terror. Neither be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready to always give an answer to every man that ask if you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear, having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of evildoers, they may be ashamed, watch this, that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better if the will of God be so, if the will of God be so that you suffer for well doing than for evil doing. You know what? It's great to suffer for righteousness sake. Blessed are you that suffer for righteousness sake. Yours is the kingdom of heaven is what the Bible says. And so here the Bible is saying, look, you do right, you live a Christian life and if persecution comes, so be it. And then the last place we're going to turn is 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. So what am I saying tonight? Don't worry so much about what people think. You know, live your life in a way that's pleasing to God. And honestly, this should start with every child and I hope every young child is listening to me right now. Don't get caught up in all the brand names. Don't get caught up in the trendy clothes. It's real easy to fall into that trap. And you know what? I remember being a kid, I was the same way. You know, I wanted the Reeboks and the Nikes and the Converse and my mom bought me the Pro Wings. It was like a store brand from Payless Shoe Source called Pro Wings. You know, other kids had a little button on the tongue. They're like inflating their shoes. You remember that? You know, they're pumping up the Reeboks. And they push a little button. Let it all out. You know, when they're done playing basketball, they deflate them. Now look, everybody's laughing because it's so stupid that you would inflate up the sole of your shoe and pump it. And then there's a little release button to let out the air. You know, today's kids, if I showed that to my kids, they'd probably laugh and say it's dorky and stupid and lame. But here's the thing. When I was a kid, that was the cool thing. It was cool. In the early 90s, I mean, it was the cool thing. So my point is, the stuff that you kids, the stuff you're coveting after now, later you're going to realize how dumb it was. And the skinny jean style, you're going to realize someday how dumb that is. And you know what? You're going to look at pictures of yourself wearing those stupid skinny jeans, and you're going to feel like a complete idiot. And you know what? Your kids are going to make fun of you and be like, why did you have such bird legs, Dad? Dad! Did you even lift, Dad? Did you even lift, bro? What's with the bird legs, Dad? Were you a total skinny weakling? Oh, no, son, no, man. Somebody was wearing them back then, I'm telling you. Skinny jeans are lame. You say, yeah, but if you're cool, you're what? Then I don't want to be cool. I don't care what people think. I'm not putting on skinny jeans. And I'm not sagging my pants. And I'm not wearing these lowrider jeans where you pull them up as far as they go and they're still not to your waist. You know, the stupid, dumb, trendy stuff that people fall into just to try to be cool and fit in. I mean, look, you could come up with the dumbest, stupidest thing and people will do it. I'll prove it to you, MC Hammer pants. I rest my case. I mean, talk about the dumbest, dorkiest thing. But there was a time when everybody was wearing them. Not everybody, but all the trendies. They looked like fools. Don't get caught up in that, kids. Because you know what? The same person who grows up all worried about fitting in with all the trendy clothing. And then when they grow up, then they're going to worry about fitting in at work and fitting in at school and fitting in at church. And then when it comes to taking a stand for what's right, they're not going to want to because they want to fit in. It's the same mentality. We need to just become our own people where we're led by the Holy Spirit and we read the Bible for ourselves, we figure out what's right, and we do it and we don't worry so much about what other people think or impressing other people or offending other people. We need to just be who we are, be real. And you know what? Sometimes people are going to like us or hate us, and sometimes people are going to like you, sometimes people aren't going to like you, but why don't you just be who you are and just get rid of the facade, quit putting on a show, quit trying to pretend to be something that you're not, and just be real. I don't even wish I could get all pastors to believe like me. If I could snap my fingers and make all pastors believe like me, or if I could snap these fingers and just make all pastors preach what they believe, I'd snap the right hand, except that my left finger is damaged and I can't snap fingers with this finger, so I have to snap this finger. So let me switch that around. Hey, look, if I could snap this finger on my right hand and make every pastor believe identical to me, or if I could snap this finger on my left hand and make them just preach what they believe, what they already believe, just preach what you already believe without fear. That's what I would do. If I snapped this finger, it wouldn't do any good, because a lot of these guys already believe exactly like I believe, they just don't have the guts to preach it. Don't you think for five seconds that me and Brother Jimenez and Brother Romero and Brother Perry and Brother Berzins, don't even think that Brother Miller and the rest of us, don't even think for one second that we're the only ones who believe this stuff. Don't be silly. Are you kidding me? No, no, no. We're the ones who have the guts, and the reason that they have the guts is because they are from a church that has the guts. People who come out of this church have the guts. That's what they get while they're here, guts. That's why when Brother Baker goes out and starts a church, he's going to preach it like it is, because he's got the guts to preach it like it is. It's not that these other people don't believe it, it's that they don't have the guts. Come to Faithful Word Baptist Church and get some boldness. That should be the motto. I'm telling you, it's not that, oh, you taught your cronies this doctrine. No I didn't. A lot of these guys already believed this stuff before they even met me. Okay, well, you're a circle of friends. Yeah, but I'm friends with them because they have guts, and I don't like being friends with cowards. That's why I choose those friends. A lot of those guys believed this stuff before I even met them. I didn't even teach them any of it. The reason that we're in fellowship with one another is that we have boldness in common. I'm telling you, there are hundreds and hundreds, yay, thousands of pastors who believe all the same stuff that I believe, and they just don't have the guts to preach it. Take that to the bank. I don't even doubt that for one second. Not even for one second. But we have an epidemic of people who are just so worried about what everybody thinks all the time, and it's evident in the way they dress and the way that they act and what they say. It's like they're taking an opinion poll, like a politician or something, figuring out whether people are going to like it before they do or say anything. We need to just do it. Just say it. Just be who you are. Spout our heads and have a word of prayer. Father, please help us to be like Christ and to make ourselves of no reputation and to not be like these chief rulers of the synagogue who were scared. They wouldn't speak up for you, Lord, because they were scared of being put out of the synagogue or even the parents of the man who was born blind, Lord. Help us not to be like those people, Lord. Help us to just be ourselves, not to get caught up in covetousness and always have to have the Ray Ban sunglasses and the Dooney and Burke purse and just all the keeping up with everybody with all the gold, silver, precious stones and Italian suits and whatever, Lord. Help us to just be real, to put on durable clothing, sensible clothing, to dress like a normal person and to just walk humbly before you, Lord. Just read our Bibles, preach the Bible, and Lord, just help us to just be sincere. If people like it or don't like it, Lord, help us to just keep doing what we're supposed to do and I pray that every child in this room would let this become a part of who they are so that when they grow up and as an adult have to take the hard stands and make the hard decisions, Lord, they'll already have character that says, you know what, I don't care what people think. I'm going to do what's right no matter what. No matter what people think about it, I'm going to do the right thing. Lord, we love you and thank you for a church where we could be together with like-minded people, Lord, and I pray that you'd continue to bless our church and all of our evangelism, Lord, that we seek to do for your glory. Lord, just give us power, Lord. We need your power in order to reach the people of Africa, in order to reach the Native Americans in Arizona, Lord. We need the power of the Holy Spirit. We can't do it in our own strength. We could go out and spin our wheels, Lord, if we don't have the power of the Holy Spirit and so we pray that you would just use us as your vessels going forward and help us never to try to fit in with the rest of the Baptists or the rest of the Christians, Lord. Help us to just do our own thing and be independent Baptists and just not worry about what people think about our church and let them criticize us, whatever they want to say, Lord, and we know what you've called us to do. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.