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Amen. All right, we're there in 2 Kings chapter number 17, and we are, of course, on Sunday nights going through this series entitled When Animals Attack in the Bible, and we've been looking at, we took a break last week because we had our special service and our guest speaker, Pastor Thompson, but we've been looking at these stories in the Bible where God uses an animal to bring his judgment. It's just been kind of an interesting, sometimes on Sunday nights we like to do these kind of interesting topical type sermons and, you know, I don't know. I've never heard a series called When Animals Attack in the Bible. Not too long ago I preached a series called Drop Dead, and we looked at every time God killed somebody in the Bible just instantly, so I don't know, maybe there's the dark side of me on Sunday nights, but we've been looking at these ideas, these thoughts, these stories, and tonight we're here in 2 Kings chapter 17, and we have the story of the lions among the cities of Samaria, and if you look at verse 24, you'll kind of get the context. The Bible says, and the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon. This is, of course, after the northern kingdom of Israel has fallen. If you remember your history, your Bible history, you had the nation of Israel after Solomon had died, got split into two nations. You had the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Both ended up falling eventually. The first northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians. The southern kingdom of Israel later would fall to Babylon, and that's what we're reading about here. The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from, I want you to notice, Cutha and from Avah and from Hamath and from Sepharvayim and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel, and they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof. The Assyrian Empire is actually an empire we know a lot about, even in secular history. There's a lot documented about the Assyrian Empire, and this was a common practice that they would do, where the Babylonian Empire would come in and take captives out of their land and bring them to Babylon, which is where we have the stories of Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The Assyrian Empire would do something different. They would try to assimilate into the culture, so they would bring people from their different cities and strongholds, and they would put them into areas that they had just conquered, and that's what we see here in verse 24. The king of Assyria is bringing these people from all over, and he's placing them in the city of Samaria instead of the children of Israel, and they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof. And just for your own Bible knowledge, this is the beginning of the people who, in the New Testament, are known as the Samaritans. And if you remember, in the New Testament, the Samaritans, the Jews looked down upon the Samaritans. They considered them half-breeds. They're half-Jew and half-Gentiles, and the reason for that was because when the Assyrian Empire took over the northern kingdom of Israel, they brought in all these Gentiles from different parts of their empire, and they had them assimilate with the city. That's what we're reading here with that region. That's what we're reading here in verse 24. Notice verse 25. And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there. So when the Gentiles first moved into this northern kingdom of Israel, we're being told this is what happened. So it was. Here's the story. Here's the history. At the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the Lord. Therefore, the Lord sent lions among them, which slew some of them. So as a judgment, God sends these lions. He sends these lions among them, and they are there to bring his judgment. He sends these lions, the Bible says, among them, which slew some of them. So we don't really, I don't know how all this necessarily went, but all of a sudden, you know, you've got these packs of lions just roaming these areas, and they are attacking people. They're killing people. It's a big deal. It's not one line, one event. It's multiple lines, multiple events. Verse 26, Wherefore, they spake to the king of Assyria, saying... So this is what the people that just moved there, all right? These are not the nation of Israel. These are just Gentiles. The Assyrian Empire has just conquered this land, and they send a message back to the king of Assyria saying, the nations which thou has removed and placed in the cities of Samaria know not the manner of the god of the land. And again, this is the Assyrian Empire, the people that are coming in to take their land. That's what they are saying. That's what, how they're wording it. They say that the people here know not the manner of the god of land. Obviously, we know that God is not just the god of that land, but he is the god of all lands. He's a god of every land. But they're saying, hey, we don't know the god of this land. Therefore, he has sent lions among them, and behold, they slay them because they know not the manner of the god of the land. Notice verse 27. Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, carry hither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence, and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the god of the land. In this story, what we see is these people who are now living in the land that God gave to the nation of Israel, and they've been conquered as a result of God's judgment. And they're trying to figure out how to live there. They're trying to live there, but God has sent these lions to slay them. And they take on this attitude. And I want you to notice, they're not opposed to the god of the land. They're not opposed to the god of the nation of Israel. They send them, if you look at verse 27 again, they send them, they are commanded to carry hither one of the priests who ye brought from thence, and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the god of the land. Thank you, appreciate it. My allergies are acting up, so just in case I need this, it's not coronavirus. And they are dealing with these lions, and they're not opposed to the god who's sending the lions. But what I want you to notice, and what we will notice as we walk through this text tonight, is that these people take on this attitude, and they take this attitude, which is a very common attitude that Christians and believers often take, and they take this attitude in regards to God. And here's the attitude. The attitude is this. What do we need to do to keep the lions away? The lions are coming. The lions are slain. The lions are causing all sorts of problems, and we understand that the lions are here as a result of the god of the land. So teach us, tell us, what needs to happen. What do we need to do to keep the lions away? Now you might say, well that sounds like a good thing, except for this. Their attitude is this. What is the least? What is the bare minimum? What is the smallest amount of energy, effort, that we need to do in order to keep these lions, in order to satisfy God, and keep these lions away? And for us tonight, the application is this. There are many Christians who live this bare minimum Christianity. They're bare minimum Christians. They live with this mindset. Yes, I belong to God. Yes, I'm on his land, or I am his land. I am his property. I belong to God, and God has an interest in me. And yes, we understand that God brings chastisement, and judgment, and correction, and sometimes the lions show up as the judgment of God. And we have this idea. What is the least that I must do to keep the lions away? These are the bare minimum Christians who live a bare minimum Christianity. I'd like to highlight for you tonight, as we look at this story, four characteristics that we see in this story about Christians who are living a bare minimum Christian life. And I would encourage you to jot these things out. I'm going to give you four thoughts tonight, and I'd want you to write them down in the back. Of course, the way there's a place for you to write down some notes. Of course, if you're not having a baby on your lap or something like that. And let me just say this, as I give you these characteristics, you ought to be asking yourself, am I a bare minimum Christian? Is this me? Are these characteristics, characteristics of my life? Because I'm here to tell you, well there's many a Christian today who says, just tell me what I got to do to keep the lions away. I don't want to do any more than that. Don't expect much more than that. Just the lions are a problem. Tell me what to do to keep the lions away, and that's all that I'm willing to do. The bare minimum believer, the bare minimum Christianity. What does it look like? What do they look like? Number one, please write these down, bare minimum Christianity. What are their characteristics? Bare minimum Christians put in the least effort. Bare minimum Christianity puts in the least effort. Are you there in 2nd Kings 17? Look at verse 27 again. Then the king of Assyria commanded saying, now notice what he says, carry hither one. See that word one there? Carry hither one of the priests whom you brought from thence. Now here's the interesting thing, is that when God established the nation of Israel, he established an entire tribe of priests. There was 12 tribes of Israel, one tribe, the tribe of Levi, and specifically the descendants of Aaron were designated to be the priests for the entire nation. They were not given a geographic location because they were put in different places throughout the country. God had given an entire tribe worth of spiritual leadership to help the nation of Israel to do what God had called them to do, to walk with God, to worship God. But these bare minimum believers, these bare minimum Christians, they say, hey, carry hither not the entire tribe, not find all the priests and put them back in their stations, not find all the spiritual leaders and put them back in their place of service, carry hither one of the priests whom you brought from thence. And let them go and dwell there and let them teach the manner of the God of the land. Notice verse 28, then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel and taught them how they should fear the Lord, taught them what to do to keep the lions away. But I want you to notice, not a tribe, just one. You say, why is that? Because bare minimum Christianity puts in the least effort. Bare minimum Christians, they say, okay, God, tell me, tell me what's the least, what's the smallest amount of effort that I can put into my Christian life. Keep your place there in 2nd Kings 17, that's our text for tonight. Go with me if you would to the book of Malachi, Malachi chapter 1. Last book in the Old Testament should be fairly easy to find, Malachi chapter number 1. And I'd like you to look down at verse number 7. Let me ask you something. How much effort are you putting into your Christian life? Notice what I didn't say. I didn't say how much effort are you putting into your salvation. Salvation is free, it's not of works, there's no effort. But once you're saved, once you're saved, do you know that God expects you to work? You're not saved by works, but once you're saved, the Bible says, work out your own salvation. Not work for your own salvation, but work out what God has already put in you. God expects you to give him your best. God does not want your least. Malachi chapter 1, are you there? Look at verse 7. Malachi chapter 1 and verse 7. The Bible says this, ye offer polluted bread. And again, this is Old Testament, when we still have the sacrifices being given, but this is an illustration given to us by Malachi. He's looking at these bare minimum Christians. He says, you offer polluted bread upon my altar, and you say, wherein have we polluted thee? In that you say, the table of the Lord is contemptible. The word means worthless or despicable. And if you offer the blind for sacrifice, now understand this, they were required by God to bring sacrifices to God. And as good minimum Christianity Christians, as good minimum effort believers, they said, well, if God requires sacrifices, then we will bring sacrifices. If God requires offerings, then we will bring offerings. Because if God doesn't get his offerings, then the lions might come. And we want to keep the lions away. So if God wants bread, we'll give him bread, but we'll give him the moldy bread. We'll offer the polluted bread. If God wants a sacrifice, animal sacrifice, that's fine, but we'll offer him the calf that was born blind. Because there's no worth in that calf anyway. I mean, look at verse 8. And if you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? He says, when you bring a sacrifice to God, and you've got all these herds to choose from, and you choose the one that was lame, the one that was sick, the one that was blind, then isn't that evil? Offer it now unto thy governor. Will he be pleased with thee? He says, look, why don't you offer it to some sort of a physical human authority in your life? Offer it to your governor. You think he'll be pleased? Oh, wow, thank you. You brought me a blind calf. I appreciate it. Or accept thy person, saith the Lord. See, God does not want your least. Say, what is it that God wants? God wants your best. Go to Ecclesiastes, if you would. Ecclesiastes, chapter 9. If you open just right from the center of the Bible, you're more than likely to fall in the book of Psalms. Right after Psalms, you have the book of Proverbs. Then after Proverbs, you have Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes, chapter 9. Ecclesiastes, chapter 9. Bare minimum Christianity puts in the least effort. They say, I want to sacrifice the least. I'm not going to give you the best calf. I'll give you the blind calf. I'm not going to give you the healthiest, strongest bull. I'll give you the one that was lame, the one that was sick. See, God doesn't want your least. God wants your best. So you're there in Ecclesiastes 9. Look at verse 10. Whatsoever thy hand find it to do. Notice these words. Do it with thy might. The word might means power or strength. God says, hey, whatever you're going to do, whatever you're going to do in life, if you're going to do it, if it's worth doing, do it with thy might. For there's no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, without goeth. What is he saying? He's saying, you have one shot at life. And look, if you're going to use your life to do anything, if you're going to use your life to do anything, then give it your all. Give it your best. Put in the effort. Don't get, look, don't be the type of Christian that says, well, just tell me what's the least minimum I got to do to keep the lines away, to keep God happy, to keep him from judging me. Just tell me, you know, what's the least I got to do? God doesn't want your least. He wants your best. Romans chapter 12, if you would, New Testament, Romans, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. Look, I'm not talking about a checklist tonight. I know sometimes we like checklists, right? And I'm all for checklists and to-do lists and all those things. But we get this idea that, well, I go soul winning for, you know, one hour a week, and I read my, you know, two and a half chapters every day, and I, you know, go to church, and I give my tithe, and I do this and that, and that makes me a good Christian. But let me ask you something. What's your heart like? I mean, okay, you go soul winning. I'll give you that. Praise the Lord. Are you just the 59 minutes, 59 seconds, and not a second more? Least? Want to put in your least? Just to keep the lines away? Because I don't want God's judgment upon my life? Romans 12, verse 11, not slothful in business. The word slothful means lazy, fervent in spirit. The word fervent means passionate or intensity, serving the Lord. How should I serve the Lord? Not slothfully. How should I serve the Lord? With fervency, with passion, with intensity, with a spirit that says, hey, I don't want to give God my least. I want to give God my best. I want to give God my all. I want to give God everything I have to give. Go to Colossians chapter 3, Colossians chapter 3. I mean, can we be honest? We're at church, right? If there's one place we can be honest, it should be church. Can we be honest? It's a Sunday night, too, so. Can we be honest? People come to church like this. They come to church like this, Verity Baptist Church, then they walk up to me and they're like, you know, my kids are just falling apart and it's not working. You know, everything you preach is not working. I'm thinking to myself, you haven't done a thing that I preached. You're not even trying. You think showing up to a building, you think there's some sort of a magical building? God inserted some magical building next to a methadone clinic in Sacramento, California. You're gonna walk into and it's gonna fix your marriage, it's gonna fix your children, it's gonna fix your problems, it's gonna fix your addictions, it's gonna fix, you know, every issue. No, you know what? You gotta put some work into it. You gotta put some effort into it. You gotta actually try and do something. Here's a question I have for you tonight. Are you giving your all to God? Colossians 3 23, and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men. You've heard the phrase, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make a drink. Look, we'll lead you to water. I mean, I'll do my best and I'll promise to you, you know, that I'll do my best to stand up here Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, open up God's Word and give you truth that can transform your life. But you actually have to do something with it. You actually have to take it and apply it and try and say, hey let me work at this thing and let me try to get victory in my life and let me not be lazy and let me be a better employee at work and let me try to get victory over this addiction or this issue or this problem. You actually have to put in some effort. You can't just live your life saying, I'll just do the least to keep the lines away. Look, life's not about keeping the lines away. The goal is not, you know, keeping the judgment of God for my life. You know what the goal is? The goal is God. The goal is walking with God and loving God and knowing God, that God would be pleased with us. Bare minimum Christianity, you know what they do? They put in the least effort. They say, well, if God's pleased with Sunday morning only, then why show up Sunday night? When I was a kid growing up, we used to call them smoes, Sunday morning onlys. You never want to grow up to be a smoe. Look, here's what I'm telling you. In your Christian life, in your Christian life, you have this attitude that says, well, just tell me what I got to do. Just tell me what I got to do to keep everything going, everything fine, keep the lines away. You know what God wants your best? God wants you to serve him with your heart, with your mind, with your spirit, and whatsoever you do, the Bible says, do it heartily. Word heartily means of very great degree as to the Lord and not to men. And by the way, go back to 2 Kings 17. You've heard me say this for years. This is why this church and this type of preaching is application driven. If you don't know that, then let me help you understand that. You're not gonna come, look, you're not gonna come here and hear me preach and some story about Esther and be like, oh wow, that was really interesting information. I don't really know that about Esther. You know, we're gonna preach you the story and then we're gonna apply it to your life. You're not gonna walk out of a service here without a takeaway. We'll provide the takeaway, here's what you ought to do, here's what you should stop doing, here's the step that you should take. But Jesus says, look, if you hear my words and you don't do my words, you're like a fool and build this house upon the sand. It's application driven. You actually got to put some work into it. You actually have to try, look, to try to live the Christian life. Living the Christian life doesn't happen. Raising children that love the Lord doesn't happen on its own. It needs a mom, it needs a dad. They're gonna stand up and open their Bibles and figure out what God says they've got to do and then actually try to do it. Bare minimum Christianity says, just tell me what's the least I got to do, what's the least I got to do to get God off my back, to get pastor off my back, to not feel guilty, to keep the lines away. You will fail in the Christian life. God says, hey whatsoever thy hand finds to do, do it with all thy might. Bare minimum Christianity puts in the least effort. Number two, bare minimum Christianity is the least committed. Notice verse 29, second Kings 17, 29. Howbeit every nation made gods of their own. They said, bring us a priest, we'll worship the God of this land, but we're not just gonna only worship the God of this land, we're gonna worship our God still. Howbeit every nation made gods of their own and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelled, and the men of Babylon made Sakoth, Benath, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, and the Arvites made Niphaz, and Tartak, and Sepharvayim burnt their children in fire to Adremelech, and Anemelech, and the gods of Sepharvayim. So they feared the Lord and made unto themselves the lowest of them priests of the high places which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. Verse 33, they feared the Lord, don't miss this, and served their own gods. You know what bare minimum Christians do? They're the least committed. Oh yeah, I'll serve the Lord but I'm not gonna I'm not gonna only serve the Lord. They feared the Lord and served their own gods. I'll worship God on Sunday morning and then I'll worship myself Monday through Saturday. I'll do whatever I want the rest of the week. I'll worship sports, and drugs, and money, and anything else that I want. Hey, no, I don't have a problem worshiping God, you know, Sunday morning. I'll even come back on a Sunday night. I'll even show up on a Wednesday night if it means keeping the lines away, but don't expect me to get full in. See bare minimum Christians, you know what they do? They put in the least effort and they're the least committed. You know what God doesn't want you to half in and half out? Luke chapter 9, if you would, in New Testament Matthew, Mark, Luke, Luke chapter 9. Jesus said to the church in in the book of Revelation, he said, he said, I would thou wert cold or hot. He said, because thou art lukewarm, I will spew thee out of my mouth. God does not want Christianity that has one foot in the world and one foot in church, and you think that's going to work? You think that's going to produce something that's pleasing to God? Luke 9 verse 62, and Jesus said unto him, no man. Luke 962, no man. No man. You're not the exception. No man and ladies, no ma'am, having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. God says, look, if you're gonna get in this thing, if you're gonna get in this thing called the Christian life, if you're gonna become a follower of Jesus Christ, if you're gonna put your hand to the plow and you're gonna get to work, you better not be looking back. Well, I've got other options. I've got other distractions. He says, look, no man having put his hands to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. Here's how the writer in Hebrew is putting it. You have to turn there. You're there in Luke. Go back to Matthew, if you would, Matthew 13. Hebrews 11 says this, for they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country, and truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. Here's what I'm saying to you tonight. You might be a bare minimum Christian if your agenda is to put in the least amount of effort. Just keep the lines away. You might be a minimum Christian if you are the least committed, and you're just kind of half in and half out, and well, this is fine, and that's fine too, and I like the God of the Bible, but I've got my gods too. Matthew chapter 13, verse 44. Notice what Jesus said in this parable. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field. He gives this parable about somebody. He gives the story. He said, he said, let me tell you what the kingdom of heaven is like, and he's not just referring to the physical heaven because we know that Jesus would also say that the kingdom of heaven is inside of us. We are the kingdom of heaven. We are in the kingdom of God. We are his children if we're saved. He says, again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field. Here's what Jesus said. It's like someone, it's like someone found treasure hid in a field. The witch, when a man has found it, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field. You say, what is the illustration? He said, it's like if you were out in a field and you just stumbled across and you found a treasure hid in the field, and then what you do is you go, don't tell anybody, you go and sell all you got. You sell all you got so you can buy that field, so you get the treasure hid in the field. And Jesus said, that's what the kingdom of heaven is like. And you say, well, I don't understand. What does that mean? Here's what he's saying. People look at the truth of the Word of God like they are a treasure hid in a field. The world doesn't see it. They look at a place like this. There's nothing special about that. There's nothing. It's just a field. They don't understand. There's a treasure hid in that field. And then God says this. God says this. You know what you ought to do? He said, I don't want you to have been in half out. You know what you ought to do? You know what God wants you to do? He wants you to get sold out. He said, you want this treasure? Sell everything you got. Get rid of everything else. Sell out for God. He said, I don't want you half in, half out. I don't want this half committed, half in, let's kind of try this. Hey, if you're gonna put your hand to the plow, you better get committed. Bare minimum Christianity says, hey, I don't want to put in the least effort. Bare minimum Christianity says, I don't want to be the least committed. Colossians chapter 3, if you would, Colossians 3. I'm not sure if you kept your place there. We were recently there in Colossians. Colossians 3. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1st, 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Colossians 3. Here's what the Christian life should be like. When Christ, who is our life. Let me ask you this. Is Christ your life? People come to a place like this and say, I'm getting burnt out. You're not reading your Bible. That's what that means. Because if you read the Bible, the Bible says, though the outward man perishes, the inward man will be renewed day by day. I'm getting burnt out. I mean, you guys just ask a little too much. I mean, you want Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night? Or you're gonna call me a smo? I'm sure the emails are already in my inbox. I mean, you want Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. Then you want me to go sewing. Then you want me to tie. Then you want me to do this. Then you want me to do that. Now you're talking about, you know, building the furniture store and you're probably gonna have work days for that too. Well, you know, you wouldn't mind it if Christ was your life. You know, you're trying to take over my life. Well, actually, yeah, we're not hiding that. God wants it all. God wants everything. He says, the Bible says that we should love the Lord with our heart and all our mind and all our soul and all our might. But bare minimum Christians, they say, no, no, no. Let me do the least effort. Let me be the least committed. Let me just try to do, you know, the bare minimum that I have to do. But let me tell you something. You cannot please God that way. And God doesn't work that way. You'll frustrate yourself. So please, please understand this. Christians trying to live the Christian life with one foot in the world will bash their heads against the wall called God and never get anywhere. Because God says, I want it all. It's not up for debate. I'm not trying to share you with any other gods. It's not just about keeping the lions away. It's about you serving me. God doesn't want you half in and half out. God wants you sold out. God wants you to get to the place where you say, Christ is my life. I've got nothing else. I want nothing else. I just have God. Keep your place right there in Colossians. Go back to 2 Kings chapter 17. It said tonight, bare minimum Christianity puts in the least effort. Look, you don't have to answer this out loud. Let's just be real. Let's be real. We do a good job at documenting the sermons that are preached from this pulpit. I mean, you can go on our website and look back for 10 years worth of sermons that have been preached from this pulpit. I mean, how good are you at actually not just sitting here and saying, wow, that was a nice sermon, but saying, wow, that was a nice sermon, and let me try to actually apply that to my life Monday morning? I mean, how often do you actually do that? I'm actually just asking you. You don't have to answer out loud. Please don't answer out loud. I don't need the discouragement. Just keep it to yourself. How often do you do it? The Christian life requires effort. Serving God requires effort. I'm not going to lie to you. That's hard to get up outside in the morning and go preach. I know. But if you weren't just trying to put in the least effort, if Christ was your life, if you said, I'm all about Christ, and I'm all for God, and I got nothing else. See, the sold-out life, the sold-out life, it burns bridges. It says there are no other options. There is no plan B. Look, somebody needs to get rid of your plan Bs. There's no plan B to the Christian life. There's no plan B to raising your children. There's no plan B to marriage. There's no plan B to soul winning. There's no plan B. It's just plan God. Bare minimum Christianity says, I want to put in the least. Bare minimum Christianity says, I want to be the least committed. Yeah, I'll serve God. I've got no problem serving God. As long as I can keep my gods, God says, no, you got to get rid of all those gods. I want you all. The Bible says that our God is a jealous God, and he is jealous over you. 2nd Kings 17, let me give you the third one tonight. Bare minimum Christianity puts in the least effort. Bare minimum Christianity is the least committed. Bare minimum Christianity, number three, holds the least standards. Look at the standards of these people. Verse 32. So they feared the Lord and made unto themselves, notice, of the lowest of them priests. God gave certain qualifications for being a priest, just like God in the New Testament gives qualifications for being a pastor, a deacon, evangelist. And here we're told, they were told they needed priests, and they said, okay, well, let's just find the lowest of them. The most disqualified, I mean, just whatever, whoever, no problem. They made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. They feared the Lord and served their own gods after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from them. See, they chose the lowest of them priests, and they served God after the manner of the nations. These people were not separated. Look, this is what they did. They said, let me have the lowest standards. I don't, you know, I don't want a priest that's gonna, like, try to teach me the Bible. That's not, you know, give me a Joel Osteen. I just want somebody to make me feel good. I just want to keep the lines away. I just want, I just want to feel like I'm serving God, keep the lines away. Don't know. They brought them the lowest priests, and then they lived their lives after the manner of the nations. You know what bare minimum Christians do? They hold the least standards. Why are you always asking this question? Well, what does God require? I mean, ladies like to ask this. Okay, you know, I can't wear a miniskirt because your thigh is your nakedness, but what's the shortest I could have it and have God not mad at me? God's already mad at you. Well, what's the longest I can have my hair, guys say, and still be short. When you're asking that question, you've already missed the point. See, you know what bare minimum Christians do? They say, what's the least? I mean, how worldly can I be and God not send the lines? What's the least separated that I can do? How can I be the most worldly possible and God still be pleased? And I'm here to tell you, God is not pleased. This idea that says, well, how tight can it be? And how low can it be? And how short can it be? And how, you know, what's the least I can do? Why are you always trying to side with between the worst and, you know, bad and good? Why don't you ever choose best? Hey, instead of asking, what's the least I can do? Why don't you ask what's the best I can do? What would be pleasing to God? How would God want me to dress? Hey, young lady, ask yourself, not ask yourself, what's the least I can do and get away with it? Why don't you ask, what would be pleasing to God? How would God want me to dress? How would God want me to live? What would God, don't just say, well, what are the words that I can get away with? How would God want you to speak? What kind of friends would God, what's the least I can have and not have my parents upset? Why are you always trying to do the least? The problem's your hearts. God says, just give me your best. Quit asking this question, especially to your kids. You know, kids are always asking this question, what's wrong with it? You can't do that. What's wrong with it? We don't do that. We don't go there. We don't watch that. We don't listen. What's wrong with it? Why don't you ask this question? What's right with it? Why are we trying to figure out what's the least I can do to keep the lions away? God says, have high standards. God says, live a righteous life. Don't try to live as close, I just want to live as close to the world as possible. Why? Why? And look, this morning's sermon was the encouraging sermon. If you missed it, that's your fault. We'll have another one in like eight months. Colossians chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2. Colossians 2 and verse 8, the Bible says this, beware, beware lest any man spoil through philosophy and vain deceit. After the traditions, the word traditions means long established customs of men, after the rudiments, that is the basic patterns or primitive forms of the world, and not after Christ. You know what bare minimum Christians do? They hold the least standards. They say, well how worldly can I get? How worldly can this music get before it's considered worldly? If you're asking that question, you're already wrong. If you have to ask that question, it's already worldly. How bad does my clothing, how bad does this TV show, how bad does this YouTube channel, I mean how bad can it be before God sends the lions, hey you know what, you're a bare minimum Christian holding the least standards. You gotta have the highest standards. You know what they said about Daniel and Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego? Nebuchadnezzar came and examined all the children and he said, you know, you know these Hebrew, these three Hebrew children, he said, they're just right at the limit. That's not what he said. He said, I have found them ten times better, ten times better than all the other children in the kingdom. You know what, it should be said of our children here at Ready Baptist Church, they're ten times better. Not just barely, just right above the line, just barely making it in life. You know, the problem with living this bare minimum Christianity is that if you've got the line right here, this is living for God, this is keeping the lines away, and this is being backslidden and not walking with God. You got Christians, they're trying to walk right here. The problem is it doesn't take much for the devil to just push you over. You say, well, pastor, don't we all kind of get disgruntled and backslidden from time to time? You know what people, we're not always on this spiritual high, but if the line to worldliness, if the time to quitting on God, if the line where God has to send lions to chastise you, if that line is here and you're living over here, man, even your backslidden state's not that bad. If you're walking over here saying, there's a line, but I'm not a bare minimum Christian, I'm not trying to do the least. God is my life, I'm trying to do it all. The devil comes and pushes you this way, pushes you this way, maybe he gets you a little bit. By the way, you resist the devil and he'll flee. Maybe he gets you a little bit, but I'm still not over there. Why do people quit church? They're living their Christian life right here. What's the least I got to do? For pastor not to be mad at me. And that's got to be a sad life. I'm sorry. I'm sorry you live, honestly, I'm sorry you live that way. I am not, I am not worth you living your life. What's the least I got to do for pastor Ms. Joanne not to be upset? I don't know who you think we are. I don't want to run into pastor dressed like a hussy. Well, you know what? God sees you everywhere you go. I don't want to be worried about pastor, but you don't worry about pastor. I try to act like I don't see you anyway. I'm like, it's not Sunday, we'll talk later. You live your life over here and the devil comes and just kind of chuggy and you're out. And you're done, because you're living right here. Why don't you quit being a bare minimum Christian? Hey, why don't you, why don't you get sold out? Why don't you say, I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna do it. I'm just gonna live it. I'm just gonna, everything, everything the Bible says, I'm just gonna do it. I'm actually gonna go home. I'm actually gonna go home and be the leader in my home that God has called me to be. I'm actually gonna go home and submit to my husband. I'm actually gonna go home. Teenager, you want to fool your parents? I'm actually gonna go home and obey and honor my parents and so it gets sold out for God. You know what a bare minimum Christian doesn't do? You know what, you know what you should do? You gotta go, go to work, go to work tomorrow and show up on time and actually work eight hours for eight hours pay. And when everybody else is complaining about the boss, you just don't join in. Well, I won't get the credit for that. Let God give you the credit for that. You just quit putting in your least effort. The Bible says, be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. I said number one, go back to 2 Kings if you would. Number one, bare minimum Christianity puts in the least effort. Number two, bare minimum Christianity is the least committed. Number three, bare minimum Christianity holds the least effort. Number four, bare minimum Christianity. You say what's the problem with bare minimum Christianity? Here's the problem, it makes the least impact. 2 Kings 17 verse 34, and unto this day they do after the former manners. They fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes. They say, well wait a minute, wait a minute, I thought you brought a priest to make sure that you would fear the Lord. It didn't work. Unto this day they do after the former manners. They fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes or after their ordinances or after the law and commandments which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob whom he named Israel. Look at verse 40, how be it? They did not hearken, but they did after their former manner. So these nations feared the Lord and served their graven images, both their children and their children's children as did their fathers, so do they unto this day. They made no impact, nothing. I say this often, there is no success without succession. Both their children and their children's children as their fathers, so do they unto this day. See here's the problem with bare minimum Christianity, is that you don't make an impact. Go to Psalms if you go to Psalm 78. Let me just be frank with some of your parents. You can come to church like this and pretend like you're just all in, we're a happy family, and go home and live like the world. You can fool me, you can fool these people, you're not gonna fool your kids. You'll make no impact. They'll know, they know how you are at home. They know what reality is. Look here's what I'm telling you, if you're gonna get in it, just get in it. Just come on in, the water's fine. Some of you need to just jump into the deep end and to get in this thing. Psalm 78 verse 5, for he established the testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children that the generations to come might know them even the children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their children. They might set their hope in God. I'm gonna tell you why don't you quit living to keep the lines away and live for God you'll be much happier. See I want to live the type of Christianity that they say these that have turned the world upside down or come hither also. Here's what I'm saying, there are some bare minimum Christians. What is the least I got to do to keep the lines away, but they don't make an impact. They don't bring lasting change. They're not even able to impact their own children, their own grandchildren. Isn't it worth living for God for your children and grandchildren? Matthew chapter 5 if you want, we'll finish up here. I said number one bare minimum Christianity puts in the least effort, number two bare minimum Christianity is the least committed, number three bare minimum Christianity holds the least efforts, number holds the least standards excuse me number four bare minimum Christianity makes the least impact. Let me ask you something, are you a bare minimum Christian? How's your application life? Look I'm being serious is there anything is there anything and don't tell me this I don't need to hear if there's anything you can actually point to and say wow since I started coming to this church I started doing this and this and this and this differently because I'm actually trying to apply what the Bible says and look I'm not I'm not trying to offend you I'm not trying to hurt your feelings but if you if you're like I can't come up with anything you might be a bare minimum Christian. The Christian life requires effort. Marriages require effort, raising children requires effort, living for God requires effort, reaching people with the gospel requires effort, people do soul winning for three weeks are like it doesn't work no you need to get to work it requires effort. Matthew chapter 5 bare minimum Christians who live the bare minimum Christian life bare minimum Christians who say what is the least that I can do they'll be called the least in the kingdom of heaven Matthew 5 verse 19 whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments you come to a church like this and we teach you the commandments of God I'm not gonna do that next I mean I get up here and preach a sermon I'm gonna preach a sermon about you know this you're like oh nope next try again next week next next next next not gonna apply that I don't want to do that don't teach me about dress standards don't teach me about tithing don't teach me about church attendance don't teach me about reading the Bible don't teach me about no no I'll do that one that was easy Sunday morning sure whosoever therefore shall break one of the disease commandments and shall teach men so well I'm not teaching anybody to break release Commandments look when your kids see you skipping out on soul winning you're teaching them so many not important when your kids see you skipping out on church because you're on vacation you know what you're teaching them we take vacations from God whosoever therefore shall break when you skip out on church to go work you know what you're teaching your kids it's okay to worship money over God whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven here's the truth about minimum Christians they do the least and they'll be called the least but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven are you doing the least are you just trying to get away with why do I gotta do to keep the lions away what do I gotta do for some people's just salvation salvation keeps the line of hell away that's that's all I need you gotta get sold out for God yeah I just sell everything you got go by that field and get into that treasure so we can make an impact on earth and in heaven look I don't know about you but if I'm gonna do if I'm gonna do something for the rest of my life I'm gonna live the Christian life might as well do it right I might as well put in the effort get committed get some standards live for God get sold out not be happy and half out not be lukewarm I don't about you but I don't want to be called the least I mean I don't even know what that means but is that gonna be your nickname in heaven here comes brother least why do you call him brotherly he did the least here comes brother small why do you call him small he'd go work on Sunday nights whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments and teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of the Father what I pray you'd help us not to be Christians who just want to keep the lines away what I pray you'd help us to live for you and to be motivated for our children and our children's children we will not make an impact while we're half in half out just trying to get by or help us to be application driven Christians but I pray your Holy Spirit would work in our hearts and in our minds or there are things all of us we need to work on there are things your Holy Spirit teaches us about life we need to do help us to put in the effort to actually do it help us to get sold out help us to jump in let it be said of the Christians who bring together who make up Verity Baptist Church that it would be said of them that Christ truly is their life in the matchless name of Christ we pray amen