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Alright, keep your place there in Hebrews chapter 5. Hebrews chapter 5, so focus. What I want you to focus on in the chapter there is verse number 12, where the Bible says The time ye have ought to be teachers, ye have again need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as need of milk, and not of strong needs. We'll come back to that, keep your place in Hebrews chapter 5, but like I said in the announcements, we're starting a new series this morning, and the series is Stages of the Christian Life. So an intro, just an intro to the series the point of the series here is just the things that you're going to go through, to explain to you the things in the Christian life that you're going to go through, so that as Jesus said in John 16, 1, that these things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. So I don't want you to be offended, I want you to know what's coming know what to expect, basically is what Jesus said. So you know, we're going to talk about the different stages of the Christian life all the way from salvation to the end of your victorious Christian life, hopefully is what you get to the end. Now look Turn to 2 Timothy chapter 4 Turn to 2 Timothy chapter 4 Here's the thing, and I don't want to depress you this morning but the sad fact is, is that most people aren't going to make it to the end of a victorious Christian life We don't see that in the Bible, we're not going to see that in our lives either. When you look at the kings of Israel, when you look at the kings of either the northern king of Israel or even the kings of Judah and I actually went through the kings one time and I did this kind of an exercise, and I guess if you assume most of them were saved, because you don't actually know which ones were actually saved or not you assume most of them were, they had to work as a god they knew what the truth was, so you assume that most of the kings were saved when you look at the ones that started well and ended well it's an extreme minority, it's like 10% of the kings that started their life well and also ended strong for the Lord, it was the extreme minority Look at 2 Timothy 4, look at verse 7, so Paul, Paul's a main focus of ours when we're preaching through books of the Bible so far on Thursday nights, Paul is the author of most of the Epistles Paul, the Holy Spirit of course, is the author of the Epistles that we've been going through so far, with both the book of Romans that we've already finished preaching through, and then the book of Philippians, Paul says in 2 Timothy 4 verse 7, he says, I have fought a good fight I have finished my course, I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only but unto all them that also love his appearing but I don't know about you folks today, but I want that crown I want to finish well I've personally never been a quitter, and I want to finish this thing, I don't know about you but here's the thing, most people aren't going to finish the victorious Christian life the way Paul did, and that's a sad report to bring but most people won't finish, so we're not talking about salvation here, of course you get saved, and there's nothing you can ever do to not go to heaven once you get saved, and we're talking about living the victorious Christian life in the world, so that's the point of this series, is to just show you, after you get saved, and then you start trying to do the things that the Bible says that you should do after salvation, what's your life going to look like what are the things that you're going to go through, what are the things that you should be doing and what's that going to look like for you, that's the whole point of this series right there so this morning, let's start off at the beginning let's start out with salvation I'm not going to preach the gospel to you this morning, but let's assume that the start of your Christian life, which is the start of everyone's Christian life, is the moment that they get saved salvation is not a process even believeth on the son, have everlasting life you have it, just like that, and it's everlasting salvation is not a process, we went through the American Heresy series and week after week after week, I showed you that people were teaching this heresy, that salvation, that getting your way to heaven is a process that you have to go through, that is not what the Bible teaches you get saved in a moment, the moment you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and call upon his name, it's done sealed by the Holy Spirit, so that's the beginning of your Christian life you know, it's your salvation, and it's a joyful moment I mean, if you understood what happened, and you got saved it's a joyful moment, you all know this you know, it's your Jesus high, it's the beginning of your Christian life, turn your Bibles to Habakkuk chapter 3 towards the end of the Old Testament right before the book of Zephaniah, you'll see the book of Habakkuk one of the minor prophets so we start out with this extreme joy that we're saved we recognize that we're sinners, we recognize that you know, God's wrath is upon us because we've broken his law that we deserve eternal punishment in hell and then we find out that there's a way out, and the way out has nothing to do with us it's already been paid, it's been paid, and all we have to do is put our complete trust on Jesus Christ who God said to pay that price for us, Jesus was God in the flesh we believe on that, we trust completely on that, and no trust in ourselves, and the Bible says that we have everlasting life I mean, that's a joyful moment, that weight is lifted off of us look at Habakkuk chapter 3, verse number 17 and the Bible talks about this joy, in verse number 17 we're gonna think, we're gonna look and we're gonna see, there's a lot of things not going well here in verse 17, although the fig tree should not blossom neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fall and the field shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls, I remember my wife talking about when she was growing up, her dad was a rancher and farmer and I remember in the 80's, in the 80's in North Dakota, if you were in agriculture, you remember how stressful it was, because it was a drought, things were bad it was the time of verse 17 that we're talking about here, there was no there was no fruit in the vines, people went broke, they lost their farms, my wife talks to this day about how she can still remember her dad at the kitchen table, trying to work the books and figure out how he was going to keep this thing going for another year it wasn't that he wasn't working hard, he was working himself to the bone, but it just wasn't there, there was no fruit in the vine, it was a bad time but yet look at verse 18 in Habakkuk yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation, so because of the fact that we're saved, there really shouldn't be nothing, once we come back to that point, that could make us not joyful, you see I mean, the joy of our turn to Psalm 51, right in the center of your Bible you find the book of Psalm, Psalm 51 look, when everything is going wrong, you will always have that gift you will always have the joy of your salvation think about David's terrible sins against God, think about David and his adultery and his murder and all the things that he committed against God and man he hurt a lot of people, look at David's prayer in verse number 10 of Psalm 51, where David says created me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me cast me not away from Thy presence, and take out Thy Holy Spirit from me, and then in verse number 12, we'll miss this, restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation and uphold me with Thy free spirit, now did he say restore unto me my salvation? No, he said restore unto me the joy of my salvation David was down in the dumps, his son had just died, he was under, I mean, he was not having a good time, and he just wanted to get right, and he said, God give me that that joy again of my salvation, he never lost his salvation I've heard a lot of people preach that David lost his salvation but what if God knows you he knows you forever, that's it, he said restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, turn to Mark chapter 8 so you've gotten saved, you have this joy of your salvation now look, once you get saved and you understand, you know, once you have that joy, that means you understand what has been given to you, that's what causes the joy your priorities in your life should change, once you get saved they should change, Mark 8 verse 36 says for what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul you see, when you get saved, you start to understand what's really important in life, and you should understand that and want to take that to other people in Mark 16, 15, it's a famous verse in the Bible, he said to them go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, that's what we should be doing, and we will recognize the need for that once we get saved, because you've been given this great gift, I mean, what makes you think you didn't deserve it, what makes you think that other people shouldn't get it too, especially when God directly told you to go tell other people about it so we have this joy, we realize the importance now of giving people the opportunity to have this same gift that you've been given, that you didn't deserve in the first place and then you understand the value of spreading the gospel and if your heart is right about it, it's exciting I mean, it's very exciting, if your heart is right about it if you're like, wow, I'm saved, I don't deserve to be saved God tells me I need to go tell other people how to get saved I'm going to go do that, now that is exciting that is an exciting moment in the Christian's life I mean, forget about it, look at the conference, the missions conference we're talking about, and if you're in a church like this that's plugged in like we are, you're going to have a lot of opportunities for some excitement in your life there's mission trips, there's so many marathons, we're going to one we'll send you to the Philippines what do you want? there's all this excitement there's all this excitement that's happening, but there's real adventure to be had here, and it's doing what the most exciting thing about it is, it's adventure, and you're doing what God wants you to do, it's the first works of the Lord you have the you will realize that you have the ability to make the eternal difference for me, now that is exciting you, you have that will so there's all this excitement, you see, I'm trying to get you to understand that the beginning of the Christian life, this is the beginning, is all this excitement from the joy of your personal salvation, to just doing the first works of God, you know what, we'll send you into that excitement we'll send you into that excitement, but what after, if you don't follow that, there's this idea that you should be in church, personally, you should be in church, now a good church, and trust me when I tell you this, a good church is hard to find I moved all the way across the country to take my family to a good church and that's what I had to do and I wanted to pursue this Christian life, and I wanted my kids to be able to pursue this Christian life, I moved all the way across the country to go to a church, and people still think I'm crazy but look, for some it will mean going from no church at all, I mean I was in a church I was in a church, but it was a lame church that did no works for the Lord it was a dying church, I'm pretty sure they had the right gospel, pretty sure, which is pretty bad am I unclear with the things that I say up here? So, for some it will be going from a bad church to a good church, if you get into a good church for some people, by the way, for some people, it's over already it's just going to be the conferences and the mission trips and the occasional soloing three or four times a year for some people, that's it, the series is over but if you're going to get into a good church there's going to be some things that are going to maybe surprise you a little bit, so I want to talk to you about that this morning so you're not offended, alright, so for some it will be going from no church to church, for some it will be a bad church to church for some it will be YouTube to church, that's a little bit of a shocker I think for some people, but look many people are just going to stick to the frosting, so the series ends there but if you want to continue, you're going to get into a church, get into a good Bible preaching church, turn to Hebrews chapter 10 look, I considered it, I considered it when we visited in 2016 to the very first Red Hot Cruising Conference and look, I didn't want to give up my business, I didn't want to give up a career I didn't want to give up all these things, so I'm considering, I'm thinking all these different ways that I would have to do this, like okay, here's what we can do is set aside X amount of money every single year and we'll visit two or three times a year to Verity Baptist Church Sacramento I thought about that, I considered that for like five seconds but here's the problem, you go to Verity Baptist Sacramento and what you're going to find is you're going to find a bunch of people who are the real deal, they're not living it three times a year, they're living it three times a week they're soul winning, and they're winning people to Christ all the time, on a regular basis, it's their life and I'm not going to be this guy that pops in you know, three times a year, that's lame I'm never going to be lame, this is me talking to myself right now okay, I've never met somebody that does something happen and that just wasn't going to be me, and we never wanted to be those people, so that's why we did what we did alright, are you into Hebrews chapter 12? Look, there's people that are living this story, they're living it with their life you're commanded to be in church, Hebrews chapter 12 or chapter 10, I'm sorry, verse number 24 the Bible says, and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the matter of some is, as the matter of a lot of people is but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching, look, it's going to be a transition for you from YouTube sermons to church especially church lectures, look it can be difficult you know what, it's spiritual gummy bears shopping around the internet for cool sounding sermons it's spiritual gummy bears, that's what you're doing, you're just popping gummy bears and both people are like just picking out the red ones because who would make a green gummy bear, what's wrong with these people you know what I'm saying, like shopping around the internet for cool sounding sermons on reprobates, and Barack Obama and all this stuff, you know, that's fun, but that's not church, church is going to be a different priest alright, but I went soloing I went soloing one time a couple of years ago, and I ran into a guy and I started giving the gospels to this guy, and he was kind of argumentative with me but he was listening to me, and he said, you know who you sound like he's like, you sound like that Pastor Humanis guy and I'm like, I was holding the invitation in my hand, and I'm like, well that's him, I'm from this church, and here's this guy and the guy would not get saved, he did not believe in eternal security he did not believe it was a gift that you could never lose, and he just wouldn't accept the gospel and he's sitting there telling me that Pastor Humanis doesn't believe that I'm like, are you crazy, but you know what he's doing you know why he doesn't know, because he's shopping around the internet for spiritual gummy bears he doesn't know any doctrine, he doesn't know anything he's just looking for sermons that sound neat you know, hey, you know, the cool prophecy sermons you're preaching against the sodomites, or whatever, it sounds cool and he agrees with everything on, but there's no doctrine that he even knows because he's just popping gummy bears all day long that's what he's doing, but you can't live on gummy bears you can't live on gummy bears 2 Timothy 4, you can't Jacob 2 Timothy 4 look at verse number 2 2 Timothy 4 verse number 2, the Bible says preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine, turn to Jeremiah chapter 1 I'm supposed to sit here and I'm supposed to preach the word to you, whether you like it or not I'm supposed to preach the whole Bible to you, reprove, I mean this is a huge responsibility this is a huge responsibility to me, that if I get up here and I just pick and choose out of this book the things that will make you happy that's on me, I'm supposed to preach the word in the instant, in season, out of season because guess what, in America today, most of the Bible is out of season, so everything that I'm preaching up here out of the Bible is out of season, but I'm going to preach it anyway, because that's what the Bible says turn to Jeremiah chapter 1, look here's the thing, gummy bears don't punch back, you're going to take some shots to the chest here, I'm not aiming for the face we're not talking about the solar plexus that takes that wind out of you, you're going to take some blows and I know some of you have taken some blows here in actual real church, church will be different I think some of you, after this church started, I think some of you realized that that church is different Jeremiah chapter 1, look at verse number 7, this is something that I've learned since I started four months ago, because remember I was someone that was sitting in the pews too, I had the same thing happen to me that happened to you, I moved from North Dakota to California and I sat in the pews with a man of God stood up and threw the Bible in my face every Sunday, and I would hold some days and be like man, he's hard on us is that what the Bible says or not is what it boils down to, look at Jeremiah chapter 1 verse number 7 Jeremiah chapter 1 verse number 7 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child, for thou shalt go and tell all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak, this is the beginning of Jeremiah's ministry right here, and God is saying I'm going to say some things to you and you're going to tell them everything that I say and look at verse number 8, I love verse number 8 and be not afraid of your faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee safely, you know what, when I'm up here preaching something and I know you guys and certain people don't like it, I can tell I can tell, and that's something that pastor said from the pulpit years ago, and I was like really, I need to be smiling more you know, when I'm listening to hard preaching, so I'm going to be like but here's the thing, it's true I can tell, but I'm not afraid of your faces so I'm going to tell you everything in the Bible you know what, that's different than watching YouTube or going to some lame church where they don't tell you what the Bible says, I'm not going to lie to you here I'm telling you this so you're not offended, this is what's coming if you want to start getting into church that preaches the Bible here's what you need to do, here's the answer for you you're supposed to read the Bible, you're supposed to know I want you to have a Bible and I want you to read it every day I want you to search the scriptures daily if these things that I say are so, but here's the thing, if I throw something in your face and it hits you in the chest and it takes the wind out of you you will look and see if that's what the Bible says and if that's what the Bible says, then that's what you do that's what you're hearing I can only sit here and exhort you on your lives and tell you what the Bible says and just hope that you listen but if you're going to get all offended, just look at what the Bible says be like the church of Berea, that they just searched the scriptures daily and they just wanted to know, look that's why I survived, it's because even though all these things were taught to me, I had never heard before that's what the Bible says, so that's what I'm going to believe I made my mind up, if it's in the Bible, that's what I'm going to believe period, it's that simple, turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 14, so if you made that decision in your life if it's in the Bible, then you're just going to believe it, you're going to be fine 1 Corinthians 14, let's talk about belonging to a church, what's different about belonging to a church than sitting around at home eating Cheetos off your chest in your pajamas watching YouTube, there's going to be some differences at the end of the day this church runs a certain way, it's a pastor-led church, there's no deacon board or committee here, it's a pastor-led, biblical-run church 1 Corinthians 14, look at verse 40 the Bible says, let all things be done decently and in order look, there's policies around here we preach an entire series on church discipline on how things like fornication, extortion, comitism, being a drunkard being a railer, being an idolater, these are things that they'll get you put out of church, and we will do it because that's what the Bible says, no one else will do that's why you walk into Millstone Church and the Table Church and all these other churches, and you won't notice any difference between the world and the people in that church it's because they're not being hit in the chest with the Bible, they're not having sin thrown in their face and they're not practicing church discipline properly so you're just going to have the church of unsaved, worldly people and even if they are saved, they're not going to be separated into anything you're going to be just like the world, but not here there's rules in this church, there's policies in this church, men's preaching is a good example there's policies that are put in place for a good reason to protect the church, ministries, if you're serving in a ministry in the church there's some rules to being able to serve in a ministry here, there's some expectations of you because guess what, when you're coming here and you're sitting down in a church, that's great that's on you how much you come to church and how much you don't but if you're going to serve in a ministry, other people depend on you other people's spiritual well-being is suddenly resting on you so there's some more responsibility you have to be okay with the few rules that are put forward this is a pastor-led church, all for good biblical reasons everything here is done for a reason, I can promise you that so the point is, what I'm trying to get you to understand is, it's going to be a transition it's going to be a transition from no church to church from you to church to church laying in church that doesn't tell you anything and lies in your face, to church that tells you the truth it's going to be a transition, that's it so we have this path from salvation to that initial joy, to the excitement of it all then to actually getting into a good church there are going to be some changes required, you know what you call those changes by the way? you call that growth so now let's talk about another transition here let's talk about now you've found a church, you're coming to church let's talk about from church to sold out Christian that's a transition too turn to 1 Peter chapter 2 you ever wonder, by the way, you ever wonder, turn to 1 Peter chapter 2 and I'll explain this to you but I've had people say this, you ever wonder why we have church three times a week? I mean, why in the world? Three times a week? I've ever had people tell me, that seems legalistic well someone that says that to a Baptist has no idea what they're talking about because are we putting, look, do we put the law above the gospel here? here's the secret, you don't have to come here one time to get to heaven, man, I will be a full-felt man because I should not tell people that what I need to tell people is hey, you've got to come here three times a week and you're going to hell Pentecostal I mean, look, that's a ridiculous thing why would you go to church three times a week when you don't even have to come here once to get to heaven? I mean, what's the point? here's the point, if you want to grow, you need to eat that's it, that's the point, look at 1 Peter chapter 2 verse number 2 as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may ride, that ye may grow thereby go to Hebrews chapter 5, that was our chapter of the week we're going to look at verse number 11 so newborn babes, they desire the sincere milk babies like milk, right, babies like milk and they grow by it, they grow by milk, look at Hebrews 5 in verse number 11, where the Bible says of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered, seen, or dull of hearing so you're sitting there saying to these people, you're not hearing what I'm saying for when the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need of one to teach you again he's like, you should be teaching other people and now I've got to go over the same stuff again with you he's rebuking them which be the first principles of the oracles of God and it becomes such as have need of milk and not of strong meat for everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is a babe, babies, milk, babies but strong meat belonging to them that are of full age, even those by whom reason abuse have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil so what he's saying is that I've now got to go back and I've got to teach you the first principles again you must not have been listening to what I was telling you these things, because now you need milk, you can't even handle meat look, when we preach the Romans, we've got to do some meat I mean, those were some meaty sermons, I mean that was some hard doctrine there, I mean we're cross-referencing Old Testament and New Testament and prophecy, I mean that's the meat I mean it's the difference between three calculus and the 400 level engineering class that's what it is, that's what he's talking about here turn to Romans chapter 7, so what's the point, why do you need the meat he says, so they can exercise to discern good and evil if you get through the milk and you start eating meat, you're just going to have to eat you're just going to have to eat as you grow into this, here's what's going to happen go to Romans chapter 7, first of all, you will change from a babe to full age you will grow into full age, at full age you'll be able to discern good from evil, the Bible says I'm telling you, Thursday is a little bit difficult for me, I'm used to going to church on Wednesday and to wait until Thursday, it just seems like an eternity, I feel like I'm starving I'm serious, I'm used to going to church on Wednesday and getting fed on Wednesday, when we had church on Thursday here so we don't conflict with the Wednesday service in Verity and Sacramento, it's a long time for me it's hard to get used to, look at Romans 7 verse 13 Romans 7 and verse 13 here's what's going to happen to you as you grow was then that which was made good, good made definitely God forbid, but sin, that it might appear sin working death in me, that which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceedingly sinful, this is talking about when you start to learn the law, when you start to eat the meat sin is going to become exceedingly sinful to you sin is going to pop out of you, as you start to grow more and more, those lines are going to get bolder and bolder to you, it will happen to you if you keep going down this road, that's what's going to happen look, you can go the other way, you can make sin play that's what will happen if you sit home and watch TV all the time you'll just get desensitized to all the garbage that's being thrown in your face or you can eat the meat of the Word, you can get passed the mill to eat the meat of the Word, and sin is going to pop out of you like that, and you're going to go whoa, danger here, we need to separate ourselves from that, that's why we go to church three times a week so we can feed you, so you can eat, so you can get off milk and into meat, so you can become aware of these things, so sin will become exceedingly sinful that's why look, it becomes easier to separate, when you see the three lines, it becomes really easy to separate it becomes really easy to draw those lines in your life when you see the dangers of things, when you're in the Word and you get out of the Word, you see, whoa, danger on what's going on there, we're drawing a line right there that's what it takes, but you've got to have the meat you've got to get fed, see, this isn't about going to heaven, this is about becoming a strong Christian that can see these things and separate, look, we teach separation here, we teach separation here if you just sit here and listen to me, and you don't see these lines yourself, and you listen to me once every two weeks, or however often you come to church, you're never going to separate because you're not going to see it, you're not going to see the danger, you're not going to recognize it but look, we're giving you so you're going to see the lines, and we're teaching separation, and then you'll know what to separate from, okay, and we'll get detailed on feeding you, on telling you what to separate from as well, and we'll tell you why, we've already done all that you know, a lot of service so far, but look we're not only teaching you to separate from things, guess what we're going to give you something to separate to we're not just going to separate you by yourself over there we're going to give you something to separate too, we're going to teach you to preach the gospel to a lost world, that's what we're going to teach you I mean, we're going to send you across the world, we're already sending you guys across the entire world we're sending them across the planet you know, you're going to have opportunities to serve in ministries, there's so much fellowship around here, I can hardly take it I mean, we're a small church, but here, look, basically what we're talking about is becoming the type of person that from church to being here every time the doors open that's what you're going to be separated onto look, I hate to break it to you, but it's going to get worse we're a small church right now, but guess what, we're going to grow and as you men grow, you're going to start helping eat certain things look, we just said, pastor Jimenez just went to went to a missions conference who's preaching? somebody's got to preach when he's gone the church doesn't just cease to exist this is why we have men's preaching nights, so you can grow so you can learn to preach the word of God to edify other believers, and you know what Ben, you can help in the leadership of this church, if something should be where I need to be gone or whatever, I don't even like to travel that much anymore, so that's fine but you see what I'm saying, there's a reason for all this we're going to give you something to separate to, and as this church grows we're going to have more activities, we're going to have a homeschool group, we're going to have all kinds of stuff starting up here, but we need people to grow in order to help that's so much bandwidth, that's what we need we need people to start eating meat, we need some meat eaters no vegetarians here now look, there are three more parts to this series most people will not make it through part one but there's three more parts, you think, what in the world is next this is just the beginning, turn to Matthew chapter 13 I've heard experienced pastors say that the average church life for a person sitting in the chairs, or as a lay person in the church is seven years, I've heard a lot of experienced pastors with decades of experience say that that's basically true now look, this has been a learning experience for me because I have to be okay with that I mean think about it, I know you all probably don't believe it, but I actually care about the people in this church but I have to be okay with the fact that some of you aren't going to make it I'll see you in heaven, but some of you aren't going to make it through this victorious Christian life I have to be okay with that I'm for you, I mean that from my heart I am for you, but all of you are not going to make it and all I can do is show you how to make it, and pray for you, and hope that you do make it but all of you are going to make it, and I need you, that can't destroy me if people come and go here, that's just the way that the Bible shows me it's going to be that's the way that it's going to be, and that can't ruin me, because we're going to go forward here now why, why won't people make it? You say, what's going to take me down you're sitting here saying I'm going to fail, what's going to take me down, I'm going to tell you did you go to Matthew chapter 13? There's two reasons I want to show you this morning, why people will only make it through three quarters of the way through this sermon, and they won't make it through the other three parts of this series look at Matthew chapter 13 verse number 3, this is the parable of the sower this is the parable of the sower, verse number 3 the Bible says he spake many things in the parable saying, behold the sower went to forth the sower and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside and the fowls came and devoured them up, some fell on stony places but they had not much earth, and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth, and when the sun was up, they were scorched because they had no root, they withered away, and I want to focus on verse number 7, I'm not going to preach through the, there's a whole sermon series in this parable itself, but I want to just focus on verse number 7 where the Bible says the sun fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up and choked them skip down to verse number 22 and let's find out what the thorns were all about and the Bible says in verse number 22 Jesus is now explaining the parables where he says that he that receives seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choked the word and he becometh unfruitful, first of all let me just say this on parables, we don't really get our doctrine, we're not to get our Bible reading tip don't get your doctrine from parables, you know we can talk about whether these people are saved or not saved but look, it's not that this guy became unsaved, he became unfruitful alright, he didn't become unsaved, it's not about losing your salvation, he just said it's an example of people getting wrapped up in the cares of the world and not doing what they're supposed to do for the world, that's what it is now if that isn't our country today I don't know what is, wrapped up in houses and cars and jobs and money, people won't go to a good church they won't move because of all those things because they've got thorns wrapped around their necks so tight they don't even know what's up that's right, that will end the spiritual life for most people, that one thing just thorns, they're choked out they're choked out, now look, I wasted I wasted a lot of years of my life chasing things that don't matter so listen to me, I wasted a lot of years of my life chasing after success in a career chasing after making a working business go they're not necessarily bad things, but if they're choking out your spiritual life, they are bad things if they're stopping you from doing what needs to be done with your spiritual life and moving towards this victorious Christian life, they are bad so you have to recognize that, look, don't waste your whole life so many Christians will just waste their whole life, and guess what? the devil can take you out of this fight by dropping you into sin, but he can also take you out of this fight by just making you do nothing and become unfruitful and wrap thorns around your neck on things that don't make any difference you all know people like this, I know you do and guess what? I've never been financially better off than when I just quit caring about finances and just started doing what God wanted me to do and just putting my faith in the right place in the world, I work hard I work hard, I work as Paul said, all day and all night, but I don't worry about it it's just God's going to take care of me, I've got my focus in the right place God will take care of the rest so that's the first thing that's going to take people out of this thing, that's why people will make it through Sermon 1 that's it, it's because they're just going to get shoved out here's another reason here's another reason, they're just, remember the joy of our salvation remember what David said when he said, God, think of all the things that David had gone through, he fell into sin, he fell into horrible sin adultery, murder, and then he got right he said, I have sinned against the Lord, when Nathan brought it to him right away, first sentence out of his mouth, I have sinned against the Lord that's the difference between David and Saul, by the way, David got right right away he took full responsibility, Billy got right right away, but then what did he say? he said restore to me the joy, he lost the joy of his salvation there's another thing that will happen to people and it might happen to you, you start taking this gift for granted, you start taking this joy, this salvation that you've been given, and you start just getting used to it, and you start just taking it for granted I can never lose it, you start forsaking church, or you just never start church, but gummy bears can't sustain you, they can't keep you going, you need milk and then meat, look at 1 Corinthians 3 look at 1 Corinthians 3 1 Corinthians 3 don't take your salvation for granted, it's no less of a gift today than it was 10 years ago when you got saved it's not that you suddenly deserve it today, you didn't deserve it back then you don't deserve it now, look at 1 Corinthians 3 verse 2 I have fed you with milk and not with meat, for hitherto you were not able to bear it neither yet now are you able, Paul was pretty hard on people I mean he's whipping face on 1 and 2 Corinthians you guys should have just read this, I mean he's whipping them up one side and down the other for a number of different things I mean he did not spare anybody but it's hard going from gummy bears to meat, there's going to be, you know he says you were not able to bear it, he said, it's hard you know some of you went through that, some of you were makers still going through it, this is the process, ok, salvation is not the process this is, going from gummy bears to getting a little bit of milk and then starting to eat meat, that's a process you got to push through that process so let me give you 3 tips just to close out today, 3 quick tips so you can get through part 1 3 tips you can make it through part 1 to next Sunday ok, first is this don't get choked out, the American life will choke you out if you let it, you know the cares of this world number 2, don't eat gummy bears, I know I keep talking about gummy bears don't just eat gummy bears, you can't just live on gummy bears you will be extremely unhealthy seriously, and the second thing turn to Philippians, the third thing is this, turn to Philippians chapter 2 the third thing I want to end with today this morning is this, Philippians chapter 2, those of you that came Thursday night are already eating this meat, but I'm going to feed it again look at Philippians chapter 2, verse number 12 where the Bible says, wherefore my beloved, as ye have been you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence, work now to your own salvation with fear and trembling, look, the third tip to make it to step number to the next part of your Christian life, is that you need exercise you're to work out this salvation you're not to just sit and eat chinos off your chest with your salvation you're supposed to work out your salvation, this isn't about being saved this is about working for the Lord after you get saved, that's what this is about church, soul winning, preaching, serving in ministries, looking how can this church become a force for the gospel of the world, there's 40 people in here how can we possibly be a force for the gospel of the world, this is how you start eating meat, you start working out you start exercising, that's what you're supposed to be doing with your salvation not just sitting around doing that look, I realized right away, in 2016, that if I was going to be this twice a year person that all I would be doing was reminding myself twice a year that I was a lazy Christian that's all I would be doing I couldn't go to a place where there was all these sold out Christians and they were going to church three times a week they were soul winning, I was fascinated by these people and they were starting churches they were building churches they were doing in ministries, they were cleaning churches so I just said, ask for me in my house, we will serve the Lord that's what we decided, that's the kind of decisions that you need to make, it really just depends on who you want to be it's just a real deep decision on who you want to be, God promises you that you'll be in heaven, and frankly, it's just a decision on who you want to be, and what kind of heritage you want to leave behind I want to be able to say that I want my kids to be able to look back and say that the lines are falling into me in pleasant places, yea I have a goodly heritage I want my kids to be able to say that I want my grandkids to be able to say that and this is how you start that journey next week we'll look at what's next the Christian decides, I want to go the whole way we'll look at what's next in the Christian life and there's a lot that's next let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer we thank you for the Bible, Lord we thank you for a great example from the Bible like the Apostle Paul men did not only God saved, Lord, but they went full force with the Gospel in their life, we thank you for setting the bar of that high for us, Lord, that we could know, Lord we thank you for all these lessons that you can give us, so we might not be offended throughout this Christian life Lord I pray for everybody in this church, anyone hearing this message, Lord, that we would just understand what it takes to live victorious for you, victoriously for you and to never quit and just to continue in this great mystery we thank you for our salvation, we thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ we pray all this in his name, Amen Amen.