(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.) . . Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Mountain Baptist Church. Take your song books and turn to song number 380. Song 380 in your song books. We'll sing, He Was Not Willing. And if you would stand and sing real good and loud, this is a brand new song for us. So we'll do what we can. Here we go. Song 380. He was not willing that any should perish. Jesus enthroned in the glory above. Saw our poor fallen world pit in our sorrows. Poured out his life for us wonderful love. Perishing, perishing throne. Heart's burdens too heavy to bear. Jesus would say, but there's no one to tell them. No one to lift them from sin and despair. He was not willing that any should perish. Clothed in our flesh with his sorrow and pain. Came to seek the lost, come for the mourner. Heal the heart broken by sorrow and shame. Perishing, perishing harvest, passing. Reapers are few and the night draweth near. Jesus is calling the haze to the reaping. Thou shalt have soul. Souls for thy hire. Plenty for pleasure but little for Jesus. Time for the world with its trumps and toys. No time for Jesus work feeding the hungry. Lifting the souls to eternity joys. Perishing, perishing harvest. Bring us your Savior, O tell us of him. We are so weary, so heavy laden. And with long weeping our eyes have grown dim. He was not willing that any should perish. I am his follower and I can live longer at ease with a soul going downward. Lost for the lack of help I might give. Perishing, perishing thou was not willing. Master forgive and inspire us anew. Banish our worldliness. Help us to ever live with eternity values and view. Well, we got it. Okay, let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, we love you. Thank you so much for this day. I pray, Lord, that you would just be with our pastor, fill him with your power and spirit. Be with the rest of these songs, Lord, in Jesus' name, Amen. All right, you may be seated and turn in your song books to song 396. Song 396. We'll sing So Little Time, song 396. So little time, the harvest will be over. Our reaping done, we reapers taken home. Report our work to Jesus, Lord of harvest and hope he'll smile and that he'll say well done. Today we reap or miss our golden harvest. Today is given us lost souls to win. Oh, then to save some dear ones from the burning. Today we'll go to bring some sinner in. How many times I should have strongly pleaded. How often did I feel to strictly warn. The spirit moved. Oh, had I planned for Jesus. The grain is fallen, lost ones not reborn. Today we reap or miss our golden harvest. Today is given us lost souls to win. Oh, then to save some dear ones from the burning. Today we'll go to bring some sinner in. Despite the heat, the ceaseless toil of hardship, the broken heart, all those we cannot win. Misunderstood because we're often. Still no regrets we'll have but for our sin. Today we reap or miss our golden harvest. Today is given us lost souls to win. Oh, then to save some dear ones from the burning. Today we'll go to bring some sinner in. A day of pleasure or a feast of friendship. A house or car or garments fair or fame will be trashed when souls are brought to heaven and then how sad to face the slackership blame. Today we reap or miss our golden harvest. Today is given us lost souls to win. Oh, then to save some dear ones from the burning. Today we'll go to bring some sinner in. The harvest wide with reapers few is wasting and many souls will die and never know. The love of Christ, the joy of sins forgiven. Oh, let us weep and love and pray and go. Today we reap or miss our golden harvest. Today is given us lost souls to win. Oh, then to save some dear ones from the burning. Today we'll go to bring some sinner in. Amen. Welcome to Mount Baptist Church on this Sunday morning and some good songs there. He was not willing. We used to sing that one a long time ago but I feel like the way they sung it was wrong because there's portions of that I'm like that sounds really familiar the way it was sung and then other portions I'm like no no I think because the piano is obviously playing so it kind of you know obviously you're going with the piano so it makes me wonder the last time when we were singing it as a congregational if it was being sung wrong the whole time so wouldn't be the first time because that's happened a lot when I've been in churches and they're like singing it their way and but good song there and obviously so little time is one of my favorites too but there's some announcements here we have a new chapter memory that we're doing so we're going into Galatians 3 and so I'll say this if you have not memorized any of Galatians this is the chapter to do okay so Galatians 3 even if you're just to do a chapter and you didn't do the whole book Galatians 3 and of course the whole book is awesome but Galatians 3 at Romans 4 and Galatians 3 if you want to memorize two chapters that are going to give you a lot when it comes to soul winning and and have a lot of ammunition when you're going out to prove salvation is by grace it's not by works those two chapters so I highly recommend the Galatians 3 for memorization there and then Colossians 4 6 is our memory verse for this week let your speech be all way with grace season with salt that you may know how you ought to answer every man and so I'm gonna be touching on this verse a little bit today but but a good verse to memorize I think we've had it on here before but it's a good one to have memorized so and then our soul winning times we're gonna have our main soul winning time at 1 p.m. today we definitely have to go soul winning today after those songs right now those are good songs but yeah obviously we go soul winning on Sunday and so we're gonna meet up here try to get teamed up before 1 p.m. and then we're gonna go out and then don't forget about the regional soul winning times brother Richie on Monday brother Charles on Tuesday we are gonna be doing a baptism this afternoon my daughter Clara is gonna be getting baptized and so we're gonna do that after the afternoon service so we can get all the grandparents here and all that stuff you know but plus it gives it time to warm up so as you know that heater in there it takes a few hours for that to warm up and those that I got baptized in the morning know what I'm talking about that it's not that warm when you first get that thing in there and you start putting that heater on it's really got to be going for a while there but but don't you know be in your places for that obviously and then upcoming events we just have the prayer meetings on here as of right now when it comes into September we're gonna have a lot more going on we're gonna have and I think brother Nick was asking me about well what we usually do for our anniversary we're gonna be doing the typical thing we usually do which is a soul winning marathon on Saturday and then between the services we'll do like a you know anniversary celebration if you will you know where we have food cake all that fun stuff so I'm not sure exactly what because it's on the 17th is when we started it but obviously that date doesn't stay on Sunday so I have to figure out which weekend we're gonna do that or when the 17th the ball is closer to but it'll be four years so kind of crazy I know that's still young but you know it doesn't seem like it's been four years since we we started here we have some visitors from Virginia so if you get a chance to say hi so they're Lynch Lynchburg so traveled in so definitely say hi to them and you prior maybe already have if you were here earlier so and then we have we have someone's birthday today so Amanda Spina so miss Amanda I don't ask the ladies how old they are so I'm just gonna say that right now okay oh well I didn't do it so well happy birthday we'll sing happy birthday to you and then anniversaries don't have anniversaries until later in the month and then pregnancies be with all the ladies on the pregnancy list so we have five ladies on here miss Joyce miss Tabby miss Amanda and miss Jennifer miss Anastasia so be in prayer for all these ladies with the pregnancies deliveries and all that stuff that's going on there and I think there's anything else going on just be in prayer for maybe those that can't make it today for some reason or another I think some are traveling somewhere on vacation but if anybody's not feeling well be in prayer for any of the families in our church besides that I think that's all we got for announcements oh yeah I'll just say some general first matter we have the offering box in the back there so if you want to give an offering and then the rooms in the back of the mother baby rooms that room right there behind the bookcase is just for mothers and babies no men unless for summer you got to run in and grab your child but but that is only mothers and babies and we want to keep it to that that age group of like really young children and then all the older children if you have to take them out take them to the other two rooms there and so that's all I got for announcements brother Dave's gonna come and sing one more song and then brother Anthony's gonna be reading John chapter 5 for us this morning all right take your song books and turn to song 397 song 397 we'll sing a little as much when God is in it but before we sing that we need to sing happy birthday to the miss Spina not sure what your age is you know nobody knows this all right you want to stand up you got it yeah you can if you want there you go I will sing happy birthday ready happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday God bless you happy birthday to you happy birthday and we'll sing song 397 in the harvest field now ripen there's a work for all to do hark the voice of God is calling to the harvest calling you little is much when God is in it labor not for wealth or fame there's a crown and you can win it if you'll go in Jesus name does the place you're called to labor seem so small and little known it is great if God is in it and he'll not forget his own little as much when God is in it labor not for wealth or fame there's a crown and you can win it if you go in Jesus name are you laid aside from service body worn from toil and care you can still be in the battle in the sacred place of prayer little is much when God is in it labor not for wealth or fame there's a crown and you can win it if you'll go in Jesus name when the conflict here is ended and our race on earth is run he will say to all the faithful welcome home my child well done little is much when God is in it labor not for wealth or fame there's a crown and you can win it if you'll go in Jesus name all right if you would take your Bibles turn to John chapter number five John five we'll have brother Anthony read that for us John chapter five Bible reads after this there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went to up to Jerusalem now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool which is called in the Hebrew tongue with Bethesda having five porches in these lay a great multitude of impotent folk of blind halt withered waiting for the moving of the water for an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease disease he had and a certain man was there which had an infirmity thirty and eight years when Jesus saw him lie and knew that he had been now a long time in that case he saith unto him wilt thou be made whole the impotent man answered him sir I have no man when the water is troubled to put me into the pool but well but while I am coming another steppeth down before me Jesus saith unto him rise take up thy bed and walk and immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked and on the same day was the Sabbath the Jews therefore have said unto him that it was that said unto him that was cured it is the Sabbath day is it not lawful for thee to carry thy bed he answered them he that made me whole the same said unto me take up thy bed and walk then asked they him what man is that which said unto thee take up thy bed and walk and he that was healed was not who it was for Jesus had conveyed himself away a multitude being in that place afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple and said unto him behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee the man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus which had made him whole and therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay him because he had done these things on the Sabbath day but Jesus answered them my father worketh hitherto and I work therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him because he not only had broken the Sabbath but also but said also that God was his father making himself equal with God then answer Jesus and said unto them verily verily I say unto you the son can do nothing of himself but what he sayeth the father do for what so for what things so ever he doeth these also do with the son likewise for the father loveth the son and show with him all things that himself doeth and he will show him greater works than these that ye may marvel for as the father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them even so the son quickeneth whom he will for the father judges no judges no man but hath committed all judgment to the son that all men should honor the son even as they honor the father he that honoreth not the son on earth not the father which hath sent him verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation condemnation but is passed from death unto life verily verily I say unto you the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that here shall live for as the father hath life in himself so hath he given to the son to have life in himself and hath given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the son of man marvel not at this for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the grave shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation I can of mine own self do nothing as I hear I judge and my judgment is just because I seek not mine own will but the will of the father which hath sent me if I bear witness of myself my witness is not true there is another that beareth witness of me and I know that the witness which he witnesses this of me is true you said unto the ye sent unto John and he bear witness unto the truth but I received not testimony from the man but these things I say that you might be saved he was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light but I have greater witness than that of John for the works which the father hath given me to finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the father hath sent me and the father himself which hath sent me hath borne witness of me ye have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape and you have not his word abiding in you for whom he hath sent him you believe believe not search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are which testify of me and you will not come to me that you might have life I receive not honor from men but I know you that ye may not that ye have not the love of God in you I am come in my father's name and ye receive me not if another shall come in his own name him you will receive how can you believe which receiveth honor of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only do not think that I will accuse you to the father there is one that accused you even Moses in whom you trust for if you had believed Moses you would have believed me for he wrote of me but if you believe not his writings how shall you believe my words let's pray near Lord thank you for this morning we can gather again and continue to lift praise up to you God and we pray that you be a pastor Robson and film with your Holy Spirit help us all to learn this morning Jesus name I pray amen amen so you're there in John chapter 5 and I want you to go down to verse 33 verse 33 in John chapter 5 and I want to preach a sermon called a burning and shining light a burning and shining light that's what says there in verse 33 Jesus is talking it says you sent you sent unto John he bear witness unto the truth but I received not witness from man but these things I say that you might be saved he was a burning and a shining light and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light so the the the sermon is a burning and a shining light so not just a shining light but a burning light now go to John chapter 1 John chapter 1 now Jesus you get he's saying that he doesn't just bear witness of himself meaning that under two or three witnesses may every word be established and he's stating that I don't just bear witness to myself the father bears witness of me but also the Holy Ghost is gonna come and bear witness of them and he's basically stating that I don't receive witness of man though John did bear witness of him that's not the witness in which he's saying like this it says if we receive the witness of God the wit I mean if we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater and this is the witness which God has testified of his son you know and in the spirit beareth witness because the spirit is truth and we know that's what Jesus is getting at but he's basically stating that you you took John's witness you know you're taking man's witness you're taking John which was you know a great witness but he's like I got the father's witness and you know the the Holy Ghost obviously he's gonna bear witness of him but that's not the point of the sermon that I'm getting to the point is is that Jesus is saying that John the Baptist was a burning and shining light noticing but I want you to first see in verse John 1 and verse 6 that John did bear witness of the true light which is the Lord Jesus Christ and when he came when he came into the world and in the idea of him being the Son of God and John 1 is really just hitting on that you know all the way through the chapter here that John is bearing witness of Jesus but in verse 6 here it says there was a man sent from God whose name was John the same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe he was not that light but was sent to bear witness of that light okay so John was not that true light which cometh in the world that lighted every man that comes into the world that's Jesus but he was the messenger that was sent before him he was the voice crying in the wilderness you know make straight the ways of the Lord may you know and basically preparing the way of the Lord before him you know all that is what John was doing but he was also a light himself go to Isaiah chapter 62 Isaiah chapter 62 I want to show you some verses here and when we were going through Isaiah 62 this came to mind but I didn't want to just go off on this tangent okay well the first verse here in Isaiah 62 about John the Baptist because if you know John the Baptist Jesus said that John the Baptist that there was not a greater prophet born among women than John the Baptist that is a tall order okay think of all the prophets from Abel down the line to you know you think of Noah Moses like Daniel you know even though a Daniel and Job are like the three that that Ezekiel mentions as being like these righteous prophets it said Jesus says that those that are born among women there's not a greater prophet than John the Baptist so that isn't that is a high honor obviously Jesus is the prophet so obviously you know we're talking about man but Jesus obviously was the greatest prophet ever it still is the greatest prophet but that being said is notice what it says in Isaiah 62 in verse 1 Isaiah 62 in verse 1 it says for Zion's sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as the lamp as a lamp that burneth so when I went through this obviously I was talking about soul winning the idea that we're talking about New Jerusalem which is above which is the mother of us all and the fact that you know that in New Jerusalem is where you have the the church of the firstborn the General Assembly and church of the firstborn and the idea is that to get you know people in the heaven we're not gonna hold our peace we're gonna keep going out soul winning but the idea is that it's not just bright it also burns okay notice down in verse 6 of Isaiah 62 dealing with the idea of this burning light and notice what it says in verse 6 it says I set I have set watchmen upon thy walls of Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he established until he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth go to Luke chapter 12 Luke chapter 12 I'm just kind of setting a foundation that this idea of having you know this burning lamp if you will this light that burns and the idea is that we are to be the light of the world I'm gonna get to that but not just a light as far as the the brightness that shines but also a light that burns okay now lights in general burn okay even even most like light bulbs that you have I know LEDs now and all this different stuff you have lights that that aren't I'm not sure exactly how those work to be honest with you but most things have either chemicals that are you know lighting off some kind of light and there's some kind of chemical burning that's going on there or you have the fluoresce you're not fluorescent but the you know the little felt thing that's in a light bulb that's burning okay but back in the day what'd you have you had candles you had oil lamps and you lit them on fire okay so when you think of like the Sun obviously it's bright but it also is really hot and it burns okay now in Luke chapter 12 verse 35 notice what it says here it says let your loins be girt about and your lights burning and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for your for their Lord when he will return from the wedding that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediately now this is talking about you know end times type of thing and dealing with the tribulation and all that stuff and I'm not getting into that this morning but the idea here is that having your your loins girt about and your lights burning and the Bible talks about this light you know gird up your loins like a man and basically be ready you're watching you're waiting you're ready you know a watchman has a light that's burning and go to Matthew chapter 5 after chapter 5 I want you to first of all see that yeah we need to be lights in the idea that we have the truth right we're shining light you know to the the idea that this is the truth that was the true light which cometh into the world that lighteth every man that cometh into the world and you know the idea that light is truth you know darkness is the lie but light is truth and we need to have light in our lives we need to be the light but notice what it says here Matthew 5 verse 14 Matthew 5 and verse 14 it says verse 14 ye are the light of the world a city that is set on hill cannot be hid neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the house let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven so when we're talking about letting our light shine you know the idea here is that they're seeing our good works now salvation obviously isn't by good works salvation is by grace through faith but the idea here is the fact that to be a great witness to be this great shining light to where people are gonna look at that and look at you and actually have respect for what you have to say then you need to be a righteous person you need to be living this wholly separated life to where they're gonna look at you for the answer okay and the idea is that they may behold your good works notice verse uh lost my place here and verse that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven go to 1st Peter chapter 2 because 1st Peter chapter 2 I believe is touching on this as well digging a little deeper into what that means or or why this is important now to get real spiritual with this is talking about the fact that when you get saved you had the flesh and you have the spirit and if you put on the new man you're walking as children of light and your lights going to shine and as much as it's ridiculous and silly to take a candle light a candle and put a bushel over it so no one can see it as much as you walking in the flesh after you get saved and veiling that light with your flesh yeah most Christians do that okay but that's how ridiculous it is is to think that well you know why would you light a candle and then just cover it up okay because no one's gonna see it but the idea is that you you said it you put it on a candlestick you want everybody to see it but what does that entail well in verse verse 11 so 1st Peter chapter 2 in verse 11 it says dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul so we see this war between the flesh and the soul right this fleshly lusts that are warring against the soul so these are at enmity with each other we know the soul is purified by faith right and actually chapter 1 hits on this you know seeing that you have purified your souls through the spirit that's the sanctification of the truth and you know it goes on being born again not a corrupt will see but if incorruptible by the Word of God we should live within the body forever and so we know that our souls are purified but our flesh isn't and the flesh it's saying that you know there's this war of these fleshly lusts notice in verse 12 having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evildoers notice this they may behold be they may by your good works which they shall behold glorify God in the day of visitation so the idea we don't believe in lifestyle evangelism meaning that no one's just gonna get saved and come up to you and be like I want what you got you know why because people are constantly calling us evildoers for believing the truth right so if you thought about an outsider looking into a church like ours be like oh you know people don't like you they say you're but you're a hate preacher they say that you guys are a big hate group because you know you actually believe what the Bible says you know people aren't gonna look at me like I want to be like that you know I want to be like them I want to suffer persecution I don't think anybody looks at a church that that is suffering persecution be like I want to be like that that's not saved right I'm talking about unsaved people looking at that but what they do look at is they look at the fact are you living a holy and a just life and then you're coming to them with the gospel because the idea here is that they're gonna be hold your good works and that's the type of person that's gonna glorify God in a day of visitation okay I know that word is kind of lost its luster you know we're gonna do some visitation tonight or we're gonna go canvas the area now we're gonna go soul winning right but you know obviously that those term you know like visitation is not a bad term it's a biblical term but the idea is that when you're in visitation with somebody you're visiting somebody or you're talking to them or you're giving them the gospel those people are gonna end up glorifying God because they see your good works right they see that hey you're not a hypocrite you actually believe what you say and you know there's a lot of people out so winning when we go out so and you're like I you know I hear what you're saying you know I don't really I'm not subscribing to that I don't believe that necessarily but I know you believe it like I know you're serious about it like they respect you and in the end even if they don't get saved a lot of times they'll respect where you're coming from because you're like this guy believes what he's saying he's not just saying it and so the idea with shining your light it's talking about your light now go to a second Corinthians chapter 4 because we know what saves what you know the ultimate light that saves is the Lord Jesus Christ right and the light of the gospel but remember this is that he's given us the ministry of reconciliation and he's given us the word of reconciliation that that we are ambassadors for God that we are in Christ said and we're saying to the world be reconciled to God that is our ministry and how should they hear without a preacher the the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith and the idea is that they can't understand unless some man should guide them and so we're in that position there to where we need to let our light shine by being just and walking in the light and we need to present the light of the gospel which obviously is talking about the you know the Lord Jesus Christ and what he did okay all these components need to come together if you're gonna be a fruitful soul winner then that's what needs to come together now in second Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 3 notice what it says here it says but if our gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost so when you think about your life being hid and the idea that you're just walking in the flesh you know the idea is that you're a child of God but you're not showing anybody that you're not walking in it you're not manifesting the the child of God that's within you you're putting that in a bushel but what if you put the the gospel if you hide the gospel and how do you hide the gospel by not telling anybody about it right not preaching the gospel to every creature not opening your mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel that's how it's hid notice what in verse 4 it says in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them for we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake for God who commanded a light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ so we're talking about being a shining light there's different components to that right the idea is that you need to first of all be saved okay so if you're gonna be a burning in a shining light you need to be a child of light you need to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and then are you light in the Lord okay and but then it says you're a light in the Lord but so walk as children of light so that means don't put that light under a bushel you know your soul your spirit is this light that's been regenerated and you're saved but don't put that flesh and just veil it to where no one can see it and when you do that when you walk in the spirit you know what you're gonna do you're going to do the works of God you're going to keep his commandments because if you're walking in the spirit you're not sinning and if you're not sinning that means you're not breaking commandments and we need to do that as much as possible so that that light will shine now go to go to Matthew chapter 5 Matthew chapter 5 again because there's two things that are mentioned in this famous Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5 you're the light of the world but there's another thing that was mentioned right before that those in verse 13 it says ye are the salt of the earth but if the salt have lost his savour wherewith shall be salted it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden underfoot of men so it's interesting because it says that you're the soul of the earth and it says you're the light of the world and Jesus putting these two together just kind of like he put in together that John was a burning and a shining light and I do believe these are talking about the same thing okay because you may say well what is salt you know like what does he mean that you're the salt of the earth obviously salt tastes awesome you know salt is good you know anytime anybody tells me that I you know you shouldn't you need to back off on your soul be like if I was a salt is good I got chapter and verse for that so obviously I might be taking that a little out of context as far as eating but the idea is that obviously it's savory it's good for food and all that but go to a mark chapter 9 mark chapter 9 and verse 49 mark chapter 9 verse 49 salt can also burn okay you ever hear this this this phrase that that person is a little salty we use that today don't we you know they're a little salty what does that mean right little edgy little you know a little offensive right they're a little salty now salty could just mean that they're just like kind of like grumpy I don't know I've kind of heard it that way like but usually when you say that person's salty you know it's kind of like meaning that they're they're not exactly comfortable with the be around that I would say no matter how you look at that term like someone being salty you'd be like you don't necessarily want to be around a salty person okay but no so it says in mark chapter 9 verse 49 mark chapter 9 verse 49 and obviously mark 9 just got done talking about hell you know that where the the worm diet not where their worm diet not and the fire is not quenched it says that three different times but in verse 49 here notice what says it says for every one shall be salted with fire and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt salt is good but if the salt have lost is saltness wherewith will you season it have salt in yourselves and have peace one with another so notice the this dichotomy or I guess I wouldn't call it dichotomy but it's just kind of like this complimentary of being having salt within yourselves but having peace with another okay and the idea here is that salt is obviously associated with fire and sacrifices and salting something in the fire or salting with fire the idea here is that I believe that salt is dealing with you may be offensive offensive now go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 29 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 I'm 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 29 I'm a little tired this morning so I tried pouring coffee in my eyes you know all that fun stuff but it would burn it would burn not as much as salt though actually I don't know one's hot and one's just gonna be like chemical burn in your eyes you know I do not suggest pouring coffee in your eyes or salt in your eyes just so you know disclaimer 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 29 that's what it says here it says who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not now this is an important thing now for two reasons for this sermon but also in 1st Corinthians it talks about you know widows marrying or or it talks about people committing fornication it says it's better to marry than to burn you ever hear you've heard that verse right and a lot of you know you know obviously people that are like lose your salvation be like we commit fornication burn in hell you know it's like no it's not what's talking about it's talking about if you commit fornication you're going to offend what the law right because if you keep the whole on and offend in one point he is guilty of all and so the idea is you're offending you're offending in the law by committing fornication by you know obviously doing anything that would be against the law would be you know offending the law if you will we're offending God by transgressing the law so that that's another story from another day but the idea that once you get here is that notice that burning and being offended are synonymous here right and how do you know that because it says who is weak and I'm not weak okay and then he says who is offended and I burn not that wouldn't make any sense as these are two different thoughts okay the idea is that he's trying to say hey I'm weak you're weak I'm offended you're offended you know like I burn you burn the idea is that he's basically trying to relate with them but notice that being offended and and burning is associated go to Colossians chapter 4 verse 6 now this is our memory verse this is a good verse to have memorized by the way there's a lot of verses when you think of like you know the righteous study at the answer study the show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts be ready always to give an answer to every man that ask you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear you know the idea of being able to give an answer to study you know all these different things that are good verses well this is another one to have okay notice what it says in verse 6 it says let your speech be all way with grace seasoned with salt that you may know how you ought to answer every man so notice there that it says that your speech is to be all way or all at all times it should be with grace they should be seasoned with salt now you notice that I didn't read that your speech be all way salty and seasoned with grace okay because most all the time or in all the time we need to have grace with them and with what we speak should be edifying everything should be done unto edifying but that doesn't mean that what we say isn't gonna offend somebody does that make sense and it needs to be seasoned with salt go to Matthew 24 and and I'm just gonna say this being a bible-believing Christian you're going to offend somebody good night if you believe there's two genders you're gonna offend somebody today you don't have to be a bible-believing Christian just just believe biology right now that there's two genders and you know it's insanity the world that we live in right now but in in Matthew chapter 24 that's what says in verse 9 it says then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake then shall many be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another so what's this the reason why they're offended for Jesus name's sake that's why they're offended don't believe me go to John chapter 6 and you know the Bible talks about Marvel not if the world hates you you know Marvel not the world hates you and Jesus is saying this that they hated me before they hated you you know it's always funny when people are like oh you know you know all these people hate you and they're coming after you and you know they're all these death threats that are coming after you because of what you you have to say and it's kind of funny because they're just like you know you're supposed to be Christ like it's like they crucified him did you miss the story they crucified him for being truth because truth is hate to those that hate the truth and listen people don't want to hear the truth and the truth burns and a lot of cases now you know you being here at church a lot of times the truth is just like you're excited about it you love the truth right that's why you're here you want to know the truth that's why you love the Bible that's why you love Jesus because Jesus says I am the way the truth in the life and no man cometh unto the Father but by me and the idea is that you love the truth but sometimes the truth hurts sometimes the truth burns and you know what us as Christians need to be a little salty us as Christians need to have not just be a light but to be a burning light because a lot of times what people they don't want to be that right they'd be like I want to tell the truth and I want people to come to Jesus right but they don't want to offend anybody well you might as well just lock yourself in your house and not talk to anybody because you're always going to end up offending somebody I don't care how nice you are I don't care how much you sugarcoat it you're going to offend somebody when you say that someone's gonna go to hell if they don't believe on Jesus that's going to offend somebody I don't care how nicely you wrap that and say hey I care about you you know I don't want you to go there and you're just like really nice and you're like holding their hand through this whole demonstration of the gospel listen there there's gonna be people that are gonna be upset offended hate you not want to be you know want you to be persecuted for what you what you said because that's just the way it is now in John chapter 6 and verse 60 now here's the difference though you don't want people to be offended and it not be for the Word of God okay you don't want people to just be offended because of you okay you want people to be offended because of your position not your disposition I've heard a preacher say that one time is that it shouldn't be because you were like really rude to them and you were mean to them and you know you were back handed to them you condescended to them like that's not a reason that you want to say hey you know well they were offended it's like well you know were they offended at the word or were they offended at you you always got to be looking at that because ultimately you know if they're offended so be it if it's before the word but if they're offended because I was offensive you know and it was me and had nothing to do with the Word of God that's a problem okay we shouldn't just be offensive to be offensive we need to be offensive because the Word of God is offensive okay and notice that it's seasoned with Saul and so you know the truth is gonna be salty and notice what it says in verse 60 so John 6 and verse 60 it says many therefore of his disciples when they had heard this said this isn't hard saying who can hear it when Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it he said unto them doth this offend you doth this offend you notice in verse 62 what if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before it is the spirit that quickened it the flesh prospered nothing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life and you know John 16 starts off you know these things I've written to you that you beat that you're not offended right and I'm paraphrasing a little bit but the idea is that you know in the world you're gonna have tribulation in me you shall have peace but be of good cheer I've overcome the world and the idea is that listen the world you're gonna tribulation because you're gonna offend them why because of the Word of God the Word of God is going to be offensive and Jesus obviously offended a whole bunch of people when he said I'm the bread that came down from heaven the Jews were murmuring at that and said you know how you know are we gonna eat your flesh and he's like well unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you and he just put it right in their face but then he goes to the site and says are you offended at this because there's a lot of people that just stopped following because they're like this is a hard saying we can't I mean and he said this the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life he's talking about eating the Word of God he's talking about believing on on the Son of God believing in that bread of life and but the words the words are what are offensive right they weren't offended by his disposition or how he said it they were offended about what he said and listen most of the time we go out soul winning they're just offended at what we're there for and what we say goodnight people will be mad at us before you even get the door they're just offended we're carrying a Bible and even trying to talk to him about it before you even open your mouth they're just offended it's like I didn't even have a chance to even try to be nice to you or even be mean to you know and so people can be offended anything listen we live in a day of safe spaces and PC culture and people are offended at everything they're offended I'm sure they're offended at this tie I don't know why but it's got white in it and it's probably you know white privilege is just all over this is blue so it's because I support the cops you know like it's just like everything just triggers everybody they're offended and you know what so be it but the idea here is that in the world that we live in we need to know that we're going to offend people and listen that's what we're supposed to be we're supposed to be this burning and shining light go to go to Mark chapter 6 Mark chapter 6 because John the Baptist was that because John the Baptist no doubt preached the gospel he preached the gospel and said repent for the kingdom of God is at hand and he told them to you know to believe on him that should come after him that is on Christ Jesus John 3 36 is John the Baptist speaking saying he that believeth on the son hath everlasting life and he would believe it not the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him he said he must increase I must decrease John the Baptist is a great prophet leading tons of people to get saved baptizing multiple people you know multiple thousands of people I'm sure that he got baptized after they got saved and so John the Baptist like I said Jesus said in the Bible that he that he's the greatest prophet to be ever born of a woman that's a strong that's a strong you know I guess I can't even think of like what the word is for that I'm tired okay trying to think of like what the word would mean the accolade but in Mark chapter 6 I want you to see here that not only did he preach the gospel he actually preached hard to he preached hard against sin and not only did he preach hard against sin he preached hard against sin to anybody and he wasn't a respecter a person's whether they were in authority or not so go to Mark chapter 6 verse 17 for Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John and bound him in prison for Herodias sake his brother Philip's wife for he had married her okay so this is why he was put in the prison is because of Herodias and notice what it says here in verse 18 for John had said unto Herod it is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife so John wasn't just going around just preaching the gospel that's it he was preaching saying Herod you're in sin for marrying your brother's wife notice what it says keep reading there because what's interesting about this is that Herod didn't want to kill John and the reason that you know basically all this went down is because of Herodias notice what it says in verse verse 19 it says therefore Herod's Herodias had a quarrel against him so basically Herodias is just like offended at this you know how dare this prophet say that this man say that I can't marry my brother or my you know this other man you know whatever and notice what it says in verse yeah verse 19 it says therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him and would have killed him but she could not why for Herod feared John knowing that he was a just man and holy remember we talked about being a light right being the idea that they see they behold your good works but they may glorify your father which is in heaven you know the idea that they may see your good works that everyone knows that John is not some some horrible person like he he's a just person he's a righteous man and then it goes on here says and observed him her Herod observed John and it says in verse in verse 20 there says and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly so Herod was listening to John and you know heard him gladly even did some of the things that John said so you know Herod wasn't out to get John but because of the sin that Herod was in you know Herodias is the reason that that he put him in the prison and ultimately if you remember the story obviously Herodias' daughter danced for Herod and he made this stupid oath and then in the end he had to be he didn't have to but he beheaded John because of his oath that he made to Herodias' daughter and you know ended up killing him and after that I believe that I believe Herod was able to get saved before that I believe he you know he heard John gladly he even did some of the things that he said but after that if you remember when Jesus was being he's going up to you know Pilate and all that and he sent him over to Herod you remember they didn't answer him a word he wouldn't even speak to him at all so I believe after he killed John that was like the last straw and he was done after that but that being said is that John he wasn't just a light he was a burning light he offended people and he offended some of the highest people in the land so tell me again that I shouldn't preach against the president or I shouldn't preach against any type of higher-up you know governing authority because if they're in sin they're in sin and that goes for Donald Trump you know that he was a whoremonger and you know all this other stuff that goes for Biden and Hunter Biden and like all it in the Clintons and all the the the murders that that are in office and all that stuff it goes for all of them that you know what I'll call it out for what it is and the thing is that John did that and he was a burning and shining light go to 2 Timothy chapter 4 because as a preacher and especially as a pastor because this sermon is not just about a pastor being a burning and shining light obviously I should be if you guys should be shouldn't I be okay but this is a this is a sermon to all to everybody all Christians should be a burning and a shining light notice what it says in verse 1 of 2 Timothy 4 it says I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom preach the word be instant in season out of season now the key here is that there are certain things when you preach it's in season meaning everybody just like ah that's great you know fine that's great it's in season but then it becomes out of season you know what that homosexuality was not always out of season to preach against it wasn't that long ago that people would rip face on that and people would just be like yeah of course the news wouldn't be coming down your throat and saying that you're a big hate group and you're you're part of this this you know the Southern Poverty Law Center is coming down and saying you're a hate group they basically say any church that preaches the truth is a hate group but that was not a big hot item button back in like the 50s or the 60s for that matter good night in the 60s they had like a PSA video saying that they're they're mentally ill and that you need to be aware of them and that you know call the police if you find a homosexual that's what it was like in the 60s and even in the 90s they had preached hard against it but they still it wasn't that open and you know at that time like they were just coming out with shows where there would be like this open queer or whatever but now it's out of season to preach against the queers it was the in season every say amen you wouldn't have any recourse for it now it's out of season there are certain things that are still in season listen bestiality is still in season thank God but who knows what our country is gonna come to you thought hey listen you probably thought that pedophilia would be in season to preach on all the time but I guarantee you and I already see it today that love is love and love doesn't have an age and they're gonna try to come down on us for being against pedophilia but I have a little a little like that much hope in humanity and the fact that I think that's gonna be the straw that breaks the Campbell's back because you start coming after the children and everybody's gonna just break and say you know what nuts to everything else that you said because if you think this LGBTQ aarp mic ke why you know alphabet community is just about being with the same sex then your head is in the sand like an ostrich and you know what it's offensive obviously to preach Leviticus 2013 which says if a man also lie with mankind as he lies with a woman both of them have committed an abomination they should surely be put to death their blood shall be upon them you know what that's not in season today but it needs to be preached especially when we got done with pride queer month no since when did June get the filed and I have to see all this stuff you know all these companies put up these rainbow flags and put out this trans crap and then my kids have to see all this stuff that's around it's just disgusting and you know what the June has just become a month of filth you know pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall you know what read your Bible and tell me that we should be celebrating some pride month you know any Christian that would celebrate pride month should just be you know just take that name off you're not a Christian and the thing is that a preacher should be salty and listen that's salty so and today that's not in season tomorrow it might be pedophilia tomorrow it might be bestiality tomorrow it might be sacrificing your children to like a false god you think I'm crazy read the Bible read the Bible because there were kings that were sacrificing their children to a false god and that stuff happened and there's nothing new under the Sun so listen you know how you keep it in season you preach it in season and the problem is there were not enough preachers preaching it in season when it was easy to preach they keep you know this wickedness out of our country but you know now we got to deal with it and listen I'm not gonna stop preaching it because it's out of season and listen I don't preach something just because it's out of season either right when I preach on like I think what we were preaching on recently but if I preached on I'm trying to think of what's in season because it seems like everything in the Bible was out of season right everything in the Bible just offend somebody but I'm trying to think of something that would be not so offensive to people okay how about the universal church compared to local church I'm just trying to think off top my head you know I could get the news station down here be like that church believes it's a local church and that there's not this all-encompassing universal church hate him shame you know like they're not gonna do that okay and I can't think of a good one to be honest with you but I'm just saying that obviously there's things that you know I could preach right now that's in season and people aren't gonna give a rip about but but keep reading there it says in verse 2 it says preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine but the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables and today there's a bunch of pastors out there and a bunch of churches that are just throwing out a bunch of fables and don't want to hear sound doctrine they don't want to read Leviticus 20 13 they don't want to read Romans 1 where it says they which commits us things are worthy of death not only do the same but have pleasure in them to do them they don't actually want to read that that they're haters of God that God's the one that gave them over to a reprobate mind they don't want to hear that because that's sound doctrine and the idea here is that people are gonna go to a church where they have itching ears meaning they want someone to scratch them okay they want to feel good they want their ears to feel good they want everything to come in there to be goodness and light and unicorns and rainbows you know everything is just fun it's nice and they don't want to have any salt that's associated with it let's not preach sermons where it's just goodness and light you know and it's just a fun sermon or it has nothing it's not gonna ruffle anybody's feathers I mean I say I preach I again everything will ruffle somebody's feathers but if I preached on like you know you know satyrs in the Bible when I was preaching on cryptozoology you know it's not like that really offend somebody right I mean that there's like these weird creatures in the Bible or that there's you know that the Bible talks about dragons and different things in the Bible that's not gonna offend anybody I mean it it will offend somebody but what I'm saying is that it's not like these hot topic buttons that are out of season go to Proverbs 27 Proverbs 27 now when it comes to salt like I said you need to be salty because the Word of God is gonna be offensive but we want to be offensive because of the Word of God not because of ourselves okay we don't want it to just be you know I don't like your face I don't like who you are I don't like the way you talk to me you can't really help your face but you can help the way that you talk to somebody you can be nice not condescending you can be loving and compassionate right and if some have compassion making a difference and others say with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh the idea is that we need to have compassion we need to love the person that we're talking to and not just try to win an argument if that's the way you're gonna go into it it's not gonna end well because there needs to be love and compassion it's associated with need to be grace within your speech and if there's not then it's just salt okay grace seasoned with salt not just salt not salt seasoned with grace grace season with salt okay now in Proverbs chapter 27 verse 5 here notice what it says Proverbs 27 verse 5 it says open rebuke is better than secret love faithful are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful and obviously I think of Judas kissing Jesus on the cheek you know like kissing Jesus to say hey you know this is the one the kisses of an enemy right and the idea that you know what open rebuke is better than secret love meaning that you know you know who really loves you is the person that tells you that something's wrong you know because you could say well I you know I I care about these people too much I don't want to offend them by telling them hey you need to get saved or talking to them about the gospel I don't want to I don't want to offend them because I love them too much I don't want to offend them because that well the open rebukes better than secret love because the wounds of a friend are faithful and listen when you tell someone and you give them the gospel that wound you know you may cause a wound there because they're that's gonna hurt by the way even if the person's saved or if you're telling them like hey this sin is wrong you might be opening up a wound and it's gonna hurt and they may not like you for it but open rebuke is better than secret love and listen salt can actually help wounds did you know that who here has had a sore throat and gurgled salt water a lot of us right who here has put salt on a canker sore like a mouse sore let me ask you a question does that hurt you better believe that hurts you know you're like you don't have any of that stuff at the store that's how to you know so you just put salt on it right you put salt on the wound it hurts but there are healing properties you know dealing with salt but doesn't it sting I mean even the stuff that the antiseptic stuff that they give you to spray on like scrapes and stuff like that I guarantee every kid's gonna be like that stings yeah because a lot of times the cure stings the cure hurts and truth hurts listen truth is better than a lie it's better for you to hear the truth believe the truth get saved be on your way to heaven and have eternal life then just a believe a lie because it doesn't offend you and go to hell for all eternity okay so that's the ultimate thing when you got to be thinking about okay I don't want to offend anybody but do you want people to go to hell if someone was in a burning building and they didn't realize it would you care if they were offended if you went in there just ripped them out of that building kicking and screaming would you be thinking about man I don't want to hurt their feelings you know because they think they're safe now you're gonna rip them out of there and then at that point you know let them do what they want to do but now obviously I'm not telling you to do that out soul winning okay bust them into the house you'll be like ripping them out you just say you're gonna get the cops call on you and I can't really defend that okay so that's called breaking and entering and you know you don't want to do that but you get my point you know obviously when it comes to soul winning that's kind of this illustration you think of is there in this burning building it's about ready to collapse on them and you're trying to save them and they may get angry that you're trying to save them so but go to Luke chapter 24 because when I think of a burning light obviously I think of the saltiness right where the salt of the earth you know it's going to be offensive it's going to burn and it's an honest term that the Bible uses when when when you burn is to be offended but burnings not always associated with being offended actually sometimes burning is associated with zeal with excitement and as Baptist you know obviously we don't we're not charismatic so I'm not like hanging from a chandelier barking like a dog and falling all over the place but there's an idea of being excited being you know on fire for the Lord and that that idea of not just being a light but being on fire you know having some zeal having some gumption you know the idea that when they try to come after you you're like this burning lamp that won't go out and they can't be quenched that's the type of fire that you need to be notice what says in Luke chapter 24 and verse 31 dealing with those that were on the road to Emmaus notice what it says in verse 31 it says their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished out of their sight and they said and they said one to another did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the scriptures I don't believe it's saying they were offended I think it was saying that you know basically it was just like this excitement like they're hearing this because it was the Lord they didn't realize it was the Lord but there was something going on there because the Word of God should burn in your heart when you read it when you see something and something clicks in the Bible and you see some nugget of truth that should get you excited I don't know about you but when I when I'm reading through the Bible I'm like all that finally makes sense or I finally you know figure out how these two things correlate I'm excited about it and I'm so excited about it that I usually preach a sermon on it because I want to show you about it and who here you know when they see something like that wants to show someone about it don't you just like I want to show somebody because if I didn't realize this someone else maybe didn't realize this that's the type of excitement and zeal that you have and listen you know zeal gets a bad rap because you don't have zeal with no knowledge okay and like in the brightness of the light to knowledge in the burning to zeal because you want to have knowledge right but what good is knowledge if you don't use it what good is all the knowledge of the Bible let's say you knew everything in the Bible you just arrived when it came to knowledge but you didn't tell anybody about it what profit is that I mean I'm glad you know it you know but you should be telling other people about it go to Jeremiah chapter 20 Jeremiah chapter 20 in verse 9 Jeremiah chapter 20 in verse 9 Jeremiah 20 in verse 9 now this is Jeremiah obviously he's getting a lot of persecution Anna Clara look up here and pay attention Jeremiah 20 verse 9 says then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name but his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay so it's stating that Jeremiah he's basically saying I'm not gonna say anymore because he's basically getting all this persecution for every everything he's getting persecuted for is because he's just preaching the Word of God and preaching what God told him to say and he's just getting you know just annihilated by the government just everybody that's coming after him he's just like I'm not gonna say anything about it and he's just like it was like this burning fire he's like I just couldn't help it why because we can't but cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard it can't help but say what that you know what the Word of God is that's burning in your heart to where you want to say hey you need to get safe hey you know look at this truth over here listen if you're not reading your Bible you're not gonna have that you need to let the Word of God you know dwell on you richly you have the Word of God dwelling in you richly you're reading it you're memorizing it listen that's when it's gonna burn it's gonna burn you know when you read through the Bible you're gonna see that you're gonna you're just gonna love it you're either gonna you know be weeping over the thought of what God how much God loves you or you're gonna be excited about the things of God or you know whatever the case may be there's this this zeal that's associated with the Word of God and you know so much zeal think of Jesus when he obviously you know threw out the money changer that says the zeal of thine house had to eat me up the idea of zeal eating you up you know kind of being in your heart to where you know you just can't help but let it out and Jeremiah was that way he couldn't help it imagine that you're in a room where people are just constantly lying about Jesus okay imagine if you will you're in a room and everybody around there's just saying that you know Jesus did this and the Bible never says that he did it right or you know the Bible says this and it doesn't say that you know all sin is equal we should love everybody you know all the different things that the Bible says that Jesus ate with homosexuals or the Bible says that Jesus did this or Jesus did that or Jesus said this and just imagine you if you will you're in a room where people are just around you just saying all this garbage saying all these lies and then imagine not saying anything okay imagine how that would feel because that's probably you know what Jeremiah felt where he's just like I'm not gonna say anything but then it's just lies being spewed the Lord said this the Lord said that the Lord said this God said this and you're just like ah no he didn't thus said the Lord the Bible says this it's like when people say well the Bible says you know you have to be a good person and live a good life and and they'll just misquote stuff all over the place and try to insert their own doctrine Bible says you got to repent your sins you're just like never mentioned in the Bible that phrase repent your sins never there and you just want to be like the Bible says believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved in thy house the Bible says verily verily saying to you he that hears my word and believes on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come to the condemnation but his past death and a life and you just want to say it because you have the zeal in your heart because you have the knowledge of God but you don't want to keep it in that's a burning in a shining light and listen our church better not lose that burning that's associated with the light because we can know everything in the Bible but what is that worth if we're not using it you might as well just say that you're like the guy in James 2 that has all this faith that you can move mountains but you won't help anybody with it what is it profitable you know if a man say you have faith and have not works you know and the idea is that you're not having a profitable faith and what what good is all that knowledge if you're not going to use it knowledge puffeth up a charity edifies and notice what it says go to uh I have all kinds of verses on zeal but I don't know if I want to get into that let's go down to go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 the thing yet you have to realize too is that people desire to have knowledge I believe that's true but there's it there's something interesting about zeal zeal is like a fire and zeal can spread like a fire okay whether good or bad right they zealously affect you but not well you know it talks about that in Galatians so I'm not saying all zeal is good but being zealously affected always in a good thing you know the Bible talks about the fact that zeal being zealously affected is a good it could be good thing could be a bad thing but the idea there is that it can spread notice what it says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 1 it says for as touching the ministering to the saints it is superfluous for me to write to you for I know the forwardness of your mind for which I boast of you to them of Macedonian Macedonia that Akai was ready a year ago and your zeal had provoked very many so when it says it's superfluous for me to write it means like it's it's not needed it's it's over the top you know for me to write this to you because you've already been doing it Akai was ready a year ago because your zeal had provoked very many and that's the key is like being zealously effect you're zealously affecting all these people in a good way and notice what says in Philippians chapter 1 Philippians chapter 1 here's an idea being of your zeal affecting somebody I've seen this in the past you know where we get someone saved and and that zeal has caused people to want to get on board you kind of think of Jihu and Jehonadab I kind of use that example a little while back but Jihu obviously was a great leader and Jehonadab you know basically Jihu said Jehonadab is thine heart right as my heart is with thine heart you know and say that like six times fast but he says it is and he says come with me and see my zeal for the Lord and the idea of how that zeal you know that leader he's just he's just charging into battle and he just like come with me come with me let's do great things for God but that zeal that'll catch on fire and that's what needs to happen is you know our zeal needs to provoke very many Philippians chapter 1 verse 12 Anna Anna go go into the mother baby room with mama and Philippians chapter 1 verse 12 that's what it says it says but I would you should understand brethren the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather into the further into the gospel so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace and in all other places and many of the brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold to speak the word without fear what's going on here you have the fact that Paul was bound for preaching the gospel okay and he's saying that my bonds have caused other people to be more bold and they're preaching for the gospel those what it says in verse 15 some of thee preach Christ even of envy and strife and some also of goodwill the one preached Christ of contention not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds but the other of love knowing that I'm set for this defense of the gospel what then notwithstanding I every way whether in pretense or in truth Christ is preached tonight there and do rejoice ye and will rejoice and he's basically saying there's some people that don't like me and they're preaching it more boldly so that I get a worse punishment or something like that and other people are doing it for love because they love me and they want to support me and they want to show people hey we're gonna do it to stop us all and Paul saying I don't care how you're preaching you know like obviously how obviously the the right gospel he's talking about the true gospel okay he's like I don't care if you like me dislike me if you're preaching the gospel I'm gonna rejoice and because of his bonds the zeal of Paul to preach the gospel to prison unto bonds that caused other people to start going the same route why because you know what zeal will start brush fires and you know what it is the 4th of July and there is a quote by Samuel Adams but I'll butcher it so look it up later on there is a quote that it doesn't take a majority to win but a tireless irate small or minority keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the hearts of men that's a mouthful but think about that for a second so it doesn't take a majority to win but a tireless you know irate keen you know minority that that are setting brush fires of freedom in the hearts of men you know I think about a brush fire how I can set a whole field on fire how just one little thing can cause that one little bit of fire can cause this massive flame and for it to spread you know and obviously in our independence it wasn't a majority of people that wanted to secede from England it was a minority okay but it happened and listen we're not the majority I don't care what state you're in you know I don't care how big your church is that's a real church that's preaching the gospel you're not the majority we're never gonna be the majority but we don't need to be the majority listen it's always gonna be few that are saved and the majority you're going to hell but in the end you know what that that that minority that that that you know is keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the hearts men you say well you know they're talking about freedom yeah where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty the Lord is that spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty and the idea is that you know what he had made us free in the Liberty where with stand fast therefore in the Liberty where if Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the oak of bondage and the idea is that you know what we can we can get people on fire but we have to be that burning light and go to 1st Samuel chapter 3 1st Samuel chapter 3 I'm gonna end with this 1st Samuel chapter 3 every time I read this passage in 1st Samuel it's it's so kind of chilling at the same time there's hope okay meaning that if you know the story of Eli okay Eli was a priest he was a judge in Israel and Samuel obviously was put under his tutelage you know obviously you know the story with Hannah and how he she basically lent him to the Lord but Eli had two sons of Belial okay and when I say sons of Belial I mean that they're children of the devil okay and Eli I believe was a good man you know like he was I believe he's a saved person but at the same time he wasn't doing what he should be doing he wasn't rebuking his sons his sons were you know doing you know basically lying with women you know and all this other stuff and he they were married and and and all that and so his sons were wicked he wasn't doing anything about it but Samuel obviously was a great prophet we know that because you read on you hear about Samuel but notice this this is when Samuel is a child in verse 1 of 1st Samuel chapter 3 verse 1 it says in the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli and the word Lord was precious in those days there was no open vision so you see the state of affairs right is that you know God wasn't just like speaking to all these prophets and like basically you know precious means like rare okay like a precious stone it's rare okay verse 2 and it came to pass at that time when Eli was laid down in his in his place and his eyes began to wax dim that he could not see and air the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord where the Ark of the Covenant was and Samuel was laid down to sleep that the Lord called Samuel and he answered here am I now the phrase that always just kind of stuck out there's a little chilling is like when the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord okay and I definitely believe there's symbolism in the idea of like that's what happened with Eli okay the lamp of God went out they were not following God they were not doing what they should be doing but here's the hope you have Samuel and he's calling Samuel and Samuel's gonna get on fire for God Samuel's gonna do great things for God and he does do great things for God and the idea is that yet the lamp might go out with other people but listen ultimately it's never gonna go out holistically right because God's worth is where it's always gonna go forth there's always gonna be a remnant that's gonna do what they should be doing but listen let it not be said about us that our lamp goes out oh you know Mountain Baptist used to do great works for God they used to go out sowing that lamp has gone out you know let it not be said about us that our lamp goes out or that well Mountain Baptist Church they have some great doctrine you know they have they know a lot about the Bible but they're not doing anything with it and by the way just so you know there is a correlation with knowing a lot about the Bible and actually using it the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he that when his souls is wise if you think that there's not a correlation to that the Bible says that you know that babes you know that talks about the unrighteous or the righteous of the word or the milk of the word is for babes but it says strong meat belongs to them that are a full age it says even those who by reason of use have their senses exercises discern both good and evil you want to know you want to have some meat you want to you want to understand the meat of the word you better be using it why would God show you more if you're not using what you got use what you got he'll give you more and the moment we stop being that burning light I believe is it's just it's just the beginning for when the light goes out and I'm not talking about losing our salvation I'm talking about a church dying I'm talking about being a Sardis where you had a name that that liveth in our dead and we don't want to be that you got to keep that light burning keep the lamp burning in the house of God you'll be be girt about your loins girt about and you know talk about our loins being girt about with truth when it talks about the whole armor of God but it says let your lamps be burning so be a burning in a shining light that's what John the Baptist was and by the way John the Baptist was the greatest prophet to ever walk on the face of the earth besides the Lord Jesus Christ according to Jesus so that's that with the word of prayer the only father we think of today thank you for your word thank you for the passage with John the Baptist and just these other passages but we can see that hey yeah we need to have knowledge but we also need to to preach your word which can be offensive but also that we need to have zeal associated with that knowledge and Lord we just pray to be with us today as we go out soul winning but also as we come back at the church service and with the baptism and all that Lord we just pray that you'd be with us we love you in prayer house in Jesus Christ name amen but a day will come and sing one more song and then we'll be dismissed all right song 200 in your songbooks song 200 will sing he's a wonderful Savior to me if you would stand we'll sing song 200 I was lost in sin but Jesus rescued me he's a wonderful Savior to me I was bound by fear but Jesus set me free he's a wonderful Savior to me he's a wonderful Savior to me he's a wonderful Savior to me I was lost in sin but Jesus took me and he's a wonderful Savior to me he's a friend so true so patient and so kind he's a wonderful Savior to me everything I need and him I always find he's a wonderful Savior to me he's a wonderful Savior to me he's a wonderful Savior to me