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you you you Well good morning everyone welcome to Mountain Baptist Church Take your song books and turn to song 114 Song 114 and your sambas will sing the great physician And if you would stand We'll sing song 114 the great physician now Is near the sympathizing? Jesus he speaks the drooping heart to cheer. Oh hear the voice of Jesus Sweetest note and seraph song sweetest name on mortal tongue sweetest Carol ever saw Jesus blessed Jesus your many sins are all forgive Hear the voice of Jesus Go on your way in peace to have and wear a crown with Jesus Sweetest note and seraph song sweetest name on mortal tongue sweetest Carol ever song Jesus blessed Jesus all glory to the dying lamb. I now believe in Jesus I love the blessed Savior's name. I love the name of Jesus Sweetest note and seraph song sweetest name on mortal tongue sweetest Carol ever saw Jesus blessed Jesus and when to that bright world above we rise to be with Jesus Jesus will sing around the throne of love his name the name of Jesus Sweetest note and seraph song sweetest name on mortal tongue sweetest Carol ever song Jesus blessed Jesus Let's pray heavily follow the Lord again. We just want to thank you God for this beautiful morning You've given us to be in your house and to hear your word preach I pray Lord now that you would just be with our pastor film with your power and spirit We love you for it's in Jesus name. We call it. Amen. All right, maybe seated and Take your mountain Baptist song books and turn to song Number of page number four and your blue mountain Baptist Psalms hymns and spiritual song books And We're gonna sing Psalm 67 Psalm 67 God be merciful unto us and bless us and causes faces shine upon Us that thy way may be known upon Earth thy saving health among all nations Let the people praise thee. Oh God Let all the people praise thee. Oh, let the nations be glad and seeing for joy For thou shalt judge the people Righteously And govern the nations upon earth The nations upon earth see Let the people praise thee. Oh God Let all the people praise thee. Oh, let the nations be glad and see For joy Then shall yield her increase And God even our own God shall bless us God shall bless us and all the ends of the earth Shall fear him let the people praise thee. Oh God Let all the people praise thee. Oh Let the nations be glad and see for joy Amen so welcome Mount Baptist Church on this Sunday morning and just some announcements here Church service should be normal today. So we will have our morning service obviously right now, but we'll have our afternoon service at 4 p.m Before that we're gonna have our soul winning time at 1 p.m And so meet up here a little before that to get teamed up to go out soul winning and so And then we have the Regional sewing times coming up this week and so just beyond the church group there if you want to see what time and what place You'll be meeting up there a Announcement with soul winning the domain. We're not going back there like indefinitely and if you want more information about that you can you can ask me but so Yeah, that place is rejected but I'm gonna be kind of hitting on at that subject about soul winning and just different things when it comes to Apartment complexes and everything like that this morning be in prayer for me though I feel like I'm getting like that vertigo again. It's like around this season feeling like dizzy So if I just fall over just put a blanket over me I've been slain in the spirit. No but But that doesn't mean that I'm still not going to dominate in the football game that we're gonna do here soon So I'll get over this But no, we're trying to figure out a upcoming events. That's what I'm getting to here Is That we're gonna try to do a like a pastor versus deacon Bowl so I'm picking my team and then brother Dave's gonna pick his team and We're gonna go one on you know, like we're not I'm not gonna pick them all and then be like, alright, here you go So I'm like everybody is six foot come over here and You're on my team no, but I I'd say it, you know kind of the Bare minimum, we'll try to do it before the the harvest party. We're gonna do the harvest party on October 31st, which is a Tuesday And so we'll plan on doing it before that so we're we usually do that The harvest party will be around 630 or something like that six six thirty And so it's gonna be harder to do it then because everybody's working and everything But we're gonna try to find a Saturday maybe a Friday evening or something like that where we can do it But obviously all the teenagers are welcome to come out So we can show you what's up No, actually, it's got to be all mixed Anyway, so obviously any any of the the teenagers and everything that want to come out We're gonna try to we're gonna try to find a day to do it though and so Yeah, anyway We'll all come back and I'll I'll break a hip or something like that. So And then the prayer meeting we have the the women's prayer meeting on the 20th and then the men's prayer meeting on the 27th and Like I said the harvest party we're doing that on the 31st this obviously you don't have to come to this And I know there's people out there like oh, you know the 31st year you're doing something on Halloween Listen to 30 for nothing inherently wrong with the 31st and my sending out pastor will agree with you on that since that's his birthday and so and People like oh, you know, well, why why do something on that day? It's like why not? You know when you get rid of worldly music, you're supposed to put in good godly music So if you're gonna substitute that then why not, you know, have a good holiday or good party So and plus our kids will never be able to say I didn't get candy on Halloween, you know Like all these kids got candy and everything Anyway, so We're gonna we're gonna try to have games and stuff like that for the kids We're definitely bringing back the doughnut game if you weren't here last year That's where we hang a doughnut like on a pole or something or on string and you have to eat the doughnut without touching it with your hands Pretty hilarious probably more hilarious to watch the adults try to do it. So But yeah, we're gonna try if you have any if you have any good ideas for games Let us know as far as for the kids and stuff like that But we're planning on doing that Hopefully the the weather permitting will be able to do a lot of games out the pavilion and everything. So But as far as the food for that, I think last year we just did kind of like a potluck type thing So if you want we'll have a sign-up sheet eventually here as far as you want to bring anything If no one wants to bring anything we'll get something we'll figure it out but But yeah, so that's coming up our chapter memory for the month is Psalm 110. So Psalm 110 It's a shorter psalm, but it's got a lot of good prophecy in there about Jesus. And so it's a good psalm to have memorized and then Matthew 10 16 is our memory verse for the week behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves birthdays There was someone last week that we needed to get right I Want to make sure I get all the birthdays in here So we need to get we need to get Ruth I'm not gonna forget about you I knew there was somebody So did we get we got the Racines Let me know if there's anyone on the list here that we missed but definitely Ruth and then Rachel miss Rachel. Yeah yours is Saturday, right? So we have two there So sing happy birthday, I don't ask the ladies how old they are You don't care if it's out there Okay, you're like I don't want people to think I'm like 40 something, you know So we're to say how are you brother 37 oh, so you're older. When's your birthday? January that's right because we got the best month, of course. So But you're in the same grade growing up. So that makes sense. So We're still young So I'm gonna prove it out on the football field. So So We'll sing happy birthday to miss Ruth miss Rachel and anniversaries My parents will be coming up here soon before you know it. So yeah, there they are. Yeah And then pregnancies be in prayer for Jennifer Alyssa Anastasia and Abby and so if you haven't heard The Andes are having another girl Dave's really excited about it and so blessing there. So Well, you don't have to worry about clothes you got plenty of like girls clothes, right so So That's about all I have for announcements that I could think of offering boxes in the back there I'm gonna give a title or an offering mother baby rooms for the mothers and babies only I'd be in prayer for the cradles are out today But miss Paula was here at like 8 o'clock in the morning getting everything ready because I texted I texted Paula Charles and brother Dave I was like, hey, we need to make sure we have the heat on it's colder out this morning And miss Paul's like I'm already here. I got the coffee going. It was like 8 o'clock. I'm like not surprised To be out of town too. It's like you didn't have to do that So she's probably embarrassed I'm even talking about she's probably listening right now and embarrassed but but obviously You know the cradles do a lot especially in the morning and stuff like that before we start so But that's not all I have for announcements, but Dave's gonna come sing one more song I think brother Shane are you up this morning? Yep, so brother Shane's gonna be reading first Peter chapter 2 for us this morning You All right, take your song books and turn to song 121 121 will sing like a river glorious But Before we do that, we need to sing happy birthday To miss Ruth and miss Rachel And Does he ever like make jokes about like oh you're gonna I'm gonna You know, I'm not gonna be as old as you for like a year No, yeah Yeah, yeah, that's right. Yeah Thank you It's my cross-eyed bear anyway all right, and then Wait, Rachel You're older than Levi too, aren't you? Man Yeah, all right, well we'll get you both to stand up Don't look at her don't There's something black before All right, we'll sing happy birthday to miss Ruth and miss Rachel ready Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday God bless you Happy birthday to you All right, well happy birthday to both of you and We'll sing song 121 Like a river Glorious is God's perfect. Peace Overall Victorious and it's bright increase Perfect With Every day Perfect yet and grow with deeper all the way Stayed upon Jehovah Hearts are fully blessed Finding as he prides promised perfect peace and rest Hidden in the hollow Of his blessed hand Never folk and follow Never traitor stand Not a surge of worry Not a shade of care Not a blast of hurry Touch the spirit there Stayed upon Jehovah Hearts are fully blessed Finding as he promised Perfect peace and rest Every joy or trial fallen from above Traced upon our dial by the son of love We may trust him fully All for us to do They who trust him wholly Wholly true Stayed upon Jehovah Fully blessed Finding as he prides promised perfect peace and rest All right, take your Bibles and turn to first Peter chapter number two First Peter chapter number two in your Bibles and we'll have brother Shane come and read that for us First Peter chapter two First Peter chapter two and the Bible reads wherefore laying aside all malice all guile and Hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious to whom coming as unto a living stone Disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious He also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices Acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture behold. I Lay in Zion a chief cornerstone elect precious and he that believeth on him Shall not be confounded unto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them Which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of the corner and a stone of stubble In a rock of offense even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient Where unto also they were appointed but you are a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy nation a Peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light Which in time past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy But now have obtained mercy dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstained from flesh fleshly lusts Which war against the soul having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that? Whereas they speak against you as evil door evil doers. They may buy your good works, which they shall behold Glorify God in the day of visitation Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake Whether it be to the king as supreme or unto governors as unto them that are sent by him For the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of them that do well For so is the will of God that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as as free and not Using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness But as the servants of God honor all men love the Brotherhood fear God honor the king Servants be subject to your masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward For this is the thank worthy if a man for conscience toward God and or grief suffering wrongfully For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults you shall take it patiently But if when you do do well and suffer for it you take it patiently this is acceptable with God For even here unto were you called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example That you should follow his steps Who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reviled reviled not again When he suffered he threatened not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously Who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness By whose stripes ye were healed for ye were as sheep going astray But are now returned unto the Shepherd and bishops of your souls. Let us pray dear heavenly father Lord Thank you to be gathered in your house this morning I pray you just bless the service and fill pastor with your spirit and in Jesus name. Amen You're there in 1st Peter chapter 2 I want you to turn with me We'll be coming back to that chapter, but turn with me to 1st Timothy chapter 5 1st Timothy chapter 5 I want you to look down there verse 11. It's the 1st Timothy chapter 5 verse 11 1st Timothy chapter 5 and verse 11 It says but the younger widows refused for when they have been Begun to wax wanton against Christ. They will marry having damnation because they have cast off their first faith and With all they learn to be idle Wandering about from house to house and not only idle but toddlers also in busybodies speaking things They ought not I will therefore that the younger women marry Bear children guide the house give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully First some are already turned aside after Satan now. I'm not necessarily I'm not really hitting on You know women being busybodies or like marrying or anything like that But I want you to focus in on verse 14 there or at the end there where it says give none Occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. So the name of the sermon is to give none occasion Now when it comes to the Christian life, we have many adversaries obviously you have the devil which you know It talks about your adversary. The devil is a roaring lion Walketh about seeking whom he may devour We know that the devil is our adversary and the devil's in general are our adversaries to us but there's also just adversaries in general out outside of that as far as People whether they're just unsaved whether they could be saved in their adversaries against you or they could be Those that are past feeling and reprobate those that are rejected by God, obviously our adversaries But there's many adversaries that are out there and especially when it comes to soul winning go to 1st Corinthians chapter 16 1st Corinthians chapter 16 So I'm gonna be specifically hitting on soul winning But obviously you can deal with this when it comes to living godly Because the Bible says yea and all that will live godly in Christ. Jesus shall suffer persecution And there's obviously Going to be adversaries that are gonna be there think of Abel Abel was was murdered by Cain And it says wherefore slew him because his own work for evil and his brothers righteous. They literally Cain killed Abel because Abel was righteous and so that doesn't really make sense When you think about it, but at the same time you're dealing with Cain who was of the wicked one so he was a child of the devil when that happened and so It shouldn't make sense to you, right? I mean when people have a defiled mind and stuff like that Then if you don't have a defiled mind, you can't really comprehend it But that being said is that there's adversaries all around but there could be people that are saved that are adversaries that are Against you and obviously they're not right with God if you're doing what's right But but there's different levels of adversaries and there's different types of adversaries when it comes to soul winning There's always going to be adversaries in verse 9. It says for a great door And effectual is open unto me and there are many adversaries Now what's what's Paul talking about with a great door and effectual is opened unto me? Well go to Colossians chapter 4 Colossians chapter 4 Colossians chapter 4 and I just want to show you how I believe this is talking about soul winning dealing with this open door And all that so I just want to show you some verses on that that that there's going to be adversaries when it comes to soul winning and I just wanted to make that very clear and Anybody that's ever been soul winning knows that to be true Is that there's going to be people that are against you when it comes to soul winning when you're doing the work of the Lord And all that now in Colossians chapter 4 verse 2 here It says continue in prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving With all praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance To speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in bonds So what are we talking about when a door a door of utterance right utterance being like speaking something outwardly? and specifically the mystery of Christ and That I may make make it manifest as I ought to speak walk in wisdom toward them that are without regaining the time Let your speech be all way with grace season with salt that you may know how you ought to answer every man Go to Ephesians chapter 6 Ephesians chapter 6 Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 19 Ephesians chapter 6 verse 19 it says and for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly To make known the mystery of the gospel when it's so when we're talking about the mystery The mystery of Christ talking about the mystery of the gospel now obviously to us. It's not a mystery But to the unsaved it is right and that's the whole point is that we're supposed to be taking something that's a mystery to them and revealing it to them and making it clear to them that hey, here's here's how you're saved and Here's the gospel. Here's how what you need to do to be saved Which is obviously believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It's very simple, but We are to be proclaiming that but when that door those open doors are there there's going to be many adversaries So we need to know that going in is that there's going to be adversaries there's going to be people that are going to be against you and So don't marvel at that right when people are against you for preaching the gospel or anything like that Go to Philippians chapter 1 Philippians chapter 1 Philippians chapter 1 and verse 27 Philippians chapter 1 verse 27 Philippians chapter 1 verse 27 It says only let your conversation be as it become at the gospel of Christ now conversation We obviously think about conversation as being like what you're talking about like all I jumped into this conversation But if you think about like to converse with somebody it's not just talking It's just how you live and how you act and just how you're conversing with people in your in your life And so in the Bible a lot of times conversation isn't just talking about what you're saying But what you're doing and the idea is that everything you we do it should be ultimately For the furtherance of the gospel, right? We come to church why so that we be edified so that we can win more people to Christ, right? We come to church so that we can raise our family Right so that they'll grow up get saved love the Lord and win people to Christ, right? The idea is the Great Commission in the gospel is really why we're doing everything that we're doing And so it should be all basically our lives should be tailored to That which become of the gospel now become it means like something that's like Meat for that or it's it's it's a it's a fitting, right? So when it talks about, you know Christ being a high priest it become at that it become with us You know it become with him to be high priest and and the idea of like it's becoming to you That type of terminology but only lets your conversation be has become of the gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you Or else be absent I may hear of your affairs that they that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel and in nothing terrified by your adversaries. So notice that he's not saying like and if you have adversaries It's just like straight up. Don't be terrified by your adversaries meaning like there's going to be adversaries Paul saying in 1st Corinthians 16 that there are many adversaries But it says in a nothing terrified by your adversaries Which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God front of you It is given to be half of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer For his sake having the same conflict, which you saw me and out here to be in me And he's basically saying that you know We're called to suffer for the cause of Christ and especially specifically with the gospel and that don't be afraid of the adversaries You know, there's going to be adversaries, but don't be afraid of that Don't be afraid there's gonna be adversaries out in the world when it comes to preaching the gospel obviously When you're in the work of the Lord There's there's there's boldness and confidence that the Lord will give you and God will you know, obviously deliver us from unreasonable and wicked men and that should be our prayer when we go out soul-winding is that His word would have free course and that we would be delivered from any of these type of adversaries But when it comes to adversaries The One thing that you have to understand and I think you could probably know this is that out in the world There's a double standard When it comes to those that are wicked they can get away with murder and No one bats an eye a righteous person makes a mistake and they'll crucify you Just facts of life I Remember this being in like middle school, I remember in middle or not middle It was an elementary school and I was a very quiet introverted Kid in middle and in elementary school and probably middle school, too And Meaning I I never got in trouble like most all the time because I just come home and then I would like unleash on my family You know, like they would come to these teacher conferences and that the teachers are like, why are you here? This is for people that have problems, you know, like with teachers because like they'd be like, you know, he's like an angel He doesn't do anything and they're like, are you talking about the same person? You know Because I was I was so introverted that I would just like I wouldn't cause any problems. I would be so quiet I was so introverted but then when I come home, obviously I'm at my comfort zone Where I can just unleash Anger and all that other stuff anyway More so when I was a teenager, so my parents can testify later as far as it goes but I do remember this time when I was in elementary school where There was like this there was kids that just got in trouble all the time Like I mean air it was an everyday occurrence and then one time I did some one thing they did and it wasn't like anything crazy I mean, it's probably like Talking like when you're not supposed to talk, you know, like they turn off the lights You're not supposed to talk or what? I don't know. I try to block that stuff out But basically it was like something just really minute like that and the teacher like crucified me for it like made an example out of me and I'm just like Like I I've never get in trouble and then when I get in trouble, it's just like that guy right there Don't do it. Now what I think that on the teachers the idea of them is that They expect a lot more of me Okay, like the good kids the good students you're like they would expect a lot more out of them So when they mess up, they'd be a lot harder on them Whereas the other ones are just like that's who they are, you know, they've kind of given up on them No, I'm not speaking for the teachers, but I'm just saying that it doesn't the idea here. Is that In the world whether it's fair or not. It's the facts of life is that the world has a microscope on us When it comes to everything that we do You could have someone that's out there that's drinking smoking doing math fornicating beating their wife And they do something wrong and it's like well that's kind of expected You use a bad word or something like that as a Christian they're just like microscope look at this hypocrite Right That idea you just have to know what's there whether it's fair or not. It doesn't matter, right? It's like when you go out someone you're like all the church is full of hypocrites It's like well, I'm staring at the biggest hypocrite right now, you know, like when you're talking to this person Like we're all hypocrites to a certain extent but the idea is that the Microscope is on those that are trying to live godly those that are trying to do what's right and you just need to know That that is there Let me give an example go to Luke chapter 11 Luke chapter 11 is the Lord Jesus Christ himself and the fact that They were constantly trying to find fault with him Now we know that Jesus in him is no sin The Bible says that he did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth. He knew no sin did no sin had no sin So When it comes to this this is something that you see throughout the Gospels where they're just constantly trying to trip him up on something Trying to find him in fault somewhere He's just healing people he's helping people out and they're just like we need to find fault with this guy It says in Luke 11 verse 53 It says and as he said these things unto them the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently And to provoke him to speak of many things Lying wait laying wait for him and seeking to catch something out of his mouth that they might accuse him Listen this is still happening today where it doesn't matter It doesn't matter how many good things you say they will find the one thing that you say wrong and they'll crucify you for it You're like that's not fair Reality is not fair sometimes And the idea here is that What I want to preach on is that our what we're trying what we try to do is to give none occasion And none of us are perfect. Okay? But the idea is to give none occasion for the adversary to speak reproachfully Think about it the devil is up in heaven just constantly accusing the brethren. He did it with job Even though job was the most just man upon the earth at the time He basically had to like take away all this stuff to try to get job to do something wrong And the idea here is that they they try to do this with Jesus constantly I Remember one time and I'm not comparing myself at all to our Savior. Okay, but this happens a lot when it comes to You know Christians may be in churches and you may be you've been in churches where you differed on doctrine, right? and there was a church that I Differed on well one the King James Bible. I believed it was perfect without error and I thought the church I went to believed that too, but apparently they did and I went into the this they had me come into this their the office the pastor and like the deacon and like some other men and It was like this Soundproof room apparently where they go to berate people is essentially what what this was about and They just berated my younger brother for Basically saying that Jack Scott was a pervert psych He went to jail for sleeping with a 16 year old right after that So I guess my brother was right about that but so anyway So I go in there Because the pastor just lied behind the pulpit to the whole congregation about what I said and what I where I stood on this you Okay but what it turned into instead of them instead of them like Him admitting his fault and saying hey, I lied in front of everybody I'm gonna make this right. No, they were basically coming at me with every doctrine that I believe and I Would for example eternal security, right This is this is the same pastor that told me that I was adding works To salvation because I said that you need to believe in eternal security to be saved. You need to believe it's eternal life this guy Was basically, you know saying well, where's the Bible say it's on security and then it or not Say where it says it's not scary But where they have to believe that and they would bring up a passage like the rich young ruler and say well see Peter Was like who then can be saved? Therefore he didn't know how to be saved. I'm like Am I standing in a Baptist Church right now? Am I standing here and I would answer that passage and say hey if I was a believer and then Then someone said you need to keep the law to be saved. I'd be asking the same question Because they did believe is by faith But what Jesus was teaching them is that yeah, if you want to be if you want to get saved by the law You got to keep the whole law and not offend at one point and obviously he said with men This is impossible But with God all things are possible because all things are possible to him that believe it and I said that to him You know what they did? They're like, well, what about this over here? Typical move is where it's just like well, you said this over here You know defend yourself. Well, what about this over here defend yourself and I was there with a friend I just I just felt like I'm like you're just trying to catch me on my words You're just trying to find where maybe I can't explain it exactly right or I would have some error and what I said And they're just trying to get catch me in my words so they can accuse me and it wouldn't matter how many things I got Right, it wouldn't matter that I stumped them in every doctor that they were coming at me with It doesn't matter because they were to get one thing where they would try to get me Now listen, the world is no no greater or no better It doesn't matter how godly that you live. It doesn't matter how much you try to do, right? They're gonna try to catch you in something And I'm not saying that we can be perfect I'm just saying that you just need to realize that Realize that you're held to a higher standard Especially at our church Because we're a soul winning Church Listen, you can go to some fly-by-night Baptist Church down the road and the radar isn't on you. I Mean when you're at Sardis Baptist Church And you have a name that thou liveth and art dead no one really cares you're not doing anything But if you're out there actually grassroots movement knocking doors getting people saved Preaching hard against sin and making a difference. Guess what the magnifying glass is on you And you just have to know it I'm not here to say like all well time to time to go find that lame church to go to I'm just I just reality and I think the biggest thing when it comes to Dealing with something is just knowing the facts about it being true, right the DMV sucks Okay When you go there You're mentally prepared for that. You're like they're going to be slow They're going to screw it up and you might as well just have someone punch you in the face before you go in So you'd be like, okay. This is better than a punch to the face at least But you just mentally prepared right? It's kind of like well, you know, well, I'd rather be pre-tripped because you know I just don't want to think about having good I'd rather Know that when I walk out that door someone's are going to try to kick me in the face Then just going out there just blissfully thinking nothing's gonna happen Like you're better off being prepared for it at least mentally knowing what's gonna happen. Okay Now go to Matthew chapter 10 verse 16, Matthew chapter 10 verse 16 Knowing this is that we have to be We need to be like Jesus Okay, so the ultimate thing here is that we need to follow Jesus steps and how he handled situations when he dealt with people Accusing him or trying to catch him in his words Notice how Jesus handled the situation notice how he just you like the the calm collected he would just Hit him back with something and they couldn't catch him in any of his words now We're not the Lord So I'm not none of us are gonna be perfect in this All right, is there did I always just answer everything correctly to have I never been at fault? Have I never made a mistake? Obviously, I've made mistakes. I've said things that are wrong, right? But when you're dealing with the world and you're dealing with adversaries What you have to understand is that they're trying to catch you in your words constantly They're trying to catch you doing something wrong Listen, if you're out soul winning and people know that you're out soul winning You know that you have a stance and then they see you go out there buying a beer Guess what? They're going to accuse you and then that's gonna look badly on the church And I'm not out there policing people I don't say I'm not here to like talk about Say anybody's out there get doing that I'm just giving that as an example is that that's where it's going to give occasion because there's a magnifying glass on that. Okay now Again I'm not out there policing anybody's lifestyles or what they do and everything else Like I'm not I'm not to be lording over the flock The idea here is that you just need to know that you're held to a higher standard whether it's fair or not. It doesn't matter It doesn't matter. It's just reality and Matthew chapter 10 verse 16 it says behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves be there for wise as serpents and harmless as doves Where to be We need to be wise we need to be Knowing The reality of the situation that we need to know how to answer every man You know that your speech be all way with grace seasoned with salt that you may know how you ought to answer every man That you need to know how to do that and it's gonna take wisdom. It's gonna take discretion The last point I'm gonna be making is dealing with just having discretion and just knowing how to deal with situations And if you don't know how to deal with situation get out of it walk away Just remove yourself from that situation and get out of it if you don't know how to handle it Okay, and so in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 and verse 24 2nd Timothy chapter 2 and verse 24 It says in the servant of the Lord 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verse 24 and the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men have to teach patient and meekness instructing those that oppose themselves of God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will We need to be gentle. We need to not be striving When it comes to soul winning, I mean that specifically I believe that's what we're talking about in this passage right here When I go out so any I don't preach like I'm preaching right now, okay, I Don't grandstand people when I go to the door and just be like dust at the Lord Repent believe the gospel and just like just beat them down with it No, it's gentle. Listen When we go to the door, we ask somebody. Hey, do you know 100% sure you want to have it? And would you like to know and if they're just like not interested be like god bless you. Have a nice day That's all that's all you need to do Go find somebody that wants to hear it because you're going to find that person It's like I've been thinking about that. Can you please show me I'd love to see that Go to that person. You're like well, you know, I've been knocking has been like a hundred doors go over 200 doors Until you find that person We don't need to beat our heads against the wall and we don't want to be striving with people either, okay Listen when it comes to soul winning obviously You know, there shouldn't be any physical confrontations unless it's completely necessary meaning like self-defense You know When it I know it joked about like if I punch somebody you should give me some leeway if I've been pastoring for a long Time but listen, that's a hypothetical Like obviously I'm not condoning any type of you know Physical altercations or anything like that and Listen, there may be a case where someone is like coming at you and you have to defend yourself. I mean it is what it is Unfortunately the more we live in there are cases. We're gonna have to defend yourself But we should not be provoking any type of physical altercation and I'll say this, you know, you say well, you know It's gonna it's it's prevalent. Maybe you're new to soul winning. You're like, hey, this is something that I think is gonna happen a lot It isn't I've been so wanting for 20 years. I've never been in a physical altercation I've had people get up in my face and Say they were gonna fight me when I say get up my face The person was like this tall trying to get up in my face So it was kind of funny and then I was laughing and I didn't make it so listen I'm not always dealing with it the best way. Okay, but in the end I didn't punch this guy I didn't get into a fight with this person I've had people follow me down the street You know because they were just so upset at what I said and people get upset But I have never I've never had to physically Touch anybody That's not saying that if I was out if I was out soul winning and someone was like throwing hands at me You know, like they were just like throwing punches at me that I'm not gonna have to defend myself Okay Or if I feel like my family's in danger listen, I will protect my family and defend myself but We should we should at all costs try to avoid that no go to Philippians chapter 2 Philippians chapter 2 So Don't think like I got soul winning I'm gonna have the gun pulled on me I'm gonna have people like I'm gonna have to like just be fighting off all these people No, we fight a spiritual warfare and I'll say this. I know it's anecdotal but I've been soul winning since 2003 and I've never been in a physical altercation Out soul winning No, honestly, I mean I honestly I could say I don't think I've ever really been in a fight besides like consenting like boxing and wrestling and stuff like that, you know, I mean But I'm not saying if you've been in a fight like I'm you know, like it was wrong or anything like that I'm just saying that That's anecdotal but I could probably ask a lot of soul winners in here that have been so winning for a long time and they Probably say the same thing There may be some case where they had to and it is what it is I'm not saying like that person is wrong if they've been in like an altercation But if in 20 years, I haven't been in an altercation then you know what it must not be that prevalent It must not be something that we're just like when I go out there I got to learn how to box I got to learn how to like do taekwondo. I need to learn how to do jujitsu so that I can defend myself No In the end we should be Getting out of those situations. Listen, if someone wants to fight me, you know, I'm gonna do I'm gonna leave And if they if they if they attack me obviously I'm gonna have to do what I have to do but You know get out of that situation. Don't escalate it Philippians chapter 2 verse 14 do all things without murmurings and disputings that you may be blameless and harmless Notice that harmless that's used a lot We Are to be harmless blameless The sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom you shine his lights in the world Holding forth the word of light that I might that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I'm not run in vain neither Labored in vain the idea here is that we need to be harmless You need to have that idea that when we're out there we're to be gentle harmless me lowly You're like what if they cuss me out I Walk away I've been cussed out before when I was a soul any partner and we're like, you know Hey, yeah conversations between soul winning like doors and stuff like that before you get to a conversation. You're just talking and You know someone, you know, someone just gets angry. There's angry at the world, you know And you're just there and they're just like taking it out and you're like blankety blank blank blank and it and you're just like See you later, you know and then you walk and you're like, so yeah I know what I was talking about there and you just keep going you don't you don't take it personally you just keep moving in a lot of cases those people are just They may have had a really bad day you don't even know what's going on Maybe they lost a loved one and they're just physically hurting, you know or spiritually and mentally hurting and you don't know what happened to them and So you don't just retort back and just hit him back with something. No, you just say hey Sorry about you. Have a nice day and walk off and they could be cussing you out all the way back out there so There's going to be stuff like that and don't get me wrong It's not when I say I haven't been in a physical altercation That doesn't mean I haven't been cussed out that doesn't mean that I haven't been like, you know, just yelled at or whatever But that's different And your skin needs to be a little thick To deal with that type of stuff and not care that people blow up on you And obviously experience will help you with that because you know that there's people out there that want to hear it And it's worth all that to find that person. That's just like I've been thinking about that Thank you for coming to my door and they get saved and you're just like, you know what all that garbage that I had to deal with over here is worth it for that and Experience will tell you that so that you get through those type of things And it's always good to go with a seasoned soul winner too. If you're learning to go soul winning and something like that happens That seasoned soul winner should be like, yeah, that was crazy wasn't it? And then you move on and then you just they kind of take you under their wing and be like, hey that happens Don't worry about it So go to Hebrews chapter 12 Hebrews chapter 12 Again, we need to look to our Savior For how to deal with situations how to deal with this What I'm gonna say a big contradiction in the world and the contradiction is the fact that you have these wicked people that are Constantly doing things wrong constantly in error When you make a mistake, they highlight it and make you look like the worst person in the world And you're just like and it makes you angry, you know obviously it makes you angry when when you have like some some meth head dope addict like You know someone that's like drunk high and like all these problems in the world And then they're looking at you like oh you made a mistake you piece of trash they say that to you and you're just like Like I make one mistake and it's a contradiction, isn't it? It's it's it's hypocritical obviously, but but here's thing Jesus dealt with that more than anybody ever will Let me show you an example Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1 It says where for seeing we also are compassed about what so great a cloud of witnesses Let us lay aside every weight in the sin Which does so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith So when we're running this race and we're doing doing what we should be doing Who are we looking to who we looking who are we following? Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross Despising the shame so notice that why does he why is he endure it because he saw the joy that was set before him And it says despising shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God No, notice what it says in verse 3 and I want you to think about this for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself Lest ye be weary and faint in your minds ye have not yet resisted on the blood striving against sin I want you to think about the fact that Jesus who had no sin Was going to the cross to die for everyone else's sins, and they spit in his face. They buffeted at him They mocked him Think about that contradiction The next time you think oh they cussed me out. Oh, they made you know they they said these mean things about me Think about what they did to Jesus And he was sinless Obviously we're trying to live a holy life, but none of us are sinless Physically speaking if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves in truth not in us We're not always walking in the spirit and that new man that is sinless You know obviously our new man is sinless, but we're not always walking in that we're always making we're making mistakes How about Jesus who never made a mistake? He was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin and while he was not only sinless he was going to pay for our sins and pay for all their sins and They were spitting in his face while they did it You don't get a bigger contradiction than that So anytime you think like oh, man It feels like I'm suffering shame. You will never suffer the shame that Jesus suffered But you know what we should rejoice that we're kind of worthy to suffer shame for Christ That we can even get a glimpse or a feeling of that right. We're doing right, and we're suffering for it That is what we're called to do and we should rejoice when that happens and not You know basically go the other route which is to be an error Go to 1st Timothy chapter 2, 1st Timothy chapter 2 and verse 18 1st Timothy chapter 2 and verse 18 and Let me just say before I get into this right here Let me just tell you what What our policy is when it comes to soul winning and if there are any type cases where people are being belligerent or anything like that is That and I'll just say apartment complexes, okay? And you say well, you know What I'm about to say may not be what the policy is in other like-minded churches like ours Maybe they have a different policy But this is Mountain Baptist Church, and I'm your pastor, and you need to follow my lead Okay This is an independent Baptist Church, and as long as I'm leading you need to follow my lead on this And you know what this may just be a question that you've had When it comes to apartment complexes, let's say you're preaching the gospel and management gets called up and comes to you I'll say this If they tell you to leave there's nothing wrong with you just leaving and not saying anything You're not a coward You're not someone that's not standing up for the cause of Christ You can you can dust off your feet whenever you please when it comes to if someone doesn't want you there, okay? Now you could tell them hey listen. We're not soliciting We're just out inviting people at the church. We have a constitutional right and obviously listen I understand that in the courts. We have the right to be there It's been fought in the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court ruling is apartments and things like that that each door is Its own it's leased out and the manager doesn't own all of that and even the owner of the property doesn't own every single spot When it's being leased okay, I understand that but we also need to think about the fact that hey We want to be effective, and we want to be able to preach the gospel and not You know waste our time and listen other churches may have different stance on this they may say hey listen die on that hill With that manager and the police and everything That's not my policy Listen we're in West Virginia, and maybe it Listen it can be different different places because maybe in some places That's all you have is apartments, and you need to die on that hill and make an example out of it But listen here in West Virginia. We don't have that many apartments It's mostly neighborhoods So here's my stance okay, here's my policy, and you know what if I Don't want you to feel bad if you're like hey the manager got called and I didn't stand up I just I just left actually great, but if you want to speak your piece Speak it gently Okay Just say gently say hey, we're not we're not doing anything wrong We're you know we have a constitutional right and you can even quote them the Supreme Court But if they're having none of it listen there's nothing wrong with just shaking the dust off your feet and Just moving on from that you're not some like cowardly Christian to do that Actually me personally. I believe you're more effective that way because you'll go somewhere else and preach the gospel I'm not saying even in those cases and a lot of those cases We could go back another time, and it's probably just some disgruntled like resident that called the management or whatever and that doesn't happen all the time, but But that's my policy on that is that Definitely don't get into any physical computation, but even at that listen Just go somewhere else And you know what God will be the one that judges that place that management That you don't have to listen. Let me say this, too You don't have to tell them they're gonna be judged for them to be judged does that make sense Listen we've got someone and we tell people hey you're going to hell We didn't have to tell them that for that to be the case It's already gonna happen okay When you look at passages about them shaking dust off their feet you don't see them going up to the city council and like Rebuking them saying that they're the blood of everybody here is on their hands. You don't have to say that it's just gonna be true that make sense like and What I'm saying with this is because when you get into those situations you're opening yourself up for an occasion for them to accuse you You're opening yourself up for that and we don't want that to be the case and what I want to say here Is that there's nothing wrong with suffering for righteousness sake but if you suffer for doing wrong That's it. That's completely opposite What we don't want to do is suffer for our own faults. Okay, go to first Peter chapter 2 and verse 18 You know and what I'm saying with that is that case right there because listen when we go out the neighborhoods We never get the cops call I think one time the cops caught him because COVID was crazy and people were just being all uptight about it and like people were carrying guns Because it's America and it's West Virginia and that's what we do. Okay, but You know people get you know, it was a big nothing burger, but I've never been I've never been kicked out of a neighborhood like knocking doors in a neighborhood and Even apartment complexes like a lot of times depending on the apartment complex the police would be just like, oh, you're fine. Keep going But I've had another police that says hey, you know if the management comes just say hey, okay See you later and then come back another day. That's what the police said So it's not like, you know, we have this big all-encompassing like they're just trying out there to get us, you know But in the end we don't want to be we don't want to be buffeted for our faults No So it says in verse 18 It says servants be subject to your to your masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscious toward God endured grief suffering wrongfully and the idea here is suffering wrongfully, okay? For what glory is it if when you be buffeted for your faults you shall take it patiently But if when you do well and suffer for it you take it patiently this is acceptable with God You know what that means is that if you'd be buffeted for your faults and you're taking it patiently. That's not acceptable I mean obviously you need to take it patiently, but if you're buffeted for your faults, that's not something that's like acceptable with God If it's your own fault If you did something wrong if you did something evil, right? Then you that's not acceptable with God, but if you'd be buffeted, you know, and it's and you're doing well That's acceptable with God. That's something that is that is good. And that's something that works with the fall of Jesus steps Notice what it says in verse 21. It says for even here unto were ye called Because Christ also suffered force leaving us an example that you should follow his steps who did no sin neither was God found in his mouth Notice this who when he was reviled Reviled not again Now once you think about this you're out soul winning and someone's reviling you. What do you do? Now I'll tell you what my flesh wants to do So I want to snap back right back at that person But the question you have to ask yourself is is it necessary? Let me give you two examples. Okay, and When he suffered he threatened not okay, and obviously this is Jesus that committed himself to him that judges righteously And he's talking about God the Father, you know, obviously in the fact that they were threatening him They were buffeting him all this stuff, right? But let me give you two examples. Okay a Case where you should say something. It's a case where you shouldn't If you're better off, it's not saying anything. Okay you're out soul winning and You knock a door and the person's just like ah, you know, they're just like I'd you know, and they start cussing you out They're reviling you you just walk away be like see you later and knock to the next door Okay, another scenario you're giving you're actively giving the gospel to somebody and some random person comes up and starts Just blah blah blah, you know They're just like trying to get keep this person from hearing it at that point rebuke them sharply Does that make sense? Like there's a cause like where you're like, hey, I'm doing something right now and you're impeding on that get out of my face Okay Obviously don't like strike, you know, don't just like punch him in the face be like, well that problems over All right. Let me show you here John 3 16 Like obviously I'm not saying to get in a physical altercation with any of this stuff, but there's cases where That one case we were just talking about last week with Jehovah Witnesses where like we're preaching gospel these whole witnesses happen to be out there with us and The Jehovah Witness is trying to jump in and tell like us where we're wrong or where I think it was brother Stuckey this is years ago and Brother Stuckey said he's like no you need to shut up You had your time to talk stop talking and then he goes on and goes through the gospel and wins this person to Christ But listen It's different if you like knock the Jehovah Witnesses door and they're just like no you're wrong and they start saying stuff And you're like you need to shut up You need to shut your mouth It's like you see how that doesn't really have a purpose besides you just telling them something. Okay So because think about Paul right Paul was witnessing to the deputy and then you had Aliamis you had Simon the sorcerer that was trying to err not Simon sorcerer. I forget the Anyway, the guy that was basically trying to keep him from hearing the gospel and he rebuked him sharply You can understand that okay But they're not even attacking him personally They're just like competing on preaching to the gospel if someone attacks you personally just take it Take it Barrett If they're just like you don't know anything Listen son, maybe you should come back here and I'll teach you something about the Bible Listen, I've had that stuff said to me And in my mind, I'm like, I will tear you to shreds on the Bible. But here think is that profitable? You know what they're doing they're wasting your time And all you got to think about is that it doesn't matter if anything I'm gaining rewards because I'm being reviled for just preaching the gospel And you should just look at it be like this is a blessing that they're reviling me I'm gonna go on to the next door and win somebody that actually wants to hear it so we need to look to our Savior because There's no one that has been reviled more than he there's no one that has been shamed more than him and there was no one that was No One that was sinless that was suffering all that meaning that He suffered like all the shame and reproach and reviling and out of anybody in the world He deserved it the least right actually didn't deserve it all right, but the idea there is that you know us we could be like Well, you know, I'm a sinner. So obviously there's probably some fault there To where I messed up Go to Matthew chapter 10 Matthew chapter 10. I know I kind of already mentioned this Matthew chapter 10 and verse 14 Listen if you're out soul winning and And someone gets mad at you. We listen we've had calls or just like all this person came up and told me I'm going to hell and This person came up and told me that women shouldn't be preachers in the church And you're like how'd that come up But you know when stuff comes up they ask you questions. They'll be like listen I don't want you to say anything until you tell me about this subject here Been there, and they'll call you up and say crazy stuff like that listen. I have your back I have your back on all that stuff, but if you come up if you come back and say I punched somebody in the face Unprovoked and it wasn't self-defense listen you're gonna have to deal with that Like I don't I'm not gonna be like I got your back on this brother or sister You know so I guess you know sister in Christ could do that too, right I Have your back as a brother in Christ as far as Tearing for and hopefully it doesn't turn into anything and all that stuff, but listen. I'm not going to go to battle for your faults Okay Nor should you for mine right when it comes to if your pastor does something that's at fault. You don't just say Well, that's okay. It's just it's a pastor. No you should be like that was wrong What he did was wrong But you know we forgive him of it all that stuff, and we're moving on from it, right You don't just like say well. You know he gets a pass Okay Matthew chapter 10 verse 14 Matthew chapter 10 verse 14 it says who so and whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words when you depart out of the House or city shake off the dust of your feet fairly I say to you it shall be more tolerable For the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than that then for that city Now notice that it says house or city right because some people want to say well city right so you think of like Fairmont Morgantown stuff like that house or city HOA Apartment complex You know like there's different like levels of townships if you will If it says if let's say for example like Westover was just like reprobate to us, and we're like all right Morgantown's out It's like no. It's just that one spot right and Or Morgantown the city did something like well. You know all the Greater Morgantown no The idea is where they reject you that's where you shake off the dust of your feet but you notice that it doesn't say anything about them like Reviling that city or going back there and saying like hey, you're gonna be worse than Sodom Gomorrah. You don't have to say that Now have I said that before? maybe Again I you know have I like told a manager that before it might have happened I Don't know what exactly I said that's all that's why I'm saying might I did tell a manager something to that degree one time But At the same time like from that Now it's before I was pastoring not that that matters it wouldn't matter if it was during when I was pastoring But but from then on you know it was one of those things that I'm like I wasted a whole bunch of time Where I could have just went somewhere else to preach the gospel Like I said there may be churches that say no you need to make a precedent of that you need to go to court you Need to fight that battle so that that's on the books that hey, they can't do that anywhere else I'm not doing that Unless everything that the most area that we're in is apartments. I'm not wasting my time with that Because we have plenty of stuff to knock if every single apartment complex in our area in North Central, West, Virginia We're gonna be like Mountain Baptist Church. You can't soul in here We still have plenty places to knock. It's not the majority Meaning the apartment complexes now listen I like apartment complexes because you can knock a lot of doors in a short amount of time and there are a lot of times Covered and all that stuff and this isn't that isn't reality That's not what we're dealing with but there are certain apartment complexes where it's just a constant battle with the management You know what I'm done dealing with that battle And you know what let let them turn a Sodom and Gomorrah and all of that and Just not I'm not dying on that hill for that battle and Somebody say well, you know, you're not you're not You know courageous enough to stand up for the cause of Christ No, I'm just gonna do what the Bible says which is shake the dust off my feet to that place I'm not here To get into battles that don't need to be get gotten into I don't know if that's good grammar or not And I don't want to get into cases where it's just opening up the opportunity for occasion for a cause of occasion right for the idea of to Give no occasion to the adversary There's certain places that you could be where you're not sitting to be there But you're just opening yourself up to sin that makes sense like there's certain places where you're just like I can be here and not sin, but you're just Temptations are there. There's things there that you're just like hey, I don't I shouldn't be here Because I'm gonna end up doing something I shouldn't do. Okay, and so Go to first Peter chapter 3 first Peter chapter 3 and verse 8 know This is that you know, the Bible says in Psalm 120 it says my soul has long dwelt with them that hate of peace I am for peace But when I speak they are for war Know this is that we're out there preaching the gospel of peace We're not out there trying to like cause war or anything like that, but the Bible doesn't say as much as life in you The Bible or if it be possible as much as I think you live peacefully with all men Our goal should be peace our goal should be that we want to be at peace with everybody else and The last resort is war Same thing when it comes to like physical applications, I mean the last resort is self-defense, right? You should try to exhaust all possibilities before it comes to that But Ultimately, obviously, I'm not saying not to defend yourself You know I Preach all sermons about the fact that you need to buy a sword and that you need to be armed and that we live in Perilous times and there's there's wicked people out there that will try to hurt you. I mean, I understand that but Nossa says in first Peter chapter 3 verse 8 It says finally be all of one mind having compassion one of another love is brethren be pitiful be courteous not rendering evil for evil It's something that we need to think about when we're out soul winning is that if someone does something evil to you or says something Hateful to you or or whatever is that you should try you should not be rendering it back to them Okay. Well they said that to me so I'm gonna say it back That sounds like a child Honestly when you think about it on the bottom shelf I think about my kids to be like they pinched me I'm pinching them back She hit me so I hit her back No When it comes to if someone is reviling you saying things to you you should just hold your peace you don't say anything It says not rendering evil for evil or railing for ailing but contrary wise blessing Knowing that you are there unto called that you should inherit a blessing. The idea is that two wrongs don't make a right You know things that we think about, you know as children and everything in verse 11 Says let him eschew evil and do good. Let him seek peace and ensue it so the idea is that as as Christians we should be trying to eschew evil or That we're basically trying to to refrain from evil None of us are perfect in this. I'm not I'm not here to say When it says being blameless, obviously We're trying to keep ourselves from any like major things that would cause blame, right? But none of us are perfect in like not sinning or you know causing offenses and stuff like that But notice what it says in verse 14 What and if you suffer for righteousness sake happy are ye and be not afraid of their terror neither be troubled But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the Hope that is in you with meekness and fear Having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of evildoers They may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ For it is better if the will of God be so that you suffer for well-doing than for evil doing And so the idea is that we want when they try to cause occasion is that they'll be ashamed You Know when we've been kicked out of places going soul-winning the shame's on them. We're not ashamed of it Shame on them. They're the ones that look look like they're the evil ones Not us We're out there just have our own time trying to preach the gospel to people and Trying to show them how they can know 100% sure they're going to heaven. We're not asking for donations We're you know, we're inviting them to church, but we know very well that most people don't end up coming to our church Even when they get saved So we're not out there just trying to build the church or get donations or anything like that We're doing it because we care about people when we want people to get saved And if they want to shut that down shame on them And the Lord will reward us for our work and They'll be ashamed that they're trying to falsely accuse if they're gonna be like all these guys came out here into this They're gonna they're gonna bear the shame They're gonna look like idiots Like these guys these guys are who you're talking about the guys that are out here just preaching the gospel Meanwhile that the people that are saying that are out there doing all kinds of wicked things But yet they're out there like coming after the soul winners, okay Go to first Peter chapter 4 first Peter chapter 4 The name of the sermon is to not to give non-occasion to the adversaries to give non-occasion in general and This is something that we need to specifically think about when we're out soul winning We need to if you if you think there's something if you can't handle a situation you just get out of it You're not obligated To speak in any of those matters, right? The only job that you're being sent out to do is to preach the gospel to those that'll hear it That's all you have to worry about And if no one wants to hear it then you don't want anything else to do Just get out of the situation walk away and let the reproach be born on them for Not wanting to hear it or rejecting you or anything like that And I hope this sermon will at least make you feel better because I can understand it I can understand where people are just like hey if I don't stand up if I don't die on that hill Then I'm not a good soldier of Jesus Christ Listen dying on the hill to a manager at at a apartment complex is not what we're called to do We're called to preach the gospel to every creature and Actually what we're called to do in those situations is to shake the dust off our feet And So we need to just remember that so that we don't get into any type of wrongdoing I listen out Our church if we're persecuted for righteousness and that we're just under constant persecution for that. So be it and praise the Lord What I don't want our church to be Persecuted for is wrongdoing And I won't stand for that. Okay, meaning that we got so many is not a game and and if you can't handle yourself out there, then you're just gonna have to not go and That's something that we need to Keep under under guard and keep in our minds and all that and listen we have plenty of soul winners and everything else and and and you know I'm preaching to the choir when it comes to this I'm sure you know when it comes to like how to conduct yourselves out soul winning, but If there's any thought or like hey, you know I felt bad that I didn't say anything to this person or I didn't stand my ground. Listen, you don't have to That's if you want to you can like speak your peace and say hey we had the right to be here That's if you want to but you know what I found in most of the cases. It's for nothing It's wasting your time. I Mean I've been there. I've never talked to a manager and she's like, oh, yeah. Okay. See you later Do you know there's one time I was actually out soul winning and I Was knocked this person's door this lady's door. She was Catholic She didn't want to hear the gospel, but she was just so like she's like, oh, you know, you should go to It was the the Vista the the Bond Vista apartments. She's like, I'm the manager over there she's like Can you go over there and talk to the girl that's in the front desk that works there? And she's like she's like by the way, if anybody says anything to you about going soul or like knocking doors over there Here's my card This person wasn't saved She's like Catholic you didn't want to hear the gospel, but she's just like hey here You have my permission to go do all this and not only that but go talk to the lady that works in the front desk You know, so not all managers are just out there to get you I Remember so winning one time in Star City and there was like this teenager that was like picking up trash and I went over to give the this teenager the gospel and I was like going through the gospel You know or started going through it with them and then the police Car came down apparently this this teenager was doing like public service or something like that. I Don't know what he did but he was out there picking up trash doing stuff for public service and I was expecting like the police Officers like hey, he's got a job to do and I would have been like, yeah, it makes sense I wouldn't have been like hey get out of here cop, you know, you're impeding the gospel It's like I don't go up to someone while they're working You're like you gotta listen to the gospel and if you don't you're not right with God and nuts to this this employer That's that's paying you right now You know what the cop did? Just said hi like gave gave him some more trash bags and drove off Well, I was like, hey, I'm just showing him God she's like a school and then they just drove off like We're not in a place right now where we're in this police state where we have to really be just locking down It's dying on hills right now. And if Certain places just don't want us to be there. I don't want to be there either. That's my that's my stance on that It may be the management will change And it'll open up that door will open up but I look at those apartment complexes as doors closing and It's not our job to open every door. It's our job to find the open doors And I'm gonna find where it's receptive. I'm gonna find where we don't have to, you know, beat our heads against the wall And we'll go from there that's what it says here and for inverse verse 13 Verse 12 So if you're being repressed for the cause of Christ for righteousness sake then you should be happy about it rejoice If any man suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evildoer as a busybody in other men's matters Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed But let him glorify God on this behalf You know what? That means that if you're a murderer you should be ashamed if you're evildoers be ashamed if you're a busybody you should be ashamed But if you're walking in the new man as a Christian then you know what and and and you're being persecuted for it There's no shame. You should rejoice and be happy because you're suffering reproach for the cause of Christ, but we are not to be Definitely shouldn't be glorying or anything like that in anything that we're doing that is wrong. And so The last thing I want to mention here is discretion when it comes to and we'll be done You go to Proverbs if you want to go to Proverbs 15 In these cases Where there's like a confrontation the idea is de-escalated Not escalated Okay Meaning this is that if someone comes at you and just starts like ah, you know Like what are you doing here and be like, you know what you do you calmly try to de-escalate the situation How about it says in Proverbs 15 verse 1 a soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger If someone hits you with like you shouldn't be here you shouldn't be doing this and just start ripping your face off You don't be like listen, buddy I'd right to be here and go pound salt. That's not how you deal with that situation The way you deal with is a soft answer a soft answer is not only low in volume But it's soft and that it's not a crass type of statement, right? What you say is say hey You know, we're not actually soliciting. We're from a Baptist Church. We're out invite you by the church We're not trying to cause any problems We're just asking people if they know for sure they're going to heaven and obviously if people don't want to hear it. We're gone See a difference and Maybe they say nuts to you get out of here and be like, all right. Bye You ain't had to say have a nice day just be like bye see you later And then you go on from that But Bible says in Proverbs 17 27 he that hath knowledge spareth his words You don't have to say anything you just walk away If you're like, I don't think I can answer that like that I think if I say something it's gonna be Offensive then then shut your lips then you know, he that shut off his lips is counted wise And Listen I get it because my flesh wants to just rip their face off too, but know that is that that's the flesh And what you always got to be thinking about when it comes to how what we're doing and how to handle situations Is it edifying is it going to be productive? And if it's not gonna be productive, I'm not wasting my time with it and you can say well, I disagree with you I think that I know this church over here does it this way then go to that church and be under that leadership but I'm not going to deal with cases where People are doing wrong when we're supposed to be doing right and then defending it. I'm not doing it and when it comes to You know soul wanting specifically that's what we're about. We need to be harmless Gentle me instructing those that impose themselves and if someone doesn't want to hear it or if an apartment complex manager comes to you You just say hey, bye Going somewhere else and the blood will be on their hands. You don't even have to tell them that you don't have to say that to them and so You know that's that's my stance on on that issue and we don't the the whole point of that is that we don't want to give an occasion for them to actually accuse us of something wrongdoing and they are looking for it and They're the biggest hypocrites that are doing it They're the wick. They're the most wicked people the people that come at us with some fault that we have They are guilty of like a million times more than what we've ever done but that's reality and We have to know that so that we're we're out there. We're harmless. We're blameless Without reproach and if you if you walk away from a door because someone doesn't want to hear it you walk away from an apartment Complex because they're kicking you out or whatever. You're not some cowardly Christian Actually, you're doing what the Apostles did you're doing what Jesus told you to do. You're actually doing what Paul did When he shook off his raiment and shook off the dust off his feet now Paul kept trying to go back in And I get it, you know, like he cared about the Jews and wanted them to go back That's usually who's dealing with by the way is the Jews and he wanted them to get saved It'd be like if you had a heart for the rich or something like that You're like I keep going there beating my head against the wall, but you know what? I want them to get saved Like I don't think that's probably the wisest thing to do but go for it, you know But I hope that makes sense if you have any questions when it comes to soul winning or it comes to those situations Ask me how to deal with that situation And if you don't know how to deal with a situation just get out of it No harm done That's better than doing something wrong Just get out of the situation walk away and then later on you'd be like, hey I got into this situation How should I have dealt with it? Come talk to me about it And I'll tell you I'll tell you exactly how you should deal with it and you say well do you do you have the authority? I'm the pastor of the church. So I do have the authority over soul winning not over your life Okay, what you do at home is between you and God and your family But when it comes to soul winning, I do have the say I have to say where we go I have to say of how you do it. I have to say of what you're giving them I have to say of all of that. I have to say on whether you can go there or not under our church Okay and You say well, man, that's that's controlling. It's because I care and it's because I look out for you Okay, no, this is as your pastor. I'm looking out for your souls. I'm looking out for your safety. I'm looking out for your well-being. I Don't want you to be hurt. I don't want you to have to deal with some lawsuit or some some You know wicked adversary that's coming after you. I don't want you to have to deal with that in your life You got enough problems. We all have no problems so that's why I'm preaching the sermon is because I don't want to see that happen Even if it wouldn't affect me personally listen if one of the members hurts I hurt with it Especially since I'm the pastor because I'm the one leading it and if someone gets hurt or someone does something wrong You know what? I think I didn't I didn't lead right? I didn't leave that person, right? I should have said something more over here. I should have preached this sermon over here. I should have been more clear on that So I'm very I want to be very clear when it comes to soul winning and apartment complexes if the manager comes Just say have a nice day And You know what just leave it at that and we'll just go that route and You can disagree with me all you want. That's fine You can say I think you should be harder on that. I think you should take a stand on that You can think that all you want But that's just the way it is that's the way I'm gonna deal with it And when you become a pastor you you start a church, then you can do it differently so But I know I went long today But I do want this I want when you go out soul winning to not be worried that you're doing something wrong That makes it I want you have confidence. I want you to be bold. No like hey We're doing what's right. There's no question. What we're doing is right right now I don't want there to be this in the back of your mind be like oh should I be here? Should I be doing this and then you're afraid to do it? No, you should be like, hey we have All permission under the church under God everything that hey what we're doing is right and if you get persecuted for it You got rewards in heaven. I Want you to have that confidence and so I want that to be the case I hope that's clear if you have any questions ask me any time. So let's end with a word prayer They only follow we think today. Thank you for your word Thank you for these passages and the Lord just prayed you'd help us as we go out So wanting to be gentle and harmless and and Lord we are ultimate goal Obviously to win as many people to you as possible Lord We pray if you would deliver from any unreasonable wicked men We pray that we wouldn't have to get into any confrontations verbal convert Confrontations or anything like that, but we know that that's gonna happen and though We just pray that you'd help us to have discretion in all those areas and would help us to bear any type of reproach Reviling or Evil speaking or anything like that would help us to bear it like you did and would help us to emulate you Help us to be like you and how you dealt with all these situations and Lord. I we love you in Paris in Jesus Christ's name Amen So by the day, we'll come sing one more song and then we dismissed All right, take your song books and turn to song 155 Song 155 in your song books if you would stand we'll sing doxology song 155 praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise him all Creatures here below Praise him above ye heavenly host Praise father son and Holy Ghost You are dismissed You