In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of understanding the New Covenant and the true meaning of the cross. He criticizes the competitive mindset of some preachers who focus on the size of their churches and budgets, rather than the message of salvation. The preacher highlights the difference between the old covenant, characterized by striving and sin confessing, and the new covenant, which requires a sudden twist in thinking and a childlike faith. He concludes by emphasizing that Jesus is building his church on the foundation of true conversion and childlike faith.

Not with, not with this man and his staff. What a wonderful staff of people we have here. God bless you. Gentlemen, thank you. Stand behind your men. Thank you. Please go to Matthew 18, if you will, please. Matthew 18. This is one of, could be my, my final message on covenant. I don't know unless God opens something else, but this summer I'll be finishing the book entitled The New Covenant Unveiled. My message this morning, the cross and the covenant, the cross and the new covenant. First 11 verses of Matthew 18. Now, first reading, you'll, you'll not see the covenant at all, probably some of you may, but when I'm done, I want to show you both the cross and the new covenant in this unusual passage. And at the same time came the disciples under Jesus saying, who's the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him and set him in the midst of them and said, verily, I say unto you, except you be converted and become as little children, you should not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same as greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoso shall receive one such child in my name received with me, but who shall offend one of these little ones, which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea wall onto the world because of offenses for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh. Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, I'm reading you one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, cast them from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life. Halt remained rather than have two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. If your eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee. It's better for thee to enter into life with one eye rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones. For I said to you that in heaven, their angels do always behold the face of my father, which is in heaven. The final verse for the son of man is come to save that which was lost. Praise the Lord. Heavenly Father, I thank you for the word of the living God. I pray you give us hearing ears to hear. Open our ears. Holy Spirit, open our understanding. Lord, don't let anyone in this place allow their minds to wonder from the youngest to the oldest. Let us hear what the spirit has to say. Lord, give me words that are simple and clear. Let it come through Lord Jesus, because I believe that you want us more than anything else to understand the new covenant and what the cross is all about. I pray father that in in this message that there will be something of simplicity and reality come through that would be life changing in Jesus name. Amen. Now, the passage of this read to you doesn't mention the cross at all, but I really believe that Jesus has given us here one of the most profound revelations of the cross and the new covenant. Incredible revelation. Never seen it before, and I hope I can make it understandable through the power of the Holy Spirit to you this morning. Now listen closely, please. The cross of Jesus Christ totally annihilates all works of the flesh, totally annihilates it, does away with it completely as there's no merit is no contribution to your salvation by anything, any human merit or any willpower, any striving of your flesh. The cross did away with all of that. Now that's the foundation of what I'm trying to teach you here this morning. The cross, therefore, is a stumbling block or an offense to those who are trained in legalism, who are trained in keeping the law, all the rules and regulations that Jews remember in Christ's time truly believe they honestly believe they could help earn their eternal salvation by keeping the 900 more than 900 rules, regulations and ordinances that came under the law. They really believe that that they were earning their salvation, especially when they took on the mark of circumcision. And the first church in Jerusalem, the Pentecostal Church of Jerusalem after Pentecost came, there were numbers of Jewish converts, many of them that were priests who had been trained under the legalism and the striving of the law and circumcision and what they were saying. Yes, Jesus died. He paid for our sins, but it was not a full salvation. You have to be circumcised to complete your salvation. And they literally said that you can't be saved unless you're circumcised and your flesh is cut. Paul was incensed by the Holy Ghost against such a mixture. Paul boldly cried out, The cross of Christ has abolished all your rules and regulations. He's done away with it. So this is no value, has no meaning. God doesn't see it. God doesn't look at it. And if he doesn't appreciate it, you're wasting your time. Ephesians 2.5, Paul said, having abolished in his flesh, that's his cross, the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in all your ordinances. Wherefore, brethren, if you be dead with Christ from the elements of the world, why is no living in the world? Are you subjecting yourself to man's ordinances like touch not, taste not, handle not, which are all to perish with the using after the commandments and doctrines of men? And then he capped it off and he made, I mean, he drove the nail in it. It's impossible to get away from what he said here. Christ blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that were against us, which were contrary to us. He took it all out of the way. He nailed it to his cross. Anything, anything that contributes to your salvation, anything you think that earns the favor of God other than the blood of Jesus Christ, Paul said, that's all finished. Now, think how offensive that is to the striving, burdened down, hapless, unhappy Jewish believers who had been taught, except you'd be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved, Acts 15.1. You see these priests, you see these Jews going about their weary way, trying to struggle with the law. These are believers. They've given their heart to Jesus Christ and they're still burdened down, trying to merit something with God, trying to invest in their salvation. They're still trying to walk only the prescribed amount of mileage per day on keeping certain rules of the Sabbath, washing of hands, pots, pans, utensils, making sure that they didn't swish their clothing across a Gentile or touch a Gentile or shake hands with a Gentile dog. They were still under the law, striving, making sure that they kept the Sabbath, their long prayers, their tedious chanting, long hours trying to understand the law, still sitting under scribes and Pharisees and every night taking inventory of their lives and figuring out every jot and tittle of the law and then their conscience railing against them because they failed during the day and they couldn't keep the law. And here they are claiming to be Christians and they were going to the priest to be circumcised even though they were believers. Many of them were priests and can you imagine the offense to tell these men who thought that their whole lifetime of religious activities in vain and especially thinking that that mark on their body of circumcision enhanced their standing with God and assured them of eternal salvation and Paul's coming along saying that's of no value. That's the offense of the cross. That's the offense that Jesus did it all and I have no, I have no way to merit other than coming in repentance and faith to the finished work of Jesus. I have nothing to offer. I have no goodness in me. I don't care how good you think you are. It's all filthy rags in the sight of God according to the scripture. And some of you good people I'd like to talk to you of the service. It won't take me 10 minutes to find some bad. Now it seems that there were certain Jews that spread a rumor that Paul also preached circumcision plus Christ, Christ plus circumcision and boy did he put a quick stop to that rumor. Paul said if I am preaching circumcision why am I still being persecuted? Then is the offense of the cross ceased. He said now wait a minute. He said I preach Christ. I preach salvation by faith in Christ and into repentance as the only way of salvation and I know that's an offense to all of you who spent your lifetime striving and pleading trying to do good to please God and earn your way to heaven. He said that's an offense but he said that's not what I preach. I preach that that is all finished. I preach that circumcision has no value or uncircumcision that is simply faith in Christ. He said if I'm preaching circumcision then you would be applauding me. I would be your hero because I removed the offense of the cross. I would be part of your crowd. But he said why am I being persecuted by all of you in the circumcision? Why are you turning against me? Why are you fighting me? It's because I will not let go of the offense of the cross of Jesus Christ. It's not by works it's by faith. I won't let it go. Now there are multitudes of believers including many ministers around the world who are not dead to the law. They still have certain terms that they've added and in every country and every in almost every city in every section of the United States even the different denominations have their own standards about touch, not taste, not proper makeup, proper length of dresses and skirts. In every country there's there's an absolutely different standard. Now folks I believe in high standards. I believe in in moral dress codes and I believe in separation from the world. But God help us if you ever ever say to your heart or to anyone else that any of these things add to your salvation and that merit favor with God. God said forbid. God said I forbid that you should even think that. I can always tell when a pastor or a believer is under bondage to works thinking that that is holiness. They're striving so much in the flesh and they don't want to believe that all of their sacrifice over the years, all of their struggling to do right and dress right and make sure that their makeup was on right, that there wasn't too much red or their hair was at a certain length and there's every and keeping all these laws and struggling and said Lord look you know it's hard for a Christian. It's an offense when the cross comes along and the preacher comes along said no it's my faith. All of those things you do led by the Holy Ghost after you are saved by faith. No one will have to tell you to do it. The Holy Ghost will deal with you about it. But I can always tell when somebody's under the law and under the works because they get angry and they say oh I get letters from people when I preach this grace message. Pastor Wilkerson has become permissive. He doesn't preach holiness anymore. Now in light of all this let me show you how profound the words of Jesus are now in chapter 18. Very very profound. This this chapter begins with the disciples arguing among themselves who is greatest in the kingdom of God. Imagine just coming off the Mount of Transfiguration and the presence of God should have so humiliated them. So brought them down to see what human nature is in light of the pure holiness of God. And here they are now squabbling among themselves who's the greatest in the kingdom of God. And how do you measure greatness among men unless you're measuring it by your works. They are made they're trying to measure their relationship with Christ their nearness to Christ their place in God's work in God's kingdom by the works they've done which one is greatest. And folks I don't know what they said but I know human nature and the Bible is also giving some good hints about the nature of some of these men like impetuous Peter. You know don't you that this man was very hot-headed and I if and Peter in this conversation I could just imagine no wait a minute gentlemen I have just come from the mountain and I'm Jesus said I'm not I'm not supposed to speak about I want you to know though God talked to me I heard God speak and by the way gentlemen who was it that walked on water if anybody merits if anyone is close to him and here they are talking about how they sacrifice for him the things they've done for him what they've given up for him as if that merits anything in his sight. Now folks I want you to get a picture here trying to make the new and old covenant so simple that a child can understand it. The Bible said there are two covenants and you're sitting here and you're under one of these covenants either one you may know nothing about the old or new covenant that's an agreement God makes it's how you serve God it's the attitude of your heart the one attitude the old covenant is the striving making God promises sin confess sin confess and it doesn't work and I'll tell you what God just let you play that game and let he just let the law wear you out that's the reason for the law just to show you you can't make it just to show you your heart and here are these men there's the picture of the old covenant competition and we got we got preachers all over America in competition who's got the biggest church the biggest budget and here's a dying world and here are God's servants over here come right out of the prayer cloth and still talk about how big their budgets are and how big the churches are and they're competing and they're still living under this I have got to accomplish something for God there's a drive a horrible job there's no rest I see it all over the United States and around the world striving there's a there's a big church in Indiana somewhere supposed to have 25,000 a sinner friendly church and and they're coming from all over the world to get some idea how they can get in on it oh my this is this is what the Lord saw he had to have been appalled by what he heard and saw it matters not thinking of Peter in those men it matters not if you've had some revelation up on a mountain it doesn't matter how good you can preach or how bold you are on the street corner anything else that is not what counts with God it's do you have a simple childlike faith in the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ every waking moment of Christ's ministry here on earth he I I believe was focused on his church and these apostles are the foundation stones of the church you'll find that revelation he's building his church upon these men and and and the Lord knows that he can't build on this kind of mixture here are people who loved him these are servants of his that love Jesus with all of their heart they're willing to die for him with their still focused on their works in their relationship to him and the Lord knows that soon he's going to be sitting at the Passover and he's going to hold the cup of the new covenant before them and the new covenant a new arrangement is coming he's going to do away with all these works he's going to do away with all of this striving and this this is the cup of the new covenant and the moment he dies the moment the cross finishes at work and and he goes into the grave the new covenant the new agreement is in effect that it's not by works it's not by the works of man he calls a little child now see he's interested in that little child is Jesus setting before those of the old covenant a concept of what is coming he takes a little child and what he's really saying this is my church to come now all through the Bible you hear the Lord referring to new converts and his children as little children you'll find him talking about my little children children of the kingdom children of God children of the bride chamber children of the promise Paul in Galatians refers to them as my little children this little child that Jesus there is representing every convert that's going to come from every nation and every tribe they're going to come in childlike faith under the new covenant and he's putting this little child before them and he said except you become as a little child you can't he said you've got to repent now let's read this verse 3 4 and 5 verily I say to you except you be converted become as little children verse 2 says he called a little child and he was said in the midst mark said he took him in his arms the child in his arm except you be converted converted these are his disciples that word in Greek is sudden twist God said there has got to be a sudden turning a sudden twist in your thinking your theology because I am I am building a church I'm building it upon you he's not saying it but this is what these this according to what we see in scripture now this is what he's thinking this represents every single convert black white red yellow from now to Jesus comes this is his church this little child and he's trying to show the kind of relationship to be developed under the new the new thing the new covenant the new agreement that God made with his son who's therefore so humble himself as this little child the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven and I'm telling you it's something to humble yourself from this thinking that you can do it on your own God said there's a pride in that that's the pride of the flesh and that has to be dealt with unless you humble yourself and you get rid of that concept in your mind that you can save yourself humility that's required and that's difficult to choose never did attain it they never did humble themselves they stuck to the law they said Jesus you did this we live with this we can do it on our own they stayed under the new covenant in the process ruined it ruined themselves whosoever shall receive one such child in my name receive with me said I I'm going to give you a theology now that you have to receive you and if you receive it you receive me you understand me and you'll understand the father he that receiveth me receive it the father he said if you want to understand the kind of relationship that I desire under the new covenant I'm going to die on the cross new covenant goes into effect the agreement that I and I alone will present my blood before the father I will redeem all mankind and whosoever cometh to me I will not cast out hallelujah but who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me it were better for him that a millstone were hung around his neck that he was drowned in the depths of the sea now folks please follow me Jesus knew that all these little children would be coming under the ministry of these men he foresaw the ministry of Paul the Apostle I'm sure but to see his disciples had missed it completely they were not understanding the cross that was looming ahead you know if Jesus let this go by he would this would have destroyed the work of the cross the eternal purpose of God if he allows these men to go on believing and teaching this competitive thing of how do I become favorable to God how do I become greatest in the kingdom to my works the cross would have been in vain it would have been totally in vain because everybody would get you well I can do it myself Jesus had to strike a blow that would kill this once and for all you must become as little children humble yourself is this a little child now plain and simple folks I've read books where people trying to explain what Jesus is saying all the childlike attitudes in a childlike behavior I don't see that at all folks what he's talking about simply are two simple two things that have to do with the relationship that Jesus wants with us if you're under the new covenant believing that salvation is justification by faith by repentance and faith in it is finished work Jesus is saying my church is going to be built on childlike dependency and uncomplicated devotion two things and this is what the Holy Ghost is striving with every one of us about to bring us to this place not some deep doctrinal place Oh what complicated theologies and doctrines we have invented the Lord foresaw all of this denominations that are going to say you can be saved by faith but you must keep Saturday for Sabbath yes you you can be saved but you've got to venerate Mary his mother and you know well the doctors of law are all stand around debating about where he's to be born they're debating about how he got his knowledge without going to any one of their schools and they're debating and debating and debating while Jesus is walking into the temple and he is throwing over the money changers and what are the children doing the Bible makes it very clear the children were crying in the temple singing Hosanna to the Son of David devotion uncomplicated simple dependence on Jesus are you getting a picture are you under the old covenant here what you you you're going to Bible studies trying to figure out now I believe in Bible here I believe in good doctrine I believe in good theology we need to know what it means to be justified by faith sanctified made holy by the Holy Ghost we need to know the things about the covenant but there are some people study study study and they never get it and the reason they don't get it is because they don't have this simple dependence and uncomplicated love for that is what he's trying to say there's a new covenant coming I'm going to do away with 900 regulations don't nail all to my cross and all I want out of you is to put your bring yourself into my arms love me and believe that I'll direct you give you everything you need he said I'm gonna pay your everything glory be to God why is it that some people get it they know more than the theologians they can't explain the new covenant but they're living it because they've just been close to Jesus and they don't do anything without checking with Jesus they don't go anywhere they don't talk to anybody they go to the secret closet they pray and suddenly they're understanding Jesus and the father they've come into the covenant without any Bible school Jesus said if any man will do is will he'll know the doctrine is you just love me and depend on me you'll know the doctrine you may not write a book on it like I'm going to do but some of you probably understand it better than me anyhow there are a lot of preachers and a lot of people in church need to be converted I I mean converted from this I can do it doctrine they need to be converted from the foolish spirit of competition back to the secret closet of prayer back to just trusting the Lord verse 6 to 10 read it with me now and but whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me it were better for him that a millstone were hung it around his neck that he were drowned in the sea wherefore if I hand or that could offend thee cut them off cast them from thee I'm not going to go into that but I want you to listen very very close now here's something you've got to see and got done so we're coming into this very misunderstood passages portion of scripture offenses will come but walk to that man by whom the offense comes above but listen to me this is the heart of the gospel right here Jesus is now expressing his wrath against those who come teaching that the cross was not totally sufficient he's talking about the offense this is the offense of the cross right now he's making it so clear he's not talking now to Jewish leaders he's talking to the foundation stones of his own church now who are these offenders who are these offenders is those who bring in the offense of the cross those who are offended by the new covenant the truth of Christ alone is full payment for sin the offenders came along and they said yes believe in Jesus yes the cross was payment but it wasn't full payment you must do this you must do that to be saved you keep this habit all of these things you have to do these things and that these are different the Lord says wall to any preacher any teacher any witness who goes to a baby convert that's just come to me by simple faith and repentance and you add you offend that person by saying that's not enough there's more to it if you really want to be saved here's what you've got to do this is what it says in our doctrines of our church take this young man young young lady that comes into church and she's got black lipstick she got spiked hair now she's not here this morning she's come off drugs she's prostituted but she's sick of it all and she's tired she wants Jesus she's been praying oh Jesus if you're real show yourself to me someone brings her to Times Square Church and she sits there in shirts and tears rolling down mascara black everything all over her face and she just gets genuinely in love with false genuinely in love with Jesus Jesus saved me she comes next Sunday she's justice by care she still has all the black stuff all over her face and she's got dangles down to her shoulders and their hair still spikes to constrain all directions and here comes one of the offenders here comes an offender and this lady says no honey I'm tell you something if you're going to really be saved you have got to get that muck out of your hair you've got to get red instead of black lipstick and you don't ever come to church again wearing tight pants like you have on right now now folks that is the work of the Holy Ghost and that if that woman who had just left her alone she'd have been here one night and nobody say anything in the Holy Ghost she'd just get her hanky and go like this it looks so black and look like sin to her now if you got black lipstick is white I'm not talking about your black lipstick I don't care what color lipstick you wear I don't have to like it but I did it's a long-haired boy comes into church gets saved he's on drugs cries weeps and gives his heart to the Lord and within a week or two there's another offender somebody going up there and says Bible says it's a shame for a man to have long hair and so they forget the next verse but if anyone's contentious about this we have no such rule but you see their salvation says if you're going to serve God you have to look a certain way if you're going to really be saved this is what it's all about there's been legalism all of the United States and around the world when I first came to New York and I told you once about I went up to the 100th Street and there were a number of little Pentecostal churches there and we got drug addicts girls and boys that were on drugs and prostituting and I would pray with them they'd weep on the street and I'd go up and pastor be in the church I said look you see these kids can I borrow your church next two hours and pray I want a prayer meeting with them and he'd look at these girls in their their makeup and in their short shorts and in their scroungy hair and one of them said I would let any of them in here they'll ruin my kids some of those girls were so offended they walked away and say what kind of religion is this offenders under the law here is oh folks come on at Times Square Church would you get your eyes off of what people look like we someone just told me the other day a dear Methodist couple got saved and invited the pastor this Bible Church that they were starting to tend and they had some wine on the table he looked at the way I got him walked out they just offended them and they said what would we do and he said well it was that wine on the table so we didn't know why didn't he say something seldom in the word has God has God spoken so harshly on any subject anywhere in the scripture and folks listen to this let the seriousness and the harshness of these words sink into your soul it's sunk into my soul and I'll never forget it better for a milk better than a millstone were hung about his neck and they were drowned in the depth of the sea now nothing stirred God's wrath more than anything that would pollute his church remember when he drove the money changers out of his house but that was nothing compared to this indictment you hear now it's even stronger because he knew if this mixture is allowed to continue then the eternal purpose of God to the cross is absolutely destroyed this is what I hear in all this if any one of us any minister any teacher any of us preacher teach any man-made moral code list the legalistic rules or human standards as necessary to salvation we face the wrath of God God said I would rather a millstone hung around your neck and that you should offend one little baby convert by your man-made doctrines your man-made ordinances your man-made rules because you have offended and you have damned an innocent child burdening down converts with their denominational standards telling babes in Christ they're not completely saved until they comply he said better a millstone hung around that kind of teacher preacher witness and cast into the sea Matthew 18 8 this is one most misunderstood passages and all the scripture it you know look with adverse eight would you please wherefore it begins with the word where for you with that that ties it in to the whole context where for me in light of the past in other words in light of what I've just said so this next these next few verses are tied into the context of what he's saying about this mixture of false doctrine of works he said if your hand your foot your eye offends you know folks the offense is not alcohol drugs that's not the thing it does talking about he's not talking about mutilation of a flesh spiritual the physical he's trying to get at something it has their heart that has to come out has to be cut out of their innermost being it's this same doctor we're talking about of works added to the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ this thriving trying to do something to invest in your salvation remember what Jesus said of many because of the word they are offended because of the word they are offended his own countrymen were offended in him the same word used the hard I mean the hand look at me please the hand the foot the eye what are we talking about flesh we're talking about flesh you see the Jewish thing no I can handle I'm going to go as I please you see if you're offended by anything in your right eye you can be offended by your left eye just as much offended by your left right foot your left foot can lead you just as much as stray we're not talking about that at all we're talking about the flesh trying to find merit and favor in the sight of God works folks how many of you have come to place where you have cut off you're finally cut off by faith any dependence on your own flesh how many become the place where you've said Lord I can't handle it this hand of mine that's taking a control of everything folks if you're still in control you're under the Old Covenant you have to say Jesus I'm not in control anymore I've messed up everything my hand has been put to my feet have led me astray Lord I go the wrong I I've been I've been giving going in my own direction I'm not totally dependent upon you he's talking about total dependence and the Lord said you're not seeing with and he said your eyes focused on the wrong thing he said you've got to cut off that focus you are not focused on the right thing you're focused on your own ability your own power your eye is you've got to pluck that out you've got to absolutely rid your body you rid your mind rid your heart of this kind of thinking and folks that's what God's been dealing with me about say David you'll never understand the new coming you'll never understand the cross you'll never come in to rest you'll never be able to face what is coming until you have finally once and for all cut off any hope of pleasing me or bringing something to my throne the goodness there's no plea that you have and until that is final and you have cast yourself completely at the cross then there's no hope he said surgically remove that thinking from your mind now Paul the Apostle picked up on that very quickly he understood the new covenant because the Jewish believers in Jerusalem Paul said we're taking these children of Christ and putting a yoke of bondage on them they were insisting that the believers had to be circumcised in order to be saved and that the cross did not fully justify and Paul cried out Christ has become of no effect to you people whoever of you are justified by the law you're falling from grace for we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness which is by faith for in Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision but faith which work is by love it's that devotion it's that dependency he said I would they were cut off with trouble or in the word there's a friend I would that they were cut off to defend you know you just talking about cutting off cutting off cutting off now in the here's something that that did amaze me when I followed the original Greek on what Paul was saying and the original the statement original Greek says I would to God that they would mutilate themselves as a pop-up apocopy of the bill not let me just stop there minute show you what it it's all about Paul knew it every body in Galatia knew about this call every worshipper of the bill a in the headquarters was in the city of the famous and Paul knew it was known all over the world especially in Galatia and there were a group of people called a copy and they were mutilators of flesh they worship this by cutting off members of their flesh they they were like flagellants who beat their backs and it was blood and it was mutilation and Paul said what he's trying to say if you believe that cutting the flesh is pleasing to God it merits anything why don't you go with the group called apocopy why don't you go worship the bill because that's mutilation taken to extreme because if your theology is right a little bit of cutting is not enough a whole lot of cutting is more holy they said once you're going down and truly mutilate yourself folks that's where it goes if you are not so on the foundation the cross and the finished work of Jesus where does it all end the cutting of the flesh where does it all in where do the rules and regulations and it ends up in 900 and more ways to try to please God Paul's saying no for the Son of Man has come to save that which is lost all you have to acknowledge is that you're lost with this I close Paul said first of all he saved me because I was the worst among sinners and I'm a pattern now I'm telling you I can't go to Europe until anybody Jesus saves till I know I am saying Jesus came to say I was lost I've acknowledged it and I know now I'm 60 some years old when I get to 70 I'll tell you if these hairs these gray hairs could talk my goodness no man in the world has striven more than I am to be what I did over the years to be holy Oh cried Oh God you know I want to be holy you know I want to be pure to God I don't want anything hidden in my life and striving and when I failed God so help me God I'll never do that again God I'll never do that again and boy it would but by the time I got to two months and didn't do it ha hallelujah Lord you've got to bless me in the preaching tonight man I've made it for two months now now don't try to figure out what I'm talking about you know what you're talking about we think we've earned it we think God owes us something no no no no that's the cost of the end of it hallelujah so simple we just did well how many there are watching and hearing right now how many of you listen closely how many of you tired and weary of the struggle to do right and be right in the sight of God just struggling so so hard you have so many temptations you're in a situation that just makes it more and more difficult I don't care if it's adultery fornication I don't care it's pride I don't covetousness but I want to hear some before I close you know what I fear the sin I fear more than any sin known to mankind more than anything of this flesh the one sin I fear more than anything else in the holy fear of God is covetousness wanting the things of this world I'm not saying that that's a problem in my life but I don't ever want it to be a problem but I fear that more than anything else that something in this world would get a hold of my heart and take me away from Jesus from my prayer closet from that first love for Jesus and folks that's the number one thing in America America is going spending mad they're going the stock market everything's going wild I went into a garage the other day to get a car fixed and he had he must have had 7,500 cars and he couldn't he's I can't keep men young people coming in yeah everything everybody's going in debt they're just signing no don't time it and going deep in debt people are buying homes like crazy who can't afford them we're in a mad spending spree and America is gripped in this spirit of covetousness and met never able to get enough never able to get enough like the prosperity preacher I told you about I saw his tape he said I live in 8,000 square foot house he said I'm building a bigger one one that King Saul would be proud to live in and he said when people see my big house and my Rolls Royce sitting in the front lawn they know there's a God in heaven and he said that's a $32,000 ring and I just spent $15,000 for a doll if I named him you'd know him covetousness does that have your heart never having enough it's never nothing is ever enough we just keep reaching and grabbing and grabbing is taking us away from our first love for Jesus folks you can't lick that you can't beat that spirit if it's in you by just making a promise you can't do it in your flesh you just say Holy Ghost come expose it in me if it's there expose it and come now Holy Ghost if we through the spirit to mortify the deeds of the flesh we shall live hallelujah and the cure for it all I just told you fall in love with Jesus all over again get close to him and depend on him depend on the Holy Ghost if you have an open heart say God I depend on the Holy Ghost to do what he's been called to do and that's to convict me of my sin every day in a prayer closet that's what God is there anything turn the light on show me anything it's unlike Jesus in my heart do it Lord Jesus I don't know what's in my heart but you you do bring it out I can't do it but I trust the covenant I trust the cross and I trust the blood and all through my struggle the whole time I'm struggling tell me I'm damned and and can't make it and I'm foolish the whole time Jesus has the blood applied Jesus stands before the father and I am totally accepted by the father through my struggle until the battles over I'm still his child he's still in love with me he's still not going to cast me out because he knows that I'm his you are his he's not going to let you go he may chastise you but he said I'll never take my Holy Ghost from you I won't take my spirit his spirits here now I don't have to ask you if you're under the anointing or or under conviction right now the Holy Ghost he said if you're his you'll never take his spirit away from you so he's there dealing with you in love now I'm going to open these altars that open now in the annexes you go forward to the stage I mean to the screen go up to toward the screen and then what what room do we go in there you will go from 206 for prayer those that are in this auditorium up in the balcony I would like to pray for those who say pastor David something you said this morning turned the lights on for me something you said and I truly want to come into that rest of the new covenant where I don't have to even consider my works anymore that I come into this rest and fully trusting Jesus no matter what battle you're in what senior and if you're not right with God if you're backslidden or you're going through a great struggle striving to please God and you're losing the battle step out of your seat and come and join these that are coming now let me pray with you we'll trust Jesus we don't count heads please don't come unless the spirit draws you upstairs in the balcony come to your stairs on either side come down any aisle and join these that are coming please move in close to make room for those that are coming please now look this way please you say well pastor Dave you say good works don't save me but are we supposed to do good works if we really love him you know what Jesus said he said if you love me you'll obey me that's that's the secret if you love me you obey me I'll cause you to know what is right and wrong by my Holy Spirit and I'll give you a will to do what I show you is right he says you love me if you're willing to give up your own will your own stubborn will trying to do things you're only trying to figure things out look at me folks don't try to figure it out anymore say Jesus I'm just going to spend quality time with you I'm going to love you and if you really love him you'll find him in the revelation of them here in this book and you I don't care what you have to do or how you go about it get into the book just get into this read the Psalms let just your heart be washed in the word it's such a washing cleansing thing and you begin to see Jesus in every page now you're here now to make a commitment to him that you'll not try to bring anything to Jesus now it's worth anything towards your salvation you understand that now Lord is completely by my I repent of my sins I repent of one of the biggest sins is trying to do it your own way I repent of all of that and the Lord has all the power you need he'll put his arms around you you see he called the little child the child came to him that's what you did he called you you're the little child you came to him now and he embraces you would you pray this from your heart Lord Jesus forgive me for all my struggles all my trying and striving to do right and to please you in my own strength by my own willpower forgive me I renounce that I turn from it that's an offense to me now now Jesus I come to the new agreement you made at the cross that if I would repent and believe you and trust you and just give my whole life and my will everything to you you would become everything to me all the resources I need all the power I need the love that I need and the strength you would become my God and I've become your child now Jesus I accept all of this by childlike faith nothing complicated now just lift up your hands say Jesus I surrender all I surrender all now give him thanks for what he's done right now just thank him I give you thanks I give you praise I give you praise now how many of you came forward here this morning for the first time in this church would you raise your hand please you've never come forward in this church before all right God bless you God bless God bless all of you had your hand hand up now you don't join this church and we don't try to sell you anything but we do have a gospel for you and we'd like to have somebody pray with you if you'll just go out any aisle back there and go in the second floor that their ushers back there show you where to go we want just about five minutes with you to minister to you and pray with you would you turn right now don't don't anybody leave let these you had your hand up please would you go out this way or up this plea are there ushers out there or that what coach do they have they have a sign out there all right just follow them with the sign and others that your hand up over here just go up this place now the rest of you if you if you've been backslidden you say pastor I don't understand I I've got to have some counseling I've got to have some direction I want you to follow them please just go back that way and go into the room that they lead you to and there are people there waiting to minister to you one-on-one right now even after we dismissed you can go to room 204 is it 206 room 206 Heavenly Father I thank you this morning for your grace your incredible mercy that you loved us when we were so lost you didn't come to save the righteous you said you came to save sinners you came to save lost people like us now we give you thanks now let the word bring life to us and let it be changing in our character and everything we do and safety your glory and honor a man tell you what I'd like you to do but before we dismiss this service gentlemen I'm going to ask you to remember that you're either male or female when you hug somebody men you hug men women you can hug women and just say God bless you hug somebody so love you in the Lord and please meet at least five people you've never met before would you three o'clock six o'clock you're dismissed God bless you