In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of following the Word of God rather than the traditions of men. They urge the listeners to listen to all the tapes in the series in numerical order to fully understand the teaching. The speaker also addresses the tactics of the powers of darkness to intimidate and discourage believers from embracing the Word of God. They highlight the need to stay firm in the face of pressure and fear, and not to water down the Word of God to suit personal preferences. The sermon concludes by emphasizing that God is the one who opens doors and works through believers, and that they should not strive to obtain things for God.

When anyone receives revelation in the Word of God, it sometimes conflicts with what he has previously been taught. This causes you to have to deal with old traditions or wrong teaching. These tapes may contain some new light from God's Word, and it may be opposed to some traditions you have previously learned. Therefore, follow through these messages in your Bible, in sequence, in order that you may be able to make a choice for the Word of God rather than the traditions of men. This is tape number six in a series. We urge you to listen to all the tapes in this series in numerical order, so that the whole teaching can be received and understood. Listening to a part of this series or to the tapes out of sequence can lead to a misunderstanding of the nature, the intent, and the importance of this series. And then all that pressure coming on there, you're looking in his face, but you're not really hearing everything because all your mind is just filled with. They've all of a sudden, and they just loose a barrage on you. What they're doing, you know what they're doing? This is the attack of the powers of darkness to back you off of this right here. And this is the way they do it. And this is the way they've been doing it to you. And then in the midst of all that pressure, and all that fear, and all that intimidation, all these things coming at you, it'd be a sweet little old thought come up there. Well, I can see now it's not the time to bring them on. I'll bring them on another way. Isn't that precious? And then just back off of it. He didn't pass the test, and the demons get the block. That's what you're going to see this week. Pastor, I can't even go in your church and have authority over demons unless your heart is in agreement with me. That's how much authority you have. I can't even bind the demons if your heart is not in agreement with me. You have a spiritual authority, and God has given you a spiritual authority. And I'll tell you something else. Well, I might all wait for day two to get on that. Pastor, I want to tell you something. You get run off. Because when they start attacking you, you know, just to ever fear, when you start getting close to that, they start attacking your wife. You go home, and you start hearing things. Here's pressure. She doesn't understand either. See, we've left that out. You don't understand all this stuff happening to your wife, and it's just always an uproar. How can the Word work in a book, but work in people when their hearts are full of the things of the devil? Affliction, persecution, that's all they're going to think about and talk about. There's no rest in that. See, if you receive all this stuff and talk about it, the Word of God can't work in you. And so there's a system that we haven't learned about, and God is showing us today, Pastor. It's a precious new day for you. Because I want to tell you something. It's a body ministry. But when you leave, and you get run off, in that church that you just left, it's just like Billy Graham said, you know, there's a church in the church. And all probability people that are not taking thoughts captive, the enemy is able to work and intimidate, and with fear and these kind of things, to put people in positions of authority. As Jude says, they're led by their ungodly lust, their worldly mind, and they cause divisions. Let me tell you another way. The church is already split, folks. There's two ways to look at that. If you're looking from the basis of numbers and good reports, it's not split. But if you're looking for the basis of the Word of God, salvation, and righteousness, and lost folks, there are lost folks in there. That's a split church. When you get lost folks, and saved folks together, you've got a split. So really what we're saying today, if we say 75% of the church is lost, we go quote Billy Graham and the others, you know. Then we're saying, I feel very comfortable here having my heart joined in covenant and be one with over half of it devil. Well, you do the work. What happened to church discipline? What happened to dealing with this sin? Where'd that new Bible come from? That's not what this Bible is talking about. So pastor, you got run off. And when you left, you left some sheep. You left some sheep that are really belonging to the Lord. And boy, how they do need a shepherd. Now all these things I'll show you in the Word of God this week. Mark 7, verse 6. And He said to them, rightly did Isaiah prophesy you hypocrites. Jesus trying to please them again. As it is written, this people honor me with their lips. They honor me with their mouth. But their heart is far from me. I want you to know where the heart man believes in the right is not his head. The head gives lip service. The heart walks in it. Says these people that draw near with their lips and mouth and don't draw near with their hearts. Here's what these kind of people do in 7. In vain do they worship Me. If they worship on a sunny morning, I ought to stay home and read the paper. In vain they worship Me if they draw near with their mouth and not their hearts. Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. Let me tell you another way. Teaching opinions of men is the Word of God. In vain they worship Me. Do you understand that's what traditions are? Teaching opinions of men is the Word of God. Verse 8. In these traditions you neglect the commandment of God. You hold to the traditions of men. You hold on to it. That's where you are it is. You hold on to it because you're made fearful and intimidated by it. Anything you're afraid of has got you. Won't you fear God? He said the dread of Me is not in you. You have to learn the fear of God. Don't fear those that can kill the body. Fear Him and put your body and soul in hell. He was saying to them about these traditions that's handed down and down. Isn't it interesting how many different ways everybody's going to heaven and they all talk a different language? Sounds like confusion, doesn't it? Verse 9. He was also saying to them, you nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your traditions. In other words, the Word of God, you just pick and choose to it and you've already got your petition and box built. That's what the Pharisees had, see? Say, God, if you'll come on down here and be a nice Pharisee, we'll fellowship with you. I just wanted to tell you that we say, God, we'll fellowship with you if you'll be a good Baptist. We'll fellowship with you if you'll act like a good Pentecostal. Verse 13. See, in verse 9 he said, you set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. Verse 13, thus you invalidate the Word of God. You make the Word of God of no effect by your what? The Word of God has no effect because of your tradition which you've what? It's handed down to generation and generation. It's handed down and you do many things such as that. Now, who do you think it? Let me ask you this way, aren't you real glad those Pharisee demons are all dead today? Aren't you glad none of them are still around? They were kind of experts back then, weren't they? All right. God has warned us not to be taken captive through traditions and worldly ways. In other words, they turn to Colossians 2. Colossians 2. You know what happens to a heart when it's not totally turned to the Word or something like that? When you read Scripture like that, you know what happens in a person's mind? It's deceived by the powers of darkness. Look at me. You know what happens to them when they're deceived by the powers of darkness? Their heart's not really seeking the Word. They'll get on the defensive when you start talking about traditions. And then they'll want to watch you closely and what you might say and they might trap you in some things you know that you say. Now, that's how the powers of darkness work through people. Folks, let me tell you something. It's too bad that the people that persecuted Jesus and spoke against him and spoke against his disciples has always been everybody that ever violated God in that Bible didn't have an easy time. Do you understand that? I want to make you aware of something. It's not for me and you to have to figure out how God's going to do this thing. Can I just go ahead and just illustrate my place here as standing before you in this seminar? I didn't put myself up here. No man put me up here. And I'm telling you what, that God can use you at nine o'clock in the morning and noon. He can set you down the rest of your life. I have been sat down in my ignorance and saying, God, I watched, you know, like I was telling you over in India. I got sat down after I got home. I got smart. I was going to try to push and, you know, I had some things worked out. Instead of letting my light shine, I was going to stick it down some people's throats. I saw a few things, you know what happened? God don't cooperate with that. So I found myself in a lonely, I was on the sidelines. Now I fear God. And I know that he's looking. Now see, I've come to a place, I know he's looking at all the motives and everything in my heart. He is yours. And when, when he sees the motives in your heart's really trying to please him and do what is right in his hand, I'm telling you, folks, you can get, you can make some stupid things, mistakes like that, and he'll turn them around. Now I want you to know the door opening is up left up to God. We don't have to go out and get things for God. I want you to know that you'll, when he, when he does his work of grace in you, he'll do it through you. In Colossians 2, I like it's verse in verse 4, I say that in order that no one may what, delude you with what kind of argument you can run in persuasive argument. Now see, when I was dying, I found James 5, 14 and 15 to be annoying, but all that I will be restored, not maybe, or perhaps, or when it gets 70 degrees, it says I'd be restored. I like that. I was realizing that verse. And when I ask about this particular verse, we went everywhere, all over the Bible except that. Well, I didn't know much about the Bible. I always believed anybody made something could hold me to it. Now verse 8, see to it that no one takes you captive. If you go mark captive through what? All right, now you can be taken captive through philosophy. You can be taken captive. What's the next thing? Empty deception. You can be taken captive through the what? Traditions of men. You can be taken captive according to the elementary principles of the world. Are you seeing all these things can take you captive? Are you warned right there not to be taken captive for these things? Now what I'd do if I'd, I might just circle captive there and run you a line to philosophy, run you a line to empty deception, run you a line to traditions, run you a line to elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ, which is His Word. You can be taken captive through these things. Amen. Right? Well it's next chapter. Let's turn over to Colossians 3 quickly. If, now if's a condition, isn't it? Verse 1, then you've been raised up at Christ, keep seeking the things on earth. Now let your heart seek the things above. For Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Now there when, things above, not on things that are on the earth. Isn't that right? And we're told not to love these things on the earth. And it says, so you've been said to set your mind on things that are above. Isn't that right? For you have what? All right, you know what that died means? That's covenant. You have to die to make covenant. Well I'll show you that later on in Hebrews. You die. When you change an image, you have to die to what you are. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. You and Christ became one, so you're going to have to act like, and talk like Him. Verse 4, when Christ who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed to Him in glory. Therefore, get ready with your big pencil, we got another refrigerator verse here. Verse 5, therefore consider the members of your earthly body as what? As dead to what? Immorality. You're dead to immorality. You're dead to impurity. You're dead to passion. All of these things amount to what? Idolatry. For it is on account of these things right here, I just read, it's on account of immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, greed and idolatry that the wrath of God is coming. You think that God's not half serious about us turning away from these things? And in them, verse 7, you also what? You once walked, which means you're not walking there anymore, amen. You once walked there. And don't you let something else tell you that it's alright for you to walk there now. You once walked there. While you, what's that? When you, what were? You were, circle were, you were living in, which means you're not living in greed. You're not living in impurity. You're not living in immorality. You're not living in passion or evil desire or idolatry. But now, verse 8, you also put them all aside. Now the wrath of God comes because of these things. Put aside anger, put aside wrath, put aside malice, put aside. Now, folks, when you see, let me, let me, let me just tell you something. Do you remember when I was reading over you in Matthew 18, the slave that wouldn't forgive? And his master turned him over to the torturers, the tormentors? He was first angry. When, in the word, as we go through here, these next few days, you're going to see when the Lord is angry and when he's wrath gone, he removes the head and the power, he's sick, the powers of darkness, sick him. They say the Lord won't do that? You just wait. Who put those demons on Saul? Who put the powers of darkness on Job? When the Lord moves his head, you're not blessed. And I want you to know that, by the way, those demons that got on Saul was more of an ego trip, okay? And you don't have to know some foreign language to know that the word's evil spirit means demons. That's them. Now, verse 9, do not lie to one another since you laid aside the what? Now, the old self means the old man is dead. You've laid it aside so you don't lie. Isn't that right? With its what? Evil practices. Now, you laid aside the old man with his evil practices. I want you to circle the old self, evil practices. I want you to draw a line to them, which means you, you've laid aside the lust of the flesh. That's what it's saying right there, the old man. Is that right? But now, verse 10, you have him put on what? The new self. You put on the Lord Jesus Christ. You put on Ephesians 6. You have all the weapons, which are mighty in God. You put on the new self as being what? Renewed to the true knowledge according to what kind of image are you now? You're being removed, renewed to the image with the one who created him. You're being renewed back to the image of God. You're denied to the flesh and its evil desires. Does it say it? Over and over and over and over. Well, he didn't say try to examine it and fit it in a box. He said do it. Walk in grace. Agree with God in your heart and he furnishes the power. Amen? But you do not get around persecution and suffering. If you've got to make a name for your flesh, you're not going to make it. If you've got some kind of image you want to build up, you're not going to build up the image of Jesus. Now, what about some of these people that, hey, we were talking before about the walk, wasn't we? What kind of fruit you bear? About the kind of walk, whether bearing fruit for the devil, whether bearing fruit for the Lord. I want you to turn to John 8. I want you to see what Jesus said to some folks. John 8. John 8. Who didn't bear fruit for the Lord. You know what, before I do that, I forgot something there. I skipped Matthew 15. Just kind of slipped something in there. Let's turn back to Matthew 15. I really need to look at that with you. Now, do you ever wonder what the Lord Jesus would do if he was to walk in to some of our traditions and things that some churches have and so forth? Do you ever wonder what he'd do? Do you ever wonder how he'd handle it? Well, you're fixing to see. You're fixing to see right here in Matthew 15. Now, first, Jesus always comes in and he upsets traditions because he does not agree with traditions. Jesus is the Word. As they say, he just acts like himself. Now, verse 1, then some Pharisees. Do you believe any of those around today? Do you believe any chief priests around today? Okay. Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and here's what they asked him. Boy, that's about half funny. They said, why do your disciples... I can just see him, a little fast talker. Why do your disciples transgress the traditions of elders? They'd already broke one of their traditions. For they do not wash your hands when they eat bread. In other words, you're not fitting in their structure. That's what they're telling Jesus. And he answered and said to them, boy, I'd like this. And said to them, why do you transgress the word of commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? Is that plain, Mr. Pharisee? Verse 19, what's washing your hands have to do with things in your heart? Verse 19, for out of the heart comes evil thoughts. Now, see, from the buns to heart, the mouth speaketh. And here's what he's concerned for. Out of your heart, he's saying, comes evil thoughts, murders, adulterous fornication, stealth, false witness slanders. Verse 20, these are the things which devour a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not devour a man. He's telling them the difference in that, wasn't he? Why, now look back in verse 7. He's trying to please them again. He says, you hypocrites. He sure wasn't trying to get them to join, was he? Join up to 75% devils. You hypocrites rightly did Isaiah prophesy, you saying, this people honor me with their lips, but their heart. Do you see the heart is far away from me in vain. Do they worship me teaching his doctrines of precepts of men. Now in verse 14, let them what? Let them alone. They are blind guides of the who? The blind leading the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, that's where his heart is. Both going to go where? They're all going to the pit, aren't they? Now let's go to John 8. It'll get good. In John 8, please. 31, Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed him, if you remain in my word, then you're the ones that's truly disciples of mine. Right? And John 8, 32, you should know the truth. And what does the truth do? If you know the truth about what the powers of darkness can do in your life, what does the truth in the word do? Set you free. He sent his word to you. Now, verse 33, and answered him, I say, we're Abraham's offspring. I've never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, you shall become free? They weren't enslaved to anyone. See, right then there's slaves of the Roman government. And as James says, demons were hanging on them like bats. So he said, free from what? Free from what? Can you imagine somebody coming out of that church in Graceland up there and going somewhere and saying, you got free from what? And so Jesus answered them, truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of what? Doesn't sound like if they're a slave of sin, you're not a slave of righteousness, are you? Well, seemed like he kind of read in their mail, didn't he? I think he saw something on them that didn't resemble what an image and likeness of God. Let's go on and see what he tells them right there, starting in verse 38. I speak of things which I have seen with my father, and you also what? You do the things which you heard from your father. In other words, your father and my father are different. I speak of things I hear from my father, and look at me, look at me here, and I can tell by your walk, you do the things which you hear from your father. So your father and my father are different. That's how Jesus dealt with things. He looked at the walk, he looked at fruit, and he told who their father was. Well, let's go ahead. And they answered, verse 39, and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, if you're Abraham's children, do the what? Do the deeds of Abraham. May I ask you something? If Jesus Christ is your Lord, are you Abraham's children? Sure you are, the last three verses in Galatians 3 showed you that you're descendants of Abraham. We're Abraham's children. But he said, if you're Abraham's children, he said, do the deeds of Abraham. Oh, sit and you walk. In other words, if you got it, why don't I sit and you walk? Is that what he's saying? Shake your head. Is that what he's saying? Do the deeds of Abraham. If you're Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham. He believed God. Well, let's go on. There in 41, he said, you're doing the deeds of who? Your father. He said over there in 43, he says, why is it you can't understand what I'm saying? And he turns around and answers his own question. He said, it's because you can not hear my word. Look at me. I want to show you why folks can't hear the hard word. Now I'll give it whatever notes a few of you need to do. I want you to hear what I'm fixing to say. I want you to look at it. Now, do you notice that some people you go to witness to, they can hear? And then some of them, they can't hear nothing you're saying. Are you aware of that? Now, let me tell you the difference. The ones who really not turn their heart toward the Lord while you're talking to them, they're not, they want, they resist conviction and everything. The demons are talking to them while you're talking to them. They can't hear because their heart is not turned toward the Lord. Let me give you an example of that. You know, in the parable of the word, Jesus had the largest crowds he ever had, one of the largest crowds he ever had in front of him. And you'd think I had a wonderful time to talk him into something, but he spoke to him in a total mystery and no one understood anything he said, but a few of the disciples that was there, all the multitude went away and they didn't hear him. He had to explain to the disciples what he said. Are you hearing me now? Do you notice that some people you go to witness to, they can hear? And then some of them, they can't hear nothing you're saying. Are you aware of that? Now, let me tell you the difference. The ones who really not turn their heart toward the Lord when you're talking to them, they're not, they want, they resist conviction and everything. The demons are talking to them while you're talking to them. They can't hear because their heart is not turned toward the Lord. Let me give you an example of that. You know, in the parable of the word, Jesus had the largest crowds he ever had, one of the largest crowds he ever had in front of him. And you'd think I had a wonderful time to talk him into something, but he spoke to him in a total mystery and no one understood anything he said, them, but a few of the disciples that were there. All of the multitudes went away and they didn't hear. He had to explain to the disciples what he said. Are you hearing me? Now, if you run into religious folks, there are religious folks around today. A religious folks' hearts go somewhere else. When their heart is not, that's these men right here. Their heart was somewhere, their heart was in their system. That's where their heart was. So he told them, you can't hear the word of God. Do you know why they couldn't hear the word of God? Because they were captive of the powers of darkness. They couldn't get past that speculation and everything because their hearts, they were drawn near with their mouths and they wanted to hear their hearts. Are you hearing? Now when a person draws near with his mouth instead of his heart, God lets deluding influence come over. He'll let you believe a lie and go right straight to hell. Because God intends for you and me to come with a heart because that's where he loves us. A heart. Now, so he's trying to get on the good side of them in verse 44 and said, You of your father the devil. You want to do the what? Desires of who? Your father. Now look at me, folks. I want to show you what you read right there. He says, he's already said, Hey, I can tell where you walk, that you do the things of your father. Is that right? The devil, your father, my father, devil. Did he already say that? He turns right around there and said, You do the desires of your father. Well, what do you think the desires of the father is? The lust of flesh. That's where the heart was. And when your heart goes after a system or after the lust of flesh or anything except the Lord Jesus Christ, I don't mean Jesus, Jesus plus some man, or Jesus plus some teaching, or Jesus plus some organization, or Jesus plus some theology, or Jesus plus some intellect, or Jesus plus some church. I'm telling you what, your heart's turning toward Jesus, the one that's Lord. Now he said, he's already said, You of your father the devil, because you want to do the desires of your father. Now the desires of the father, the desires of the flesh. Now let's go on. Now you see how, do you believe Jesus kind of do this today? I mean, if he were walking here in the flesh, as he did then and everything, this is what he'd point these things out. He wouldn't merely mouth or come in the back door or side door about it. I mean, he, people that represent God say what God said. Did he represent God Almighty? God told him what to say and he said it, right? Okay. Everything he did, he pleased God. Now verse 44, You of your father the devil, you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning. He does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. And whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks it from his own what? Well, I want to tell you that curse on your flesh, that nature of your flesh and the nature of the devil is the same. Do you understand that? That he speaks from his own nature. For he is a liar and the father of lies. Now here's a good verse to kind of box in there and just kind of remember it. Now I want you to remember this. Whenever you start to share something and you want to make tears comfortable in it, or you want to make everyone, it's not up to you to make everyone hear the word of God. Do you understand that? Only the spirit of God makes people hear. It's not your responsibility. It's not our responsibility to build anything. It's our responsibility to build up the body of Christ and the Lord's the one that puts it together. Oh, that's not to say we don't build buildings, you know, to worship in and things like that. But all these, the spirit of God is what leads us. But I want you to remember whenever you proclaim something, and if it looks like there's some people there that's not too happy with what you're proclaiming, if you don't come in and, you know how you water something down? Let me show you something. Just add a little water to it. That's how you water it down. That's how you water something down. Just add water to it. All right, now what is water? Water is the word. So when you see the word of God, and it's going to come in something, you think it's going to upset some tire? Well, you just come in and add some words in it so it will suit his heart, because God doesn't do nothing in that kind of mess. That's a fact. I'll tell you what, the word of God is for those that can hear it. And no one is ever going to hear the word of God because their heart is going to be turned toward God. That is the foundation of the word of God. And that's a different foundation of numbers and good reports. It's a foundation of righteousness. Now, you remember this verse, get your big pencil and get your big old box, put it around it. He who is of God hears the word of God. For this reason, you do not hear them because you're not of God. Now, I've explained to you why people who are not of God, their hearts are somewhere else, or cannot hear the word of God. Now, I'm going to add something here that's not on your notes there probably. But I want to first tell you about it, what he said to them, right after this, and then I'm going to tell you where the scripture is. Just look at me just a second. Jesus looked at these people, church folks. Church folks. He said, it's a Father who glorifies me, of whom you say he's your God, but you've not come to know him. But I know him. And if I say I don't know him, I'll be a liar like you. The reason for life and death up here, he's just going over where that camera is. He said, you call him your God, it's the Father that glorifies me, and you say he's your God, but you don't know him. I know him because I keep his word. Now, why don't you look at this, just to add this to it right over here. Jesus answered, if I glorify myself, I glorify nothing but my Father who glorifies, of whom you say he is our God. And you've not come to know him, but I know him. And if I say I do not know him, I shall be a liar like you. But I do know him, and keep his word. Well, amen. I want you to turn with Romans 1 with me, please. Romans 1, Romans 1, verse 18, for the wrath of God, well, there it is. Well, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who are doing what? Who suppress the truth and unrighteousness. 21, for even though they knew God, they do not honor him as God and give thanks, but they become what? Feudal in their what? Speculations and analyzing. And their foolish what? I want you to remember a foolish heart, because I want to show you something about a man with the wrong foundation who has a foolish heart. He's standing in the wrong place. He's not standing in the Word. And their foolish heart is what? Becomes darkened. And say speculation, verse 22, profession to be what? Wise. Wise in their own eyes they become what? God has chosen a foolish thing in the world to confound the wise, hasn't he? God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. If we're coming to God any other kind of way besides just humble, I mean, we're going to be deceived. All right, now, let's look in 24. These people that suppress the truth and unrighteousness and they're feudal in their speculation, they're wise in their own eyes, 24, therefore God has given them over. God gave them over. Will you please mark God gave them over? Now let's see what God has given them over to. He's given them over to the lust of their hearts. If you ever wonder what impurity is, there's a good verse right there that just shows you the impurity is the lust of the hearts. Amen? That their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they have exchanged the truth of God for what? Now when you exchange the truth and you go after your traditions and everything, you exchange the truth of God. And they worship and serve the creature, and man could be it very easily, one of them. You can worship and serve the creature rather than the what? Creator who is blessed forever, amen. See, in other words, just man-centered all activities, man-centered in the church. All right, let's look in 28. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God is what? Gave them over to what kind of mind? A depraved mind. Now I want you to see what a depraved mind is. To do those things which are not proper. Now immediately some little thought comes up there, just homosexual. I want you to watch and see what all is in there. This depraved mind, you're going to see what it is. Verse 29, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, and what's that next word? Greed. That's a depraved mind is greed. God gives them over to greed. That's the lust of the heart, greed. I want you to mark, I want you to circle the depraved mind. You want to draw your little line there to greed. That's a depraved mind. Evil and full of what? Envy. Envy is a depraved mind. Murder and there is strife. Strife is a depraved mind. Deceitful, malice, they are what? Gossip is a depraved mind. Slanders, haters of God, insolent, arrogant. What's that next word? Boastful people are given over to depraved minds. Inventors of evil, disobedient to pastor, parents, without understanding. Will you please circle that without understanding? Did you ever hear that scripture of that church that had a form of godliness and denied the power? They are without understanding. That's what that means. Without understanding is a people who have been given over to a depraved mind. Do you see that? Shake your head. Now let's go on. Untrustworthy, they are unloving. Do you see that? That is a depraved mind that's not loving. Unmerciful and although they know the word of God, the ordinance of God, that those who practice these things are worthy of death, they not only do the same thing but give hearty approval to those who practice them. If they're a big tither, are important. You in the New Testament? Romans 2. Well, I'm going to add a verse there in verse 2. It's probably not on your notes. I'm going to put in verse 2, and we know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who what? People who practice these things, the judgment of God is on them. That's exactly right. Now let's go to verse 4. Or do you think lightly? Do you think? Please circle think lightly. You say yes. Do you think lightly of the riches of this kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to what? You know what the kindness of God, you know, I'm just overwhelmed at times when I think of the patience that God has had with me, the long suffering that God has had with me. Now I can't see why anybody wouldn't have that kind of a testimony here, to know just a little about God and see the patience, and why God would ever consider me, how he could ever put up with me. I know just little enough about the Word of God, I just wonder how he has put up with me and had the long suffering and grace that he's had. Say, do you think lightly of this? God, the Word says. Do you think lightly of this? But because of your what? Verse 5. Your what? Your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart. Do you see that? It's not a repentant heart, it's just stiff-necked and stubborn, unrepentant. You are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who is going to render to every man according to his walk, his deeds. Do you see that? Let's go on to the next verse. To those who by perseverance, now we are going to see a couple of things here. We are going to see one gets wrath and one gets eternal life. Let's look at it. To those who by perseverance, and perseverance in doing what? What is good? That's good in God's eyes, righteousness, right? Seek for glory and honor and immortality and what do they receive there? There it is, eternal life. But, now we run into but, and we see the opposite of this right here again. But, to those who are what? Selfishly, ambitiously living for their flesh and do not what? They don't obey the Word of God. I hope you are marking this when you go back over this and you are going to wonder where some of these things are if you don't underline them. They are selfish, they live for their flesh, they do not obey the Word of God, but they obey unrighteousness. What is unrighteousness? The flesh. Here is what they get. Wrath and indignation. Do you see that right there? There will be tribulation. Now here we run into it again, verse 9. There will be tribulation and it has come on you and everyone in this world. Tribulation and distress for ever what? So the man who does what? Now there is a promise for you. I want you to look at me, what you just read. I want to tell you what you just saw right there. There is going to be tribulation and distress to your soul when you do evil. What is evil? The lust of flesh is evil because it lures, I mean it takes away God's protection for you when you deliberately do these things and practice these things with a stubborn and unrepentant heart. It brings, and so it is a war against your mind and your will and emotions for those who do evil. It is a war against your soul. Are you seeing this? It is over and over and over and over through the word. That is what it is talking about. When you sow to the flesh, you reap corruption and the judgment of God, we have already said it right up there, the judgment of God rightly falls on those who what? Practice those things. Do you see that right up there in verse 2? 2 goes with tribulation and distress, goes to those who practice, who do evil. Now, but verse 10, but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good, that is the word, to the Jew first and also the Greek. Verse 13, now get ready for this verse. Verse 13, for not the hearers of the word are just before God, not the ones who are here, but the what? Doers of the ones that be what? Do you see that? The doers of the words are the ones who are going to be justified. Turn with me over to 2 Timothy 3 please. 2 Timothy 3. 2 Timothy 3, let's start in verse 1 please. But realize this, in the last days difficult times will come. Now see if you recognize any depraved mind. Now let me tell you what this, this, this, who we are reading about right here. We are reading about a church. You know why I know their church? They have a form of godliness. Why I put these things you would like to read about, about the world. We know the world is these things, but this is a people that profess to know God, to honor God, and they have a form of godliness. They don't honor God, I mean they have a form of godliness. But these are going to be in the last days. Now I want you to circle the last days and I want you to watch what we read. See if you notice a depraved mind. For these men in this congregation are going to be lovers of what? They are lovers of themselves. They are lovers of money. This congregation is going to be what? Boastful. This congregation is going to be arrogant or proud. This congregation is going to be revelers, disobedient to parents. They are going to be ungrateful, unholy. Unholy people have depraved minds. They walk out of the flesh. Look here, they are unloving. That is the way it is going to be in the last days. Irreconcilable, malicious gossips. They are without self-control. They don't have any self-control, they can't resist the flesh. They are brutal, haters of good. Let's stone him, throw him off a cliff. Treacherous, reckless, they are conceited. They are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Probably a volleyball tournament for the interviewer of the prayer meeting. Don't touch my calf. Five, they are holding to what? A form of godliness. A form of godliness is not godliness. Although they deny what? They deny the power of God and avoid such men as these. In these kinds of congregations you see what happens in Sixth from among them are those who enter into households captivate weak women way down with the sins led from various impulses. Verse 7, this congregation is always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Always knew good things, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. And Justice Janice, these are magicians that opposed Moses. Moses had the word of God, didn't he? All right, let's watch there. And Justice Janice and Jambers opposed Moses, so these men also what? What did they oppose? They opposed the word. Kill him. Stone him. They'll do it just like the Pharisees did. They'll do it to you. But you know, the truth, when Jesus came in the truth to those Pharisees, what did it do? It upset them. Huh? Believe it did. John the Baptist didn't please a lot of folks either, did he? You snake. They opposed the truth. They're men of what kind of mind? Now, if you want to know what kind of congregation it is, it's a depraved mind. We just looked and saw what was in that congregation right there, didn't we? Is that a depraved mind? Did you just read over in Romans 1 what a depraved mind and why people, they honor God, they honor a creature instead of God. They suppress the truth and unrighteousness. Is that right? And here's the last part. They opposed the truth. They're men of depraved mind. Circle depraved mind about four times. They're rejected as regards to faith. Sounds like I might lose more than some rewards, doesn't it? Verse 9, but they will not make further progress. In other words, they're going as far as they're going to go. For their folly is going to be obvious to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear. That's also that of those who came to be. Verse 12. Here's a promise for you. Folks, do something with this verse right here and remember it. And actually, if you've got some place you want to put some verses or something like that you want to memorize or keep, right here's some good ones. I say if he's going to pick out anything in this seminar right here, he's going to put aside these next three verses I'd like to see you do. Indeed, all, all, all, all, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus, here's a promise for you. You will be persecuted when you obey this word. When you walk in this word, and you want to please God more than you do men, I'm going to tell you what, the powers of darkness is going to bring folks against you. They've got to stop you. And if they can intimidate you as a shepherd, listen to me. Just as I shared with you how they bring people against the shepherd, back him off. Bring pressure, words, curses, stone him, tear down his reputation, tear down everything he is, family, everything he does, to make him back off. Right there. Add some water to it. We'll like you a little. We'll take the heat off if you'll add some water to it. All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus. Now a form of godliness is not godliness, but if you desire to live godly in Christ Jesus, you will be persecuted. Listen folks, let me give you a little secret. I'm going to share something with you in the parable of the word later on, that one of the biggest attacks that the powers of darkness has on you, is when you start lining your life up with the word of God, the persecution comes to you and then you let your mind get on the persecution instead of on the word of God. And they steal the word out of your heart that way. The powers of darkness take the word out of your heart because you get your heart on the persecution instead of keeping it on God. Take the eyes off of Jesus. That's why persecution comes to you. Now let me ask you something. What does it matter what folks is saying or what God is saying? Now does everybody today who goes by the name of Christian want to do what God says? Now people who get into systems and have reputation after the flesh, I'm telling you what, this comes hard against people who have reputations after the flesh. Do you understand that? Because it tears down their system. Now, verse 13, "...but evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." What do we see? The blind leads the blind? Deceived? You know, if your heart goes to somebody who is already deceived, instead of you letting Jesus lead you in all truth, you're letting some man, either because he's got sheep's clothing or he's got credentials or whatever. What does your heart go to? Credentials or Jesus? Well, if it doesn't go to Jesus, you can't hear the Word of God. Because you've got your eyes on intellect, you've got your eyes on credentials. Jesus didn't say, "...not many wise after the flesh are called." Is that right? Is that what he said over in 1 Corinthians? I'm telling you, there's a place for the whole body of Christ. Isn't there? I'm going to tell you, I can encourage you because you've got a place in the body of Christ because Jesus didn't spend too much time trying to find trained men, did he? They did all right, didn't they? The Spirit of God working through them. Read your Bible. "...deceived and being deceived, the blind leading the blind." Verse 14, "...you however..." Now here it is, here we go. "...you however continue in the things you have..." What? "...learned from the Lord, and become convinced of knowing from whom you've learned them." Learned everything you know, become convinced of knowing from whom you've learned everything you know. That's another way to say it. Amen? Are you willing to do that for the Lord? Are you willing the Lord to show you anything that you've learned wrong? Are you teachable? Do you love folks more than you love God? Do you love traditions more than you love God? Do you think that it's possible that any of us could have learned anything wrong? Chapter 4, verse 3, "...for the time will come when they're not going to..." Folks, they're not going to endure sound doctrine, but they're wanting to have their ears tickled. Why are they wanting their ears tickled? It goes on. "...because they're going to look for and accumulate them teachers in accordance to their own..." What? "...desires." Well, you must mark out their flesh and desires. Now you know if somebody wants to be religious, you know what he'll do. He's already got him a lifestyle. Look at me just a second. You already have a lifestyle worked out in this world. There you go, he'll go shop around and do it. He'll just find him a teacher that will tick his ears to make him comfortable in that lifestyle, and he might help God out. You know, God's broke. In verse 4, they're not going to endure sound doctrine, isn't it? "...because they want to live according to their own desires." And in verse 4, "...they'll turn their ears away from the..." What? "...the Word, and they'll turn aside to..." What? "...myths." Well, how about that? Well, let me just tell you something about this analyzing and speculating about the Word of God. Who do you think causes all that? Who do you think is behind all this thing? See, if everyone's busy analyzing and speculating about the Word of God and everything instead of walking about it, being experts about the Word of God instead of being an expert walking in, who do you think is behind all that? Do you think the powers of darkness might have something to do with that? Sure. Back up to chapter 2 in verse 23, "...but refuse foolish and ignorant speculation." In other words, speculation is foolish and ignorant. "...knowing that they produce quarrels." That's what it does. Lately, I've been trying to be drawn in on words and opinions. The word right there says, "...refuse it." 24, "...the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but he is going to be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness." What are you doing? Correcting those who are in what? Opposition. Now, let me ask you something. Look at me just a second. Do you think the ones who speculate and just analyze the Word of God and instead of walking in it, do you think they're in opposition to the Word of God? They surely are. They're in opposition. So here's what God said, "...with kindness." It didn't say, stick your light down his throat, did it? "...be kind to, able to teach, patient with them." Isn't that right? "...with gentleness, correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them what?" Now, first, they need to repent and turn from this, and then they're going to be, after they repent, they're led to the knowledge of the what? They're led to the truth. Now, I want you to watch this next verse, "...and they may come to their senses then, after they've led to the truth, and escape from the snare of the devil, or the demons, having been held captive by him, to do the will of the devil." Do you see that? Isn't that plain? Huh? I believe it is.