In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the need for the next generation of preachers to operate in the miraculous and demonstrate the power of God. He criticizes the use of enticing words over the demonstration of power, warning that this will leave the young pastors ill-equipped for the spiritual battle ahead. The preacher also highlights the danger of trading the central message of the cross for a soothing massage by the clergy and relying on slick how-to manuals instead of seeking fresh bread from heaven. He issues a warning about the consequences of not preaching the severe penalties for disobeying God, as it leads to a society without fear of God. The preacher encourages pastors to seek God and rely on His wisdom rather than relying on external sources for their messages. He concludes by urging everyone to turn to 2 Timothy 4, where the apostle Paul charges Timothy to preach the word with demonstration of the spirit and power of God.

This is definitely a warning. This is a warning from God. I spend a lot of time in prayer before preparing a message. God speaks to me, and then I preach it. I don't preach messages from the Internet. I don't preach messages from some encyclopedia set or some website. I go after God. And pastors that are listening today, you need to do the same thing. Turn with me to 2 Timothy, the book of 2 Timothy. Everyone, turn with me to the book of 2 Timothy chapter 4. I've entitled this message, Give Me Some Sugar. Give Me Some Sugar. You'll understand the title in just a minute. 2 Timothy chapter 4, beginning at the first verse. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom, preach the word. Be instant in season, out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. But after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables. Now fables, my friend, in the original Greek is fiction or nonsense. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. Now 2 Corinthians, turn there with me. 2 Corinthians chapter 11. 2 Corinthians chapter 11. This is the same writer. That was Paul writing to what most scholars believe was a teenager. Timothy was a very, very young man. Just starting out in the ministry and Paul was setting his course. 2 Corinthians 11, same writer. Verse 2, for I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear less by any means as a serpent beguiled Eve through his satility. So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For he that cometh preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached. Or if you receive another spirit which you have not received or another gospel which you have not accepted, ye might bear with him. That means you might put up with it easily. For those of you that have studied the church in Corinth, you know that a lot of false doctrine was slipping in. The same is happening today in America and all over the world. Now, I'm going to be giving you some scriptures. I'm not asking you to look all of them up. But what is that gospel Paul was talking about? Paul said also to the church in Corinth, in 1 Corinthians 1.17, For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is of them that perish foolishness. Everyone say, preaching of the cross. But unto us which are saved it is the power of God. Verse 23 of 1 Corinthians 1 says this, But we preach Christ crucified. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2, verse 2, he said, For I am determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Verse 4, he said, And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Now, before venturing in to the word the Lord has placed on my heart, I want you to know that there is nothing new under the sun. I want you to turn to the Old Testament, Isaiah chapter 30. Isaiah chapter 30, and I would like everyone to know listening around the world, that I was hard pressed to cut this message down to an hour. Very difficult. Because as I started reading the word of God and cross-referencing, I found that this was a common problem in the church world. Isaiah 30, verse 9. Now, let me ask before we go any further, how many can handle a hard word from God? So many people today can't handle difficult words from God. I'm reminded of when Jesus said, Eat my flesh and drink my blood. And they said, this is a hard saying, Jesus. Basically, what they're saying in John chapter 6 to Jesus is, Just heal us, would you? And just feed us. Don't get heavy. And the Bible says they all left. These were all followers of Jesus. And let me remind everyone here that when Jesus experienced the crowd leaving, and I say this to pastors around the world, when Jesus experienced the loss of the crowd, when they walked out of the stadium, when they walked out of the arena, when they walked out of their church, He did not chase after them. As a matter of fact, He stood His ground. Jesus will not change His teaching for anyone. And then He turned to His disciples and said, How about you boys? Are you with me or not? And I promise you, my friend, if they had said, You know, Lord, it's been okay up to this point. But this is a little tough to swallow. I think we're going to rethink. I'm going to go back to fishing. I'm going to go back to tax collecting. I'm going to go back to doing this. This is a little tough. Jesus would have walked out by Himself. He's not going to change His message to accommodate the crowd. Isaiah 30, verse 9. This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord. Verse 10. Which say to the seers, see not. And to the prophets, prophesy not unto us right things. Speak unto us smooth things. Prophesy deceit. Get out of the way. Turn aside out of the path. Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. They were saying, Flatter us. Flatter us. Tell us something good about us. Don't cause the Holy One of Israel to be in front of us. Get Him out of here. We want to live our lives. Nothing new under the sun. In Ezekiel, just listen to this scripture. In Ezekiel 22, verse 26. The Bible says, they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane. And they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean. And they hide their eyes from my Sabbath. And I am profaned among them. And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them. Seeing false visions and divining lies for them. Thus says the Lord God when the Lord has not spoken. The following message is being delivered out of a direct mandate from the Lord. For those of you listening here today and those tuned in via internet. I come to you under the unction of the Holy Ghost. Speaking of the internet. I am not only amazed but eternally grateful for the technology that God has granted to this generation. The term we used years ago, global village. Now takes on a whole new meaning. I can speak this message today in Dallas Fort Worth. And receive emails and letters from all over the world concerning its content. Although the internet allows man to achieve his wildest communication dreams. It is also the channel of some of the most ridiculous and damning teachings in the body of Christ. Every watered down, self-exalting, Christless teaching known to man. Is whizzing around the globe faster than the speed of light. It is a crying shame that children who need to desperately hear about the shed blood of Jesus. How God loves them and has a plan for their lives. Must first wade through piles of garbage and mucky, polluted rivers. Before hearing and receiving just a morsel of truth. There exists within my heart a sincere concern for the family of God. This concern is a driving force behind my words. My concern is not only for the family of God that exists today. But for those who will come hungering and thirsting after the truth tomorrow. I am reminded of the prophet Amos. When he said in Amos 8, 11 and 12. They will run to and fro looking for truth. But they will not be able to find it. Now there is a term that has become popular over the last 10 years. We've all heard it. It has to do with what is attractive to the sight. And that term is eye candy. Lots of lights. Lots of spectacle. Lots of fun. Pleasant to the eyes. The scripture we just read serve as a warning. They are describing a trend of teaching that could easily fall under the category of ear candy. This would be words that are flowing from pulpits all over America. That cause the hearers to feel good and want more. That is why I've entitled this. Give me some sugar. I liken these sweet truths that have become the main course of our diets as sugary sweets. Sugary treats if you will. And any dietician will tell you about the dangers of steadily consuming candy. Even the bible says in Proverbs chapter 25 verse 16. Have you found honey? Eat only what you need. Unless you get filled with it and throw up. Proverbs 25 verse 16. Have you found honey? Don't eat too much. Or you'll get filled up on it and vomit. We've all heard the song that talks about a spoon full of sugar. Helping the medicine go down. That may be true. But today in the spiritual sense. There is no medicine. The doctors of the word. The clergy. Are afraid to prescribe the very medicine. That was made available from heaven's pharmacy 2000 years ago. Sin was the disease. The blood was the cure. Repentance was God's only method of putting the two together. It's not sweet for Jesus. It was a bitter cup. It wasn't sweet. When the crown of thorns was pressed upon his head. And blood spilled into his eyes. It wasn't sweet. When they took a whip of leather. Holding pieces of glass or stone. And shredded his back. Like a farmer would plow a field. It wasn't sweet. When they blindfolded him. Slapped his face and mocked his deity. It wasn't sweet. When they placed a beam on his raw exposed shoulders. Forcing him down Calvary's road. It wasn't sweet. When he fell under the load. It wasn't sweet. When they laid his body on the beams. And pierced his hands and feet. It wasn't sweet. When the cross dropped in the hole. And ripped even further. The flesh that had just been pierced. It wasn't sweet. When he lifted his voice and said. Father forgive them. They know not what they do. It wasn't sweet. When he pierced the heavens. With these agonizing words. My God. My God. Why have you forsaken me? I'm speaking to you of the gospel story. The penetrating truth. Of what Jesus Christ had to endure. So we could be adopted into his family. Should I continue? What was the trend after the death and resurrection of Christ? How about that fiery evangelist? John the Baptist who preceded the Lord just a few years. In his death. When he came up and said I baptize you in water. But there's someone coming after me that will baptize you in fire. What was his sweet end? He was put in a dungeon. His head was sliced off. And offered at a banquet on a platter. It wasn't sweet. When Peter was crucified upside down. It wasn't sweet. When Paul the apostle was beaten with whips. And thrown in the dungeon. It wasn't sweet. When the testimony of the early Christians. Resulted in them being thrown to the lions. Or burned alive. As human torches. It isn't sweet today. In nations of the world. Where men and women are dying for the preach. For preaching the cross. Today. Joyfully giving up their lives in order to receive the crown of life. Now 2000 years after the grueling brutal death of Jesus Christ. We find this story glossed over and sugar coated. As to not offend. Society's delicate palates. With the bitter truth. We all know the dangers. Of a physical diet containing too many sweets. Diabetes. Obesity. Heart disease. Hyperactivity. Anxiety. Depression. We should equally recognize. The debilitating dangers. Of having our spiritual digestive systems. And our stomachs filled with junk food jargon. Did you know. That history records. That wars have been won. By the enemy. Feeding the opposing army. Sugar. They infiltrated their ranks. With chocolate. What happened? The enemy became addicted. They became sluggish. They became lazy. And they were easily overthrown. By the opposing army. The parallel is obvious. Today the enemy of our soul. Has entered into the pulpits of America. And is serving up a diet. Void of any nutritional value. Rather than using catchy little phrases today. Or an acrostic or rhyming words. I'm just going to take our second Timothy text. And just break it down for you. And you're going to see how relevant this is to today. The burning that's in my heart my friend. Can only be relieved by delivering what God has spoken to me. I can identify. With the prophet Jeremiah. When he said this. Your word in my heart. Is like a fire. A fire shut up in my bones. And I am weary of holding it in. Indeed. I cannot. We are entering into the most important days of church and world history. Throughout the ages men and women who love the Lord. Have shed their blood in order to keep the cross. As a central message of the church. And I feel a responsibility to the martyrs of yesteryear. The ministers of today. The Elishas and the Timothys of tomorrow. And above all my Lord and Savior. To hold high the sufferings of Jesus. The devastating results of slipping away from proclaiming fundamental doctrinal truths. Are too much to bear. Let me say that again. The devastating results. Of slipping away from proclaiming fundamental doctrinal truths. Are too much to bear. We must all feel the responsibility. We must carry the burden. We must share in the load. If we are to successfully carry out. Our part. Of the great commission. You've heard me say before. That the curtain is closing. We are now in the last. Act. Of the play. When the curtains close. There will be no encore. There will be no repeat performance. In this courtroom drama. Called life. There will be no surprise witness. Running into the room. There will be no. Inadmissible evidence. There will be no mistrial. This is it. Now is the time. Now I want everyone to just give me your best ear. Those of you that are listening by the internet. I've already got people upset at me. And some of you clergy that are listening by the internet. Are thinking is he thinking about me. Did he prepare this message. Thinking about me. All I say to you pastor. Is you listen to this message. Spiritually. Not carnally. Spiritually. And be honest. Be honest. And look at your life. From the moment you came into the ministry to now. Have you changed the message. There are people in this room. That have known me forever. Richard Schultz. Who is the executive pastor here at this church. Was one of the ones that trained me. In Bible school. Under David Wilkerson. He has seen a consistency. For almost 30 years. When the Brownsville revival broke out. The messages. The same. All the way through. It didn't matter if the New York Times. CNN. Good morning America. It made no difference who was sitting in the audience. They all got the same message that God had laid on my heart. Never catering to the crowd. Never will cater to the crowd. You want to know why my friend. Because one day. This body is going to die. But Steve Hill will live forever. And I'm going to stand before my Jesus. And I'm going to look at the nail holes in his hands. And I'm going to see the nail holes in his feet. And I'm going to say Jesus. I preached about that. He's going to say. I know you did. Enter in. Faithful servant. The Bible says the time will come. I'm just breaking this scripture down. Paul. No doubt was talking about. The same time that he mentioned in 2 Timothy chapter 3. When he said in the last days. Perilous times. Shall come. And he talked about people. That would have a form of godliness. But deny the power. Thereof. This is 2 Timothy 3. Verse 5. For these kind of people. Will creep into houses. And lead captive. Weak willed women. Who are swayed by all kinds. Of evil desires and lusts. Now it's not difficult for me to understand. These words of Paul. Paul was speaking about what had happened in the past. I'm talking about right now. The time will come. Over the centuries. And I speak of B.C. and A.D. The people of God. Have always had the tendency. To look over their shoulder. At Sodom. It has always been the M.O. Of the people of God. The children of God. To grow weary of manna. I want to tell you my friends. I sense. The favor of God. We've always grown weary of manna. The people of God. Have always wanted to go back to the slavery. Of Egypt. To enjoy what I call the devil's delights. The Old Testament. Records horrific events. That occurred when God's people. Swayed from his mandates. People would face the wrath of God. With stern consequences. When an attempt was made. To alter or disobey the truth. On the other hand. There have been seasons. In church history. When if you were preaching the truth. The blood. The cross. Repentance. Sin. Then you would be offering yourself up. As a living sacrifice. To be thrown to the lions. Burned at the stake. Turned into a human torch. Pulled apart by horses. Filleted alive. Just to mention of a few. Of the horrific tortures. Prescribed to those who stood. For Jesus. I say unashamedly today. Without reservation pastor. If you are not. Experiencing persecution. From those who are under. Your voice. Then you are not preaching. The truth. The word of God. Offends. Always has. Always will. But what about all the good stuff. That God wants us to prosper. And be in hell. Church look this way. And those listening at home. Listen clearly. Of course that's in the word. But Jesus spoke more about hell. Than he did about heaven. Those are the benefits. Of being saved. But first people have got. To get saved. And you don't get saved. Watching a clip from a local movie. In your church building. I believe one of the reasons. There is so much of the watering down. Of the gospel today. Is because we live in a country. That will permit anything. We are just like the scripture. Silly little women. Easily swayed. By our own lust. Our lust for power. Our lust for pleasure. Our lust for recognition. I believe one of the reasons. Ministers in churches today. Remember the bible says. The time will come. Yea I say unto you. The time is now. I believe one of the many reasons. Ministers in churches today. Have become popular. Is simply because they have lost. The sting of the story. It's as if everyone is lured. To this gigantic. Honey laden beehive. With no consequences of being stung. Why? There are no. Warrior bees. Watching the hive. It's all sugar. Just scoop some in your hand. And slop it down. The bible says they will not endure. Sound doctrine. To endure means they will not. Put up with it. Sound doctrine. Means healthful. Wholesome. Doctrine. It's not talking about sugar. The bible is talking about that. Which encourages. And contributes to the health. Of the soul. These are people who seek instruction. That is more comfortable to their lifestyle. Fitting their wishes and their desires. But I find it interesting. It is contrary. To the words of Jesus. If anyone want to be. One of my disciples. He must. Deny himself. Amen. Pick up his cross. And follow me. I'm dying people. This is killing me. I wasn't raised like this. I'm watching. The pentecostal churches. All over America. Slip into this abyss. Pastors that were at one time. Filled with the holy ghost. They spoke in tongues. They prayed for the sick. Now. Open up their services. Or some. Latest song. Of secular radio. Just so they can be relevant. Pastor. You don't have to take all that to them. They have got to come to the cross. Whatever happened. To these words. That have echoed for centuries. Passed down the quarters of time. Woe unto me. Paul said. If I don't preach the gospel. For necessity is laid upon me. Paul said. You see my friend. Nobody wants the disciples to leave. So we water it down. To keep them close. Everyone wants to keep their following. Everyone wants to grow their audience. Everyone wants to increase their mailing list. Oh the money won't come in. And if you offend the givers. I got news for you. Those of you that are listening around the world. At Heartland Fellowship Church. We started this church about 19 months ago. We are running 1100, 1200 people now. From preaching the pure gospel. 80% of the congregation tithe. 80% tithe. So something is wrong with your philosophy. Something is wrong with your theology. If you think the preaching of the word. Is going to drive people away. Or the whole counsel of God. The whole truth is going to drive people away. Then how come Heartland. Is skyrocketing. Oh the money won't come in. If you offend the givers. The coffers won't fill up. Unless you speak words they want to hear. The tithers will leave. If you confront their sin. They want to be stroked. Not strike. They want to be pacified. They won't put up with the whole counsel of God. And then the bible says. A lust is after their own lusts. A lust is setting your heart. Upon something else. Outside of Christ. Give me some sugar. Pastor. Give me some sugar. Come here pastor just give me some sugar. Kiss me pastor. Give me something sweet. They seek teaching that will gratify their carnal desires. They want you to deal gently. With their evil ways. Please don't call it sin. Pastor. All I did was make a mistake. I've slipped up a little bit. It's not that bad. Oh Isaiah chapter 30 verse 10. Listen to it again. Prophesy not unto us right things. Don't speak anything hard to us. Give us smooth things. Prophesy deceit. Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. Tell me I'm wonderful. Tell me I'm a winner. Give me the seven steps to being successful. After their own lusts. Am I incorrect in saying to you that we are supposed to align ourselves up with the word? Is that correct? And how many here along with your pastor would say sometimes it's pretty difficult. Because the word is strong medicine. This is the way. Walk ye in it. Boys. When you look upon a woman with lust in your heart you've committed adultery. Whoa. The lust of the flesh. The lust of the eyes. The pride of life. These are the things. That's called the love of the world. And if that's in you, Christ is not. But these are the three things that have drifted right into the church. They heap to themselves teachers having itching ears. You know what that means? That's the only place in the New Testament you'll find that word heap. That means to gather together. It means to accumulate. And as I began to study this I saw. There it is. Nowadays in Christianity you have genres of teachers. They are of that camp. I know what camp I'm of. But the Bible says that the people are going after these teachers and bringing them together. I remember. And these are people that are gathering all the prophets. Gathering the teachers. Gathering the lukewarm pastors. All together they went. And reading the material. All agreeing with one another. Why? Non-offensive. I'll never forget my friend when a couple came into my office and said, will you marry us? And I looked in their face knowing that I could lose some people in the church. I said, no. How long have you known him? Six months. How long have you been a Christian? He said, about three months. How long have you known the Lord, Cindy? 18 years. Do you know Cindy, his background? Eric, look at me, son. How many women have you slept with? And he dropped his head. I said, look at me. How many women have you slept with? He said, maybe half a dozen or so. And Cindy looked over at him and he said, I was going to talk to you about it. And then Eric said this to me. Eric said, if you don't marry us, we'll find a pastor who will. You know what I said to him? Of course you will. Because there are plenty of pastors out there that don't care. They don't care about people. They don't care about your soul. But Eric, Cindy, I care about you. But these people are heaping themselves. They're saying, well, if you're going to talk like that, we'll just go somewhere else where we can get some sweet stuff. Where a pastor will stroke us. Go ahead. They're out there. You know what it's like? The people are deciding what to eat for their spiritual dinner. Just as you go to the grocery store and have a choice of filling your cart with healthy, nutritional foods or those that will damage the body and have no nutritional value. We also have a choice of what we're going to eat spiritually. The itching ears, I don't even need to spend any time on that. That is self-explanatory in the scripture. When you have an itch, you want someone to scratch it. I want to tell you the devil's most favorite time of the week. Sunday morning. Pastors, you're about to be offended, but do not turn your internet off. Sunday mornings. You want to know why? Because the devil knows if he can get as many people to church as possible so they'll hear a sugar-coated, lukewarm, relevant message from some internet pastor. Then they'll come in for that 45-minute service, and the message is only about 20-25 minutes. They'll come in, and what happens, they've got this little itch, because everyone has itches. Everyone has this religious itch. And they'll scratch it. And the pastor will go, you're fine. Everything's good. Everything's okay. Oh. Oh. And they'll walk out and feel good about themselves. Churches all over the Metroplex are filled up today for this very reason. Never confronted. Never spoken to. Never a heart-to-heart riveting message that can change their lives. Rather some man-be-pammy message on how to cope. When 90% of the problems come from sinful lifestyles. Never forget a young man that sat right there. He'll be here in the next service. Came up to me afterwards and said, I love this church. Want to know why? Because when I came here, I was heavy into fornication. And you spoke to me about my sin. I love this church. And then he named the church he had been going to for the last three years. And been in bed for the last three years with this girl. In the church. And he proceeded to say, no one, period, no one ever spoke to me. We might as well go play golf or get in your car and drive off to the NASCAR race. What's the point? Hosea called it this, like people like priests. And he blasted it. Jeremiah said this in Jeremiah 530, it's a horrible and shocking thing that has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy lies. The priests rule by their own authority. And my people love it this way. And then Jeremiah said, oh, but what will you do in the end? Now, I'm going to close in just a minute, but listen to the rest. They shall turn from the truth. They shall turn their ears from the truth. The Bible says in Romans 10, how are they going to hear unless someone teaches them? Unless somebody's sent. How are they going to hear without a preacher? I love the preaching of the word. I love preaching. How many can tell I enjoy this? One lady came up to me after a service, I think it was last week, came up and she said, let me tell you one thing about you. You love what you do. I said, I do. I love what I do. But what is the truth? For those of you that are still convinced, for those listening today who don't believe that our clergy's delivery has become diluted, for those of you that are saying to Steve Hill that you better tone down your delivery, just listen to these riveting words from this book, and I read to you Billy Graham's message at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Listen to this. And this was in 1957. Listen to this. Few people want to be sinners, but they are. This is direct, the direct message. By the way, the New York Times used to print all his messages in the newspaper verbatim. The liberal New York Times. Hmm. You know what's interesting? When I preached at Brownsville, the New York Times put my message on the front page of the newspaper, and it talked about busting hell wide open, and I mean it was amazing what the liberal media will do when you don't compromise. Few people want to count God out of their affairs, but they do. What is wrong? The Bible calls it sin. How long has it been since you heard somebody talk about sin? The word sin has almost become taboo in some of our preaching, and is rarely used in private conversations. Some psychologists tell us that it is not good for people to be too morbidly concerned with sin. They say it is not mentally healthy to fasten our thoughts on our own failures. This has become one of the greatest fallacies of our time. The Bible does not handle sin with kid gloves, no more than a physician is sentimental about a disease. The Bible warns, now look this way people, this is the beloved Billy Graham. The Bible warns, he said, to the overflow crowd that went from Madison Square Garden to the incredible New York Yankees stadium, and then after that it kept growing and growing and growing, and they filled up Times Square. People coming to hear what? This. No hoopla, no fanfare, just a skinny little on fire preacher. Then he says, the Bible warns, your sins will find you out, and whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God's sin, is when you fall short of God's moral standards. That's you, that's every one of us. That's why friend, when I read in the newspaper, when I read in a magazine that they're calling some preacher today the next Billy Graham, I want to vomit. Sir, if you're listening today and you want to take that godly man's place, then you better preach that godly man's message. I'm not mad, you guys know me man, I'm the happiest person on the globe, but I am a concerned father. I'm a member of this thing called the clergy. I am a pastor of a thriving church that's raising up disciples. My friend, what are they hearing from your pulpit? Billy Graham didn't preach some soupy, self-centered society-seeking sermon. I will say that again. Billy Graham did not become popular by preaching soupy, self-centered, society- its words were born out of no compromise, sin, repentance, and forgiveness. What are you serving up, pastor? Why are you afraid to speak of the blood and the cross? Why has the word sin and its counterpart, repent, been deleted from your vocabulary? How is it, my dear Pentecostal preachers, that your people haven't heard you speak in tongues? What are you afraid of? Who do you not want to offend? Who are you trying to lead, and where are you leading them? Don't ever forget the very manifestations that caused the crowd to grow on the day of Pentecost. Those manifestations, drunken in the spirit, speaking in other languages, and here comes the world. Those are the very manifestations today that Pentecostal churches are relegating to the back rooms somewhere. Why? We don't want to offend people. I'm in shock. You want to know why? Because the torch is in our hands. These men and women have run through the centuries. Some have fallen and been eaten alive by lions. Today, in India, men and women are being killed for the cause of Christ all around the world, and what are we doing? We're taking the very gospel that they're dying for and diluting it into a sugary, sweet piece of nonsense. Eat this. It'll make you healthy, make you better. It's going to kill them, pastor. Hungry souls that need a fresh, cutting word from the heart of God, they open their mouths, receive the soft, easy-to-digest, spoon-fed, mediocre meal from the latest candy-laced Christian cookbook. Instead of receiving a fresh meal from the bakery of heaven, they receive a cream-filled pastry from the bakery of hedonism. My dear Pentecostal pastor friend, this needs to come to you as a warning. The very thing that has set you apart, set you on fire, caused you to be the talk of the town, has now become an embarrassment to you. You don't want your church to appear strange, so instead, you settle for a church that has become sterile. What's truth? That man is a sinner. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That sin separates you from God. Your iniquities have separated between you and your God. Your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear you. What is truth? That sin will destroy you. Romans 6, 23, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. What is truth? Sin will enslave you, Jesus said. Barely, barely, I say to you, whosoever commits sin is a servant of sin. Sin will keep you from heaven. 1 Corinthians 6, 9 and 10. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. Hebrews 9, 22. That Jesus Christ shed his blood on Calvary. John 1, 29. That God wants everyone to be saved. 2 Peter 3, 9. That we can be saved by faith in Jesus. Romans 10, 9. That there is only one way to heaven. John 14, 6. That once you're saved, you can be filled with the Holy Ghost. Acts 1, 8. That once you become a Christian, your lifestyle changes. What are you talking about? 2 Corinthians 5, 17. If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. They shall turn unto fables. Nonsense. Here's some of the nonsense being preached today. And folks, I'm not only warning the world, and trust me, I'm going to get emails and letters from all over the globe on this. But I'm doing this for your sake. Because some of you feel funny about some of the stuff that's on Christian television. You see it and you feel funny, and you don't know if you should feel funny or not. Feel ye funny. I mean, you look at it and go, what is that? Try to get saved watching some of those broadcasts. Try to get saved. Kneel at your television set. Try to get saved. Wait for the gospel to be preached. God wants you to be happy, happy, happy. This is the nonsense that's being preached. These are the fables that are being preached. Don't worry about living holy, holy, holy. He wants you happy, happy, happy. God wants you to live a life of luxury rather than a life of sacrifice. God doesn't want you to deny yourself anything. Forget about laying it all down, picking up your cross and following Him. God wants you to drink from the cup of pleasure rather than be willing to drink from a cup of pain. God wants you to live lives of popularity rather than suffer any kind of persecution. The central message of the cross has been traded for a soothing massage by the clergy. I'll say that again. The central message of the cross has been traded for a soothing massage by the clergy. Rather than young pastors falling on their faces, going after God and receiving fresh bread from heaven, they're running to the internet, ordering slick how-to manuals, filling their God-starved souls with sugar. They step from the playroom to the pulpit and feed an anemic congregation a diet of nonsense. Give me some sugar. Now, in closing, I want to issue the warning. What happens when you do not preach the severe penalties for disobeying God? Everyone listen. At home, abroad, and in this room, what happens when you don't preach the severe penalties? Society develops no fear of God. If you want to lose your kids, all you gotta do is take the fear of God out of the church. Then it's eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. Que sera, sera! Everyone has gone astray. Everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes. Why? Because there was no fear. That is one of the greatest warnings of the preaching that's going on today. All heaven, no hell. The result will be you, my pastor friend, will be one of the tools of Satan to cause a great falling away. Remember the words of Ezekiel. If you do not warn them, their blood will be on your hands. Because the gospel, here's another warning, because the gospel of the truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ was not preached, sin, repentance, forgiveness, and holy living, then their houses will come tumbling down when the storms hit. Because, my pastor friend, you raised up a generation with enticing words, catchy sermonettes, and powerless prayers, they were defenseless in a dark world full of demons and ravenous wolves. By choosing enticing words over the demonstration of power, now let me say this again, because, pastor friend, you better start laying hands on folks again. You better start operating in the miraculous again. By choosing enticing words over the demonstration of power, this next generation of preachers will enter ill-equipped into the greatest spiritual battle of the ages. Their cries will be heard and will echo for eternity, having fallen powerless, clutching a dull sword in their hand. Their armor is thin. Their shield has cracks. Their shoes have holes. Their nifty little teachings on how to be victorious won't hold up in the heat of battle. The nonsense taught in the pews will make no sense when taunted by the enemy in the battlefield. My friend, this is not high-definition video games. This is the real thing. So wake up before it's too late.