In this sermon, the speaker begins by acknowledging his weakness and dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ. He then addresses the topic of godly leadership and the importance of examining its foundations. He challenges the audience to reflect on their use of the Internet, their relationships with their families, and their attitudes towards materialism and prosperity. The speaker emphasizes the need to prioritize the word of God and avoid being choked by worldly cares and desires.

Hello, this is Brother Denny. Welcome to Charity Ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold. You are welcome to make copies for your friends and neighbors. If you would like additional messages, please go to our website for a complete listing at www.charityministries.org. If you would like a catalog of other sermons, please call 1-800-227-7902 or write to Charity Ministries, 400 West Main Street, Suite 1, Efra, PA 17522. These messages are offered to all without charge by the free will offerings of God's people. A special thank you to all who support this ministry. Thank you to the effort of young people for those inspiring, challenging songs. Wasn't that a blessing? Amen. I greet you in Jesus' name this evening. When Brother Mark called me and asked if I'd be willing to share, asked if I could pray about it, he gave me that privilege. And I felt the Lord laid a message on my heart to share here this evening. But I stand before you in weakness and in trembling, knowing that in this flesh dwelleth no good thing. And if anything shall be accomplished for the purpose of the glory of God, it's because of the Lord Jesus Christ and because of His presence. Otherwise, all is vain. Leadership Seminar, it's an exciting time for us. We are blessed to have you here. Thank you, brothers, for coming all the miles you've traveled, the sacrifices you've made to be here, leaving your families, your work, to come to speak the Lord, I trust. You know, this is the first night of our five days together, Lord willing. As I prayed about what to share, I felt the Lord leading to bring a message. And if I can entitle it this evening, I would entitle it Examining the Foundations of Godly Leadership. Examining the Foundation of Godly Leadership. Can you stand with me for prayer, please, Father in Heaven? We look away from ourselves and we look unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. Father, tonight we entreat you, we ask in Jesus' name that you would in mercy look down upon us in this meeting. Father, it would be a blessing if you would send forth your Holy Spirit to bring conviction of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Lord, it would be your mercies if tonight you would cause us to be able to see our heart as you see it, Lord. Father, it would be a blessing and a gracious thing if you would open our eyes and see that we stand naked before you and all things are open before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. And there's nothing hidden. Lord, it would be of your mercies if those that are struggling with sin and in the grip and bondage of Satan and the sins of the flesh could find Jesus tonight and find deliverance to be set free from the bondages of sin and self. Father, it would be a blessing if judgment can begin at the house of God this evening. And if the sins can go beforehand to judgment rather than follow after. Father, I pray that you would just anoint the message, your word, and anoint my trembling lips and heart. O Father, that I may only speak that which you would want to say. Give utterance, I pray. In Jesus' name, amen. You may be seated. Leaders, brothers, leadership without being broken at the foot of the cross can be very harsh. It can be very cruel. It can be proud. It can be self-exalting. Men and brethren, we're only qualified to lead after we have come to the foot of the cross of Jesus and been broken and we've become followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. And now as we follow Him and we obey Him, now we are able to lead as godly leaders, humble servant leaders. Who shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place? He that has clean hands and a pure heart. Brothers, are our hands clean tonight? Are our hearts pure? Who shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy place? Who shall be in that communion and fellowship with Christ Jesus the Lord and the communion and fellowship of the Holy Ghost? He that has clean hands and a pure heart and has not lifted up his soul unto vanity and has not sworn deceitfully, he shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of His salvation. Hallelujah! Blessed are the pure in heart, for the pure in heart, they shall see God. Brothers, men, we need to see God if we are going to be able to lead in a time of a falling away, in a time of a pleasure-mad throng, in a time of prosperity, in a time of ease. We must see Jesus. We must see God. And we must march to the tune of a different drum. We must march to the tune of our Lord Jesus Christ, the captain of our salvation. We need to be inspired. Our hearts need to be filled with vision and purpose for God. Or we will become lax and complacent and worldly. Yes, men my age become worldly. Not just for the youth. Men and brethren, we must see Christ. And if there is sin in our lives tonight, you cannot see Christ in His splendor and in His beauty and in His brightness. You can't see Him. Ah, blessed, happy, to be envied are the pure in heart. Brother, is thy heart pure? Brother David Cooper shared on Sunday morning, heart to heart. I was thrilled when the Lord brought that message because I knew what the Lord laid on my heart to share this evening. Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto the God in the heavens. Let us search and try our ways this evening, men. Let us examine our ways. Let us bring them into the light of the presence and the testimony of Jesus Christ. We're not wise to examine ourselves among ourselves. I can always find someone who's doing a little more poorly than I am and then I can just wallow in there and make excuse for my sin. Oh, but when we examine ourselves according to the Word of God, according to the testimony of Jesus, and allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and our hands, are my hands clean? Is my heart pure? I want to urge us tonight, let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. Lamentation 3, verse 41. You see, I am so happy and blessed for you brothers who have come here this week with clean hands and pure hearts. But I don't believe the Lord laid this message on my heart just so you could all hear it and say amen. But I believe that God wants to set some people free from habitual sins tonight. From those sins that do so easily beset us and weigh us down and hinder us in our run of the race of the Christian life. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither is it heavy that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you that He will not hear. Now I know for myself, illustrations help me remember a message, so please pardon me. But you know, I want to ask you tonight, is the heavens open over your life? Or is there a cloud over your head? A cloud of a guilty conscience, defiled by sin. And when you want to look up to see God, your sin stares you in the face. When you want to talk to that person about the power and the blood of Jesus to deliver them and set them free from their sins, your own besetting sin stands there and stuffs your mouth and condemns you and judges you. And when you go to pray in your prayer closet, it seems like your prayers just bounce off the ceiling. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Now regarding iniquity in the heart, it's making excuse for sin, it's making an allowance for sin, and it's allowing it to be there. We're not talking about a person who is a righteous man and he follows but gets back up again. But we're talking about a situation where there is a besetting sin and you allow it to be there and you pamper that thing and you make excuse for it and you call it a fault or a mistake or something else rather than calling it sin and dealing with it the way God would have us to deal with it so we can be set free. You see, your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid His face from you. So if your heart is not pure and your hands are defiled, then when you look up to see God, your sin stands there between you and your God and it separates between you and your God. And it's just like me with this illustration of the umbrella for the sake of those who are listening by tape. I'm holding an umbrella over my head. This umbrella causes me to not be able to see the ceiling of this building. When I look up, all I see is the umbrella. And it's like always above me. But you know what? When we get desperate and we get right and through with our sin and we call on the name of the Lord and we call it sin and we repent, guess what God will do? He'll take away that sin and He'll toss it aside and the heavens will be open over your life again. And now you can rejoice and you can pray and you can sing and you can shout. And your heart is free. You know, some people try to cover their sins and they don't prosper. You know, we won't get any farther this week if we have a sin in our hearts. Oh, no one willful sin that we're sinning in and we're just hiding it there. It's sort of useless to go through the meetings, isn't it? So I thought, why don't we start tonight and pray that God would lay the axe to the root that if there's sin that needs to be dealt with, you can deal with it tonight. And then you can go on to be blessed with the Word of God all the rest of the week. Wouldn't that be a blessing? You know, sin not only separates you from God. The Bible says in Proverbs 5.22 that His own iniquities shall take the wicked Himself and He shall be holden with the cords of His sin. Now, we could do another illustration, but we won't for the sake of time. But you just imagine with me cords. Cords are ropes. That man that commits sin and walks in willful sin, he shall be bound with the cords of his sin. And he's hobbling along, shackled, bound by his sin. He shall be holden with the cords of his sin. It's like maybe you might say the cords of sin have him chained fast to the wall and he can only go so far. Then he's holden by the cords of his sin. Oh, I'd like to be free. I'd like to have the joy of the Lord like I see that brother have. But all my sin, you know, it just sort of hangs me fast to the wall. I can't go any farther. Holden by the cords of his sin. Sin not only binds, but when God's people sin who are called by His name, it gives great occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme. The Muslim man said, yeah, your gospel, yeah, we hear about it all the way over here in this foreign land. Your gospel, yeah, your televangelist, yeah, yeah, fallen into gross immoral sin. It's plastered on the news. We don't want anything to do with your gospel. You see, when God's people that are called by His name sin, it causes the enemies of God to blaspheme that holy name of God whereby we are saved. And it causes them to despise. That's what the Lord said through the prophet Nathan to David. Yeah, I put away your sin. Thou shalt not die. How be it by this deed that has given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. And you might say, well, I'm not a leader. I'm not in the place of prominence. It doesn't matter that much. Yes, it does. A lot of people will say the reason I'm not going to become a Christian is because there are too many hypocrites. Have you ever heard it? That's right. There's too many hypocrites. Isn't it time somebody stands up and bears the banner of the Lord Jesus Christ and shows it forth clearly? Too many hypocrites. The tongue. It's a little member. But it boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kingleth. The tongue. James 3 verse 5 and verse 6. The tongue is a fire. It's a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature. And it is set on fire of hell. The tongue. My brother. Men. What are the words coming out of our lips? What does this little member boast? Is this little member under the control of the Holy Spirit? Or does this little member boast great things and is set on fire of hell instead of of the Holy Ghost? Let us examine the foundation tonight of your speech. Your words. Therewith bless we God even the Father and therewith curse we men which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. These things ought not so to be. This message was not given to the sinner on the street. This message is given to brethren. My brethren. My brethren. These things ought not so to be. Does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? You know, how is it when those buddies from work come up next to you? Is your tongue under the control of the Holy Spirit? Or do you enter in with their jokes? What they think are funny jokes? Well, I won't say any. But I'll just be quiet. What would Jesus do? What would Jesus have you to do after the brothers' meeting? Get alongside of another brother and share something behind a brother's back that you wouldn't say to his face. Well, I'm just sharing it so you can pray for him. Are you sure? Let me ask you. Did you pray for him? I mean pray. Make intercession with pleadings before God. If any man sin a sin that is not unto death, you shall pray for it. You shall not go and tell it to another brother so he can also be in and you can gossip about it. But you shall go and pray for it. Therewith, blessed be God, even the Father, and then turn around and curse men. Oh no, we don't curse. But we'll just speak evil. If ye have bitter envy and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual and devilish. Ah, there's that tongue set on fire of hell. That sensual, earthly, devilish wisdom that comes out of hell. It doesn't come down from heaven. It comes out of hell and sets on fire your tongue and many hurtful wounds deep into the belly, deep into the soul of man because of a tongue that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. No corrupt communication. No foul or polluting language. No evil or unwholesome or worthless talk. Jesus called it idle words. Worthless. Ought not brethren, when they get together, edify one another and speak words that encourage and exhort and admonish. Yes, amen. But how many times is it just worthless, idle, empty talk. Speak not evil, one of another brethren. Speak not evil, one of another brethren. That doesn't leave a lot of room for wrangling with the Scripture, does it? It's pretty clear. I think even a child can understand that. Speak not evil, one of another brethren. How are we doing in our relationships? How is it in our fellowships? How is it in our home life? How is it when we get together? What do you say when you go home? Oh, my dear brothers, I do not want to scold you. I just want to share the burden of the message. If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. Paul writing to the Corinthians said, For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men? Brethren, let's examine the foundation tonight. Am I carnal or am I spiritual? Do I lift up one brother above another like they were doing? I'm of Paul. I'm of Apollos. I'm of Cephas. Paul said, ye are carnal. I would like to write unto you of the more deeper things of God, but ye are yet babes, ye are yet carnal. Because you're dividing and there's divisions and cliques in the body. I would love to speak unto you as unto spiritual, but you're babes, you're carnal. I cannot speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. I fed you with milk and not with meat. For hitherto you were not able to bear it, neither are ye able now. For as ye are yet carnal, whereas there is among you envying and strife and division. You know, we must get our eyes on Christ. You know, he said, who is Paul? Who is Apollos? Praise God, they're men of just like passion. They're ministers by whom ye believed. I planted Apollos' water, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planted anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase. You know, if we get our eyes on men in an unhealthy way, it can end up causing division. It can end up causing strife in the body. And it ought not so to be. My dear brothers, brethren, are we carnal? Are we spiritual? That was in 1 Corinthians letter that Paul wrote. And then in the 2 Corinthians letter in 12 verse 20 he said, I fear lest when I come I shall find, I shall find you not as such as I would, and that you shall be found unto you such as ye would not, lest there be debates and endings and wraths and strifes and backbitings and whisperings and swellings and tumults. He was really concerned about this. That they would strive together for the faith of the gospel. That there wouldn't be factions and parlings and jealousy and divided loyalties and selfishness and gossip and arrogance among them. Very familiar scripture in Proverbs that we all probably know. But you know, it's still true, though we've heard it many times. God says in Proverbs 6, 16, He says, These six things does the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto Him. And for the sake of time, we won't look at all six of them, but we'll look at the seventh one. And the seventh one is, He that soweth discord among brethren. You know, if we could really see that thing for what it is, that when we sow discord among the brethren, we are actually taking our cue from Satan. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. The body of Christ, the testimony of Jesus, is beautified and glorified and seen as a clear witness when there is love one for another and the body is united. Jesus in His prayer, there in John 17, He said, Oh, that they would be one, as I and the Father are one. And I fear lest we take lightly the severing and tearing of the body of Christ. And I'm not preaching ecumenism tonight, but I think it's pretty sad when the group of believers is eight families and it splits again. Now it's three and five. And when you talk to them both, you cannot understand why they would have ever divided. I believe a good dose of persecution, when it costs us something to be Christians, and there will be a level of appreciation rising in our hearts for true brethren who are willing to stand for Jesus, willing to lay their necks on the line, will take care of some of these multitudes of divisions. Because rather than suffer through and bear with my brother, I'll just go somewhere else. And you know what? We go away lame and crippled and halt. And that thing that's lame that should have been healed, it's not healed. Because I don't have to have it healed. I can just go over there to another church until it shows up again. And then, God forbid, I take another flight. And about every three years, by the time God gets me back down on the carpet again, says it's time to deal with this issue in your life, well then, I don't want to face it. I say, no, it's not me, it's the brethren. It's not me, it's the brethren. And so, you know, on we go, crippled, maimed, wounded. Now don't get me wrong, there is a right place for separation. I'm not speaking compromise, but I'm afraid so often we too lightly and too easily just separate from our brethren because I don't quite see eye to eye. We're going to lose a tremendous blessing that God has for us as long as we keep that mentality. Ye ought rather to suffer and bear one with another, it says in Peter, as Christ Jesus left an example for us, that we should suffer and we should bear one with another. And if a brother wants to take it to the law, take it patiently. Bear with one another. But no, I don't have to. What is the foundation of your heart tonight? Am I guilty? Is there sin on my hands or are my hands clean? Or do I have a pocket full of discord just ready to sow? Ah, you should have heard what happened over there. Did you hear what He did? You know, God hates it. He still hates it tonight. God hates sowing of discord. It is an abomination unto Him. It's a stench. Oh, blessed are the pure in heart, those that are free from sowing discord to the brethren, amongst the brethren and spreading rumors. Oh, blessed are the pure in heart who they can pray for their brethren. And when there's misunderstandings, we pray one for another and we bear one with another. And when someone has to leave the fellowship, it grieves us at our heart. And we pray for them and we wish them God's blessing. We want to see you in heaven, brother. We hope that there's more souls in the kingdom of God in heaven saved because you're serving the Lord Jesus. I don't understand all that's going on, but I bless you, brother. I encourage you, brother. Serve the Lord with all of your heart. Show us a better way if you have it. Go ahead. Serve God. Be zealous for the Lord. And may there be more souls in heaven because of it. I don't believe God wants us all to just sit on a pile. Sometimes I wonder if God doesn't allow strife in the family because they got their eyes on each other and they're multiplying on a heap. And God wants to spread them around. It's not His best method. He'd sure much rather we be on fire for God and we ourselves would go out and take the gospel to far-reaching lands and other places and we would be scattered abroad like salt. But I have wondered already if God in His wisdom doesn't say this is just too much. These people are too self-centered. They're going ingrown. They're going to strangle themselves. We've got to do something. I don't know. You can correct me on that. But let's move on here. Relationships. Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter against them. Now, I have an advantage here tonight because I have just you men. Most of you. Your wife isn't here tonight. In some ways, I wish I could have preached this message to just the men. But you all just listen in with us. The first commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart. The second one is to love your neighbor as yourself. I have a question for you. Who's your closest neighbor? My wife. Oh, glory. Thank God she's not a neighbor. She's my wife. She's my bosom companion. But you know, husbands, if you're bitter against your wife, you know, you're just going to stay stunted. You're just going to have a difficult time growing. You're just going to have trouble getting your prayers answered because you're not in one with your wife. In fact, your prayers are being hindered because you're not in one with your wife and you're neglecting that relationship and coming up to leadership seminar. Well, I hope you get converted if that's the case. And your wife hopes so too. Really, don't laugh. It's true. I remember sitting, counseling a couple, and the wife had tears running down her face. She was wondering, will he finally listen? But you know what? I'm sorry to say he up and ran. And he took his wife again for another drag across the country. Find some other place where the elders are more agreeable and don't speak to my sin. And that poor woman may have moved over a dozen times in a dozen years. May have. I don't have all the details exact, but it was a grief to our hearts. Husbands, let's examine the foundation. Two shall be one. And we have the rest of our life to work it out. Hallelujah. God pronounces it that way on our wedding day. And it is so. Now we have the rest of our life to work it out and live it out and have the glorious, exciting, trying, testing, growing experience of becoming one with our spouse. Oh, I mean, sure, we have issues to work through. But I wonder tonight, is there any possibility that some man is sitting here tonight and he has the sin of bitterness against his own wife? He's bitter against her. Well, that's too strong. I'm not bitter. Well, then, does she irk you? And you resent. You resent her. You don't like it when she talks to you. You don't like it when she challenges you how to walk with God. You know, I wish you would spend more time with the children. It would give me such a security if I knew that you're a man of prayer. That you're a man who walks with God with an open heaven over your life. I'm a little insecure right now. I'm not sure how you're doing. You know, the greatest security you can bring to your wife is to be in love with Jesus and walking with Jesus and talking with Jesus and listening to Jesus. That'll make you sweet. That'll make you tender. That'll make you a true leader. And you don't have to be a tyrant or a boss and say, you have to submit to me. Let's just take a look. Let's examine that foundation. Don't lie against the truth. You know if your relationship with your wife is in beautiful harmony with the God of heaven and with each other and everything is clear. Oh, hallelujah. Everything is clear. We're on a perpetual honeymoon. I love that statement. I came across that a while back. I thought that's how it ought to be. But brethren, really. How is things at home? Do you love your wife as you love yourself? You know, you got the best tools out there in the shop. She's still doing up with that old crank egg beater that gets stuck about every third turn. Really? Do you love your wife as you love yourself? You've built on three times to that barn now and the house is still that three little bedroom rancher and the family has tripled in size since you built it and moved in. But she can make do. Husbands, love your wives even as you love yourself. That's a pretty good measuring stick, isn't it? I take care of myself. If something hurts or ouches or I'm cold, I take care of it. Well, how about your wife? Your relationships. The foundation of godly leadership. How's your relationship with your children? I wasn't here for Rick's session this afternoon. I'm sorry, brother. I missed that. Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath. How is it? How is it at home? Well, I'm the boss around here. This is the rule of the house. Yeah, there needs to be some rules. A home without rules and without structure is a pretty dysfunctional place, really. There needs to be some order. But you know, it so makes the difference whether it comes from an example and a heart that is being lived out rather than a demand. Provoke not your children to anger lest they be discouraged. How is it, brethren? How's the foundation of your leadership in your home? How's the foundation of your leadership with your wife and with your children? Sin of anger has discouraged many a child. Being disciplined in anger by a proud father who will say, my children are going to walk the line. But you know what? It's his own reputation he's concerned about. Too much. And not the welfare of his child. Are you an angry father? You discipline in anger? Materialism. Prosperity. Mark 4, 18 and 19. These are they which are sown among the thorns and such as hear the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and lusts of other things entering in. Choke the word and it becometh unfruitful. How are we doing with that almighty dollar? Can we just talk about it? Can we be open about that? Covetousness. Materialism. Wealth. Accumulation. They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some covet it after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. It can start out innocently enough. I start my own business and things go well. I'm on my knees a lot. Those early days, crying out to God, I'm not sure we'll make it. But then things begin to prosper. And it's time to add more trucks. It's time to build more barns and expand. And after a while, you wonder what happens to your beautiful love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. And you wonder why you don't have time for God. Well, you know the scripture says that the deceitfulness of riches and lust of other things. We need more things now. We have more money now. We can afford it now. So now we need more things. So now we've got more things. So now we need to build more barns to put our things. And so after a while, it starts to choke out the Word that it brings forth no fruit. Anybody choked here tonight? Oh, that God would lay His finger on our hearts and show us the true condition of the soul and the heart. The deceitfulness of riches. Oh, it's so deceitful. The lust of other things. Choke the Word. Listen to what the scriptures sayeth. But thou, O man of God, flee these things. Run! Oh, wise is the man who gives up that high-paying job to go serve the Lord. And he flees out of it because he sees the snare that it is to his soul. Man of God, maybe tonight God is laying His finger on your heart and asking you to flee that dream, that vision that He's asking you to sell. Sell what you have. And give alms. Give to the poor. And lay up treasures in heaven and bags in heaven where it doesn't wax old, where thieves don't break through, nor steal. And the return is out of this world. No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. He cannot serve God and mammon. What's mammon? Did a little study. It just says riches or anything in which you trust in and on which you rely. So it can have a very subtle shift. And we don't realize it, but it's deceitful. That's what the Bible says. It's deceitful riches. And it creeps up over the soul. And we begin to trust in the fact that I have a pretty healthy savings account. I'm covered. Anything happens to me, I'm covered. Trusting in something other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, I've got insurance. Well, no, we know better than that. All right. But we have a really good Christian brotherhood program. And I'm as well covered under this auto insurance program that we have as a church as I would be whether I had Erie Insurance or whoever all else that's out there. And so, even though it's brotherhood, my heart can still have the same posture of lack of trusting God to meet my needs. But we all wear the same coats. We all dress the same way. We all have the same convictions. And we're all pretty wealthy. And we have a million dollars laid up. Well, what's different from that than regular insurance? The heart can go to the same place of trusting in something else. Now, I'm all for helping brethren. And Paul said, what you have laid up in store for the collection when I come, have it ready. I'm going to receive it. And I'm going to take it to those needy Christians over there. And they're going to get blessed by it. Amen. So, it's not wrong to have something to lay up in store to help a brother. But where's your trust tonight? The foundation of a heart that is leaning its entire personality and being on the all-supreme, all-sufficient, almighty God? Or trusting in uncertain riches? How's your prayer life? You thought I wasn't going to get that one. How's your prayer life? You know, not saying your prayers. How's your communion with God? How's your fellowship with your friend Jesus? Oh, the sad condition of Israel at this day. In Isaiah 64, 7, There is none that calleth upon thy name. There's none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee. For thou hast hid thy face from us and has consumed us. Why? Because of sin! Because of our iniquities! So, there we are. We've got this sin hanging over our heads. And our prayer life is pretty tough if it isn't dried up altogether and just become a form. Our iniquities. That's why nobody stirs himself up to take hold of God. How is it, brethren? How's your devotional life? Is thy heart pure? Are thy hands clean? Oh, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God! They shall dream visions and dream dreams and shall receive the anointing, the glory of God. Blessed are the pure in heart in a day of low morals and corrupt morals. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall still see God! How's your moral life? You know, moral purity in thought. Moral purity in action, in word. Is your eye single and full of light? Or is it evil? You know, Jesus raised the standard. You know that. Yes, He said, It was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery, but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. Now, it's a pretty sad day we live in. The immodesty and the immorality being displayed in public like they would have put them in prison fifty years ago for such a sight. You know, it's not so long. I don't have any article with me tonight, but I had read it earlier. I believe it would have been about the early 1900s, 1920 or so, when women on the beach did not show the calf of the leg. But you can have victory over that, brother. There's deliverance. But let's examine the foundations. Let's not play games with God. Let's not deceive our own heart. My dear brethren, how are we doing with the Internet? Yeah, we said we won't have any televisions. That'll fix it. That'll take care of it. I'll ask you a question. How are you doing with the Internet? Have you set wicked things before your eyes through the Internet? You know, every laptop computer nowadays comes with a DVD player and you can watch movies right off of your laptop. What about those DVDs? What about those movies? Oh, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. But if you're caught in sin tonight of immoral impurity, you can't see God. I guarantee you. You cannot see God. There is a cloud over you and you might get little glimpses now and then, but I'll tell you, you cannot see God and behold His glory if you're hiding sin, secret sin, that nobody knows about. And you may sit here and look so pious and so religious. And you may look so righteous. But Jesus said to those Pharisees, without, yes, you look beautiful, but inside you are full of excess and extortion and of dead men's bones. Is there a cemetery inside? Is there a death inside to your spiritual man? Because sin crept in there and deceivingly and guiley it caught you. It came through an unsolicited email. And there it was. It just flashed up there. You know, this is really serious, I believe. If we're going to walk with God and we're going to have communion and fellowship with God, my dear brother, if you've been caught in the sin of pornography, you need to confess it and you need to repent of it and turn away from it. Because that sin will bind you like a chain to the wall. And you can only go so far. And then it catches you again. You know, I wish I wouldn't have to speak about these things. It's grievous to even have to say it. It's a shame to speak of the things that are done in secret. Books. Posters on the walls. It's terrible. Men on construction job sites will, inside their job trailers, don't even go in. Terrible. Wickedness. Perverse. Eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin. You wonder how many millions and millions of dollars are generated in the United States. And I had some statistics, but I didn't bring them. But it's awful. You know why? Because hell is never full. And eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin. You've got to have the next issue the next month. You've got to have the newest thing. And they're bound by their sin. Just like an alcoholic. Just like a drug addict. Bound to the lust of their flesh. You know, it might even be possible here tonight that somebody's guilty of adultery. That thing took you down much farther than you ever thought you'd go. You're guilty of physical adultery. Listen. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart. Neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by the means of a whorish woman, a man is brought to a piece of bread. And the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his clothes, and his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Can he go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth into his neighbor's wife, whosoever touches her shall not be innocent. Don't call it adultery. Just call it an affair. Something more nice, more pleasant. God calls it adultery. And adultery it is. And He's going to judge it for adultery. And no adulteress shall enter heaven. It's time to get aggressive with this stuff. If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee. For it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast it from thee. For it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. That's radical Christianity. Yes, it is. How are the foundations of your moral purity tonight? Don't even want to say it. But I'll have to say it. The sin of homosexuality. Men working with men. Unseemly things. How's your moral purity tonight? Incest. Fathers with their own children. You don't even want to mention it. It's horrible. It's wicked. And we could talk about complacency. A life of ease. Those that stretch themselves upon their couches on beds of ivory and eat the lambs out of the flock. We have more smorgasbord restaurants and eat and drink and be merry places around here than you can imagine. The entertainment industry and the, what do they call it, amusement parks are multi-billion dollar investments in making big profits. Because the people are pleasure-mad. God says, I will search Jerusalem with candles and I will punish the men that are settled on their lees. Yeah, just kick back. Eat, drink and be merry. God says in Amos 6 verse 7 that therefore now they shall go captive with the first that go captive. Because they thought God doesn't see it. The Lord will not see it. He won't do us good or evil. It's alright. Don't be so serious about your Christian life. Yeah. Just go play. You know this thing about the world. We are hard on our youth. But you know this thing about the world. What about me? What does the world look like to a 50 year old man? Where are the peculiar common temptations to me concerning the world? The lust of the flesh. The lust of the eye. The pride of life. Yeah, the youth. You can't drive a car that's newer than 5 years old or something. But dad in his business can buy the newest, latest, finest, most up to date vehicles for his business and maybe even sort of stylish, you know. But if his son came driving that same vehicle into church, the brethren would say, whoa, wait a minute. Well, what about it? Are we being, are we being just? Are we being equal? You know, I have to be honest. Maybe my sons struggle with the world because they see it in me. How about it, fathers? Maybe that's part of the problem. But my world just looks different. It's just not quite as obvious. It's not quite as easy to spot how it's the foundations tonight, brothers. Hallelujah. How's your first love? How's your love for Jesus? Oh, I know you got your doctrines right. You got them all hammered out. Make sure everybody agrees to them too, man. We're going to have unity around here. And we labor carefully to make sure that nobody gets in here that's evil. What he says, Revelation 2, verse 2, I know that works in thy labor and thy patience. However, thou canst not bear them which are evil, and hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not. You're doing a good job. You've found them liars. Commendable, that's good. You've borne up under a lot. You've had a lot of patience. And for my name's sake, it's labored and has not fainted. But then comes a nevertheless. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee. Well, what is it, Lord? I mean, you can't find a more orderly church than ours. I mean, we've got modesty down, separation from the world, non-resistance, and those are beautiful doctrines. But my dear brother, if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. You know, it's so easy to do. To do. But where's our love? Thou hast left thy first love. Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent. How's that love relationship? I love you, Lord. Where is it? I've got to go. Got to go. Got jobs to make happen today. There's deadlines. Need to get that thing settled so we can get paid. No time for God. Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, or I will come quickly, and remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent. Revelation 3. I know thy works, verse 15, to the Laodicean church, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would that thou were cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of thy mouth, out of my mouth. But you know they don't know it. Isn't that amazing? This is how God sees, but the church thinks everything's fine. Hey, we're rich. We're increased with goods. We have need of nothing. But He says, I mean look at the different viewpoints. How can it be? The holy God of heaven, through His revelation, is giving this message to this church, and they're just like oblivious. They don't even know that the fire has gone out. They don't even know it. They say, well, we're increased with goods. We have need of nothing. But He says, you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Now how much more destitute can it be than that? You know tonight, as we've looked at these foundations, there's many more we could have talked about. It's quarter till nine. I've spoken long enough. But I wonder, did we get the message? You know, any attempt to cover sin is vain. Woe to them that seek deep to hide their sin. The Bible says in Psalm 90 verse 8, Our secret sins are in the light of thy countenance. Ecclesiastes 12, 14 says, For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing. You know that secret thing that you thought nobody else saw? And you were so relieved that as the time went by, you thought you almost got caught. But sure enough, you didn't after all. Oh, but you did get caught. The Holy Spirit. The all-seeing eye of God. That's why your life is dry. That's why you're having trouble. Tonight, draw an eye to God. My brother. And he will draw an eye to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners. And purify your hearts, ye double-minded. Who shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord? He that hath clean hands. Who shall see the Lord? Ah, he that hath a pure heart. Blessed are the pure in heart. For they shall see God. And tonight I want to hold forth the call of the invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ to come unto Him. You've been laboring under it long enough. You've been trying to get over it long enough. You've been trying to get the victory long enough. Aren't you ready to give up and come to Jesus? And let Him take you just as you are. And let Him take you and deliver you and cut that cord of that strangling hold of sin that choking out of the Word of Life? Aren't you ready to come to the Master, the Lord Jesus, who gave His life so that He might set the captives free? And open the eyes of the blind? And open up heaven over your life again? Oh, wouldn't that be wonderful? Have your sins go beforehand to judgment? Oh, I fear lest I preached it too hard. God holds forth the invitation. His arm is outstretched still. A bruised reed will He not break and a smoking flax He'll not quench. Tonight is the night. Today is the day of salvation. You can come tonight and you can have your sins washed in the blood of Jesus, though they be red like crimson, though they be ugly and awful and a stench to God. He paid the price through the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross to cleanse you from your sin and wash you and make you whiter than snow. Come just as you are. Come. You can come to the altar now. Come to Jesus and let Him cleanse you. Hallelujah! Come, let's do business with God tonight. How are those foundations of the moral purity? How are those foundations of the relationship with your wife? Come to Jesus. Come to Jesus. He stands ready to save. Oh, the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. Come, ye weary. Come, ye heavy laden. Come unto Jesus. He stands ready to save and to cleanse. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Oh, thank you, Jesus. You know it can all change tonight. That hidden sin can be drug out to the light and go beforehand to judgment and it won't follow you after. Come to Jesus tonight. He is tenderly calling today. Come to Jesus. Let Him wash your sins away. Come to Jesus. Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Hallelujah! I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that has a thirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely. How's your life tonight? Is the heavens open over your life? Or are you living under a cloud and defeat? Oh, Jesus wants to save you. He wants to save you now. He wants to deliver you and set you free and open up heaven over your life. But you hold the key. You can hang on to your sin and you can say, I'm not going to let anybody see it. Oh, but the secret sins, those things that were done in secret, will then one day be declared upon the housetop. All things are naked and open with whom we have to do. Oh, do not let the Word depart and close thine eyes against the light. Poor sinner, harden not your heart. Be saved, oh, tonight. Oh, why not tonight? Oh, why not tonight? Will thou be saved? Then why not tonight? You know, why not tonight? Amen. There's no better time than right now when God's Spirit is speaking to your heart. Don't put it off. Tomorrow's sun may never rise to bless thy long-deluded side. This is the time, oh, then be wise. Be saved, oh, tonight. Oh, why not tonight? Oh, why not tonight? Will thou be saved? Then why not tonight? Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Hallelujah. Those of you that have responded, if you'll just get to your feet, we'd love to have some counselors to counsel with you. He that confesses his sins shall have mercy. I encourage you to open your heart and confess with your mouth your sin. Be specific and clear. The Lord forgives specific sins. Hallelujah. So, if you can get to your feet and make your way out to the doors on either side, I believe, or is there a particular either side? Yes, okay. Just split somewhere in the middle. You on the edges get to your feet and make your way out to the doors on the side there, and counselors will be waiting for you. God bless you. Hallelujah. The devil was defeated again. Praise you, Jesus.