This sermon emphasizes the dangers of convenient, non-scriptural religion, highlighting the importance of living a holy life free from sins like fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness. It discusses the transformative power of God's Word on those who were previously unaware of biblical truths, leading to conviction and spiritual growth. The sermon also addresses the impact of revival on individuals and societies, showcasing how genuine faith can bring material prosperity and a strong work ethic. It challenges listeners to prioritize spiritual growth over worldly desires, especially in times of financial challenges and societal debts, urging them to embody the love and service of Jesus Christ.

We see a kind of quasi-religion these days, convenient religion, not scriptural, verb, bible-based religion. Now what does God say? But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as become its saints. Now as revival began to spread, there were people who never heard the word of God. They didn't know what the Ten Commandments were, they never read the bible, they didn't know. And when such people were converted, the spirit of God convicted them of the truth. And they did not even know where it said that in the bible. But God would refer them to the scriptures, take this book, chapter so and so, and this verse. Now there would be this revelation of God which greatly blessed people and they would say God is speaking. We have a speaking God. Now if the spirit of God is working in your heart, you know where the area of battle is. Now I find that many people, you know, we used to have Filipinos at our camps, at our retreats. I have not preached in the Philippines, but the lifestyle, as one young man told me, this is our lifestyle. We may belong to a Catholic church, but partying and making free with all kinds of women, this was their lifestyle. Drinking, drunkenness. Now today drunkenness of course has become such a problem and drunkenness normally does not exist alone. It leads to many other crimes. Now I do not know how many drunkards have been delivered in our meetings during, let us say, the last six months. If they are not, I would fault myself. I would say what kind of preacher am I? That people are not getting free from their addictions. You know what the drunkard and the drug addict is costing the country? It is costing the breakdown of law. All right, you have enforcement officers and the enforcement officers have got to stop the flow of drugs, but the druggies, drug lords, have got plenty of money. They feel it's no problem. Now, we can see the drugs flowing as one convict, a man who was in prison, a felon, who told me, you can get anything here in the prison, any drug. I said, what? How do drugs get in here? Well, it's money. You know, folks, when revival began, many people were simply very ordinary people in very small vocations. But God blessed their families, God blessed their education of their children, and the children became honest, God-fearing. The upshot of this was material prosperity. See, wherever the gospel goes, the work ethic, you know, if any man does not work, neither should he eat, says the Bible. Now, we have a system by which people don't want to do certain jobs. They want some immigrant to come and do the dirty jobs. That's how it is in Europe, and in certain places here too. But a Christian says, what? Is there a dirty job? I'll do it. So, all our retreats and camps run like clockwork anywhere in the world, because people have a willing heart to do any work. It does not just fall upon one or two people, but somehow, you know, when covetousness comes in, that kind of willingness disappears. Of course, there are many things today that are necessary to hold our attention, and also to require our attending to those matters. Say, when one goes back from the retreat or something, there's so much to do at home. The lawn has to be mowed, and bills have to be paid, and if in the interim there was a thunderstorm or something, some of your electric gadgets have been put out of commission, you need to attend to their repairs. Oh, there's a lot of work, a lot of work. In the midst of that, spiritual life, walking with God, has to be cultivated. So, if it is a focus on money, and now friends, if you don't take the garbage out on time, what do you have in the house? Tell me. What do you have? Nice little guests, back and black and crawly, rogues. You know, some people are not careful. They don't know how to remove the garbage in time, and soon there are all kinds of insects and wildlife roaming around in the kitchen. So, you can be lazy, but at the same time, spiritual life has to be built up. So, that covetous spirit has to be brought to the cross. Say, you know, overtime work I refer to. Now, it's a matter of choice sometimes. You know, if you say, oh, my friend needs the extra pay. He has got many children, so let him take the overtime job. You see, that's how people used to behave in the past, but today, oh no, okay, I'll do it for the extra pay. Now, my dear friends, this business of doing things for the wages, you know, from my youth, because I would not ask anywhere for a donation or an offering or any such things. Sometimes, I used to find it hard to find the bus fare. You know, I remember a Bible college, a famous Bible college, which I addressed in New Jersey. I had to go all the way from New York, not too far away, but into New Jersey, bus ride, and then I finished my address, and I left. Generally, they ask you to stay for lunch or dinner or so on, but there was no need for dinner at 9.30 in the morning, you see, and so I just walked away. Well, finding a bus fare for my return would be something which God had to take care of, but that was not the focus. The focus was, did I do an honest day's work? So, you see, my friends, on one occasion, after I finished a campaign in a city, one of the principal cities of Europe, the organizer said to me, please wait till the banks open in the morning. I said, I don't wait. I must leave tonight. You know, I was traveling by car, of course, but I had no plane to catch on that occasion, but staying and waiting for the donation was not my way at all. Okay, God is able to take care. Oh no, Mr. Daniel, you have got children. You need the money. All right, but I'm not staying till the morning for the banks to open. Faith. This work was built on faith. It is amazing. You know, I started with the bus fare, but now it is just a load of bills from television stations and radio stations. They have all got to be paid on time. Faith. You know, it never bothered me. Oh, I didn't build a house. I could have built myself a fine house and made a pile of money, made a lot of money. Well, what did I do? I've been preaching for 66 years. What did I do? Huh, never did that thought come to me. On the contrary, I feel I've done nothing. Honestly, I feel I have done so little for my Lord. You see, my dear friends, at the cross, that greed, that covetous spirit is crucified. And then you become a power. You know, somebody said, you know, many people have been losing their homes. I heard of a missionary who was going to lose his home. I said, this poor man has worked in Bangladesh and so on amongst poor children, and now he hasn't even the money to pay his mortgage and his house is being foreclosed on. What shall I do? Was he a friend? Did I know him? Did I ever meet him? Never. I said to my wife, Lily, we must create something together and send some help and save this man. Yes, not only was he saved, but he was trying to set up an orphan home just by the elephant jungle, the tiger reserve, tiger and elephant jungle. You know, amongst really deprived people. I said, okay. He is not able to do it. He's giving it up. Let us take this over. So, some of you may not know that it is a very risky thing even to go there. You know, you could meet some really furious animals. But God sends us to needy places. A covetous spirit will never take anybody there. I found an old place not properly built in some ways and wild animals could freely wander in. How would you keep children there? Okay, we will see that this place becomes habitable. Which means, we will take this up as a project. You know, how does that come? That comes out of the love of Jesus that ousts, throws out a covetous spirit. At a time when everybody is trying to hold on to what little they have, God gives us new projects to serve the needy people. That is the love of the cross. Some of you may not know that in the Roman Empire, hospitals only existed for the soldiers, the gladiators, the fighters who would fight one another, and the slaves. That's all. In the fourth century, when Christianity came in and the emperor turned to Christ, then Christian hospitals began. Christian hospitals began from the time that I was a young fellow. I said we must plant gospel clinics, doctors, in these needy places. Yes, the love of Christ constrains you. You know, today is a very sad and gloomy day. When the country and the nation is being driven into such a deep debt, that every man, woman, and child in the country is placed under a great debt. I really doubt if America will pay its creditors. I really doubt. To service the interest on our debts is enormous. And I don't think America has the character now to say, hey, I owe this money and I'll pay it. My grandsons will pay it. My great-grandsons will surely pay it. You see what happens? Greed, love of money, which is the root of all evil. At such a time, you know, as a contrast, our Christian love and service, we must excel in it at this hour. Now that's what are we showing? We are only showing that Jesus Christ is sufficient at all times. When things go well, then things go ill. He does not change his love does not change. So my dear friends, you will find that when this sin of covetousness is taken out of your heart, you become a great power. Let us pray. Loving Father, at a time when the nation and the people in Washington are scratching their heads, when half the workforce has become illiterate or stricken by drugs, what shall we say, Lord? Forgive us, we beseech you. This is a situation which has come about by unfaithfulness amongst Christians. Big talk amongst Christians and no true fruit. Forgive us, we beseech you. Oh my Father, help us, we beseech you. Draw near to us. We want to live the book. We want to be walking with God. Walking Bibles. Help us to be true. Cleanse us from this horrible sin of covetousness and self. In Jesus' holy name, Amen.