In this sermon, the speaker addresses the misconception that Christians are called to become rich based on certain verses in the Bible. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the context and message of the Gospel. The speaker highlights the teachings of Jesus on loving and forgiving our enemies, even in the face of persecution. He shares personal experiences of choosing to have a pure heart and love those who falsely accused him. The sermon warns against the deceitfulness of the prosperity message and encourages Christians to focus on the teachings of Jesus and the apostles.

This message is brought to you by CTMI. We spoke about the message of prosperity strips the people of God. How Christians are hurt and unhappy through all kinds of practices. And tonight, I'd like to show you from the Word of God the deceitfulness of that message. The first thing that matters we need to bring Christians to understand the teachings of Jesus. To have a revelation of the teachings of the first apostles. Those who wrote the New Covenant and the very teachings of Jesus. We need to catch and get hold of the heart of Jesus. The Word of God is not a letter, black written on white. The Christians must come to a place where they can get hold of the heart of Jesus. It's planned for the Christians. It's planned for the church. What it wants for us. We need to catch what I call the spirit of the Gospel. In other words, what the Gospel really contains. Not only the letter, but to be able to feel what there is behind those letters. The heart of Jesus is planned. It's will for me and for you. I think the Christians need a great revelation. The veil must disappear. We need to see the glorious Gospel of Jesus shine. And not to limit ourselves to human interpretations. But let me say it again, to feel the heart of Jesus. What was his motivation to say what he said. It's dangerous to read the Word of God by the letter. The letter kills. It's the spirit that gives life. There's a heart behind all that written. And this is what we need to discover. The heart of Jesus. And when the people of God feel the heart of Jesus, he's ready to do anything out of his love for the Lord. But when there's no heart, when there's no heart, then it's all by law. It's legalism. It's the letter. It loses all its value. In other words, everything that's precious, the richness of the Gospel, the revelation of the Gospel, we're going to lose it. We're going to lose it. We're going to lose it. My prayer is that we will be able to benefit from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The revelation of Christ. The first scripture I'd like to read with you is in the Gospel of Matthew. Chapter 19, verse 23 and 24. We're speaking of deceitfulness, of the message of prosperity. Are you there, guys? Then Jesus said to his disciples, Assuredly, I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And I say again unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. If we read that scripture, and we can feel the heart of Jesus, he's giving a warning. He's speaking about the danger of being rich. Does that mean it's a sin to be rich? No. No. You know, when riches get hold of your heart, it's easy for us to turn away from the Lord. And depend on our material goods. It's dangerous. This is the warning of Jesus. He's not against being rich. But he knows it can be dangerous to be rich. It's so easy for one's heart to turn away. It's not a curse or something bad to be rich. The same way it's not something bad to be poor. Yet, the church, the spirit in which the church speaks of money, drives Christians to want to become rich. It drives the Christians to wanting to become rich against the very warning of Jesus. Against the danger that there is to want to possess and become rich. And most of all, to become rich for our own benefit. To start having great visions with the money we can own. The Lord knows what he's saying. He knows. There are some verses in the Word of God that the church has the habit of using to make the Christians believe that we are all called to become rich. This is why I started by saying we need to be able to feel the spirit of the Gospel and the heart of Jesus. In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 6, verse 38, that most Christians know by heart. But if you read from verse 27 to verse 42, 43, you see that the Lord wants to transmit a message. It's a message that he wants to transmit. It's so dangerous just to take a verse out of context and not to feel what the Lord wants to transmit to us. And I've asked from verse, I think, 27. I'm not sure, I'm going to check. Jesus Paul. The Lord is speaking of our attitude towards our enemies, towards those who persecute us. How we need to love them. How we need to forgive them. Even though they persecute us, they crush us, or they accuse us falsely. In the midst of it all, give, and it shall be given unto you. Verse 38. Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. Of the attitude we should have towards people. That is all the context of what he's saying. And then he's saying, give. Is he talking about money? Why does he say it's about money? Why money? When we speak of giving, we think money. That whole part of Scripture speaks of the attitude God wants us to have towards people. The attitude of true Christianity. You will tell me, oh, it's so easy for you to interpret it like this. It's simple. It's very simple. Why do you want to take money out of it, and you want to include the attitude of giving one's life? It's a gift of one's life. That the Lord is asking finally to have towards people. Why put money in there? It's definitely not a promise of prosperity. That Scripture that we read is definitely not a promise for prosperity. It's an encouragement that the Lord talks to his disciples of a new lifestyle, of a new attitude of the heart that's completely different from that of the world. But because that message and that doctrine of prosperity came into the church, there's no more concern or desire to fill the heart of Jesus. But we grab this opportunity to get one extra Scripture to support our doctrine. But let me tell you tonight that Jesus has never been interested in money. Never! You know, it's been some years now. I can't remember the exact date. My wife, myself, and the church, we've been really going through hard, under very strong persecution. It was in the newspaper. Five, six, seven, eight consecutive weeks. First, second, third, fourth page. We had a choice. Either to keep our hearts pure, to love these persecutors, to pray for them and bless them, or to have a heart that was full of bitterness, that was hard towards those people that were accusing us falsely. I bless the Lord for His grace which allowed us to keep a pure heart in those times. The result is what you're seeing today. That is Christian life. That is the heart of Jesus. That is the spirit of the Gospel. We would never have been here tonight if we, the elders of the church, we didn't go through. We have chosen to give our lives. Give, and it shall be given to you. Give, and it shall be given to you. Good measure shaken together running over. Press down. What I'm seeing here for me it's running over. That is the destruction from the false doctrine of prosperity. There's another verse. Very well known. Two Corinthians. Chapter nine. You know that verse. Verse six says, but I say unto you he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. That is a very favorite verse. One of the favorite verses. Bad conception of sowing and reaping, of seeds and reaping, and harvest. All verses that speak about seed and harvest are turned or twisted. The natural principle is true. But in the spirit we need to have a heart. We need a heart. If my heart is in the church to support the kingdom of God, not to support men but to support the kingdom of God, if my heart is in the church as I'm giving to the Lord with all my heart without applying a principle, God will know how to give me back because my heart is in the kingdom of God. Otherwise, don't touch that principle because it will only work in the natural. It will not work in the spirit. This is why today we've got people like that girl who gave everything, her jewelry, rings, and she got poorer. Therefore the principle doesn't work. It doesn't work, that principle. It's in the natural but it becomes spiritual depending on the attitude of our hearts. And as long as my heart wants to support the kingdom of God and God sees my heart that I'm ready to give Him and if I give much of what I have, it's normal that He will give me back a lot because I will be able to carry on sowing in the kingdom of God but it has nothing to do with me personally Oh, hello! It has nothing to do with me personally. Paul is not deceiving God's people He's not telling them give, give, give, give and you will get, get, get for you. It's false. It's deceitful. It's a false teaching which has nothing to do with the heart of Jesus. This is why if you give according to that principle without your heart being totally committed to support the kingdom of God you are losing your time. If you're sowing with all your heart without having the desire to get richer you will sow in abundance and God will bring an abundant harvest because God knows where you will be sowing again. It's not about me. I take only the crumbs. That is the gospel. The rest is a lie. It's a deceit. And this is how millions of Christians have been stripped of the harvest. You know what is the harvest? Harvest is only what God wants to give you. It's not what you want. The harvest is what God wants to give you. It's not what you want. Tell that to your neighbor. The harvest is not what you want. It's what God wants to give you. Let's turn the wheel. Let's put back our ideas into order. If you don't sow with all your heart you are sowing in vain because that is the kingdom of God. In the natural if you take a pumpkin seed and you sow it you will get pumpkins but in the spirit it's not the same. Therefore don't use the principle of sowing and harvesting in the natural when it comes to your spiritual work. This is why we must see the heart that is behind. The teaching of sowing and reaping has got only one purpose. Listen carefully. It's not for you. It's for the kingdom of God. Did you understand or not? Therefore where is that message of prosperity we are going to bury it. 2 Corinthians chapter 8 verses 1 to 4 We can't take all the verses and think that it's a way for us to become rich. It is not the spirit of the gospel. We all know that verse Brother, by the grace of God who manifested in the churches of Macedonia through the great trial of their afflictions their overwhelming their very deep they produced with abundance of rich liberality on their part. Let me ask you one question. Does the action of wanting to give still in the midst of their poverty was motivated to get more and to become rich? If you believe that go and read your Bible on the mountain for one week. At least a week. On the contrary I can see Christians who were poor. It's not a shame to be poor. We don't have to be ashamed if we are poor in the kingdom of God. We cannot have the love of God by faith. Now I'm not to make me free from all from all from all of Macedonia He made them free from all Do you think they had an idea behind their back, if I'm going to reap, no, it was a motivation that they had to support the kingdom of God. In other words, they were poor, understand me, even though they were poor, they were ready to get poorer, because even though they were poor, they were ready to give even more. In other words, they were ready to get poorer. Yes, so you think they were stupid, they were men of the flesh, eh? It was like a coup de tête, like a... A what? Impulsive reaction. No, no, no, no, no, no. No, it wasn't that. They begged Apostle Paul, let us have a share in that offering. We are ready to have even less, because our heart is in the kingdom of God. I'm talking of the early church. I'm talking of the church of the New Covenant. I'm not talking of the church of the 21st century. She's so far from the reality of Christian life. 3 John 1, 8, verse 8. I desire my brother Gaius, that you will prosper in all things as your soul prospers. Comme prospère l'état de ton âme. You know, Gaius received that letter. Gaius received that letter. I ask you to stop for a moment. Just stop one minute, please. How did Gaius interpret that letter? How did Gaius interpret that letter? He said to himself, wow. He must have said to himself, wow. Thank you, John. Thank you, John. Your wish is wonderful. I'm going to prosper. Wow. That's good. Do you think that's the way that Gaius interpreted that letter? You know who was Gaius? Gaius était un serviteur de Dieu. Peut-être pas apôtre, prophète, évangéliste, pasteur, quoi. Mais il aimait le royaume de Dieu. Et vous savez ce que Gaius faisait, si vous allez lire, j'ai pas le temps de lire, mais allez lire. Gaius ouvrait sa maison pour tous ceux qui passaient par là. Gaius used to open his home for all those who went through, who came past his place. He was a man of hospitality. What he had, he shared with everybody who went through the town. He opened his house, he housed them. Quel serait le souhait du Seigneur ou d'un serviteur de Dieu pour quelqu'un comme ça? What would the Lord or the servant of God desire for such a man? Qu'il arrête de faire ce qu'il fait? That he would stop doing what he does? Et qu'il n'ait plus l'opportunité de faire ce qu'il fait? And that he's no longer able to do what he's doing? Ben non. Of course not. C'était ça la motivation de John. That was the motivation of John. Je souhaite que tu prospères à tous égards comme prospère l'état de ton âme. I desire that you would prosper in all things as your soul prospers. C'est normal pour Dieu, pour le Seigneur, pour Jean, d'encourager Gaius. It's normal for God, for John, to encourage Gaius. De continuer à ouvrir sa maison, loger les gens, nourrir les gens et les serviteurs qui passaient par la ville. To carry on opening his house, to take care and feed people who went through the town. Pourquoi chercher dans ce verset un moyen pour s'enrichir? Why look into that verse, it means to get richer. Nous sommes hantés par la prospérité? Are we haunted by prosperity? Ça devient comme de la sorcellerie, ce truc-là. It becomes a witchcraft, that thing. Pourquoi chercher dedans une motivation et s'accaparer de ce verset, pour essayer de dire, wow, je vais prospérer, parce que Jean parle de la part de Dieu, que je prospère, que je m'enrichisse. Why use that verse to procure that we're going to get rich, because God, John said to Gaius, he should prosper. Pourquoi penser comme ça? Why think that way? Paul dit à Timothée, il lui fait le même avertissement que Jésus a fait. And he gives him the same warning as Jesus did. Dans Timothée chapitre 6. Même avertissement que Jésus a dit à ses disciples. Même chose. 1 Timothée chapitre 6. Verset 9. Nous allons partir du verset 6 plutôt. C'est en effet une grande source de gain que la piété, écoutez bien, que la piété avec le contentement We read that from verse 6. It is a great source of gain, godliness with contentment. On ne peut pas se servir de l'évangile pour une source de gain. We can't use the gospel as a means to gain. Mais par contre la piété est une source de gain. Yet holiness is a source of gain. Dans le contentement. And being happy, godliness with contentment. We must be content of what we have. And not to run after riches. And he says. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. You remember the teaching of Jesus concerning the food, the clothing. He said the same thing as Paul. Don't worry about anything. What you're going to wear, what you're going to eat, what you're going to drink, don't worry about it. I'll take care of that. But rather seek the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto it. Today we're upside down. It's overthrown. It's turned around. It's so clear, it says here that those who desire to be rich, they fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. It cannot be clearer than that. As if those who preach the doctrine of prosperity, they don't want to see this in the Bible. I feel like when they get on that verse, they turn the page. They must turn the page. You know what? When we are content with what we have, God adds and gives us more. But when we seek to become rich, James says, you're not asking well, that's why you're not receiving. You're asking the wrong way, the wrong words, but the tension in our hearts is not good. My brothers and sisters, let us be content to earn our living, and he will take care of us. Let us use what he gives us according to his will. That is the spirit of the gospel. Anything else is deceit. Never put your hope and place your hope in the riches of this world. Sometimes we don't realize, but even Christians of Jerusalem were poor. Some are poor, some are rich, some are okay. And those who are poor, they mustn't complain. God knows. What he wants, and what I need, and what we need, it's not for us to decide what should be our harvest. Do we agree? If a Christian cannot serve the Lord because he is poor, he will definitely not serve the Lord when he will become rich. If he can't serve the Lord with all his heart and give his whole life to the Lord because he's poor, he's not going to do it when he's going to be rich. Don't come out of here saying, Mickey Ardy said we all need to be poor. Don't you dare come out of here saying that. Mickey Ardy said we all need to be poor. I know it happens. I know exactly what happens. I'm just warning you. Don't go and say what I didn't say. If you've got a plan to possess something, God can change that plan. Do you believe? If I've got a plan to possess something, can God change that plan? Because I have the right to change that plan and to give me what he wants. Some Christians have what they don't want. And if we are in the good spirit of the gospel, we give thanks to the Lord. If we don't have the revelation of the heart of Jesus, we're going to go to hell. We are going to do everything we can to get out of this situation. May the Lord help us. Believe me. There's no connection between the instructions of Jesus and money. There is no link between the doctrine of Christ and money. God would be unjust No. No link whatsoever. This is why the doctrine of prosperity is a heresy. We must kill it. And we must bury it. That's a brother who came to see me earlier and says, I'm going to carry the coffin. Who is going to dig? True or not? May the Lord help us. There's another doctrine that's directly linked to that of prosperity. It's a false doctrine of faith. There's a good doctrine of faith. Be careful. But the minute the minute the doctrine of prosperity was born, the doctrine of faith changed direction. The minute it's not strange what Paul said that the love of money is the root of all evil. The minute you put money in Christianity, it destroys everything. And the minute that doctrine of prosperity came into the church, the doctrine of faith changed. Changed direction. Was diverted. The doctrine of faith turned itself to men. What about me? What I have? What I want? And all the promises I can find in the Bible so I can get what I want. The doctrine of faith changed. The doctrine of faith is no more what it used to be in the time according to the Bible, in the days of the Pentecostal movement. It's incredible how everything can change the minute money comes into it. Finally we use faith to confirm the doctrine of prosperity. This is what the church did. We took the doctrine of faith to support the doctrine of prosperity. Yes, what the church did. Impose, confirm the doctrine of prosperity. In other words, it's no longer faith that is in my heart for my life, but it's faith for me to possess more. My life, when I speak of my life, I speak of my inner man, of my inner being. What God wants to do in my life. I take it, I put it in a drawer. And I use my faith now for me. Me physically, me materially. And me in everything I can see and I can touch. I claim. My faith wants to claim. It's no longer asking now, it's claiming. When I'm claiming, I'm like giving an order to God. As if he's going to listen to me. I claim. The state of the church shows that today. The product and the fruit of the doctrine of prosperity is nothing else. This is how it started. The decline of the church started by opening the door to the doctrine of prosperity. Romans 10 verse 17 says, faith comes by hearing and hearing comes from the word of God. It's like positive confession. The more I say it, the more I'm going to have it. Human philosophy. Wisdom of man. The ability. The ability. Of being able to memorize scripture. This is how faith has come today. Intellectual faith. Human philosophy. It's not faith that comes from a revelation from God. It's fake. It's imaginary faith. It's no longer living faith in me because I heard the voice of God and I've received the revelation of the gospel. Faith comes by hearing. Hearing from where and from whom? From myself? Or is faith coming from God when I hear the word of God, the voice of God, the revelation that comes from him? And that is in our hearts. It's not in my mind. It's not the power and the ability to memorize. It's alive in me because God told me. And when God speaks to me, he says, Mickey, you need to do something. Mickey, I want to give you that. It's not the pastor who told me you can ask what you want. No. It's not the pastor who told me, ask what you want and you will have. I want to ask you, did you hear the voice of the pastor or you heard the voice of God? But when God sees me, I want to give that to you. Faith comes to my heart. And what do I do when faith is in my heart? I confess it. When God has spoken to me, I can go to my wife and say, my darling, God told me we're going to have this. And it's normal. Because when faith comes, this is when I speak. But I don't speak to have faith. This is how we become parrot Christians. All day. All day. We confess. We confess. All day we confess. The Bible says faith comes by hearing, but I'm hearing what I'm saying. And I'm hearing what I'm saying and not what God is saying to me. But when I read the word of God, it's what God says. But there's a time when that word comes alive and God speaks to you and says, that's your promise. Very strange faith to claim what we want. We need to ask God to give us everything according to his will. This is what 1 John chapter 4 says. We've got lots to go. We need to bury it. We have this confidence that we have in him. If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. Oh Lord, I want a plane. Oh Lord, I'm walking every day, I want a car. It's cool. So cool. We will all get here one day in a limo. Cool. And in a few years we'll come in a helicopter. We need faith, not for what we want, but for what God wants for us. Perverti. Pourquoi? Parce qu'on l'a associé aux choses matérielles. Qui n'est pas le but du tout de la foi. Vous êtes d'accord? C'est ça? Do you agree? This is how it works. Have you seen how it's twisted? Twist faith. This doctrine of faith that teaches us that we are super guys. Ah, et nous sommes extraordinaires. Que Jésus ayant tout accompli, nous, ses enfants, on possède tout. Le ciel et la terre sont à Dieu. Et comme je suis son enfant, tout est à moi. Everything belongs to me. Everything. Everything, everything. Everything is for all of us. Oh, Lord. It's a spirit that's very different from the spirit of Christ. And the spirit of the Gospel. That the apostle lived. And that Jesus taught. It's totally the contrary of the teachings of Jesus. You know some people say that we are small gods? You heard about that? It's true. Some people teach that we Christians are little gods. We are incredible people. Incroyable. Wow. It's impossible for us to have problems. I mean, the problems come, it must go. The same way it came, it must go. That's it. You know, some Christians have never tasted rich experiences. Because they were told that everything that is not good or not negative, but whatever, doesn't come from the Lord. Anything that doesn't suit them doesn't come from the Lord. Therefore any problem becomes an attack from the devil. And what do they do? Ah, they start casting. They take out their gun. And suddenly they become powerhouses. And then they start into that perpetual fight. When this, when this as if, as if this terrible spirit are coming there when putting that situation. It's out of question. They are not going to accept a child. I'm a child of God. I'm a little God. I can't accept that. They want to get out of that problem immediately. They have got no idea that God can use these situations to form them. It's not in their dictionary. It's not in their preaching. It's not in their revelation. They spend their life fighting demons. Their whole life. They see demons everywhere. Under the bed, in the cupboard, in the fridge, everywhere. If we don't sleep well, there's a spirit around somewhere doing something in the room. Not being able to accept. A hardship. An affliction. Not able to. It's all the contrary to what the apostle lived. We ask ourselves, where's the message of a sacrificed life? The message of an identification to the sufferings and to the death of Christ. Where is that identification? With Jesus. Has it disappeared? And yet it's the message of Jesus. It has been the message of the first apostles. Suffering cannot even be mentioned in their presence. In fact, they never taste the grace of God. Because either the problem stays. Because they believe the problem must stay. Therefore, they do not have any revelation of the grace of God during that time they forgot to go through that problem. Either the problem stays. That will surely stay. Even if they cast the wrong spirit. Finally, they never taste the grace of God. And yet, in these times, the need of a divine strength. Of a power. The power of the grace of God in our life. They never tasted. Because for them, in their understanding, a hard time cannot exist. And they will never allow their life to flow with that type of situation. They never humble themselves before these difficult times and situations of life. They are always greater than these situations. Always greater. Never with a heart that humbles itself. And that rest on the grace of God to cause them to go through these hard times of life. Their heart doesn't identify to that at all. They refuse. And they think they are great super guys. People that cannot be. They are invincible. Always ready to bind, to cast, to paralyze. They don't want to hear any negative situations out of question. It doesn't exist. They are sick, but they are well. How are you? I'm fine. He doesn't want to accept that he is sick. Is that a problem to be sick? Is that a shame? But if you've got faith. I'm sick, but the Lord will heal me. Let's look at real faith. Faith that God gives us. To accomplish his plan. In our life. And through our life. This is the reason, the main reason why God gives us faith. If you look at Hebrews chapter 11, you see the witnesses of faith. God gives faith to all of them to accomplish his will. And they were ready to lose their life to accomplish that plan. They had faith to the point of giving their lives for the plan of God to be fulfilled. This is why the faith that God gives us is to accomplish his plan. So that throughout my life. A part of his plan shall be fulfilled. When I look at Noah. Why did God give faith to Noah? He needed that. To build that ark. Why did he build that ark? Why did he have faith? Because he saw a plan of God in building that ark. Abraham saw a plan of God. All these witnesses of faith they saw in the spirit. And they acted by faith ready to give their lives. For the plan of God to be fulfilled. Not for themselves. Because there was a plan. And they lost their life. These witnesses of faith. And today. Where is our faith? Do we have faith to bring us to maturity? Do we have faith to go through hard times of life? Do we have faith that when we are going through these hard times of life. God is working in our hearts. If we are ready to humble ourselves and identify ourselves to Christ in those times. To identify our life to his sufferings. With his death. So we can partake his life. That is the message of Christ. This is why he gives us faith. So we can identify ourselves with him. Take that cross and follow him. To go through hard times. Faith. Will be there to help us to go through these times. Faith to depend on the grace of God during those times. That is true faith that God gives us. Faith to take our cross and follow Jesus. Faith to end the race. Faith to keep the faith. Of a new hope for a new life in Christ. Faith to be waiting for the return of Jesus. It's not faith in money. Everything God gives us has a spiritual reason behind it. The Bible teaches us to put aside everything that's material, that's from this world, and that belongs to this world. It's why when God gives us faith, he gives us faith for spiritual things that touch our lives. Faith to persevere to the end. Faith to be able to love my wife as Christ loves the church. Let me tell you, we need faith. Big faith, huge faith. Roland, do you agree, Roland? For sure. Faith to see you grow in the spirit. Faith in our hearts to have patience for our brothers and sisters. We need faith for that. Because when you see me doing wrong and stupid things, have faith in your heart for my life. That's a spiritual plan. A plan for my spiritual life that I can stand before God one day and not backslide. What plan for material things? To have more to do what? To give to God? Okay. Yeah, I'll say yes to that. For you? No. Be happy with what you have. And bless the Lord for what you have. And if he wants to give you more, give him glory. Remember I preached on your box one day? I've got a box. You too have a box. What there is in my box is not what there is in your box. You can't try to have what is in my box. Be happy for what God put in your box for you. As long as you walk well and straight with the Lord. As long as your heart is clear and true with God. As long as you are ready to take your cross and follow him. In the right time. He opens your box. And gives you something. He never gives everything at the same time. He opens your box and he sends you nothing. Not for me, for you. I need faith for that. I need faith for my children. I need faith for you. I need faith to serve the Lord. I need faith to end my race. All that for spiritual plans. All that is of the spirit. Nothing to do with dollars or whatever. Love of money, the root of all I can do. It requires time for us to dig a hole. Let us dig that hole. Some people have started already to dig the hole. Are we ready? We haven't finished. I still have only two days with you and we need to speak of other things. We are going to try to go fast because the feed is going to be tough. We are going to choose. Let's start with the book of Kings. Two kings. I want to speak to you tonight about the influence of the world. How the church has accepted the compromise of the world. In the book of Kings. Chapter 16. In verse 7. The king of Assyria said to him. I am your servant and your son. Come up and deliver me from the hand of the king of Assyria and from the hand of the king of Israel who rise up against me. Verse 10. The king of Assyria went to Damascus to meet the king of Assyria. Having seen the altar that was in Damascus. The king of Assyria sent the model and the exact form of this altar to the sacrifice of Uri. Which verse is it? The verse 10. And saw an altar that was at Damascus. And the king of Assyria sent to Uri the priest the design of the altar and its pattern according to all his workmanship. The model and the copy of a pagan altar. And then the priest Urija built an altar according to all that the king of Assyria had sent from Damascus. Verse 14. He also brought the bronze altar which was before the lord from the front of the temple from between the new altar and the house of the lord. And put it on the north side of the new altar. And now you are going to burn the sacrifice on the new altar. That is the spirit of the world. How the king took the model of a pagan altar to come and put it in the house of God. This is what the church has done. Influenced. Compromising with the system of this world. And we bring that in the church. We bring the spirit of the world in the church. And he goes further than that. And he says for what concern the altar of. And for what concern the altar. And the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by. And then verse 16. And thus did Urija the priest according to all that King Ahaz commanded. How the responsibility of servants of God is great. To be able to discern what comes through the window and enter this place. What wind of doctrine penetrates the church. What spirit of the world that enters the church. This is exactly what the enemy wants to do. To bring the spirit of the world in the church. Danger. This is what we see here. This is why we must be very careful not to allow the spirit of the world to enter the church. We must preserve the spirit of the gospel. We are not yet to copy the world. We don't want any perfume of the world in this place. We don't want. We want to dwell and preserve the spirit of the gospel. We want the heart of Jesus to beat in the midst of the church. That the spirit of the gospel might be present in the side of the church. This is why before I close tonight. I'd like to speak to you about music. Do you hear? As a pastor and elder of the church. We need to know. What is the line. For the spirit of the gospel to dwell in the church. For the heart of Jesus to be always manifested in the church. It's sad to say. That the church in general. Has accepted. The style. And many other things. From the world. In the church. And music. Is part of it. The music should never be what is attracting people to the church. Never. Sega. Rock music. Worldly rhythm. Or any other music of that kind. It is calculated attack on the church from the enemy to pollute the church. We need to dwell in the spirit. Of Jesus Christ. And we let ourselves be influenced by the style of the world. And we add some Christian words. But in another spirit. In another spirit. You know what David Wilkerson said. Even if that music inspires those who listen to it. Does it go further than the roof, than the ceiling. In other words. There's not much chance that it reaches the throne of God. It reaches the ceiling. It doesn't go further. And without knowing. God rejects that kind of worship. Mixed. With the spirit of the world. There's no perfume. That goes to the Lord. It has a perfume that comes from the world. The fragrance. This is why we need to be very careful. Not to go beyond the line. Where God accepts and receives our worship. And where he refuses our worship. You go and listen to whatever you want. The music influenced by the world. The music with the style of the world. Influenced by the world. I would go as far as saying. A music dictated by talent doesn't go very high. All musicians of all churches, listen to me carefully. We don't want the fragrance of the world in the church. We want to offer a real sacrifice of praise to God, the simplicity of heart. This is why the church needs to adjust its aim, to aim right, and beware, to listen to any kind of Christian music that causes some kinds of emotions to be stirred, will bring us back a bit from where we come from, and our flesh feeds on that rhythm and that style. My question is, is that a good fragrance? Music has become the foundation for many churches today, and if you remove music from these churches, there's not much left. It's there to attract Christians, because they feel good, and we use music to keep Christians. The Christian needs to be thirsty for Jesus, and that his Christian life doesn't depend on music, even if the music has its place, but in the right spirit. I'm going to touch a subject that's getting some importance in the church, and we need to be very aware of this divorce in the church. I believe that when God has a plan, he has a solution for everything. When has the church started to accept divorce? Since when? I would say some thirty years, approximately. Does the will of God change according to the century we're living in? Once again, we have opened the door. The church has opened the door to an influence from the world. It's very sad, but it's reality. Divorce in the church grows, but it's an opportunity that removes from man the desire to take his cross and follow Jesus. It's a way out, because he doesn't want to lose his life, because he's not ready to take his cross and follow Jesus, and to die to his desires. This is why divorce is an opportunity that stops man to give his life, and that God may be able to unite men and women for his purpose and plan. Divorce is not the solution. You know, brothers and sisters, we are called to follow models according to the gospel of Christ. Paul says, follow me as I follow Christ. We are not here to condemn anyone or point the finger to anyone. But if you are thinking of being separated from your husband or your wife, no. There is a way out. There is a solution. There is no need to enter a plan that's against the will of God. As I said earlier on, God has a plan. He has a solution for that plan. Despite everything, he has a plan. If only men and women want to submit to the plan of God, take their cross, lose their life, one for the other, God is able to do great miracles. It's too easy to take a way out and to point the finger on your partner. We heard some days ago that when we point finger on someone, when we see the speck in the eye of someone, there's a log in our eye. When we try to put the blame on somebody else, we don't see our own blame, our own fault. This is why the solution is the cross of Jesus. Like a husband would love his wife, as Christ would love the church and give it himself for the church. I will never stop speaking about that responsibility, which I call the ministry of the husband towards his wife. We don't realize the destruction that is in the body of Christ. I preached the gospel for 10 years with a marriage that didn't stand. Rocky, shaky, with many struggles and fights. When you are in those kinds of situations, you think of all kinds of things and you can't manage it. It's only when the message of the cross of Jesus Christ comes to your heart that you start understanding your responsibility to your wife. This is why the message of the cross of Jesus Christ has saved me, has saved our marriage. This is why I'm saying, if you even have a thought that has crossed your mind, you have come to the end of yourself. You've got only one thought in your mind, it's to put her aside or put him aside. All the thoughts of the devil are harassing you. I said something earlier on. I mean, you said many things. We are called to follow the model of the gospel. Don't take as an example those who have baffled the wedding, the marriage, and don't hide behind them to do the same thing. There's a plan. There's a solution. The message of the cross of Jesus. There's a solution. Nothing is lost. It's not too late, if we are ready to humble ourselves, to take that cross and die to ourselves and let God do the miracle. Amen or no? Amen. Do you agree with that? Let me say it to you. Divorce is a profane fire in the house of God. A profane fire. And this reduces the power of the message of the cross of Jesus. Because that message is powerful to restore everything. This is why divorce comes and baffles that message, tramples that message. Divorce comes and says the message of the cross is not powerful enough for my life. It reduces the treasure of the gospel, the power of the cross of Jesus Christ in our life. This is why I'm saying to you again, if you've got a little idea behind your mind to leave him or her, stand firm. The solution is on its way. Don't give up. Don't let go. Don't let go. The solution is on its way. Better to do the plan of God than follow idols. I cannot not without telling you even if you missed it, there is a solution. It's repentance. As long as there won't be any repentance, there will be disqualification. But when there is repentance, a true repentance, God is able to lift us up again. This is the beauty of Christianity. This is the beauty of the message. God never forsakes us. He is ready to fill our hearts. And the message of the cross of Jesus Christ is the only message that causes us to feel the heart of Jesus. His plan for our lives. We're going to thank the Lord.