In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the concept of common grace, which is the grace of God that restrains people from being more wicked. He highlights that this grace is available to everyone, but it is only through accepting Jesus Christ that one can experience the deeper grace. The preacher then discusses the importance of living according to the Spirit and not the flesh, as living by the flesh leads to death. He also emphasizes the suffering and emotions of Jesus Christ, highlighting his endurance of sin and his ability to empathize with human experiences. The sermon concludes with a call to seek God's true grace and to passionately fulfill one's duty in serving Him.

I was going to just say the church in Barnsdall, but it appears there's more people than from Barnsdall here today, including myself and my children. I do want to say thank you. This has been a wonderful time being out here with fellowship, and it's been humbling. Before we start, I want to pray one more time. I can't pray enough. Father God, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Father God, that you are God. I echo the words that Michael said earlier, I need a mighty God who can wrestle this man to the ground and save his soul, pull him from sin and death and the continual sin that seeks to lurk. And there's still dark areas of my heart that deceive me, Father. Father, we don't need a man to stand up here and preach. It would be best if you just drove us to our faces today, right now, and then there would be no credit given to any man. This is a true fear for your Word. We just sang and prayed. I hope it was the prayer of every person here. Make us to be a sanctuary. Is that what we want, God? Is that really what we want? Is that what I want? You've got to speak, Father. I pray you in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, it was a journey coming here. I woke up early and drove for almost 1,200 miles, almost straight. Sick kids and kids all cramped up in a little car. And it was fun. And we get here and it was even more fun. I could have talked all night long and stayed awake for straight through. Before we actually go to the text, if I even get to it, I'm going to be honest with you, I feel there's something I want to read and I want to say something. You don't know how the Lord is using you here, Church. You have no idea the nations that you're touching. You have no clue. There's no idea. And you would think in the back of your mind, well, why would God do such a thing? God always does such a thing for the people who are seeking Him. But even with the people who are seeking Him, sometimes we have to be dealt with. So my question to you today is this. Is there any man in here who knows God so well, he can't stand to know Him more? Is there anybody in here that hates their sins so much that you're not willing to do business with the Lord today? The Lord willing, He'll do business with us today. But He never crushes His people. Oh, it may feel like a crushing. I wept through the first prayer. I wept through Brian's prayer. I tried not weeping the whole time Michael was speaking. I didn't want him thinking I was crying about what he was saying. But the Lord was actually touching me through what he was saying. There's a verse I want to start with here. Not the text I was going to start at, but I think it's a place we need to start to remind ourselves of some things today. We're going to go to 1 Peter briefly. Excuse me, 2 Peter. We're going to go to 1.19. It's a good reminder before we even start. I had my plans on what I would like to be and what I thought maybe things would go. And I'm even using some cheat notes here today. There's some things I do want to say that I don't want to forget. What we don't need is our emotions to start to deceive us. And our hearts to deceive us to tell us that our emotions must be what's making us spiritual. Now the Spirit of God can move your emotions. We know that the Lord has given us emotions. They can be very good. But we don't want to get off on a tangent and let our emotions deceive us into thinking that that's of the Spirit when it could not be. So what we need today is we want to start here, I believe. It says, then we have something more sure, the prophetic word to which you do well to pay attention. You do well to pay attention to this. As to a lamp shining in the dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Knowing this, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. Did you catch that? No prophecy of Scripture was from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man. But men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. What we don't need is man to speak today. We don't. Now, over in Jeremiah 17, some of you know 17.9, the heart is deceitfully wicked. Back up to Jeremiah 17.5 for a minute. I'm going to read it direct. I thought I was going to paraphrase, but let's just read that direct. Because I want us to go into something here a little bit here. And maybe ask a few more questions to ourselves before we begin today. And to really look into the word. To Jeremiah 17.5. It's a good reminder for us all. It says, Thus says the Lord, Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. The minute we stand upon any ounce of the flesh for our strength, we essentially turn our back on the Lord. Now, if left to wander, one of two things then becomes resultant. We're either never worth His if He continues to let us go and we never are repentant. Or, He lets us go for a season, a time, and a place, and to each man a certain degree. But then He brings us back. Now, today, what I want us to look at is do we really believe what it says in 2 Timothy? Do we believe the word of God is all inspired? Do you believe that? I'm going to take we out of it for a moment. Because I do believe that God wants to speak to every single soul in the building. And even, yes, the youth. Do you believe that? Now, some are shaking their head yes. Alright? So we say we believe this. What does it say it's good for? Profitable for what? Training? Teaching? Reproof? So that the man of God may be adequate? And to understand what? The will of God. Alright, so if we say we believe this, let's go somewhere else. What does Jesus say about Himself? What did He say about Himself? He said, I'm the fulfillment of every Old Testament prophecy. I'm the fulfillment of the Psalms and the prophets. Oh, not a word is going to go away. Not a word. Alright, so do we believe this? We say we believe the word of God is all inspired word of God. Do we believe that? We also then believe that God says, I do not change. I do not change. I do not waver. I do not bury. Now, if we believe these things, how much are we resting in? Trusting in? For all facets of our lives. Every movement we make is grounded in Christ and in Scripture. Are we raising our children as to what the Bible says? What do I do with my pastime? Does it please the Lord? Well, you know, I went and did that. Sunday, you know, we spent the hours of coming to church. And we ate. But now, it's me time, Lord. I need some down time. I'm tired. My body's weak. Oh, Lord, You understand. You made me. I'm just going to watch this. I'm just going to do this. Never taking into consideration maybe the thing we're watching, we're doing, we're reading. What are you doing with your time? Never maybe thinking for a moment if my Lord, who has physically walked in and sat down beside me in a physical manifestation of Christ, what would I do? What would be my response? Would it be quick, turn that off? Does He hate the things that I'm loving? Now, take for a minute. Michael said something. He said it earlier to me this week. And I'm glad he mentioned today. I don't even have to try to sin. I don't. But here's the thing. God, He's never once, not only did Jesus never once sin, God's never been tempted with sin. For a moment, an eternity past, present, or future has sin been alert to Him? Has it been something He looked at and for a second had to think? I hate that. No, He hates it. Do we hate our sin? Do we hate our past? Or are there some people, maybe, maybe someone in here, maybe me, who's been much like Lot's wife, didn't heed the things of God and turned back longing for a past, longing for a flesh, longing for something that I should never look back upon. Has anyone, He's never done that. He's aggrieved you. Are you in any sort of sin today? Do you have a grudge against anyone? Let me ask you this. This morning I was in prayer and I didn't feel like I should say it. And I said, Lord, is He sure? But I will. It's so wonderful to be with so many people and see everybody come forward. And it's wonderful to see how you do communion a little differently than some other places. And I want to share something briefly before we move forward. Because my wife was texting me before we started and she said, I've been up long before praying for you for today. Just stick to the text. That's a good word. I'm not texting her back. Text her later. Here's the thing. No matter how you do communion, that doesn't matter. It's the reason. Let me pose a question to you before I move on. It's what I would like to share briefly before we move forward. Did anyone take communion? Because if you didn't take communion you'd think Brother Brian or any one of the other brothers would look down upon you of why didn't you take it today? What was the reason? What was the back? What was the desire? Worship team. Wonderful to see the music. It's always wonderful once again to see Michael behind the piano. Why did you do it? Fulfilling a duty? A role? Has it become a burden? Has it become a burden to do it? Is it a joy? Is it a passionate joy to do it? I remember when I was at the church I was saved. This was only about three weeks or so before I was saved. Truly saved, converted. I grew up in the church. I remember how they did it there was a bit different. It was a Calvary Chapel. If anybody is familiar with the Calvary Chapel movement it started out close to Mesa Pastor Chuck Smith anyway. A small church in Towson, Mexico. How they did it there was real simple. After the service was complete the meeting was done the preaching was over the last prayer had been said he said this those of you that truly want to stay truly born again you stay at the meeting those of you that are not right at the moment you need to do some business with the Lord or you need to go to a brother or you are not converted just go out and wait and have some coffee or whatever go out but don't stay here this is for the believers but out of self-righteous piety out of an unreality I sat there I was not converted you could say well you didn't know what he was doing well I knew what I was doing I took communion I will never never again take communion like that God made it very clear what you are doing this bread is made of product man you made but why you are taking my body upon you my blood that I shed for you you are taking that upon you you are placing my name upon you do you know me because I don't know you that's what I got back I did that because I wanted my girlfriend to think I was right and I was not right praise God he saved my soul only a few weeks later praise God within 24 hours the same way that I was saved my girlfriend got saved praise God he cut off our relations he cut off our alcohol he cut off our drugs he cut off many things praise God a year later I married her praise God so many times my wife through her obedience to the Lord her quiet obedience to the Lord I have been shoved to my face in the wee hours of the morning and to all the women here there is great encouragement I believe it is in 1 Peter chapter 3 the first part of the verse has been wrongly used by many a man but the second part of the verse is a great promise to every woman if you are married and you have been crying out for greater holiness for your husband stay firm rest in that verse look that up and read that that is a great promise to the women so with saying some of these things I think we will want to turn to 1 Peter chapter 4 verses 1 and 2 I don't really like making titles for sermons I think that is a lot of times of man in the flesh but sometimes it is good for us to wrap our minds around some things it is the mind of suffering you say well my Jesus doesn't have that well he gives me my best life now well if this is your best life now I am sorry it is not mine and I don't want this to be my best life now I don't need the arm of the flesh to deceive me anymore I don't need I don't need the wickedness of my heart to deceive me I want to look at some things so let's read these verses now originally what I wanted to do was go into this and then end up where we were going it was really going to build amazingly build off Brian's message from last Sunday now I wasn't here physically but I heard it what was it on love love by the way the Holy Spirit I love what he said the Holy Spirit is not going to fall on people who won't pour themselves out for other people anybody in here know people who are going to other churches in the surrounding area does anybody know people in those churches does anybody know people who go to a church in the surrounding areas where you know the doctrine or the teachings of so since you've been here what have you done to go back to reach those people you used to sit with do you love them do you love the own people you're sitting by sitting behind you sitting in front of you oh do you shake your head yes oh I love them yeah oh but I really have ought against my brother you want the Lord to make you a sanctuary is anyone willing to go through the fire how do you purify gold is it done on ice is it done sitting cold how do you burn the dross out of fire anybody want to walk and dance with Jesus as Meshach and Abednego did get thrown in the fire by the way when they came out did they even smell now I used to be a smoker I know if you light up a cigarette for half a second you stink like it the rest of the day and that's just the nature of how smoke works it gets in and penetrates there was nothing on these men king looked in and saw four dancing who was the fourth oh yeah what happened to the men and throw them in even getting near they were destroyed do you want that do you want to be sanctified do you want to seek God one of my most favorite people in all the bible I can't say this because I love them all of course it's Jesus but aside from the divinity of God man, Christ, Jesus I look at the men and there's one verse that captivates me it's in Genesis 5 they're going through the line up of all the people from Adam to Noah and all of a sudden you come across this guy you come across this guy what is the bible I want to read this directly Enoch you get to Enoch now if Enoch lived out all his days as everybody else was living all those years what would have happened to Enoch so we think now we don't have all of our numbers we can play with the numbers here try to figure it out in math of course some of us kind of nerdy do that like me try to figure it all out Enoch wouldn't even have survived what would have happened he would have died but what happened to Enoch he was removed it's like Elijah God took him what does it say about Enoch Enoch walked with God what did that look like how much do we murmur it's like at times sometimes I myself along with other Christians they frustrate me because we're constantly so pushed down it seems as if like there's no victory and then when we start talking that way some of us when we start having deeper theology so we think we start running from it because whoa those group of people over there they're way off over here and they're doing this sorts of things to other people we don't want to be like them either well the theology is right their I's are dotted their T's are crossed but they're dead so out of fear we start taking some of the promises of the Bible and we start eradicating from our lives and we shouldn't do that shouldn't do that what does it say about Enoch he walked with God and he was not and God took him where was Enoch's prayer meetings where was Enoch's fellowship where was Enoch's Bible where did he get these things where was Enoch's church where did he go on a Sunday morning okay Saturday for those of you that want to correct me he walked with God is that what you want do you want to be made a sanctuary get it do you want to walk with God well let's find out and may only the Lord testify to you today and no man testifies to where you're at in your walk you don't need man you don't need your own heart to tell you something you do not even need affirmation from your heart nor do you need a condemnation from your heart you need the Spirit of God Almighty alone if he doesn't show up you keep seeking him until he does if you can't forgive someone you keep seeking him remembering who you were until he grants the forgiveness for you because he who is forgiven little forgives little he who does not know the love of God truly cannot love his brother so let's go back that gets where the deal we need to look at at least briefly now I'm not some great exegete I am not some great pastor you guys are so fortunate that teaching that you have you are so fortunate you have no idea you have no idea I've traveled this nation seen so many churches dead so many people who don't know what fellowship is they've never experienced it but when they do let me tell you they find it and I want to say this as good as this is in the meeting of coming together on a Sunday morning in this building us the church gathering together I know there's still some people here who have yet to experience the deep fellowship of believers and the deep prayer of believers and that deep oneness being one with God and being shut up to God an old term so let's go to don't ever take it by the way take it for granted don't take it for granted what you have because what will happen is it will all become commonplace to you and you'll not be thankful for it and when you're not thankful don't be surprised if the Lord doesn't show up alright so 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 1 since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh arm yourselves with the same way of thinking for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God there's so much here we can't even begin to get to it all but let's ask some questions did Christ suffer did he suffer alright we know he suffered in the flesh correct he was persecuted physically persecuted we know this right now we know he was suffered and we know he had the crown of thorns we know these things ok did he suffer in any other ways was he not fully manned was he not tried as we were tried was he not given up now he wasn't tempted to where he would fall into temptation but did not the spirit of God lead him into the wilderness to be what tempted by the devil who led him there who led him there spirit of God we need to be careful sometimes in our talk when we start to rebuke Satan sometimes not always sometimes we rebuke Satan when it isn't even Satan it's God saying you want to walk with me well let me show you the valley and let me see if you are going to walk with me so Christ we know he suffered physically ok but it also says in Isaiah 53 chapters 3-4 chapter 3 verses 3 and 4 it says he is a man of sorrow Christ was a man of sorrow he endured sin did he not put up with the sin of man did he not endure with it oh how long must I be with you all this whole faithless generation how long must I be with you did he feel emotions did he weep with Martha and Mary it says he wept bitterly deeply moved did he taste death did he taste the death oh yeah he walked first did he bear the wrath of God how much more did Christ suffer in ways we can't even account for while he walked as a man on the earth and the floor now if you read Peter throughout Peter he really is building this up in terms of persecution so there are two things I want to look at one is the persecution I know that you guys hear about that things are coming and there are believers going on it was so great to hear you guys praying for the missionaries and the children for Gospel for Asia and these other places where there are people literally right now the statistics were and this was 3 years ago that over 400 million people were suffering for the name of Christ and over 250 million of them 250 million of them were suffering severely that was 4 years ago 5 years ago they estimated within 5 years that was an estimation that that number will double in the coming days in the near future now it's very hard to sit here we sit in a land we've been given much oh but we've done little with it it's hard to not look around and think how can these things be but that's what Peter's doing he's bringing up throughout the book he's bringing them up and he's saying hey since therefore now he needs to look back but it's also put since he's about to say something he said Christ suffered in the flesh arm yourselves this arming is a taking up a preparation for battle it's a preparation of getting ready so the second part I don't want to focus today on physical persecution the persecution that's out there we should be praying for our brothers and sisters we should be feeling deep about them but what about the suffering of our own sin do you have you ever felt a suffering for your own sin as you walk in the flesh do you ever do you fight your own sin or do you just not care it goes back to some of the questions we previously asked but why did you come today what was the motivation of your coming was it to truly with the people of God worship the God that we're gathering under was it to hear him was it to be sanctified was it to be made sanctuary was it or was it just merely maybe fellowship or catch up or perform a duty perform a role why why arm yourselves with the same way of thinking be transformed by the renewal of your mind did he not say that in Romans 12 12.1 talks about what is true worship really with your body in Romans 2 be transformed by the renewal of your mind do you want that do you want God to come down in such a way that he gets into your soul and he starts doing business with you do you want revival you won't get mass revival if you yourself won't allow it to happen in you and you won't allow it to happen in you because you can then go and say I really don't want God God is holy what does holy mean has anybody really ever thought about that holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty holy to be cut apart to be set apart to be other than God is not like us only better he's not like us at all you say but I was created in his image yeah it's not the other way around here's the thing he's holy we're not what does holy mean he's not like us at all he's totally separate he cannot be touched by sin he is not the same as we are at all and so alright if God is holy when we start approaching the holy ground it's going to start to do something it's either going to cause you one of two things it can't be three and the third is the most deceiving but the third isn't a reality and that is this you will either run and embrace him more and more and more or you will run from him and I do believe in this church you won't be able to remain long hidden God will find you out and find your sin out or you will leave and those are the two best the best option is you repent and come to the Lord and worship him rightly and build into his body the second is definitely not the best and that is that you leave prayerfully you get saved but if you don't you die in the Lord in all his wrath and poured upon you for the rest of eternity but the third path that we try to create so often and this is the most dangerous path and this is the most biggest danger it could even be to some of us in this room not outside here we're not talking about any other church and that is this the path where we think we're okay or right with God we really don't need to deal with that that's really not a major sin the path where we become comfortable fulfilling the church of Laodicea and being spewed out of the mouth of God and stand before Jesus claiming that we love him and we know him and when we've done these things we can be casted out beings and perform miracles all to be sent away from him terrifying words those are terrifying words to me today I can stand before you and say a lot of things I can even look like I know what I'm saying and I can walk out these doors and God can send me to hell I'm already under the weight of his judgment have you had an encounter with the living Christ for yourself children have you as youth grow older there comes an age and a time in everyone's life we don't know what it is but God knows your heart have you had an encounter with the living Christ in youth let me say something to you for a second you're claiming to be a Christian and you come and do these things yet you willfully disobey your parents and you know it do not call yourself a Christian get honest with God he knows men how have you treated your wives you read the verses Ephesians as Christ loved the church how did Christ love the church he died for her what part of the flesh is in that what part of the flesh is in that so arm yourselves with the same way of thinking so how should we be thinking how did Christ suffer did he stand up and say yeah but ever was there ever a reason to put Christ to the cross was there ever a reason was there a single solitary reason that we put Christ to the cross can you find one according to scripture we can't oh but what do I do God you just don't know what I'm going through oh really was he not tempted in all ways as we were but never felt of a temptation because he saw that what it was it was wicked and it was evil and it was vile and let me tell you something there's nothing too small there's no too small a thing in God's economy there's not like well there's a little that's ok there's none what is your opinion of Muslims are they people God made with souls are they a radical bunch but because they believe something different now we have a different mindset what do you think of the homosexuals that sin so grievous much worse than all the other sins how much you love them and how much you'll go and pour out your life for them and how much you really believe the word your co-workers how about each other in this room now I don't know everybody so that makes saying some of these things a little easier for me because I don't know all the intricacies I like it like that when I start thinking I can figure it all out I get in trouble God forbid that God forbid it arm yourselves with the same way of thinking what is that thinking what does Romans 8.13 have to say let's go to Romans 8.13 for a second because now if we said we believe the Bible is the inspired word of God and we believe that no prophet came up with this stuff on their own it's inspired God did it then I can't find anything there that will truly contradict can I now I can make it contradict in my flesh that simple because that way I can justify my sin I can sit there and absorb myself and I can justify myself but let me tell you something when you stand before Almighty God on that day whether it be He comes back and gets us before we see death or we die and we come before Him let me tell you something you won't have the chance because there will be no breath in you that will have the ability to speak forth but it won't be tolerated on that day He's got mercy and grace right now and by the way don't forget something if Adam wouldn't have sinned you wouldn't have known mercy or grace there'd be no need of it there'd be no need of it so when you do sin believer remember this there's mercy and grace right now He doesn't wish that any would perish why is He waiting why does it feel like God you're waiting so long you think we're the first generation to think He's coming tomorrow He's coming soon no we aren't the first generation they thought that when they wrote it they'll know everything about that day you don't need to worry about the arguments of eschatology oh you're blessed you're blessed aloud you read the words of the book of the prophecy of revelation but what's it say if you add to or take away a word does your eschatology add a word or take away a word that wasn't even written why do I say that there'll be no buts there'll be no buts mercy's cut off forever grace will be cut off forever for those on the earth cut off there'll be none when He lifts His Spirit the common grace of God that's here today it is out there it's here it's everywhere it's what restrains the people on the planet from being more wicked than they already are the common grace of God is what He's given us all but to those who are the children of God He gives He shows He opens our eyes He says I poured it out for everyone but that you would come and receive that receive a deeper grace but what's it say in Romans 8 verse 13 it says we need to be armed with this way of thinking well what is part of that armed what do we got to be armed what are some of the ways of thinking we need to be armed with let's look at this a second it says for if you live according to the flesh you will die let's stop there a second are you in any way that the Lord has made known to you living by the flesh serving self Brian talked about love last week what was one of the key what was the key thing that he pulled out that the Lord showed him in that love is it not a sacrificial dying to self how do you die to self you don't look at yourself I've met many men who have met messed up fathers bad bad messed up fathers and they say they swear I'll never become like my father I won't do it who do they end up looking like they look like their father why because they can't get their eyes off their father why they can't get their eyes on anything else that's what we need we need to have our eyes affixed upon Jesus to the degree that we understand that if we live according to the flesh you base your life off newspapers and news media do you tell me that any of that is of the Spirit of God now can the Spirit use it he can cause you to mourn and weep over what's going on if you live according to the flesh you will die but if by the Spirit now how by the Spirit can the flesh do what's about to happen but what are you about to tell us can the flesh do it no but how by the Spirit that's what I love about the scriptures he shows so many men what are they weak pitiful men sinners fallen would you want David to come here today and train us on a men's camp really well how about Solomon would they be a good leader to lead up our young men well yes and no yes and no and that's what I like about the scriptures it doesn't pull away from the sinfulness of man what it does is it shows what the glory of God has done and what it does where did the stars go today I've always loved this analogy but where'd they go did they go away are they still right there you can't see them in the daylight unless it's a backdrop the glory of those stars show at night against the backdrop of darkness you've got to know your own sin you've got to wrestle you've got to get in and understand what you're to hate so that's the glory of the Lord shines forth even more and you know where to fix your eyes and know where to look forward and where to press forward in he says this if you live according to flesh you'll die but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live now you say whoa wait a minute that's a works based mentality no it's not it's the word of God did he say here that you will be saved by this no you're saved through grace free grace free Christ what is grace well we're going to look at that in a moment what the result of true grace does and sometimes sometimes in little reform circles they don't want to talk about grace anymore because they're so afraid that there will be no conviction of sin but see what they don't understand is what true grace does so it says if you live according to the flesh you'll die should we not arm ourselves with this sort of thinking Christ suffered in the flesh why did he suffer he suffered for sin our sin I'm going to read something to you I didn't necessarily have this planned but I keep this in the front of my Bible and I love this I heard it from another preacher and I had to go dig in and tear it out it's from John Flavel I love this picture this is a picture of of really the Father and Christ interacting in heaven this is a picture and here's what he says he says Father this is the Father speaking he says my son here is a company of poor miserable souls that have utterly undone themselves and now lie open to my justice justice demands satisfaction for them or will satisfy itself in the eternal ruin of them what shall be done for these souls and thus Christ returns and now Christ responds to the Father oh my Father such is my love to and pity for them that rather than they shall perish eternally I will be responsible for them as their surety their safety bring in all thy bills bring them all in that I may see what they owe thee Father Father what is it they owe I want to see them bring them all forth bring them all to me I want to see what I owe what do they owe what is it Father he says bring in all thy bills that I may see what they owe thee Lord bring them all in that there may be no after reckonings with them at my hands shalt thou require it I will rather choose to suffer thy wrath than they should suffer it upon me my Father upon me be it all their debt the Father replies to the Son but my Son if thou undertake it for them thou must reckon to pay the last might expect no abatements if I spare them I will not spare thee the Son answers the Father content Father let it be so charge it all upon me I am able to discharge it and though it prove a kind of undoing to me though it impoverish all my riches and empty all my treasures which it did yet I am content to undertake it for them is that what you reject as a believer we can reject some of these things this is what Christ has done and the Father did not spare him an ounce of his own wrath why do you think Jesus prayed in the garden as he did he knew he said Father take this cup from me if it be thy will but your will be done I heard Brian say it I've heard it you've heard it what was in the cup the wrath of God this is what was poured upon the Son and yet we would hold back and sit and say oh that sin's not so bad you know that little sin you're holding on to whether it be against someone or against a private thing that you've done against God whatever it be that littlest thing that smallest thing whatever that be that's what nailed him to the cross and that's what made him suffer the almighty wrath of God and you would take that and throw that away we call that spurning the Son is that what you would want to have done I'm not going to get into everything I felt like where I need to go I do want to I do want to go somewhere and I faithfully believe that's where we should end I do you want to be sanctified you want to know God it's going to cost you you've got to die killing of the flesh let's go to something for a second I want us to go to Titus I do want to hit Titus I want to end with Titus I believe I praise God praise God that now one thing so often it's easy for me to have the tendency to want to drive something into the ground drive a point speak very loudly there's times that we could not speak so loudly Titus chapter 2 this is not taught in most of the churches in the United States of America this is not taught by most pastors in the United States of America this is not associated with greats in the United States of America and many other places let's go to verse 11 you need to wrestle with these things if you're not wrestling over scripture and God's not showing your sin you ought to be terrified you ought to be terrified of Romans or excuse me Matthew 7 where he says I do not know you oh you can do a lot of things and you can have a lot of emotions carry you and you can be dead I can be dead I don't say these things to crush anyone I don't want it to come out that way but if you want to go through the fire oh God has a need to begin to deal with this for the grace of God verse 11 chapter 2 of Titus for the grace of God has appeared what bringing salvation for all people have you had an encounter with God do you know His grace do you know it as a reality it's more real than everything around here it's more real than these walls it's more real than this music it's more real than you sitting there these bodies are not going to last they will be eaten they will be destroyed is grace has the grace of Jesus Christ become a working reality in you or is it something you use as an excuse to continue in your sin I don't care about everybody outside right now it's us we need God to get down into the soul is that what you want some people nod their heads yes and some bow their heads to the floor what do you want you want your best life now oh you can get that oh you can get your best life now you can go name it and claim it and grab it and blab it you can say it's all about your words and this and that guess what on the day of judgment heaven and earth are going to flee at the white throne judgment there won't be a place at the white throne judgment you better hope you're not there because you'll never know it's too late it'll be you and God and you'll be standing in the nakedness of yourself and in your flesh and in your sins before almighty God there'll be no buts and the last things you will say is Jesus Christ is Lord and forever you'll cry out in the pits of hell asking for a drop of water that you'll never receive for the grace of God has appeared what bringing salvation for all people you think this grace is just yours what about the churches in this town what about maybe the remnants that's in them the true church what about all those that don't know any better they don't know anything else are you going back to show them the truth that you've been exposed to here or are you just sucking it in for yourself I've been very guilty of sucking in truth for myself and then Lord he made over my wife all for the Lord to keep three or four sleepless nights from me to be on my face crying out for just an hour of rest before I have to go do it all over again and the Lord saying you aren't getting anything until you learn that that wife of yours is my daughter and I'm a father who watches her go ahead son go your own way I'll deal with you and if son you want to leave you've pressed me hard enough I give I take away you haven't received your full salvation yet I'll take that and don't get me wrong I believe if God started working I'd still finish it I also know it's his it's his it's salvation for all people maybe you just don't want to go witnessing to anybody because you're afraid of what they'll think of you being called radical different oh look at them they meet in an old bar I mean look at us we've got this nice nice building by the way take heed when you leave this building take heed take heed when you step into a building with newer things that newness can destroy your faith careful be careful so it brings salvation I'm going to pick up again at the end of verse 11 bringing salvation for all people what does it do next verse 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions anything you need to renounce you better do it because the longer you hold on to it if the Lord has revealed to you some sort of way do it while it's easier and if you don't know ask God He'll reveal it He says training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions this is not preached in the forms of grace that's being taught and we the United States of America have spread around the world you say oh we really haven't done that oh yes we have you know there's certain sects in China groups for those who didn't hear what I said clearly certain groups in the underground church the true church in China the underground church is still being persecuted you don't hear about often although the voice of martyrs you do but there are certain groups that in their local doctrine that they have these few rules that they have for themselves that they are not to be caught associating with anyone who is called a Christian from the United States of America it is in their doctrine they do not allow it they wouldn't allow a single one of us into their group and isn't that the saddest thing on the face of the earth why? let me tell you it's not because they're not following God it's because they've been so deceived by a false gospel and a false grace and a false faith that they see the damage is what it's done why do you think the poorest of the poor want to send indigenous missionaries or missionaries to this country? because we don't think we need them even the Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons know they need missionaries here yet the Christian church what? as a whole well, most of what's called Christian in this country isn't Christian you have got to watch their terminology we don't think it I don't think it who's going to go rescue the souls who are lingering in churches being deceived by false prophets at the pulpit because God's turned us over if you read Romans 1 you can't help but notice America flashes out at you let alone every other godless nation this isn't being taught why? you've got to go through fire to get this oh, grace is free though yeah, it's free grace has a result true grace of Christ does not mean you continue and do what you want to do the best thing some of us could do would truly be right now to shut our Bibles walk home find a room and get along with God and stay there until He does something how many times have I professed Christ in my life? I had no business professing I want to tell you something I was hearing with Brian I love the fellowship I love the prayer meetings you're not in the prayer meetings here man you're missing I'm going to tell you right now I know that not every day is good not every time is easy and you can't make everything but guess what I'm going to tell you something right now and I believe it's the Lord you wait and see that there will not be at least six days of prayer breaking out in this church you wait and see I'm telling you that right now I believe that I know it it's going to happen but I love the prayer meeting last night it was so wonderful to have that home fellowship that home just this freedom and I've been like a little kid since I've been here I haven't shut up Brian's just so happy to he just has to sit there and endure endure man y'all had to endure that he just had to endure it because I've been so excited to be here and just like yay I'm like a little kid you know but I was sharing with him that what the Lord had did to put back home in our house we were newly saved and we didn't know what we were doing and I just wanted a couple people to come over and read the Bible together well within two months we had 60 people reading the Bible together at my house every Monday night youth and all these things and we didn't know what to do and we had people ask us can we be baptized can we do communion I don't know can we I don't know should I be a priest or go to college I'm pretty sure of it oh the cycle didn't oh well ok I remember two years ago getting so convicted and I wept for a week different times I just wept literally all those youth that came I can't find a single one of them but the one that came prior already knew the Lord not a single one of them walk with God today I had more zeal than knowledge for sure then how many of them did I condemn under false religion and was going to die and go to hell one of them in particular my own cousin he's a homosexual now he's into drugs he's into music he posted on his Facebook the other day I try not to even go there anymore I had to cut him off I had to truly cut him off but this is what he believes is God now his statement is this since God made me a homosexual he too himself is a homosexual he has to be now you hear something like that it should just make something crawl on your skin but are you willing to go love those people? minds are delusional they know nothing else I'm going to continue on I know I'm pressing time training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions it's training you to do this that's what the grace of God does are you doing it? and to live how are we to live? self-controlled upright and godly lives in the present age this is the thinking we must arm ourselves with is this not a type of suffering in the flesh? you say well we Paul tells Timothy indeed everybody indeed everyone who desires to live godly in Christ Jesus there's a promise for you have you ever grabbed onto this one? you will be persecuted now it's not just physical it's not because I've had people come up to me and say oh but we're not being physically persecuted and I'm older and I'm going to die soon you see physical persecution oh but there's persecution and one of the greatest ones is the grieving over your own sin are you grieving over your own sin? does what you see in this culture grieve you? do you see it? does it grieve you? do you grieve the souls that you see? the things that go on? you need to wrestle with these things so it says for us to live self-controlled upright and godly lives in the present age that's now that's now this is what the true grace of God does it doesn't reward you with sin and it says waiting for our blessed hope the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from what? all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works you don't go do good works to get saved you do good works because of your salvation it's a cause it's a burning in you you have to go do it if prayer is simply laborious to you just simply laborious and you see no point you better do some business with God do some business with him you want to be made a sanctuary? get in the real true grace of God and don't leave it I've got to have grace to stand here I've got to have grace to do everything I do I've got to have grace to raise my children I've got to have grace to love my wife I've got to have grace to die I've got to have grace to put the death and deeds of the body and not by my flesh I need to do it by the spirit is this not how we should arm our well selves with this way of thinking? is this not how we should be thinking? declare these things exhort and rebuke speak with all authority let no one disregard you any passion for Christ today? any passion to know him more? if you don't have a passion to know Christ to know him more be very afraid you're sitting in a dangerous seat if you have no hatred of your sin if you're not being convicted of your sin if God doesn't have a burning stirring in you sitting right there in your hearts and some of you are stirring to where you wish this man would shut up so we can get it over with which maybe not all of that is probably bad if you don't have a stirring of God in you at all either for his passion in his glory and in equalness a hatred of your own sin you are in a very dangerous place you're neither hot nor cold decide for yourself who are you going to serve? because if you want to serve alcohol you want to serve the flesh go do it go run with those sinners and if you're going to do it be the best at it so you cry out to God for him to do a radical manifestation of his Holy Spirit in you to the degree you do not leave ever changed you probably said that wrong but you leave changed you leave here changed why? because you met with the people of God why? because you met with the people of God no, you met with the Holy Spirit who came and met with his people and he purified the people making us a holy sanctuary a usable vessel for his honor and glory not to be some nut job out there preaching a message he shouldn't have been preaching condemning everyone in the flesh when he himself is under no conviction of sin oh, but he's an evangelist most evangelists on our streets I hate to say this but they need to stop and go work at Burger King for a while and learn to serve people they need to stop it God didn't go tell them to say those things the sword is meant for his hands not meant for ours let him wield it you want a surgeon? you're going to have a heart attack I work in the medical field you're going to have a heart attack do you want me a CAT scan technologist who runs a CT scanner to do your heart surgery? now granted, I know about the vessels and I've seen it done I mean, it all can't be that hard, right? you just start cutting and sewing, right? is that what you want? well, that's what happens when you look to a man if you start coming here solely for the reason to hear from Brian himself that's all you're going to get a butchered up hack job and you'll be dead you need a surgeon the physician the great physician he knows how to take a scalpel he knows how to cut it exactly at this point you know, with a lot of cancers you can't when surgeons go in what do they always do? they have to cut around a tumor wider than the tumor they can't see the fine line you can't see it they have to cut around it if you have chemotherapy you don't just kill the bad cells you kill the good ones too because in our power that's all we can do oh, but in the power of God do you guys not have a testimony in this church of what God has done? do you not have a testimony? of physical stuff? physical healing? who did it? who did it? it's a funny thing I say this to youth a lot and I like to do this especially for the youth to me being in medicine but it's funny I've worked in trauma centers I've worked all over the nation I have seen death in just about every format there is I have seen bodies coming in pieces I've seen the most horrible things happen I've seen the results of sin especially amongst the youth when they fall into depression overwhelmed I've seen all the forms of this death come through and there's something interesting about it though for a second if I, and I've said this to my children if I lose my hand in an accident today I go to help brother Brian and I don't know what I'm doing and I'm lying and he's like hey go over there and you know go get that bull to come over here or whatever alright and that's all I know I'm just going to be like dumb and walk over there and go hey bull and let's say that bull don't like me well I don't know bulls don't really bite your hand off but the bull bites your hand off you know we're over here in this area of the country we'll use a bull I lose my hand now my hand heals and when you come to sit down to talk to me and I've healed but I have no hand my hand's gone I've got this stub but when you talk to me are you still talking to all of me yeah or did I lose me well without my hand now I've lost things I may have to relearn some things I may have to redo some things I may not know how to do some things without that hand but the person you're talking to is me well hmm I must not be in my hand follow that chain up I've seen brain surgeons open brains up and I've seen heart surgeons open a heart up and the funny thing about it within the flesh of itself I can't find the person I was talking to before they went into surgery there is something deeper to you and I than the flesh work hard to take your eyes off the flesh and put them on the grace of almighty God put it on the level of almighty God He didn't even look really at the verse in 1 Peter I'd encourage you guys to read that for yourself let the Lord speak to you on those things run to the grace of almighty God his refinement of purpose if he crushes you under some of your sins he won't leave you there God doesn't do that Satan will but he'll put you under a false condemnation of your sins where you think you're battling the sins but you're doing it in flesh only by the Spirit say it's the Lord only by his grace we need his grace his mercy and so much more wrestle with grace out of satiety with all the rest of the verses on grace I thank you guys again you have no idea what a remarkable pleasure it is and a privilege this is truly I understand this is the most dangerous thing any man can do because we're not talking to flesh and blood we don't war there we're talking to the Spirit and we're talking to lives and souls and then the second most dangerous thing I believe and I do believe possibly possibly the hardest work I said this this morning I believe it because I'm learning to to experience it in my own life and home is that the role of the mom who stays at home with all her kids training them up while the husband's out working and giving up a lot I mean that women being encouraged encouraged in prayer young ladies who aren't married don't you even think of looking to settle down or looking to marry a boy whose eyes aren't fixed on Christ and not fixed on Christ so that he can get your attention don't even look at such a one don't even look at such a fool I know men my age are fools 40 year olds playing video games buying boats treating families like very horrible and their wives are having to work because the boys are being fools young men it would do you well to go learn when a man became a man in the Jewish traditions back in the back in the day because you ought to be putting things away a whole lot sooner than y'all and then you ought to be leading the prayer meetings in your home in your personal lives and in the church why? because you're better? no because you've been called to do so rise up oh men of God wrestle in His grace lull in His grace and learn to love people sacrificially and you go back out there to all those friends you had and you show them the love of Christ you don't boast upon or brag upon anything that this particular local church is doing we're called to boast on one thing this is all I'm going to say this is it I want to go to it it reminds me so much I have to stay here because I have boasted so much I am a man like Isaiah of unclean lips so much James has convicted me through the speech and the tongue I have done more damage to people in their lives through my mouth than any man so you can be allowed Jeremiah 9 23 thus says the Lord let the wise man boast in let not the wise man boast in his wisdom let not the mighty man boast in his might let not the rich man boast in his riches but let him who boasts boast in this that he understands and knows me when you go back to your friends that you had or you go out anywhere you boast in one thing the Lord God and His testimony is in your life not your testimony to Him you don't have a testimony to Him He has a testimony to you He loved us first He gave us the faith be in that let God do the work let Him do the work go do business with Him learn what it means to be shut up to Him and then you are going to find out how true He said in the beginning that you believe this to be the inspiration of God that you believe that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Word that God has never changed Him and you will find out where you stand and the Spirit of God will testify to you read further in Romans 8 it says that Father I stand before you totally unworthy unworthy to speak the smallest thing Father I am unworthy to speak a word in any work that could have been done here and is done here I don't need to know it only you know it's only a work that you could have done give testimony to the believers here give testimony to any man here that is binding up sin in his own heart Father we don't need man we don't need the flesh it's cursed we're only blessed if we walk in you we've got to have your true grace poured upon every soul in here and we need to go out to Barnesville and see it transitioned move go to those who say they're believers help us to lay down everything that hinders us Father may we lay aside every judgmental thought oh those people do it like this help us to realize there's a remnant let's go edify him and build him up let's go seek and save souls Father give us your obedience just to be obedient we don't have to do anything else but open our mouths and you'll speak but Father I'm a man of unclean lips you've got to make it start with me in my house I can talk a lot of theology and go home and be really dead help me to love my wife help me to love my children may my children only see you and may they see that they don't have a perfect dad they have a dad who sins and needs the grace your grace of you we don't need perfect because we're not going to be in the flesh we are to strive towards you God help us to kill off the old nature and flesh put it to death God put it to death today may prayer break out even right now let people go pray with someone who they think they need to go pray with and if they need forgiveness they go do it this church has been so blessed I'm so thankful for the obedience that you've given Pastor Brian how many a times I've wept in my car over what you've said through and how many nations have been touched we don't even know this little church is praying they have no idea how many states have been reached how many countries how many poor the poor they cry out to you Father they're crying out for some bit of truth and here they find a sermon on sermon index from another brother look how glad you do from a little church in Barnstall it doesn't matter where we're at we are the church you are the church see lift it up church those of you who know you know you're not perfect and God's dealing with you today He'll restore you but why do you want the restoration if you only want restoration God if we only want restoration to ease our flesh and to take away the fire then Father God don't you dare let up your hand don't you dare let up your hand God otherwise what will we have left Father God I'm just a man I'm nobody and if we do come here Father if you fill it and carry it forth let it be a praise to the people of your name so that they can see that no man I cannot boast there is no boasting but in this that I understand and I know you and you can understand and know who the living God is and if you have not been saved today you don't know where you stand with eternity you don't know I'm not going to do some altar call today no God can save you where you're at let Him do the work if you don't care I'll tell you right now be very afraid and if you're not afraid you better ask Him for it you better ask Him to be afraid He doesn't grant you the fear but now you know where you stand this off we thank you and give you almighty name Amen