In this sermon, the preacher criticizes the idea of achieving salvation through four easy steps, calling it a lie propagated by those driven by selfish ambition. He warns leaders and those in positions of authority that they will be the first to fall, starting with burnout seminars as a distraction from true repentance. The preacher emphasizes the importance of listening to the entire series of teachings in order to fully understand their nature and intent. He then references Luke 14 and Hosea 4 to highlight the seriousness of the times and the need for faithfulness and obedience in preparation for the coming of the Lord.

This is tape number six in the series. We urge you to listen to all the tapes in this series in numerical order, so that the whole teaching can be received and understood. Listening to a part of this series, or to the tapes out of sequence, can lead to a misunderstanding of the nature, the intent, and the importance of this series. We're going to take up now, see what I could have done. We could have gone in Revelation, we could hit over here, and we could hit over there, and we could have done this, and you know, all these thoughts come, well you just, you know, some of these things you just share, if you haven't shared them, why don't you share them. I'm not sharing them all the way I am now, because I see things different than the way I did before. What we need to know is where we are, what's going on around us, and where we're headed, amen? And that's what we're doing in this particular meeting here, so we'll understand this far. We get Revelation and go to hell with it, you know what I mean? If that's all we're interested in. Do you know what I mean? What we're dealing with is a walk. Where are we supposed to be walking? What's happening to us? Is it good or bad? Is it good to go through the fire? What's fire? Amen? Am I on the right trail? Am I in peace? Where do you get in peace? Amen? What's going on around here? You know, I see some nice folks around here. How should I relate to these people? And all of these, there's a lot of things to know, and this is what we're going to deal with as we learn more and more, and we're going to learn from one another, amen? Now, in Romans 9, we see right here, you know that as Gentiles, we do not have the law. We instinctively do the things of the law. Isn't that what we saw? Not to hear the God's law is going to be just before God, but to do as the God's law be justified, amen? Romans 9, verse 30. What shall we say then? That the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness, you know what the Gentiles pursued? A love relationship, love in the Lord with all their heart. I'm going to show it a little later on. I'm going to tell you one, it's not your righteous needs that save you, but the fruit of righteousness is eternal life. Now, what about that? See, it's the work that's done in your heart, a pure heart that salvation is, because you'll never, you'll never, you'll never have the fruit of righteousness unless the work of grace is done in your heart. The branch doesn't bear fruit by itself. Amen? Now, I want you to remember that, and I'm going to show it to you later on. So, if you get to thinking it's you, when, I'm going to tell you this, and one other thing, when you commit any deeds of unrighteousness, you'll know it too, because your heart will condemn you. Amen? See, but it's the heart that God is dealing with. It's not our works. Amen? You know what our works is going to be? Love. You know what fruit of righteousness is? It's love. As a result of love in the Lord with all your heart, and as the Spirit and Word does the work of grace in your heart that you submit to, if you don't love the Lord with all your heart, you don't like the fire, you'll run from it. Go get your ears tickled. Get religious. Now, verse 30, what shall we say, then, that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness, they attained righteousness. If you write just above it, they kept the law instinctively. They attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith. Amen? But Israel, they're the ones that had the law. They were pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Amen? Now, I want you to stop right now, and hold your place right there, and I want you to look at them just a moment. Will you do that? Turn with me back to Mark 7. Mark 7. Now, I want to show you that what is called church today has made the same mistake as the Pharisees did. All right, now in Mark 7. Now, let's just see them right there, that Israel did not arrive at the law of righteousness. Was Israel supposed to keep the law? Were they supposed to walk in righteousness? They absolutely were. And, of course, we are perfected in love to where we also are doers of God's law, and if we're not, we're under the curse and wrath of God's law. Is that correct? Now, let's see them. Let's see what kind of a, whether they, where their fruit was righteousness or unrighteousness. Now, look in verse 13. Wait a minute. No, I'm sorry. Verse 20. And Jesus was talking to him. He was saying, that which proceeds out of the man, that's out of the mouth of man, that is what defiles a man. Now, I want to stop right there, and I want to share something with you right here. Folks, you know how the Word talks over and over about a man's wife being defiled, the woman being defiled? Shake your head at me or just hold up your hand or something right there. Okay. Right? Being defiled. Well, now, listen. We're supposed to be the bride. Amen? We're supposed to love the Lord with all our heart. When any of these, that's the same way it was in Old Covenant. You know that, don't you? Did we read that? Shake your head. All right, now, same thing today. All right, but see, when any of these things is in your heart, not loving God or loving your neighbor, you're being defiled because your heart is going somewhere besides God. You're not in a love relationship with God. You're departing from a love relationship, and that's how you become a harlot and adulteress. We're a bride, and we become adulteress to the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you seeing what I'm saying? And that's how you become defiled. So now, I want you to see this. Verse 21, for from within, out of the heart. Now, do you see the heart right here on the screen right there? Out of the heart of men proceed what? Evil thoughts. It comes out your mouth. Here it comes. Now, see if you see the law in any of these. Fornications. Theft. Do not steal. Murder. Do not murder. Adulteries. Do not commit adultery. Deeds of coveting. Are you seeing the commandments of God's law? Now, this was what was happening to these Pharisees right there. And Jesus was telling, verse 20, deeds of coveting and wickedness as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander. There is pride and foolishness. The same thing you see in what's called church today. Amen? And then all these evil things. Jesus calls these evil things today. The people who walk in these things call themselves blessed today in the people of God. That Jesus is the ministry of these things. Jesus is not the ministry of these things. May it never be. They're transgressors who's walking these things. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Now, we'll look at verse 23. All these evil things proceed from within the heart and it come out the mouth. And what does it do? Now, I want you to know that if you have a doctrine, look at me right here. If you have a doctrine that does not conform you to Godness, you're going to be led to walk under the curse of God's law, a defiled person. And this is what I want you to clearly see. Amen? Right? See, that's why we've been a dwelling place of demons. I mean, we got them all over us right now. They're not as bad as they were. And it's changing, but I'm going to tell you what these, I mean, these things are, we're in a place now where we're overcoming these things, but I mean, they were just having their way with us a lot. Right? Okay. Now, now let's see, he said, they did not pursue it a law of righteousness. Why? They are walking in unrighteousness right there. Is that correct? Why were, why did they do this? Because look at me, folks, they only use part of the Bible. By the way, they memorized the first five books and they fasted about a couple of days every week. Isn't that wonderful? And it took partial truths out of the word of God. They took and part of what, what part of it is lies and held up his standards. They made the rules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 156, go to heaven. And this became their standard, their doctrine as it is today. Pick whatever tower you want to go into heaven. And they've got a doctrine right there with partial truths. And some of it lies to try to get you there. And you'll walk as adulterers because it's doctrines of demons. And that's a great fallen away takes faith because the doctrine of demons leads you to walk on the judgment of God's law. And that's where the demons want you. And you have the hearts of people are tested. And as you walk on the judge, as you commit these sins right here, they're working death in the whole place. Let me see that whole up here. Okay. Now, so here's what, now they did not, they did not, not come to a law of righteousness. And let's see why right there in verse, uh, let's back up to verse six and we'll see right there, start right in the middle is first. This people, he said is honoring me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Now what's the difference today with people who are walking in these things today and they honoring God with their lips, but their heart, he don't have their hearts and they can still commit in these same things. They're still the file. Are you hearing what I'm saying? All right, now let's continue. But in vain, in vain, do they worship me? They're teaching doctrines that are opinions and a precepts of men. They lifting up their own standard and has captured their hearts. Therefore, they're neglecting the commandment of God. And you hold to the tradition of men. May I ask you something? Look right straight at me. It's a commandment of God neglected today. It's not even taught. And you hold to the traditions of men and neglect the commandment of God and walk under this defilement and being destroyed because it's not righteousness. This is where the fallen and they didn't even see, they didn't even recognize Jesus Christ when he came and was among them. And neither will the whore harlot church today recognize Jesus when he's coming because he's coming in destruction and the powers that aren't so big to just beat the life right at them and they will not repent. There'll be some of them that repent and they'll be destroyed and you can't even go communicate this message to them. They can't hear it until the door is shut and it'll be too late and then the flood sweeps them away. The flood is the powers of darkness who come to put these thoughts right here and they come to put them in the sons of destruction and as they commit these sins that sons of destruction will enter into the temple being God over their lives. And these people will be caught up with everything from false signs and wonders to the personalities of men to unrighteousness. And men who are, could have never repented from selfish ambition or not pursuing righteousness and holiness are walking on these deeds. This is all selfish ambition what it is. And selfish ambition is impossible for a man walking in selfish ambition to ever lead you to the truth. That's the people who wrote these doctrines that do not conform you to godliness. They walked in selfish ambition and they wrote a standard one, two, three, four easy steps into heaven. I've got one over here. Here it is. Here's your doctrine. One, two, three, four, you're saved. Four easy steps into heaven. Tell me how those four easy steps removes unrighteousness. It's a lie. Men who love selfish ambition teach these things because men feed off the sin, as Hosea 4 says, of the people. And I'm going to tell you hell will begin to the leaders, the kings and princes, this Lord's over God's heritage. That's one you'll see first. It'll start with something called burnout. You're going to hear burnout seminars all over this country. Burnout. Anything but repent. Let's have some, let's all agree at burnouts. But we're so good, we're getting burned out, burned up. Amen? All right, now here we go. Now see, let's remember what we said. Now I'll just read it to you. I lost it, just a moment. Remember that, what should we say? The Gentiles who did not pursue righteous, obtained righteous, even the righteous, which is faith. When Jesus Christ is Lord, you're going to obtain the righteous because all of this through faith in Jesus Christ is going to be washed away with the Word and the blood. Isn't that right? But the Israel pursuing a law of righteous did not arrive at that law because their faith wasn't in God. Their faith was in doctrines and precepts of men as the church is today. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Shake your head at me. Okay, now let's go in verse 9. He was also saying to them, you nicely set aside the commandments of God. Is the commandments of God set aside today? It's not even discussed, Hebrews 8 and 10, that the law is written on your heart for what purpose it's written there. Just skip it. He was also saying, you nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your doctrine, your tradition. See, because that's what's got your heart. See, in other words, the precepts of men are lifted up. The precepts of men are lifted up. And then this becomes, then people can push their Bible aside and all you do is do this. You do your, you know, your tithe, you show up, you do works, you visit, you know, and you confess, you say, Jesus Christ is Lord's name and say that and, and, and say, I'm, I'm forgive, forgive. All sin comes short of the glory of God. I'm sorry for my sins. But if you're sorry for him, it's a worldly sorrow, which produces death. You're still practicing. Death is still working in you. You've not repented until you turn from it. And that's all it can be done through Jesus Christ, the Word and the Spirit. It's a lie. That's why salvation is a walk. Amen? So the blind lead the blind to the pit. After you fully trained, you become just like your teacher. But the people who follow the Lord Jesus Christ followed the lamb, wherever he goes, they hear his words and follow him. And a stranger, they will not follow. They don't follow folks. They follow the Ark. Amen? And if you're carrying the Ark, they'll follow it. Follow folks. If they hear the Lord. Now, verse nine, again, he's also saying to them, you nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your doctrine, tradition. Verse 13, that you invalidate the Word of God by your doctrine, tradition, which has been what? It's been handed down, hasn't it? Now, let's go back over to Romans 9. I want to read it again. Let me just go to 1 Peter 2 first. Keep holding to Romans 9. Go to 1 Peter 2 just a minute. In 1 Peter 2. Now here, we already said, solved there in 1 Peter 1 and 14, obedient children no longer conformed to the former lust. Isn't that right? Which were yours and your ignorance. So we're going to be holy in all our behavior. That means all the works of the flesh are done away with, right? We saw in verse 22 that your souls are purified. In other words, the flesh, works of the flesh is moved so that you can love one another from the heart. And this is how you're born again, verse 23, through the Word of God. Is that right? This Jesus comes, you love the Lord with all your heart and the Word washes away all the, because you love the Lord more, it washes away all these deeds of unrighteousness. Amen? Amen. Now, I want you to look me in chapter 2. Therefore, you're putting aside all malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy, all slander. In other words, it's you're putting aside all the deeds and works of the flesh. Verse 2, like newborn babies long for the pure milk of the Word. Did we see that in 1 Corinthians 3? A baby longs for the pure milk of the Word that by this milk of the Word, you can start growing. How? In respect. There is a beginning to grow in respect of salvation. Now, Paul said, I'm coming back a third time and I don't see that strife and jealousy in flesh there. If it is, I'm not going to spare anybody there. I fear for you. Is that right? If Paul said, I fear, this is how you grow. You start with the milk and then you get on into the meat. Amen? Okay. So verse 11, oh, wait a minute. Well, that's good. Verse 11. Beloved, I urge you as alien strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts. What does it do? It wages war against your soul. Amen? And now we just go back there and verse 4, and coming to the Lord Jesus Christ, his living stone. He's a living stone rejected by men, but chosen a God and precious in the sight of God. And we we're being built up as a temple of God. We're, we're living stones that make up a spiritual house. Verse 5, for a holy priesthood, we're going to be holy. We offer up spiritual sacrifice, except the God through Jesus Christ. That's what salvation is. And we go on and we encourage, and this is what we saw the, the craftsmen, the pastor, pastor, teacher, this is their job to profit, whatever they can bring this word to you, encourage you, warn you and, and help you and be an example to you to walk in these things. Amen? Not to be Lord over you, to fulfill selfish ambition up there. Amen? Because they'll lead you to practice lawlessness. And then in the last days, you come to Jesus and you say, Lord, Lord. And he said, I never didn't know you. You had practiced law. But yeah, well, but Lord, all those miracles and everything, all the prophesying, we spoke in tongues. We, all of these things that we did, Jesus said, I never did know you. You weren't, you never had a love for the truth. You had a love for the by-products of the Lord Jesus Christ. Signs and wonders and inner healing and all the other things. See, there's nothing wrong with signs and wonders. There's nothing wrong with deliverance and healing. I have some problem with some of these things that, uh, that way some of these things enter healing without repentance. Uh, but it's repentance that sets us free. Not the power of men that comes along with ministries and build names and reputation for themselves. And only the very elect, everyone's going to be deceived by this, except the very elect. And I'm going to tell you what you're hearing right now. Can I tell you something right now? I'm going to tell you right now that I know in my heart, this is fixing to turn loose. I have, and you know, this is not any kind of a personality thing, but this, this, this word, this school, we've been in all this rejecting. And, you know, I was talking to old James this morning. He said, well, brother, I'd say you, you've been drugged through the fire. I went through, you know, I had this whole approval curse on me for a while. I would never change a word for approval, but I just had a bunch of stuff. And now you talk about getting drugged through some fire. And I came to the end where I don't, I don't like my plans anymore. And so this is really now, now all the time I've dealt with these things and come through these things and Lord has got a bunch of stuff off me. Now, see, I know I can already see the doors and things open up where the God can, but he couldn't use me and all that stuff on me before. And he did for a period of time, but you know, I messed up what he's done. Had to get it off of me. See what I mean? So let me just tell you something. And I'm not just talking about myself. I'm just talking about my part. That's the only way that I'm, me with, I know that it's fixing to be. I know that some people who think they know what they're, what we said, that the sheep are going to start here and he's going to open the door because we're going to walk, start walking in love. We're going to go in there and let him hear, hears and let him refuse, refuse. But I, there's no way I couldn't, I haven't been able, God has showed me. I can't go up to any of my friends. I can't go to my family. I can't go to anybody and relate to them. What's in this word right here. I've already wore myself out trying to do it and I just quit, but I laid it down and that's what the rest in pieces. I want to tell you, I don't want to make this work. It's God. Amen. So we might as well just throw our carts away, brother, if you want to walk with the Lord. Amen. So then we're going to see right here and verse 17, this precious value then is for those who believe, but for those who do not believe the one who do not, the one that disbelieve walk around defiled. Are you hearing what I'm saying? They're denying the power of gospel to purify their hearts. Amen. Amen. Now, uh, first eight and the stone with the cornerstone, Jesus became a stone of stumbling and a rock of what offense. Now that's what it became to, to, to Israel. That's what it's become today. Look at me folks, the people who have doctrines that do not conform you to godliness and what they do, they have partial truth. Now let me just do it again right here. If I can get this, hold it up while I hold about three places. I need me a folder up here. Here we go. So then all the doctrines who have partial truths right there, and they develop all the controversial questions to protect their ignorance about holiness, righteousness, you know, demons that come to kill, steal, destroy, and all this thing. And they have their partial truth. And here it is on the doctrine right there. And then when you come along and see that, and they're walking defilement because it doesn't conform you to godliness. And then when you come along with truth and it comes right out of the Bible, spoken of the Lord Jesus Christ, look at me. Christians can't have demons. He believes in sinless perfection, offended. And it becomes a rock of offense. And they stumble right over the stumbling stone, the Lord Jesus Christ and a cross. See, you know what doctrines today want to do? To make that cross, to try to take you right into heaven without you going by the cross. You don't have to never take up your cross. They show you how to build your own tower right into heaven. You don't have to go by way of the cross. You don't have to repent and get rid of that sin. You don't have to die. You don't have to walk as Jesus walked. They give you another Jesus. Now, so it becomes a rock of offense. And they stumble because they're disobedient to the word and to this what? One more time, to this what? Doom they have also appointed. Now, later on, I'm going to show you something. The doom that you're appointed to is pestilence, the wild beast, plagues, which is sickness and disease. And it's all over the Bible. This is what happens to people who stumble over the stumbling stone. The powers of darkness come and build a fortress and strongholds in them and a disease will follow right in. And that's what's happening in the church today. And so people walking in ignorance and darkness begin calling sickness blessings. And I'm going to tell you what sickness is. It's a spiritual problem. It's a spiritual problem. We know with the sacrifice of bull, goats, and heifer, the old covenant had removed all sicknesses, didn't they? And they said, it's going to come back on you if you don't walk in the covenant of holiness and righteousness. Is that what we saw? Hold up your hand. Romans Hebrews 8, 6, today we have a better covenant with better promises. Is that correct? A better ministry. Amen. And we get a big goose egg. All right, now we should be back in Romans 9, verse 30. What should we say then that Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness, they attained righteousness. In other words, they kept the law of God. Well, through the righteousness would come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that right? You remember that it's not the hearers of God's law, it's going to be just before God, but the doers of God's law. Verse 31, but Israel pursuing a law of righteousness, that's bear the fruit of love, did not arrive at that law. They did not obey God's law because they had their current, their, their, their doctrines that they obeyed just like it is today. Is that correct? Amen. Why did they not arrive at that law? Because they did not pursue it by what? I can't hear you. Now, everybody look at me right now. When you follow after the commands of men, instead of the commands of God, you are not pursuing righteousness by faith, but as though it were what? They were not pursuing righteousness by faith, but as though it were works. They stumble over what? Oh, I don't want you to look at me right here. The doctrines that are today, what does it, what does it lead you to pursue? What, what is the result of the doctrines today when they capture your heart? Do you, do you, do you obey God? Do you pursue love? Do you have to pursue right? And you absolutely not. This, you bear this fruit right up here, which is unrighteous. Same thing the Pharisees. Amen. And, uh, so when you do, you get your four easy steps into heaven. Are you seeing what I'm saying? Then you come and do these four steps into heaven. You're trying to fulfill God's law through your works rather than being let faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be led by the spirit of God. So he can root move all this. So you'll be holy and blameless bride of Christ. How many of you see that? Hold up your hands. So God's Bible has a righteousness there, which says, love God with all your heart and your neighbors yourself. The doctrines here have another righteousness that says they establish your own righteousness, which says it's all right for you to come and bless God and continue to curse your neighbor. And that's who the harlot whore adulteress is today. Once again, do you see that? Okay. Now in chapter 10, here's what Paul says about them. Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is farther. What that day their salvation because they're practicing lawlessness and that they can be saved, that they can repent and be saved from the God's wrath. Amen. So what's their problem? For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God. Do the, do the, do the people today who walk in after religious traditions and doctors that do not conform to God, they have a zeal for God. Is that right? They'll visit and do all kinds of works and things just wear out. Amen. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but it's not in accordance with the word of God. You know what they're walking in is a religious zeal for not knowing about God's righteousness. It's look at me, folks. They have tunnel vision. They have received the precepts and opinion of men, not knowing about God's righteousness. They can't see it in a Bible. What did they do? They established their own righteousness. See it right here. Here it is right here. You establish your own righteousness. And then when you establish your own righteousness, you do not submit to the righteousness, which comes from God, which is amen. So what did Jesus say to these people? Turn in John seven, see if Jesus tickled their ears. He came to tell the truth. And I'm going to tell you what Jesus did. Jesus came in love to these people here who are not a people of God at all. And they claim to be that God was the ministry of this unrighteousness of them. So we represent God and Jesus. Now, everybody look at me right here. Jesus came to them with a word. He is the word. And he got the word from the father and he loved them. And he was wanting to lead them out of spiritual darkness, but they were offended at Jesus and wanted to push him off a cliff. Jesus told them the word so he could lead them out of spiritual darkness. They could be saved there. They had big congregations, real smart folks in there and a whole bunch were going to hell. And Jesus tried to give them the word to show them, but they, the word that Jesus spoke, they couldn't hear it and they couldn't see it because they couldn't fit in the doctrine that had captured their hearts. In other words, they love their doctrines. They didn't love God. If you love God, you're going to be led to the spirit of God. So here's what the Lord tried to do with his love. And see, that's what I'd like to do. I'll tell you what, it doesn't matter to me and the people that work with me will tell me, if I'm sharing with three people or if I'm sharing with 3,000, I have just as much zeal to share with three people as I do 3,000. The same thing goes if I'm in a place where there's 3,000 and only five of them receive the word, I enjoy saying just what's in that bottle. I wouldn't change one jot or tittle for the whole, for no man and everything going on. I mean that. Now I'll tell you what, I won't come as fast as I can come with you because you've already worked through some things. I won't hit them on day four. You know what I mean? Because I don't want to condemn them with the word of God. I want to be able to bring them on, right? Just share the word. The word's going to bring them on. I won't bring them on, but spirit and the word can. If you share it with them, understand it. Now I used to, I'd go in to a place and boy, and I'd just spit it all over them because it's in the flesh. Amen? Mean. But now I want to do all things for the sake of the gospel. I don't want any motivations about ministry. I don't want any motivation about personality. It's a bunch of junk that I have to look good to any people. Approval's gone. I want to please God. It's the only thing that's going to work. And then, see, and then, and then when we share with one another, we can get to rejoice in the fruit and the love that gets to spread to other people. And then all this, this death and everything is killing people, can be released. And see, that's the way the Lord used me. It's the way he uses you. Amen? You in John 7? All right, now here's what Jesus said to these Pharisees who had their own doctrines. And this is exactly what Jesus is saying today. So why don't you just be sure of that? Now in John 7 verse 19, here's what he says. He told them, did not Moses give you the law? And yet none of you care out the law. Why do you seek to kill me? Now here, one of those commandments that Moses give them, do not commit murder. And you see, it's talking about the church today, who's blessed God and, and cursed their neighbor. In James four, you read the first three verses, right? And it shows you commit murder toward one another, your anger and everything. And that's, that's just what he's talking about right there. Same thing. All right. And now in verse 28, Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, you both know me and know where I'm from. And I have not come of myself, but he who sent me is true whom you do not know. You don't know him. Now chapter eight, verse 12, verse 12. Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them saying, I am the light of the world. And you know, when you have a divine nature, you know what you become? A disciple of Jesus becomes lights to the people in the world. He is the light of the world. You don't hide it under a bushel, brother. You let it shine. If you're a disciple again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them saying, I'm the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in spiritual darkness, but shall have the light of life. And that's exactly what he's saying there. Now, verse 24, I said there for you that you shall die in your sins for unless you believe that I am he, you shall die in your sins. Now, I want you to look at me, folks. Look at me. Unless people believe in Jesus instead of now look at me here and quit over the stumbling stone. They're going to die in these sins because their heart's not going to be purified. They better repent and get loose from that thing. But they're because they're being led to do the will of Satan, which is this fruit right here instead of the will of God. They're choosing to be a friend of the world instead of a friend of God. I mean, and they make himself an enemy of God. Amen. Huh? Okay. Now let's just continue right here. Look at verse 35. And he told him the slave does not remain in the house forever. That's a slave that commits sin. What do you tell him? But the son does remain forever. And he's talking about sin. Look at verse 34. Jesus answered them saying, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. And if you're a slave of sin, you're not going to remain in the house. Is that what he's saying? Huh? Now look at verse 37. I know that you're Abraham's offspring. You're Abraham's offspring. Actually, the flesh is what he's saying. Yet you seek to kill me because my word can have what? No place in you. Look at me, folks. When you look here, when you've got your doctrine, it's captured your heart. Then you become offended and you shrink back from that part of the word of God. And that's where the doctrine leads. You shrink back because you're offended and you won't let that word come in. In other words, that word can have no place in you because the doctrine leads you to love these things more, which is unrighteousness. How many see that? Hold up your hands. In verse 38, here's what the Lord Jesus is saying. That's what he's saying right now. I speak the things which I have seen with my father. Therefore, you also, what did he say to them? You're doing the things which you what? You've heard from your father. Amen? Who's their father? The devil. And they're doing, look here, they're doing these things of unrighteousness. Amen? Is that correct? And then verse 40 says, you are of your father, the what? Boy, he said, you're of your father, the devil. Isn't that interesting? Because why? He goes ahead and says, because you want to, you want to, you want to. Circle you want to several times. You want to do the what? Huh? I want you to look at me. You want to do the desires of Satan. He's your father. The people who want to do the desires of God are the children of God. The ones who want to do the desires of Satan are the children of the devil. And the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious. Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God. Now, is that what we saw? And that just came out. I've never seen that before. That's what we saw in verse, 1 John 3, 10. Is that correct? They're obvious. If you do not bear the fruit of righteousness, your father is the devil. But if you bear the fruit of unrighteousness, your father is the devil. But if you want, you see, whoever you, it says you want to, your heart wants to do the desires of your father. And what he's trying to do is tell him you're going to die in these sins so that I can lead you out of them. Amen? Is that what the Lord is saying today? Is that what this message is today? Can I tell you what this message that you're hearing right now is the eternal gospel of fear of God. And we'll probably see this before the day's over. This, this gospel is going to be preached and then tribulation comes. I can tie Revelation 14 with Matthew 24, and I can tie it all together about lawlessness. And you just see it just like lifted wall and tribulation comes. People, it's going to be a witness against the nations. It's going to be a witness. They're going to come to light and a wise version as well. They're going to get ready to meet the bridegroom. They're going to see when they hear this, that they've fallen away because God has their heart. But those who are ever learning because their hearts are locked into traditions that do not conform to the goddess, they're ever learning and ever able to come to the knowledge of the truth. They will not hear the trumpet blowing. They're the foolish virgins and they will come only when their light is going out. And they see that they're the sons of destruction have been restrained and now they turn loose. And when they see they're all fallen like flies and they see a bunch over there that they persecuted and hated. And they say that they that these are not even being touched and they have love, joy, and peace right there in the midst of this hell that's going on all over this earth. They're going over and seven of them will try to cling to one man and say, let us be called by your name. There's the other things. We want some of your oil. Give us the oil. We want the spirit of God because our light is going out. Satan, the firstborn of death is devouring our limbs. Are you seeing that? And then the bridegroom came and those who are ready, who bear in the fruit of righteousness and walking in righteous, they're coming into the ark as it was in the days of Moses. Only the family of eight who were righteous, the preacher of righteousness and his family is the only one. But God only saved eight people out of the world. He destroyed everyone else, the flood and the righteous will come in to that ark. There are only a few who want to go through the narrow gate and the narrow walk in righteousness and holiness. There are few and they'll go into the ark and then the flood, the powers of darkness who are the flood, the flood, the powers of darkness will come on and begin testing the foundations of men. And if your foundation is sand, one of these doctrines that does not conform you to godliness and you're standing on this thing, they'll come and they'll begin testing your heart. They'll put these thoughts up here and you'll receive these thoughts of lawlessness and you will act on them because you're not a people of God, a doctrine which does not conform you to godliness. You're bound to other gods and other idols. You have an idol in your heart. And so as they lead you, test your heart, you don't love God since you don't love God with all your heart. All of these things, you'll break God's law and they'll come into you and they'll work death and torment in you. You'll be like a woman who is gasping for breath in labor pains. That's the kind of hell that's going to come. They're going to be bent double and they're going to look at one another in astonishment. Hey, how did this happen to us? And they'll pray. They'll knock on the door. The door is the Lord Jesus Christ. You knock by praying. Let us, set us free and let us come into heaven. And they won't even kill themselves and they won't be able to. And the door is shut as it was in the day of Moses and only the righteous and then the flood comes. And they're not going to understand it as just as it was in the day of Moses until they're all swept away. And the word that you're hearing right now is going to be a witness against them. Wake up and arise from the dead and let Christ shine on you. You better not waste any time with your farms and your businesses. Read Luke 14 and let me just show you a little of this. Hold your place right there since we're on it. Matthew 22 and Luke 14. I'm not through with John 8 either. Luke 14. And here they are. Now folks, I want you to turn and I want you to look at me. Do you, do you know there's a marriage supper of the Lamb? What are you eating right now? What do you eat? What kind of food are you eating right now? You're eating bread that come out of heaven, isn't that right? What does this bread that come out of heaven do? It purifies your heart, doesn't it? So you can be one with the Lord Jesus Christ, one with the Lord, isn't that right? When two become one, what are they? They're married. Is that correct? Is this aged meat right here we're eating here in this meeting? Is it choice pieces of, amen? A lot of people don't enjoy sitting in a setting like this for hours eating this choice pieces of meat that the table's been set for us, which is called covenant. You know why? They're busy in the world. They got their businesses. They got their farms. They got their buildings. They got their family. I'm sorry God, I'm busy. Luke 14. This is a marriage supper. You get married. Amen. You're born again to the living and abiding word of God. If you don't have a love of the truth, you can't be born again. You can't be changed. You die in your sins. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Now, Luke 14, verse 16. But he said to him, a certain man was giving a big dinner. That's the one you're sitting at right now. And he invited many. Many are called, but a few are me chosen, only a few. And at the dinner hour, he sent his slaves out. That's you. That's me, the body of Christ. And he said to those who'd been invited, that's being called, come for everything is ready now. Let's get ready to meet the bridegroom. Let's eat the bread and the meat of God and get ready because there's many, but they fall away. But they all alike begin to make, do what? I can't hear you. They make excuses. And the first one said to them, I bought a piece of land. I need to go out and look at it. Please consider me excused, God. Another one said, I bought five yoke of oxen and I'm going to try them out. Please consider me excused, God. Another one said, I've married a wife, God. And for that reason, I cannot come. Verse 24. I tell you that none of those men who are invited shall ever taste the dinner. They'll never have any understanding about what this word you're hearing right now. They'll never have understanding of it. Whose hearts love the world. They're there finding their portion in this world. And that's where their mind and activities are. They don't know God. They're not a people of God. They just sit in some religious setting and receive some lies. So let me tell you something. After this, the Lord is going to turn this message loose. They're going to meet persecution. I've seen a little persecution. I know what it is to be hated and people saying and discredited in every possible way. I know how to do that with the people I've even, the Lord used me to help change their life. I've sampled a whole lot of that too. But I'm going to tell you, he's fixing to turn the word loose. It doesn't upset religion until they see their nickels, noses, and numbers leaving them. Because that's what's got their heart. And then that's when they think they'll do God a favor to kill you. You're splitting shirts. That's all they can see. You can't split the church of Jesus Christ. So they're not going to taste the dinner. And then after this is talked to them, here's what's happened. And the slave, verse 21, came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the house became angry and said to his slave, go out at once into the streets and the lanes of the city and you start bringing in this remnant, you bring in poor, you bring in the crippled, you bring in the blind, you bring in the lame, because the people of God reject him. Just like they rejected the Pharisees rejected Jesus. When he returns again, and he's returning right now, and he's being manifested in the people in Zion. And you'll see what Zion is before the day is over. Verse 26, if anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, and brothers and sisters, yes, and even what? If you don't hate your own life in this world, you'll not be a disciple of Lord Jesus Christ. You might as well go out and eat, drink, and be merry. Cause this word not going to do nothing for you. Nothing. How do you hate your mother, children and everything? You hate them in comparison with your love for God, because God has all your heart. They come number two, everything God, what the love of God is. God said, I just want to be first in all things since I'm the creator. You can't blame God for wanting to be God, can you? Well, he said, I'm going to be God. Oh, I praise his name. So I want to tell you something, verse 28, while you're sitting there, which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does he not first sit down and calculate the cost? They know you can't even start unless you sit down and count the cost. If you're not ready to forsake all, in your heart, if you, if you've got some things you want to hold on to and everything, I suggest you just leave religion and everything else alone, unless you're having a good time there, until you decide that you want to forsake all. Until you do it in your heart and then let the Lord lead you out of it, however he wants to do it. He don't have your heart. It's a big lie. I'll tell you what has your heart, your oxen, your building, your land, your family and other things. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Now, verse 25, 33, now don't act like this is not in there. So therefore no one who can be, can be my disciple who does not give up what? All his possessions. If your possessions are not being used for the glory of God, you're finding a portion in this world. Matthew 22. I don't have any problem saying something like that if I know, if I believe I can say it in the spirit, you know it? Now look in verse 36. Teacher, verse 36, teacher what is the great, that's not, that's not where I want to get. Let's start verse one. And Jesus answered and spoke to them in a parable saying, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. Now, who's the son? The Lord Jesus Christ? We're sitting in his feast right now and he sent his slaves and called those who had been invited, the ones he's called, to the wedding feast and they were unwilling to come. In other words, they don't want to love the Lord with all their heart. They don't want to be, you know how you love the Lord with all your heart? You become one heart and one mind. Did we see that when Jesus comes in 1 John 3, that we're going to, we're going to be just like him and everybody that has his hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, what's he going to do? He's purifying himself, but people don't want to come to this dinner, this kind of dinner we've got right here because their hearts are tied to things in the world. After all, they show up on Sunday to help God out. But the rest of the week they're making a bushel smaller and a shekel bigger. Amen? And verse three, and he sent out his slaves to all those who'd been invited, the one he's called to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come to the lights, what it is. Well, like we saw in John 3. Verse four, again, he sent out other slaves telling those who'd been invited, behold, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen, my fat and livestock are all butchered and everything is ready. See, that's the meat of the word. Amen? I think the Lord, this is the meat of the word is for those mature ones who sit on the word of God and have a love for God and the truth. Amen? Come to, and, and, and, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast. But they what? I can't hear you. Where's my doctrine? Look at me. They pay no attention. You get pushed right off a cliff, just like Jesus was. They want to murder you. Amen? Now, Jesus came to the first church, uh, first people ever met, but they were, it was a people of sorts, represented people of God. And they'd fallen through the, they'd obeyed the commands of men and they fell away from God. And they walked into desires and the nature of Satan. Is that right? The same thing is happening today. As Jesus returns, he come back, he's blowing the trumpet. He said, now get ready. You've fallen away. Come out to meet the bridegroom. Eat this meat because the one that eats this meat and eats this bread are the ones that's going to be married to me because they're going to, they're going to, they're pursuant. They're going to bear the fruit of rites. They're going to have pure hearts as me. Amen? Verse five, but they did what? They paid no attention and they went whose way? They went to one who's busy with his own what? Farm. And another is what? A business. But look at me, look at me. But they show up on Sunday to give God some money, encourage some preacher who's, who's teaching lies. And the preacher who loves selfish ambition, selfish and a self-center, pat him on the back, give him three scriptures, telling some nice stories and how righteous they are in a stiff neck, stubborn rebellion. And they've got hell and the powers of darkness are devouring them right now. Sickness, disease, many diseases are on everyone and they're working in them right then. And they sit in that setting right there. And sometimes God just drops curses on the Saudi warriors into the Saudis people in there. And about three or four years later, you're seeing some of them here, this one went with cancer, this one went with tumor and God's not mocked. And he doesn't bless ignorance. If you know God, you get the wisdom of God. You don't get to say, I didn't know. He said, you know, and I'll lead you in all truth. If you know me. So the old Jesus comes and they paid no attention. Verse five, they went their way, one to his own farm, another to his own business and the rest sees his slave mistreat them and kill them. That's where you're going to be mistreated if you're a boy of wealth. Now I wouldn't swap places with nobody in this world. I'd gladly die as Stephen did if I had to love Stephen then. In the name of Jesus, I'd gladly be in Stephen's place if I had the heart of Stephen. Why not? This is all death and jump around here, folks. The rest sees his slave mistreat them and kill them. But the King, who is, what's his name? Jesus was enraged. You know, right in the wrath of the Lord. And his sin is what? Let me tell you another name for him, his troops. Jesus is in total control of the powers of darkness. He came here in the flesh to show us how to overcome them and return and be reconciled back to God. And none of the powers of darkness can do anything without him. There are instruments of God's indignation. And so what does the Lord do? The King was enraged. He sent his armies as his sons of destruction. And he destroyed those murderers, and he set their city on what? Fire, because they're wood-headed and stubble. They don't make it. They're not slaves from this wrath of God. And then he said to the slaves, the wedding is ready. But those who were invited were not what? Worthy. I want you to hold your place right there and turn with me back to Isaiah 5. Isaiah 5. Now I want to tell you all something that's going to be pretty strong. I don't know whether you've ever heard this or not, but Isaiah and Ezekiel and Jeremiah and the minor prophets and all have the parts there. It's all about the coming of the Lord. It's not all about the coming of the Lord. There's some things in there it relates, but I mean, if you'll flow through and when you get this picture we are, you can flow through it and you can read and you can see what's happening in the last days. The Lord just lays it out for us. And when Jesus Christ comes, he's going to come to the vineyard, and you're going to see what kind of his vineyard. And we'll see in chapter 5, let's look in verse 1. Let me sing now for my well-beloved a song, my beloved, concerning his vineyard, the church today. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill, and he dug it all around and removed its stones. That's what Jesus does. The lawlessness in the heart. He planted with a choice this vine, the Lord Jesus Christ. He built a tower in the middle of it. That's probably the pastor, leader, watchman. He hewed out a wine vat and he expected it to produce what kind of fruit? Good grapes. Amen. Good fruit, the fruit of righteousness. Amen. But it produced only worthless grapes, which is lawlessness in his vineyard. Verse 5. Let's look at verse 4. Well, what more was there to do for my vineyard than I've done it and done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good fruit, righteousness, did it produce worthless fruit? Lawlessness. Now, when we see worthless fruit right there, we see people that produce worthless fruit become unworthy. That's what he's talking about over there. Amen. And let's continue. Verse 5. So now let me tell you what I'm going to do to my vineyard that bears this wrong fruit, this harlot church that blesses God and curses her neighbor. I'm going to remove its hedge and it's going to be consumed. It's going to be cut down and destroyed by the army. You all hear what I'm saying? Hold up your hand if you hear what I'm saying. The army, he's going to stand against it. That's the troops you saw in Job that come and put out their lights. Amen. The lamp of the wicked is wickedness. I mean, the lamp of the wicked. I'm going to break down its wall. That's that whitewashed wall. It's going to become trampled ground. Verse 6, I'm going to lay it waste. It's not going to be pruned or whole, but it's going to be what's going to come up in it. All right, everybody stop right there and I want you to look at me right there. Some folks are not looking good this time. Look at me. I want you to hear this. I'm not going to turn back to Matthew 7, but he said, beware of the false prophets. You're going to know them by their fruits. You don't get grapes and figs off of thorn trees and thistles. Amen. In other words, the false prophets will bear the fruit of selfish ambition, pride and greed and those things. And don't go looking for grapes and figs off of that tree, because what you're listening to right there, all the works of the flesh is what is called thorns and thistles. It's good for nothing. It's worthless. That's the fruit of a thorn tree is to get stuck. And that's the fruit of the flesh is to stick people, hurt people, use people, exploit people. And then when the Lord removes his presence from these places and they bear these thistles and thorns, that's this fruit right here. His presence is gone and the powers of darkness begin feeding on the flesh of the people there and begin devouring them. And they just begin eating away like a vulture. The birds of prey come in. The birds of the air, the birds call out amid heaven and they come in and begin devouring the bunch like a moth eating away, like rottenness. And the sickness and disease just slowly decays and they're torn from their tent and wiped off of the face of the earth in the wrath of God. The gospel I'm teaching is fear of God. So verse 5 he said, I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to, to my vineyard, I'm going to remove its hedge. Verse 6, I'm going to lay it waste. It'll not be prune or hoe, but briars and thorns are going to come up. That's all the false teaching and the poison water. And I'm going to charge the clouds to rain, no rain on it. There'd be no, there'd never be any spiritual understanding. Part of the blessings in Deuteronomy 28 is that the rains will pour out of heaven. In other words, it'd give light and understanding to you. There's never going to be any understanding. For the vineyard of the house of the Lord of hosts is a house of Israel and the men of Judah, his life event, he looked for what? Now the measuring line and the level that he's looking for is justice and righteousness. Look at me, folks. Everybody look at me right here now. He's going to come looking for justice and righteousness. Now put the other one up there, Frank. When you have this fruit right here, love, joy, peace, long suffering, goodness, gentleness, meekness, that is the fruit of righteousness. And so that's how you know you're walking right in God's eyes. That's the kind of fruit we're talking about right there. And also the man that walks in love, joy, peace, long suffering, goodness, he's not showing impartiality. People are receiving the justice of God. They're not any favorites in a bunch. It's whosoever will. Now that's what justice is. Men are not putting their confidence in the flesh and God is teaming. Now this is what he'd come looking for. This is what righteous and justice is. You see it all through your Bible now when you see the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what you've got to measure up to. Every man has got to measure up to the level line of justice and righteousness. And if you don't measure up to it, you're going to receive the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast is the mark of Satan, the man to Satan. But the one who walks in righteousness and justice, he got ready to meet the bridegroom, he ate this aged meat and bread of God. He's going to have the mark of God because he's not a defiled man. He's not been defiled with the women. That's the Harlot Church, the women. Now, so there they are. Verse 7, The Lord Jesus comes for the vineyard that hosted the house of Israel. The men of Judah's life were fed. He came, Jesus came to his vineyard looking for justice. But behold, what did he find? Bloodshed. Look at me, folks. Everybody look at me. Here's how you shed blood. When you teach somebody a doctrine or traditions, ignoring the commandments of God, it does not conform in the Goddess. You put the oven up there, brother. Thank you. You lead them to bear the fruit that causes them to be destroyed by the wrath of God's law and the powers of darkness. And that's how you shed their blood. So what he came looking for? He came looking for justice. But what did he find? Bloodshed. That's what is happening in the church today. And it's a dwelling place of demons. And that's what Revelation 18 tells us about the Harlot Church of Babylon. He came looking for righteousness. Behold, but what did he find? I can't hear you. He looked for the fruit of righteousness, which we know is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, jealousy. But the congregation had a cry of distress because they were bearing the fruit of unrighteousness. The powers of darkness were all over them. They were distressed. They're not walking with God. They're not walking in covenant. And they're being devoured and destroyed. That's the church today, a dwelling place of demons. And that's why they bite and devour one another, because their love is waxed coal. They practice lawlessness. They've fallen away from the faith. They've followed doctrines that do not conform to the Goddess. They don't love one another. They bless God and curse their neighbors. Out of this, you're going to eat the bread. You're going to eat the meat and marrow. You're going to get ready to meet the bridegroom or you'll be destroyed with them. You don't get saved by the wrath of God by sitting in a meeting. You get saved by the wrath of God by loving him with all your heart. Now, when I told you that I know these truths through the grace of God and I could stand up before congregations that are sitting right there and I hear a man using partial truths, teaching the people in the congregation these partial truths, and I sit right there and I just almost want to scream. And I sit right there and I watch this and I see little old people right out there that are wanting, you know, they're just looking and following them in their Bible and they're reading their Bible and they're ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth because they've been boxed in to partial truths and they can't come to the knowledge of the truth. And they're doing the will of Satan and they're being destroyed in the midst of the congregation by wolves. And the whole congregation, they're the beast that comes up out of the earth. They look like a lamb, that's the harlot church, but they speak like the dragon. That's dragon language up there, that's the language of Satan. You're the father of the devil. And there they sit right there and if they can hear the truth, there's some of them can hear and come out of there. And I've run all over the top of them. I mean just try to chew up and eat up and got on my cart and took this message and try to get in these places and just. And I'll tell you what I accomplished. I got in total despair and hopelessness and I finally learned after a few years that my plans didn't work at all. And now I'm learning that love, the Lord will get to his people and they will hear the word. And you have to walk through fire, you have to work through persecution, you have to walk through rejection. And the Lord is going to see that the people that have a heart for him are going to hear what we're sharing. And it's no longer my responsibility. It's no longer a false responsibility and false burden. I'm no longer walking in strife and stress and busyness and restlessness. I've rested and I'm trusting God and I'm willing to go anywhere to the Pope or across the tracks, one person, two, five, ten, it doesn't matter. I'm resting in God. Because I'm going to tell you something now. If you haven't been in a religious system, you know this truth right there. I suggest that you go in there and sit down and listen and your heart will be completely broken. And God's going to use you and he's going to use us. And we, I'm going to tell you something, we really need your prayers. I don't have anybody that's walking me in, we just consider ourselves part of the body of Christ. They wouldn't lay down like that, they don't even care. You get around any of them and you spend any time with them out there and you'll know in a short time who's got their hearts. We've already made decisions in our hearts, we just wait in the Spirit of God to lead us on into them. It doesn't matter. So here they said, verse 13, therefore my people go into exile for their lack of knowledge. They go into exile for their lack of knowledge. Their honorable men are famished and the multitude, the congregations are watched. They are parched with thirst. They can't hear, they're sitting in this bloodshed, they're sitting in this distress of being destroyed and they're parched with thirst. Therefore hell has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without measure. And Jerusalem, as supposed to be the heavenly Jerusalem, their splinter, her multitude, her den of revelry and all the jubilant that jump up and down and praise God and curse their neighbor while they work at fleshly achievements within her are descending right into hell. I want you to hold your place right there. I want you to hold those two places and I want you to turn back to Proverbs 5. Turn back to Proverbs 5. I want you to see something. Verse 1, my son, give attention to my wisdom, not worldly wisdom, the wisdom of God. Inclined here to have my understanding, religious, the understanding of the Word of God. Why? Verse 3, for the lips of the adulterous, they drip honey, they flatter you. And smoother than oil is their speech because they lead me into fleshly achievement, they flatter you, because they want to boast in your flesh. But in the end, she is bitter as wormwood, there's your thistles and thorns, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, that's her steps lay whole asheel. And we saw the steps and the feet where it leads you to in Job 18, you know. That's where the firstborn of death devours your limbs. Does it say her steps lay whole asheel? That's exactly what. She does not ponder the path of life because she's walking in spiritual darkness. Her ways are unstable and she doesn't even know it, and that's the church today. Now, therefore, my son, listen to me and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her because she's going to lead you into lawlessness. Do not go near the door of her house, she distorts the gospel, because if you do, you're going to give your vigor to others, you're going to give your ears to the cruel one, that's the powers of darkness, you're going to devour your limbs, the firstborn of death. Less strangers, the powers of darkness are going to be filled with your strength, all the weakness and disease is going to come in you. And your hard-earned goods are going to go through the house of the aliens that come to kill, steal and destroy. And then you'll be groaning at your letter-in with cancer and birth pangs and everything else to you. When your flesh and your body is consumed by these curses, and you're going to say, how I've hated instruction, the ways of God, and my heart spurned the reproof and correction and discipline of God, verse 14. I was almost a Notaroon right there in the midst of the assembly and the congregation, verse 21. For the ways of the man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he watches all his paths. His own sins, iniquities and lawlessness will capture the wicked. That's a righteous judgment of God. And he'll be helped with the cords of his sin, and he will die, be destroyed for the lack of instruction. And in the greatness of his folly, he'll go astray. You're back in Isaiah 5. It's one of the most serious times you've ever lived in your life. I want you to hold, just take over your holding Isaiah 5 and John 8. I want you to go over and hold Hosea 4. We're going to look at something in Hosea 4. Hosea 4, verse 1. He's coming to the Lord. He's coming to a harlot church. That's what Hosea is about. He's coming to his church and he finds a harlot. That's what it is. Verse 1, listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel. For the Lord has a what? Case against him. If you're a judge and you have a court, you have a law, can you have a case? You know what their case is? They've broken God's law. Lawlessness. He said, I have a case against them, the inhabitants of the land. Why? Because there is no faithfulness. They don't love obedience and disobedience or kindness. The knowledge of God in the land, they don't have any knowledge of God in the land. Verse 5, verse 6. My people are destroyed for what? For lack of knowledge, they're being destroyed. Because you have rejected knowledge and exchanged it for a form of godliness, I'm going to reject you from being my priest. Since you've forgotten the law of your God like Israel did, I'm going to forget your children. In other words, all the curses are coming on your children also. Verse 2, back up to verse 2. This is what's happening in the harlot church. There is swearing, deception, there's murder, there's stealing, adultery. They employ violence so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns. It mourns because of the curse. You see that in Jeremiah 23.10. And everyone who lives in it languishes. They have no power. They're weakened. And along with them is the beast of the field and the birds of the sky. And that's the powers of darkness. That's who's there with them. That's the vultures. And here's how they walk. They walk in the form of godliness. Verse 4. Let no one find fault. Let none offer reproof and discipline. For your people are like those who contend with the priest. So you're going to stumble by day in spiritual darkness. And the prophet also is going to stumble you by night in spiritual darkness. And I'm going to destroy your mother, your church. That's your church. That's the ones you're feeding off of. I'm going to destroy the whole bunch. Look in chapter 7. Verse 8. Ephraim mixes himself with the world. That's the people of God. Ephraim will become a cake unturned. That's harlotry. Strangers, the powers of darkness are devouring his strength, yet he doesn't even know it. Gray hairs are sprinkled on his head. He's just growing old in it and dying in it, yet he does not know it. To the pride of the church testifies against them. They neither return to the Lord their God, nor have they sought him for all this. So Ephraim has become like a silly dove there without sense. They call to the world. They go to Assyria. When they go, I'm going to spread my net over them. You remember the net in Job 18? I can't hear you. That's the firstborn in death. I'll bring them down like the birds of the sky. I'm going to chastise them in accordance with the proclamation to the assembly, which is the curse, which is in effect right now. Woe to them, for they've strayed from me. Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against me. And why have they? We see, and look back up to verse, chapter 5. Now here's your harlot church today. Verse 3. I know Ephraim and Israel is not hidden from me. Verse 3. And now, O Ephraim, you have played the harlot. Israel has what? Defiled itself. You see the defilement, the works of the flesh, your heart's somewhere else. Their deeds will not allow them to return to their God. They're in spiritual darkness, ever learning, never able to come to knowledge of truth. For a spirit of the harlotry is with them, and they do not know the Lord. And you look in verse 7. They have dealt treacherously against the Lord. They have born illegitimate children because there's no discipline. Hebrews 12, 8 says, Without the discipline of the Lord, you're illegitimate children, false sons. And verse 11. Ephraim is oppressed, pressed, crushed in judgment because they have determined to follow man's command, the commandments of men, the doctrines of men, the precepts of men. Therefore, I'm going to be like a what? I'm going to be like an enemy. I'm going to be like a moth to Ephraim. There's a moth. I'm going to be like rottenness to the house of Judah, this harlot church today. And they're slowly being destroyed, eaten away. When Ephraim saw his sickness, there's your rottenness right there, the judgment. And Judah, his wound, that's the harlot church today. Where do they go? Do they come and repent? No! Ephraim went to Sarah, and they go to King Jeb, the world. But they're unable to heal you in the world, or to cure you of your wounds and sicknesses. If you don't come to God and repent, you just keep going to the world and Egypt. For I'm going to be like a lion to Ephraim. I'm going to be like a young lion to the house of Judah. That's where he turns his armies loose. I, even I, am going to tear to pieces and go away. I'm going to carry away, and there's going to be none to deliver. Chapter 8. Put a trumpet to your lips, and that's what we're doing right now, warning, like an eagle, the enemy is coming against the house of the Lord. Why? Because they have transgressed my covenant and rebelled against my law. And they cried to me, my God, we of the church know thee. Israel has rejected the good, love, and blessings. The enemy will pursue him. They have set up kings. Lord's over God's heritage, but it's not by me. Jesus is not king. They've appointed their princes and leaders, but I didn't know it. And with their hundred dollar bills and the silver and the gold, they made idols for themselves that they might be cut off. That's destroyed, the branch cut off. He's rejected your calf, O Samaria. See, my anger burns against them. That's the wrath of God. Verse 7. For they sow the wind, that's words, and reap the whirlwind, which is a storm in judgment. The standing grain has no head. It yields no grain. They have no fruit. Should it yield any grain, strangers, the powers of darkness are going to swallow it up because they're walking under a curse. The church is now swallowed up. They're now among the world, the nations. They're like a vessel in which nobody delights. In other words, people hiss and laugh at them. Verse 14. For Israel, the church, has forgotten its maker, God, and they've built palaces with their fleshly achievements. And Judah has multiplied, fortified cities, but I'm going to send fire on its cities, that it may consume its palatial dwellings, and the powers of darkness, and the army is turned loose of God. Chapter 9. Verse 7. The days of punishment have come, the days of retribution have come. Let Israel know this, the prophets of fool. The inspired man is demented because of the grossness of your iniquity and because of your hostility toward God. In other words, they walked after idols. Amen? Now look in verse 16. Abram is stricken. The root is dried up. It's no longer in the Lord because they've got other roots. They bear what? They bear no fruit. Even though they bear children, I will slay the precious ones of their womb. That's a curse. And if you look right there in verse 17, my God will cast them away because they've not listened to Him, and they're going to be wonders among the nations. Everybody's just going to be stumbling, and staggering, and scattered, and worldly, although they're sitting in religious settings. Chapter 10. Verse 1. Israel, the church, is a luxuriant vine. In other words, a foreign vine. It produces fruit for itself, all their fleshly achievements. They don't produce fruit for God. They produce the fruit of selfishness and self-centeredness. And the more his fruit, the more altars and churches and high towers and corner towers he makes. The richer his land, the better he makes these sacred pillars and palaces. Their heart is faithless. Now they're going to bear their guilt. The Lord's going to break down their altars. He's going to destroy their sacred pillars. Verse 3. Surely now they'll say, we have no King. They're walking out there. We have no King Jesus. We've got our doctrine. For we do not fear the Lord. As for King Jesus, what can He do for us? Establish their own righteousness. They speak mere words with worthless oaths. They have made covenants and judgment with all of these laws, lawlessness they're walking in, and judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furthest field. The more they do it, and hell is just getting all over them. All the works of the moth and rottenness are destroying them right now in the name of Jesus. And that's what he's doing. Now verse 12. Here's what he says. So with a view to righteousness, so you bear the fruit of righteousness. Reap in accordance with kindness and faithfulness. Break up your foul of ground. Repent, for it's time to seek the Lord until he comes to rain righteousness on you. Because church, harlot church, this is what you've done. You've plowed wickedness. You have reaped injustice. You've reaped what you sowed. You have eaten the fruit of lies, these lying doctors, because you have trusted in your own ways the carnal traditions, commands of men, and in your numerous warriors, you've thought numbers. And in your numbers is what you've trusted in. Chapter 14. Return and repent, O Israel, to the Lord your God. For you've stumbled because of your lawlessness and your iniquity. You've been walking in spiritual darkness. You've fallen away from the faith. Take your words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him, take away all of our sins. Receive us graciously that we may present the what? Fruit of the lip, which is righteousness. A seer is not going to say, we're not going to ride on horses. In other words, they're going to follow flesh and put her trust in men, trust flesh. That's what riding on horses is. We're not going to say our God again to the works of our hand because it's the works of the Lord Jesus Christ that brings holiness and righteousness in their life. For in thee the orphaned, the lost people find mercy. Verse four, I'll heal your apostasy. I'll love them freely for my anger is turned away from them. I'll be like a dew to Israel and be like blossom, like a lily. And he's going to take root like the seven of the Cedars of Lebanon. If you repent and come to the Lord with all your heart. Verse seven, those who live in the shadow of God, his presence, his holy presence will again raise grain. That's a fruit of righteousness. And they'll blossom like the vine is renowned to be like the wine of Lebanon. Oh, Ephraim, what more do I have to do with these idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I'm like a cypress. And the Lord Jesus Christ says, from me comes your fruit of love and righteousness. Now, whoever is going to be a wise virgin, let him understand this because the foolish virgins will not understand it. Whoever is wise, let him understand these things. Whoever is discerning, let him know them for the ways of the Lord are righteous. Right. And the righteous will what? The righteous will walk in them. But transgressors, what are they going to do? They're going to stumble in them. Is this pretty plain? Now, he let Isaiah go and turn back to Isaiah. We're in Isaiah five.