Myth - Eternal Security

Good evening. Good to see you all here. I want to thank you so much for coming today after a day at work.

You know, I don't know how your day was, but I just am honored that you would come this evening and gather in with God's people to seek the face of the Lord together for a blessing. I was asked if I'm going to have a lesson for the children and I said, well, you know, I don't really have anything prepared. But you know, as Brother Gary was sharing, I thought I'd share a real short story about my brother.

I had an older brother who was born with a withered hand. He was born with a withered hand and a withered body. Withered legs and arms and hands and he could never walk.

He never walked a day in his life. His name was Lester. I'm the baby of the family.

How many babies of the family are here tonight? Yeah, baby of the family, so I'll always be the baby, you know. That's nothing bad. My brother Lester, he was the third in the line of us children and there was eight of us in my family and he was a cripple.

He never walked. But I'll share this story here tonight to give glory to God how God watches over his children. You know, in many ways we are helpless in many things.

We can't change that withered hand. In many ways in our life there's things that we are not able to do. My brother, he could never walk.

He was able to sort of shuffle along a little bit on a tricycle but all his limbs were stiff and his hands were gnarled like this, real strong. His body was completely stiff, no movable joints hardly, just a little bit in his shoulders and one day my brother Lester was on his wheelchair and we had to push him everywhere so I spent a lot of time with my brother Lester. I picked that wheelchair up on his back, two big wheels, and we'd go out through the farm and into the field and down to the creek and oh, he just loved it.

One day I parked him out on our driveway on that farm there and we had a driveway that had it came in a lane about 300 feet long then the driveway split and the bottom part of the driveway went down around the house and the upper part went up around the barn and it had a little bit of a lawn in the middle of that split and divide. Then it went on down behind the barn through what we called the buggy lane. Is there buggies around here? Horse-drawn buggies? There was a buggy lane that went down to the other road and it was frequented by horses and wagons and today when I parked my brother Lester out there by the lower drive and there was a gas pump there on the corner and a tree and on the other corner was the tobacco shed and that day my Amish neighbors were filling their silos and they used their wagons and they put the corn on stumps and then they'd load them up on those wagons and then they would take them into the chopper at the silo and to chop these.

Well that day my Amish neighbor from down on Maple Avenue came up the buggy lane over through our farm and over to our other neighbor Chonny Beiler and they were working together to do the corn that day. Well Lester loved to sit out there and he could watch and see these wagons going but then a terrifying thing happened. They were in for lunch if I remember correctly and a team of mules broke loose.

They were the neighbor's mules down on Maple Avenue and they knew the way home. The way home was out Chonny Beiler's driveway up about 200 feet of road and then a right turn into our driveway and through our farm and down to Maple Avenue through the buggy lane. These mules came in through there at a strong run, gallop.

Just before those mules came I had gone and taken my brother Lester next from the gas pump where he was sitting and brought him in on the porch. Just about 16 seconds or 30 seconds before these mules came through. Those mules had no one to steer them so they went where they wanted to go and they wanted to go home and the Amish man was running 300 feet behind yelling but you know the mules were going full blast and guess what? They hit the corner of our gas pump right where my brother Lester was sitting less than 30 seconds earlier on his wheelchair unable to move and they knocked over the gas pump they didn't turn sharp enough there and they caught the corner of the tobacco shed and pulled a big piece of that out with that big heavy flat wagon, steel wheels just a rattling as they went.

My brother was terrified. If he would have been there he would have most likely been killed. That wagon was going full speed those mules going full speed and there was my crippled brother just a moment before sitting there.

But God it tells us in the scripture that he gives these angels charge over us and they watch out over us to keep us from evil and deliver us from evil. So children when you think of a withered hand or you think of a cripple my brother he endured a lot. I just want to give this one other little word of counsel to all of you children never make fun of anyone who's crippled.

Never make fun of anyone who has a withered hand or is a cripple because he couldn't help it that he was born that way now he's not here with us anymore he's long passed on since 1984 when he died that disease that he had, that handicap it's a big name that I can't explain but he went through a lot of surgery to try to get better so that he could have some mobility but it didn't work. But praise God the Lord cares about people with withered hands. That's just a little children's story for you all about my brother my brother Lester a cripple but God watched over him and took care of him and delivered him from that danger that day.

Last night we talked about what is truth. We shared that truth is embodied in the man Christ Jesus John 14 6 Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the father but by me I was blessed with your theme here this week to know the truth I hope tonight your heart is to know the truth because Jesus said you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free it shall make you free.

Bless God. I want you to open your Bible with me tonight to John 17 John chapter 17 you want to look at another aspect of the truth here this evening in John 17 and verse 13 and now I come to thee and these things I speak in the world that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves I have given them thy word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil they are not of the world even as I am not of the world sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth. Jesus in his high priestly prayer praying for his disciples praying for those that would believe on him praying for those that would follow after him he said sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth.

Do you have a Bible tonight? Praise God we have the word of the Lord and thy word is truth. Sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth just listen to this description of the word of God. Psalm 12 6 the words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in the furnace of earth purified seven times we can count on the word of God the word of God is pure the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the word of God is the power to bring conversion and transformation in a life the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple wisdom is found in the word of the Lord the statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart.

Oh it brings gladness and joy into our heart the word of the Lord. The commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes. It takes away that cloudiness that confusion that that misty gray you know everything just sort of gray not black and white not clear.

Oh the word of the Lord enlightens the eyes it gives us an understanding it brings a light into our eyes the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous all together more to be desired sweeter they than gold they than much fine gold and sweeter also than honey and the honey comb. Oh the word of the Lord is a delight to the child of God. It's like finding honey it's even sweeter than honey Oh tonight may I ask you have you found the word of the Lord sweet to your taste.

Do you delight in feasting on the word of the Lord more to be desired than gold and much fine gold. Oh yes you know it's amazing what people will do for money what they will invest to try to to try to make more money and have more gold. But tonight to have the Lord Jesus Christ the truth of Jesus Christ in my heart and a love for the word of God is far more than all the gold in the world.

Praise God for the richness and the life of Jesus Christ in the word of God. Moreover by them is thy servant warned. Oh I want to urge us tonight including myself to be bathing our soul our mind in the word of God that our mind is renewed and is taught by the word of God it gives us warning that will deliver us from the evil around us in this world.

It will deliver us from that adulterous woman. It will deliver us from the love of money. It will deliver us from all manner of sin and corruption it will deliver us from every evil.

Oh yes the word of the Lord in there is your servant warned as to what is right and what is wrong what is good and what is evil. My precious brethren and sisters here tonight let us bathe ourselves in the word of God that we may know the word of the Lord. We live in an evil day.

Pardon me. I will worship for thy holy temple and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth for thou has magnified thy word above thy name. Psalm 138 thou has magnified thy word above thy name.

God has given a very exalted magnified position to his word. It's by his word that he spoke the world into existence. It's by his word that he created everything that we see.

God has put and magnified his word even above his name. The importance of the word of God in Matthew 24 35 very familiar scripture heaven and earth shall pass away but my word shall not pass away. First Peter 123 being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible being born again by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever.

Yes, heaven and earth will pass away but the word of God shall never pass away. Pardon me. All flesh is as grass and the glory of man as the flower of grass.

The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away. You know no matter how high a man may attain in possessions and favor with man and position and honor. All flesh is as grass.

The glory of man in his altogether best state is altogether vanity before the God of heaven. The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away. It fades away but the word of the Lord endureth forever and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Praise God we preach not ourselves but we preach Christ Jesus the Lord. We preach the word of God that is forever settled in heaven. The word of God that is full of life.

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? How shall a young man or a young woman cleanse their way? Very familiar scripture but it is so profound and powerful. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee.

Oh let me not wonder from thy commandments. Oh I hope tonight that you can say amen. That's my heart.

Lord I'm speaking to you with my whole heart. Oh God I love thy word. It's sweeter to me than honey.

Let me not wonder from thy commandments. I delight in your commandments. Your commandments are not grievous to me.

They're a joy to me. They're a delight. They're a safety.

They're a blessing. Oh let me not wonder from thy commandments oh Lord. In fact I have hid the word in my heart so that I should not sin against thee my Lord.

You know I wonder tonight if it can be so practical. All of us. Am I hiding the word of God in my heart? You know it amazes me.

You know some people sometimes say well I can't really memorize scripture it's so hard but you ask them who the quarterback is in a certain football team and they'll tell you just like that. They're able to rattle off the scores and who's winning and who's losing. They're able to tell you which teammates are being traded to which other team and I see some smiles on some of your faces but I'm asking you tonight.

Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ? If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ the scripture says let him be anathema let him be cursed. This is the first commandment. Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all of your soul and with all of your mind and all of your strength.

I'm amazed at what people will put into the love of their favorite sports team or the love of their hunting or their fishing or their whatever it may be. I put hunting and fishing in a little different category than the sports team. I believe the sports teams today getting their millions to play on the field are the idolatry of America.

They're the idolatry of many a Christian person. It's modern day idolatry and the cheerleaders come out and walk around in their skimpy clothing and show off their bodies just like they did in the senseless idolatrous worship that God said I hate. It's an abomination to me.

If you're going to love the Lord God with all of your heart then separate yourself from your idols. Don't pretend that you love God and you love your idols. Oh thy word have I hidden in my heart that I might know what pleases my Lord that I might know what my Lord Jesus loves and I might know what my Lord Jesus hates.

He loved righteousness and he hated iniquity. Therefore he was anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit and gladness and joy above his fellows. That can be your portion tonight.

You can be anointed with the Holy Ghost and the joy of the Lord and the blessing of God resting upon you in communion and fellowship with Jesus Christ by the Holy Ghost of God. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his ways? How shall he escape the snares? How shall he escape the love of this world and its glitter and its glow and its pump and its show, its music, its movies? All of these things. I'm telling you we must get serious with God and love God with all of our hearts.

Oh thy word. Hallelujah. Precious Lord God, thy word have I hidden in my heart.

It is my delight morning by morning I wake to sit at the feet of Jesus and to hear your voice and open up the word of God and learn of my Jesus. Hiding your word in my heart because I don't want to offend my Savior. I don't want to grieve the heart of my Savior.

I don't want to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. I don't want to quench the Spirit of God in my life from bringing conviction and bringing inspiration and bringing strength to live in that overcoming life. Oh glory to God, he that overcometh shall sit with me in my kingdom and in my heavenly throne, says the Lord Jesus.

I'm not mad at you. I love you. I just am passionate for this truth that we would love God with all of our hearts.

We would hide his word in our hearts and we would escape the snare of the devil. We would escape the wrath of God to come. We would be of those counted worthy to escape all of these things that shall come upon the earth and to be with our Lord Jesus Christ.

We're not turning a corner. It seems like we are a little bit. Maybe we are a little bit.

But to get the context of the scripture, Ephesians 5, 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. What we're looking at tonight is not a message to husbands and wives. We'll get that later.

What we're looking at tonight is how Jesus loved his church. How Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.

There's something of a beauty of a cleansing and a washing that happens when we bathe our mind and our soul and our spirit in the word of God. Because you see the word of God is pure. It is true.

It is powerful to change our lives, to renew our minds and our thinking. That's the power to show us what is really valuable. What really matters.

You know those scooped up vehicles? Those fancy gadgets? Yeah, I have one. You know, they are tools for the using and not for the abusing. Those that go through this world and possess things should go through this world as though we possess them not.

Those who have wives as though they had no wives. Those that, you know, occupy and earn living and make money as though they didn't even do it. Because they are so focused on the eternal.

Thy word. Jesus Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Not only so we could go to heaven.

Hear me tonight. Yes, he wants to deliver us from the pit of hell. But he saved us so that we could be washed and made clean from our sins.

You shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. Tonight, if your salvation didn't save you from your sins, I wonder if you got a counterfeit. Because Jesus said I will save you from your sins.

I'll wash you and make you clean in the precious blood of Jesus, that initial salvation. But then, brother, sister, as we continue in the Lord Jesus Christ and we feast on his word, he washes us with the water of the word. And we are cleansed and our minds are renewed.

Oh, why does he do this? Because he's looking for a bride so that he might present the church to himself, a glorious church, not having any spots or wrinkles or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Thy word is truth. Thy word, you have magnified above your name.

Thy word is truth. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth.

Therefore, my brother, my sister, my sinner friend here tonight, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your soul. Oh, receive the word tonight. If there's anything in your heart that is resisting and rebelling, even as I'm preaching, beg God for mercy and receive with meekness the word of God.

Lay apart, lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness. Lay aside all that scoffing. Lay aside that scorning and that mocking and that laughing.

Lay aside all those objections. Lay them aside. Put them away and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your soul.

But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only. You know, I think a lot of us church goers, we sort of console ourselves and pat ourselves on the back and comfort ourselves that we've been in church and church is a Sunday thing. And we go to church and I heard the preaching so I listened and I heard the preaching.

So I felt a little better about myself now and I go back out into my week and I live for myself from Monday through Saturday every day of the week, every night, every moment doing what I want to do. This is very serious, my dear friends, my brothers, my sisters, my sinner friends. Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only because when we hear only and don't do we deceive our own selves.

How many are self-deceived? Because somehow we think hearing the word is sufficient. Yes, I heard the word. I went to church and I heard the preacher.

But then we go out and we do not do. It's like if a man be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he's like a man beholding his natural faith in a glass, in a mirror, he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straightway forgetteth what manner a man he was. The sermon felt a little convicting on Sunday but by Monday afternoon, by Monday evening, after I've watched a couple movies and listened to my ungodly music, it's all washed away.

The devil has come and snatched away the seed of the word. And you feel no conviction, you feel no desire to change anymore. You maybe thought on Sunday when you heard that message that maybe I should conform my life, maybe I should respond to the Lord and deal with that sin in my life.

But oh, now it's all gone away now and we do not do. And that is self-deceiving. Do you know what deception is? Do you know what the definition of deception is? Do you know what it looks like in a life? It's when someone confronts me and says, Brother Aaron, I am concerned for you.

I see this need in your life. And I say, but you're wrong. I mean, you're judging me.

No, that's not me. That's not in my life. You know why I'm saying that? Because I'm deceived.

See, the person that's deceived doesn't know that he's deceived in that area. Deception. Oh, it is one of the devil's tools that he uses and to have people believe that everything's okay when it's not.

You know, there was a group of religious people that had this problem in Jesus' day. They were called scribes and Pharisees. In Matthew 23, 3, Jesus said the scribes and the Pharisees, you know, they have their doctrine pretty nicely in order.

Really. He didn't condemn them for their doctrine. Do you know what he condemned them for? He said, do not ask for their works, for they say and do not.

You might have the right understanding of theology. You might have the right understanding of what it means to be converted and to be saved. You might have the right understanding of many scriptures like the Pharisees and the scribes.

But if you say and do not, you're deceiving your own hearts. Thy word is truth. 2 Timothy 3, 1, Know also that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves.

Men shall be self-centered. They shall be lovers of their own selves. This will cause great distress and difficulty because this thing creeps into the church.

There are perilous days. There are difficult days because the Christian who do not practice are in with the other Christians. The pears and the wheat are growing together.

Well, shall we go root out the pears? Jesus said, let them grow together. At the harvest they shall be separated from the wheat and they shall be gathered into bundles and they shall be burned. Very serious, my brother, my sister.

We live in perilous days. They're trying days. And if you stand for holiness and righteousness in humility and brokenness, many will call you a intolerant or an unloving person because you're not going with the flow, running through the same excessive riot, and you're not accepting everybody who just says they're Christian, but they don't live like a Christian.

Now I don't condone tonight that we go around judging other people. We need to judge ourselves. But brother, sister, we need to have the wisdom and the knowledge of God and the Word of God as to what is holy and true and righteous and what is profane and an abomination to the Lord.

What God said was an abomination, He still calls it an abomination no matter how many churches condone it and accept it. The Word of God is our palm line. The Word of God is our truth.

We live in a day of relativity. It's relative truth. It's according to what the society and the culture.

And we are departing fast from the absolute truth of the Word of God, from the absolute. Everything is up for debate. I get sick and tired of it.

How many times do we have to debate? How many times do we have to go over this? That God said be ye holy as I am holy. Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. How many times do we have to go back over and sit around and dialogue? Now I'm not against honest questions of how shall we do this.

I think that can be healthy and can be good. How do we live a life consecrated, separated under God in this sinful world that we live in? A form of godliness but denying the power thereof. Powerless against sin.

No backbone to stand for Jesus. Compromising. Keeping my mouth shut when I should speak.

I'm guilty of that at times myself, when I should speak and say this is a grief to my Lord Jesus Christ and it's a grief to me because He's my Savior. Don't use His name in vain please. But oh, we might not be looked at with such favor anymore.

Somebody might despise us. They might hate us like they did Jesus. If we open our mouths, perilous times.

You won't read the list. You'll pull one here in the message tonight. In verse 5 of 2 Timothy 3 he says these last days of perilous times there's going to be a group of people who have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.

From such turn away. Don't just chum with them. Don't just buddy up with them.

Don't just be best friends with them. They will rub off on you. Those that have a form of godliness but they don't have the power of the Holy Ghost in their lives.

Oh God help us. He goes on to say that this sort creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins which are led away with diverse lusts. And then he says this interesting thing.

They're ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. There's a desire for learning it seems like. Going to hear something new.

Ever learning. Maybe like those at Mars Hill. Always declaring something new.

We want to learn. But they're not coming to the knowledge of the truth of Jesus Christ. It's the only way to God.

He's the Savior. He's the Lord. The Word of God is true.

They're not coming to that knowledge. They're ever learning not coming to the knowledge of the truth. And as Janice and Jamboree withstood Moses these also do resist the truth.

Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith. They resist the truth. Oh tonight do you love the truth.

Thy word is truth. Isaiah 39 says that this is a rebellious people. A lying children.

Children that will not hear the law of the Lord. We don't want to hear of the law of the Lord. Jeremiah shut up.

I don't want to hear your prophecy. Now they said that to him. And they put him down in a pit.

They tried to get rid of him. But God preserved him. And said go tell these people these stiff necked people.

These rebellious people. Give them my word. But they're rebellious children.

They will not hear the law of the Lord. They say to the seers. Be not.

And to the prophets prophesy not unto us right things. Don't tell us what God's saying. Speak unto us smooth things.

Prophesy these things. Timothy I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead and his appearing and his kingdom. Preach the word be it in season and out of season.

Reprove rebuke and exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. Timothy are you listening. I want you to take this word of God and to preach the word.

Preach the infallible inerrant word of God that is forever settled and shall never be removed. It shall never wear out. It shall never go old.

It shall never be outdated. It shall never be superseded. The word of God is forever settled.

Timothy preach the word. Because there's a time coming when they will not endure sound doctrine. Sounds like sounds like Israel.

Don't tell us what the Lord is saying. We don't want to hear it. Yeah the time's coming they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts they shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their hearts from the truth.

They shall turn away their hearts from the truth and shall be turned unto fables. You know you can listen to so many preachers today on the Internet and online and I'm urging you tonight young men young women especially but all of us take heed what you hear and know those who labor among you. It is very important.

We live in a day where you can just dial into anything and you know you're a young person your convictions aren't real settled yet. You're like that soft concrete. It hasn't settled yet.

You're not settled and rooted and grounded and so when you hear a false prophet you don't recognize it as easily as brother Jerry because he's filled his heart with the word of God and loves the truth. It'd be good for you to ask brother Jerry. Jerry what do you think of this man? Should I be listening to his sermons? Is his doctrine sound? Is this man true? Is he a true servant of God? All the shame and the disgrace when those men that we were listening to it comes out that they were living a double life and now they're a disgrace to the customary of Jesus and it breaks our hearts.

Oh you could just weep. You know if everybody's speaking well of them Jesus said ah they speak well of the false prophets. You know if they never offend they never they never speak anything that is a sharp convicting word to the sinner.

It's a warning. It's a sign post. Oh Oh God we live in perilous times dangerous times.

Ask your daddy what do you think of my music? Let him hear it. Are those people exemplifying a holy consecrated life set apart under God or are they popular and are they making lots of money by selling their music and then they come out as gay. Wrote powerful songs in days gone by now they come out as gay and the Christian community says oh we applaud you.

We applaud you for being bold enough to come out and we support you. We won't turn against you. We live in perilous times.

The truth has fallen in the streets and many are being deceived because they love not the truth. It tells us in 2 Thessalonians I need to hurry my time is running out. It tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2 that when that wicked one shall be revealed to him the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish and why are they perishing because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved.

They might be saved from that deception. They might be saved from those damnable heresies. They might be saved from all of those lying wonders and signs.

Did you know that there is a resurgence or a recurrence of people seeking after signs and claiming to do miracles in the name of Jesus and claiming to have words of wisdom and revelation and claiming to lay hands on people and that they get baptized in the Holy Ghost because they fall over and roll around on the ground. My dear brothers and sisters I warn you to not follow those deceivers who say here is Christ and they have some emotional experience and at best it's just an emotional experience at worst it's demons in activity working and coming into the hearts of people and these people are expressing demonic activity. They have no control over their bodies any longer.

Did Jesus do that? Did the apostles do that? We must know the scriptures. We must be bathing ourselves in the word of God so that we recognize these false teachings and prophecies. We must love the truth.

Tonight I give you a serious sobering warning. If you're resisting the truth tonight in any way this is what God says. This is very true.

This is very sobering. He says because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this cause. Now listen probably the most terrifying verse in the Bible and for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie.

Did you hear that? God shall send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie. He didn't say the devil's going to send them a delusion. He didn't say the devil's going to deceive them somehow.

He said the almighty God himself when a person rejects truth and will not hear the truth and hardens his heart against the truth and resists the truth. There comes a day when God says God will cause them to send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie and that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Brother, sister, we need God on our side.

We need God. We need the Holy Spirit in our side to deliver us from evil and to deliver us from this present evil world and the sinfulness and the deceivableness of all the stuff that's happening. Imagine if God would give one over to reprobation which he talks about in Romans 1. Give them over to a reprobate mind.

Give them over that they should believe a lie. Is there any hope for such a one? God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. Not the devil.

Not just my own flesh, my own human reasoning. Not just my sinful nature that is opposed against God in its fallen state. No, not just that.

But God himself shall send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie that they might all be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Brother, sister, this is very serious. I urge you tonight do not harden your heart against the Spirit of God, against the truth of the Word of God.

Thy Word is truth. As there were false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you who privily bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction. They bring secretly and introduce destructive doctrines and heresies.

And many shall follow their pernicious ways, their carnal sensual ways, and by reason of whom in the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. It is such a grief and a shame. The world largely, many, they look at the professed church today and say what do they have to offer us? Their divorce rate is the same as ours.

They have homosexuals in their churches teaching at the pulpit. They're going to our sports games with us and they run to the same excess with us. They worship the same gods we worship.

They're powerless. They're not attractive. They're not willing to stand up and stand for the cause of Christ and truth and righteousness.

Have you ever thought maybe that's why the Muslim religion has an attraction? Because people are willing to stand for something. They're willing to die for something. Oh, that we would be willing to stand and be willing to die for Jesus and have a testimony that is a salt in the earth, a testimony that is a light like a city set on a hill that cannot be heard.

Instead, the way of truth is evil spoken of. It's in disrepute. It's in disgrace.

It's in shame. It's in bad reputation. It was way back in the early 90s that I was coming home from Haiti from an evangelistic crusade and U.S. News and World Report had an article which I had wanted to try to find it again so I don't misquote something, but basically what it said had the church lost its marble and they showed what was happening in churches.

Magic shows, bingo games, and music shows, and they called it worship. They said, has the church lost its marble? And they recognized it was probably about a three-page article that the church has really gone off the rails in what the apostles and the prophets taught and what the early church was. I want to urge you young man, the world is waiting to see you.

The world is waiting to see your testimony like a Joseph that will stand for truth and will not compromise. Young women, the world is waiting to see a testimony of your life that is godly and you shun sensuality and puffing up yourself and putting all the makeup on and the jewelry. The world is waiting to see a godly woman who's adorned with the spirit of Christ, the spirit of meekness that is in the sight of God and of great price and of great value.

Don't be ashamed to be different. Don't be ashamed to wear that veiling on your head for you shall have power on your head because of the angels. Don't be ashamed to be modestly dressed.

I'll tell you that whole other world is going down into the pits and it's a dead-end street. Those people that they claim are the most beautiful, the most fashion models, they're committing suicide. They're depressed.

They're on antidepressants and they're taking uppers to try to live. Oh, but the beautiful woman of God who's adorned with the spirit of Christ. Oh, glory, hallelujah.

She's in the sight of God of a great price and value. Young men, dare to stand. Dare to stand up.

You want a thrill in your life? You want a joy in your life? You want a reason to live and a purpose? Give yourself wholly sold out to Jesus Christ and say, Lord, here am I. Work through me your will. Work through me your purposes in my life. That I may be dead and Christ may be seen.

That you can do your will in my life and you can manifest your glory in my life. Don't add to the shame and the disgrace by the world around you and say, yeah, you're just like everybody else. I'm going to bring this to a close here very shortly.

Just a few more points, if you can bear with me. The Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies and hypocrisy and having their conscience seared with a hot errand. I hope tonight your conscience is tender.

I hope tonight your conscience is working. I hope tonight when you hear the voice of God, your conscience will prick you and will convict you of sin, will convict you of your worldliness and your carnality and your love for the world. And somehow you think I can love the world and love God at the same time.

No, God says it's not possible. You cannot serve two masters. Tonight I want you to examine yourselves whether you're in the faith.

Prove your own selves. Do I love Jesus? Do I love His Word? Is it my delight? Is it sweeter to me than honey in the honeycomb? Do I meditate therein day and night? No, ye not of your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you do reprobate. If you're born again tonight by the Spirit of the living God, Jesus Christ is in you and you are the temple of the Holy Ghost and you're not to defile the temple of the Holy Ghost, but the temples of the idolatrous altar temples in this world.

Ah, listen to this testimony. I have written to you young men because ye are strong and you're strong because the Word of God abideth in you. The Word of God abideth in you, therefore you're strong and you have overcome the wicked one.

May that be your testimony. May that be your testimony tonight. Oh, I love Jesus.

I love His Word. Dare. Dare to be a Daniel.

Dare to be a Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Dare to be a Joseph. Dare to stand.

Examine yourself, whether you be in the faith. Whether you be a real Christian. Real Christians love Jesus Christ.

Real Christians fellowship and commune with Jesus Christ. Real Christians have a prayer life, just like they breathe. Prayer is breathing.

It's communion. It's fellowship. It's to be continuous, praying without ceasing.

Real Christians love God. Real Christians love His Word. Real Christians are obedient to the Word.

They're not just hearers and then console themselves and sort of appease their conscience and go out and live the rest of the week for myself. No, real Christians love Jesus. Real Christians obey the Word.

Real Christians find the Word of God peaceful, delightful. The test for you. How's the Word of God to you? Is it dry? Is it boring? Do I have to force myself to eat a little bit? Boy, I sure do love those steaks and hamburgers.

You know, Job said, by Word I have found it to be more necessary than my daily food. Somehow we find time to eat our daily food. Are you taking time to feast on the Word of God? Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith.

Examine yourselves, whether you're a real Christian and don't deceive your own heart tonight. Jesus said, He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words has one that judges him. Now listen very carefully.

The Word that the Lord Jesus has spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken a word of myself, says the Lord Jesus, but the Father which sent me, he gave me commandment what I should say and what I should speak. Imagine to be judged by the words of the Lord Jesus.

God doesn't leave us wondering how He's going to judge us. He tells us we're going to be judged by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word that He has spoken. So you can examine the judgment decree now and examine your own life and judge yourself, whether you be in the faith or the Word of God.

It's quick. It's powerful. It's sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of thunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and the marrow.

And it's a discerner of the thoughts and the intent of the heart. You can maybe fool your pastor. You can maybe fool your mom and your dad.

You can maybe pretend you're quite pious and godly. But where are your thoughts and the intent of your heart? Where are they? What gets your heart moving and going? Where is your thoughts and the intent of the heart? For every creature, there's not a creature that is not manifest in the sight of God. Now hear this.

But all things are naked and open before the eyes with whom we have to do. Tonight, I ask you to judge yourself. Examine yourself, whether you be in the faith.

Examine yourself, whether you're a real Christian or whether you're one of those hypocrites that in the day of judgment, fearfulness surprises the hypocrites. They found out my life was a sham. I went to church so I could look good.

I went to church so I could get a girlfriend and get a wife. And then afterward, I left. I've seen some of those young men and it grieves my heart.

They come in and they pretend they're godly and they take one of our godly, virtuous young ladies and then a few years later, they're back out into the world. Are you a real Christian? All things are naked and open in the eyes of him we have to do tonight. Everything is manifest before the Lord.

It's not by word like a fire, says the Lord. Do you feel the fire of God burning in your heart tonight? Is it like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Tonight, you have a choice to fall on the rock, Christ Jesus, and be broken. Or one day, whosoever that rock Jesus Christ will fall on, it shall grind him to powder.

Matthew 21, 44. Bow your heads with me in prayer. Father, thy word is truth.

I ask in the name of Jesus tonight for the Holy Ghost of God to bring conviction to sinners. I ask that the fear of God would fall upon sinners tonight. I ask that the fear of God would fall upon the hypocrite tonight.

I ask that the fear of God would fall upon the pretender tonight. I ask that the fear of God and the conviction of the Holy Ghost would fall upon that one who's trying to live to please himself and love the world and also just have enough of God to make it into heaven. I ask tonight that you would open the eyes of those who are deceived and their eyes are blinded.

I ask, O God, for the revelation of the Holy Spirit of God that deceived hearts and blinded eyes would be opened. For, Lord God, you have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. You have no desire to send people into hell, but that all should be saved.

May this be the day of salvation tonight. Come, O God, in your mercies and in your loving kindness and bring salvation to this house. We ask it in the name of Jesus.

Amen. I'm asking you tonight to do business with God. I'm asking you tonight to stretch out that withered hand and no matter what your friend says sitting beside you, he's not going to be with you at the judgment.

It'll be just you and Jesus. It'll just be you and God. So don't be afraid of what your friend might think or what he might say.

But come and confess your sin. Come and commit your life to Jesus Christ. Come and sell out to God tonight.

In Jesus' name.