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Studies and things like that, just prayer times.

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And I have to say, Don, my heart

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always feels the same about you, brother.

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And I think of you many times.

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And I thank God for you, a heart

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for revival.

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And we should be expecting revival.

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God has all power.

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Amen?

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There's no one that can stop his hand

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or say, what can you do?

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God is sovereign.

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He has all power.

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And he's just looking for men and women

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who will be completely set apart for him.

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And when that happens, God will move.

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We don't know to what degree always.

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But I do know that I just want

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to share a few things.

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Just down the road from where I live,

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there was a revival back in the 40s.

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And it was at Little Southwest Baptist Church.

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And the church basically had gone through quite

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a bit of a dead period.

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And one of my friends, he's an older

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gentleman, but a man of God who I

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love, Wilbur Matthews, he was actually one of

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the men who was converted in that meeting.

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And there were two nights, and this preacher,

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Joe Strack, and he wasn't a great orator

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or nothing like that.

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And many of the churches didn't even want

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him to come to their churches, because he

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didn't meet their qualifications.

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But at the same time, during that time,

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after the war, a lot of the churches,

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especially a lot of the Baptist churches, had

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become quite liberal.

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And all the different liberal thoughts had been

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creeping in.

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And so this church wanted to see something

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happen.

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So they brought this guy in, and he

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preached in two nights.

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There was over 90 people saved in two

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nights.

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Wilbur was one of them, his brother was

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another one, and his sister.

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She became a missionary, actually, to Africa, I

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believe, or India.

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His brother, actually, and his brother's son now

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would be out in New Maryland out there,

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Matthew's out there, so I don't know him

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well.

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But I just know the family well, and

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Wilbur and his son.

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And I was just thinking, if God moved

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that way in two nights, imagine that, 90

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-some people, and there's almost no fall away

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from those numbers.

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At the exact same time, on the island

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of Hebrides, with Duncan Campbell, there was over

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20,000 people converted in five weeks.

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In 1904, with Evan Roberts, he actually had

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that same sense.

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Liberalism and modernism had just invaded the church.

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Nobody was praying, nobody had faith, almost.

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And during that revival, he actually felt that

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the Lord told him before, there was gonna

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be over 100,000 people converted.

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That's actually in his diaries, I've read just

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about everything you can get on that revival.

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And within six months, there was over 100

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,000 people converted.

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Stocks of Bibles were sold out, taverns were

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shut down, sports things were shut down.

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And out of that movement, many missionary movements

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also actually happened and went all over the

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whole globe.

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Think of that, like a place smaller than

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New Brunswick and 100,000 people, what would

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it look like if 100,000 people were

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converted in New Brunswick?

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And literally transformed, and I'm not talking about

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religion and turning over a new leaf, I'm

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talking about being born of the Holy Spirit.

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Regeneration is a supernatural work of God, where

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God literally, through the gospel, takes out a

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heart of stone, puts in a heart of

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flesh, and puts his spirit in that man

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and that woman.

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And they become alive in Christ, become a

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new creature.

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All things pass away, and all things become

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new.

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And that's the will of God that his

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kingdom come, isn't it?

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That his kingdom come, that people be added

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to his church.

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And I think when we read the book

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of Acts, we look at that, that was

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some kind of a strange thing.

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But realistically, that was just a reoccurring theme

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over and over and over.

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In our church life now, in all of

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us, we have become very deadened by our

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culture and society.

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And we need to get back to the

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Bible, and get back to praying and believing

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the promises of God, and not following men,

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but following God.

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And don't follow men, whatever you do, and

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don't follow this man, and go home and

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examine what I'm saying, and see if it's

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true after or not.

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And your Bibles, be like the Brians.

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And so I just wanted to share that

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this morning to encourage you that God is

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mighty, he's able to move, he wants to

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move, but there may be some things that

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need to be removed in us.

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And see, what we're gonna talk about this

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morning is some of the things that's gonna

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need to take place for personal revival and

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awakening, and also for corporate revival.

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And I can't guarantee any numbers or nothing

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like that, I'm just a man.

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But I do know that it's the Lord's

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will that people be added to his kingdom.

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So I just wanna go to prayer, and

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we're gonna go to Matthew 21, 18 through

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22.

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And one revival I forgot to mention too

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was, and I got to talk to Bill

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McLeod before as well, the revival at Saskatoon.

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There that revival as well, and some of

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my good friends are actually all connected with

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him, Don Kern, and people that's connected him

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with the Satira twins and things.

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So I'm kinda in that kind of vein,

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I like Ravenhill, Don and I like a

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lot of the same guys, I like Spurgeon,

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Moody.

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If they're on for God and on for

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truth and awakening, I'm on for it.

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If they're just dead, either way, I'm not

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into reading their minds.

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Anyways, let's pray.

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Father, thank you God today, Lord, for your

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word.

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Your word is absolute truth.

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It's inerrant, infallible, and it's sufficient, and it's

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all we need for life and godliness.

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Lord, let everything else be put aside.

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And I pray, Lord, that we would be

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a praying people.

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I pray that God, that your spirit would

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meet with us today, Lord, that you will

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bless these people here today.

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And Lord, that you would awaken us, and

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Lord, that you would convict us.

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Lord, your word says when the Holy Spirit

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comes, he will convict, Lord, of righteousness.

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Lord, it's sin and judgment, Lord.

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So today, do that, Lord, that you would

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awaken, Lord, that people would be encouraged, God,

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today that you are, Lord, alive and well,

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and Lord, willing to do things, Lord, if

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we will just get on your side.

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In Jesus' name, amen.

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And so, Matthew chapter 21, and verses 18

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through 22.

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I wanna just read this passage.

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It's called, and this message is actually entitled

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The Withered Fig Tree.

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And may that not be said about this

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church.

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You know, when I think about evangelical churches,

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I want them to stay open.

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And we plant churches, and we don't compete

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with other churches.

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We're hoping to complete with other churches that

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preach the true gospel and believe the Bible.

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And so, what we wanna see is that

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happening.

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And so, when I preach that message this

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morning, I want you to understand that my

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heart is for you as a Christian and

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as a pastor.

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And that I love people, I love the

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gospel, but I will say things this morning

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that will be hard probably to hear for

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some people.

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But I pray that we would all humble

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ourselves before the Lord and hear his word

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and say, God, whatever needs to take place,

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just do it in my life.

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And if we will humble ourselves, we will

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be exalted.

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But if we exalt ourselves, God will humble

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us.

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So we have to take our pick on

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that.

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And I pray that we will.

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Early in the morning, as he was on

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the way back to the city, he was

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hungry.

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And seeing a fig tree by the road,

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he went up to it and found nothing

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on it except leaves.

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And then he said, may you never bear

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fruit again, and immediately the tree withered.

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When the disciples saw this, they were amazed

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at how did the fig tree wither so

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quickly, they asked.

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And Jesus replied, I tell you the truth,

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if you have faith and do not doubt,

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not only can you do what was done

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to the fig tree, but also you can

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say to this mountain, go throw yourself into

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the sea and it will be done.

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If you believe, you will receive whatever you

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ask for in prayer.

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And so this morning, I wanna look at

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this.

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And this is an object lesson, first of

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all, for the Old Testament Jewish Church, the

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nation of Israel.

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And this is the primary audience, but it's

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also an object lesson for the early church,

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for the church all through the ages.

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And Jesus is with his people to the

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very end of the age.

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But it is a warning for the churches

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as it was for Israel.

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And that we don't wanna be withered.

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So the Jewish nation, the nation of Israel,

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that that church in the Old Testament was

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without fruit.

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That's the point of the message.

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And also we're gonna look at the fact

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that many New Testament churches bear no fruit.

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And the Bible uses it this way in

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Revelation chapter two, that Jesus himself actually sometimes

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removed the land stand.

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Now that's scary.

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And when I think about churches like driving

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through the Maritimes and I've preached in Ontario,

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especially a lot of places in the southern

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states, in Georgia, and Louisiana, and Florida, and

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different places like that.

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You drive through and see churches being boarded

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up or being closed down.

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It's a sad thing for me.

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I don't look at that and think, wow,

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isn't that great that these are being closed

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down, my heart breaks when I see it.

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Because see, those churches were once actually fruit

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bearing churches at one time, obviously.

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They were once salt and light, but they

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had lost its savor and the light had

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grown dim and the glory departed and Jesus

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himself actually removes the land stand.

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And we don't wanna see that in the

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day which we're in.

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We need more churches.

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How many people read in Fredericton, like in

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the surrounding areas, close to 100,000 people

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count in the surrounding area.

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And if you actually took how many people

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00:09:37,270 --> 00:09:39,950
are in evangelical churches that believe the Bible

272
00:09:39,950 --> 00:09:41,250
and believe that you must be born again,

273
00:09:41,370 --> 00:09:42,210
they are low.

274
00:09:42,850 --> 00:09:43,890
And getting lower.

275
00:09:44,970 --> 00:09:46,770
And so we need churches and we need

276
00:09:46,770 --> 00:09:49,290
churches like this one, not only to stay

277
00:09:49,290 --> 00:09:52,250
alive, but we wanna pray that God would

278
00:09:52,250 --> 00:09:55,030
actually bring revival and expand these churches.

279
00:09:56,170 --> 00:09:58,410
And also, the third lesson we're gonna look

280
00:09:58,410 --> 00:10:01,450
at this morning is that every fruitless professor

281
00:10:01,450 --> 00:10:04,710
of faith is in danger of being cursed,

282
00:10:04,870 --> 00:10:06,590
and that's the doctrine of apostasy.

283
00:10:07,150 --> 00:10:08,930
Not gonna get into that extremely, but we're

284
00:10:08,930 --> 00:10:11,770
gonna look first at Israel.

285
00:10:12,130 --> 00:10:15,110
The Lord's curse on the fruitless tree.

286
00:10:15,910 --> 00:10:19,250
You think about that, that these, and so

287
00:10:19,250 --> 00:10:21,990
Jesus actually curses this tree.

288
00:10:22,350 --> 00:10:23,750
And so when we think about Jesus Christ,

289
00:10:23,830 --> 00:10:25,550
what I wanna look at this morning is

290
00:10:25,550 --> 00:10:29,510
that he has an eternal divine nature, John

291
00:10:29,510 --> 00:10:31,950
17, 5, that was with the Father in

292
00:10:31,950 --> 00:10:32,270
the beginning.

293
00:10:32,670 --> 00:10:34,810
He wasn't as the Father, he was with

294
00:10:34,810 --> 00:10:36,250
the Father, his divine nature.

295
00:10:36,610 --> 00:10:38,810
And then they took on human nature, and

296
00:10:38,810 --> 00:10:40,790
so what you have in Jesus the Christ

297
00:10:40,790 --> 00:10:43,550
is one person and two natures, a divine

298
00:10:43,550 --> 00:10:45,890
nature, which was eternal, and a human nature

299
00:10:45,890 --> 00:10:47,470
that he took on so that he could

300
00:10:47,470 --> 00:10:49,590
become the sacrifice for our sins and the

301
00:10:49,590 --> 00:10:50,470
sins of the whole world.

302
00:10:52,230 --> 00:10:54,110
And when he just spoke to this tree,

303
00:10:54,850 --> 00:10:56,770
like you imagine going up to a, talking

304
00:10:56,770 --> 00:10:57,710
to a tree, you know?

305
00:10:58,350 --> 00:10:59,850
And sometimes people do it.

306
00:10:59,870 --> 00:11:01,270
I remember quite a few years ago there

307
00:11:01,270 --> 00:11:02,710
was a sign over the bank of Nova

308
00:11:02,710 --> 00:11:05,710
Scotia on the downtown, and it was between

309
00:11:05,710 --> 00:11:06,730
there and King's Place.

310
00:11:06,930 --> 00:11:08,610
And it was a picture of David Suzuki,

311
00:11:08,670 --> 00:11:10,490
and he had his hand holding up on

312
00:11:10,490 --> 00:11:11,830
a tree, looking up at it, saying, could

313
00:11:11,830 --> 00:11:12,690
this be my mother?

314
00:11:13,230 --> 00:11:14,490
And I was thinking, I don't think that's

315
00:11:14,490 --> 00:11:14,830
his mother.

316
00:11:15,530 --> 00:11:17,230
So it just goes to show you that

317
00:11:17,230 --> 00:11:19,090
a man can be quite intellectual and smart

318
00:11:19,090 --> 00:11:20,730
and not be wise at all.

319
00:11:21,030 --> 00:11:23,630
And so, and quite twisted.

320
00:11:25,010 --> 00:11:28,670
But Jesus was what you could understand about

321
00:11:28,670 --> 00:11:28,910
him.

322
00:11:29,010 --> 00:11:30,610
He's not just the man of Galilee.

323
00:11:30,950 --> 00:11:32,030
That's his human nature.

324
00:11:32,370 --> 00:11:34,410
But his human nature could be hungry.

325
00:11:34,790 --> 00:11:36,990
He says, I thirst, all these different things.

326
00:11:36,990 --> 00:11:39,130
But his divine nature was with the Father

327
00:11:39,130 --> 00:11:39,630
in the beginning.

328
00:11:39,890 --> 00:11:41,950
In Genesis chapter one, he said, let there

329
00:11:41,950 --> 00:11:43,150
be light, and there was light.

330
00:11:43,690 --> 00:11:45,650
It's the exact same second person in the

331
00:11:45,650 --> 00:11:48,530
Godhead saying to this tree, may you never

332
00:11:48,530 --> 00:11:49,270
bear fruit again.

333
00:11:50,250 --> 00:11:52,030
When he speaks, it happens.

334
00:11:52,150 --> 00:11:53,790
When we speak, it doesn't necessarily happen.

335
00:11:54,070 --> 00:11:56,710
But when God speaks, it's a finished deal.

336
00:11:57,890 --> 00:12:00,090
And Jesus is God in the flesh.

337
00:12:00,970 --> 00:12:02,790
Now there's a heart searching lesson for us

338
00:12:02,790 --> 00:12:04,950
in this here, in this withered fig tree.

339
00:12:05,430 --> 00:12:07,690
So early in the morning, again, here's Jesus.

340
00:12:07,850 --> 00:12:09,270
He's on his way back to the city.

341
00:12:09,450 --> 00:12:10,070
He's hungry.

342
00:12:10,190 --> 00:12:11,550
So here's his human nature, right?

343
00:12:11,710 --> 00:12:14,070
He's not only divine, he is actually hungry.

344
00:12:14,770 --> 00:12:16,150
And seeing the fig tree by the road,

345
00:12:16,250 --> 00:12:18,850
he found no fruit on it except for

346
00:12:18,850 --> 00:12:19,230
leaves.

347
00:12:19,710 --> 00:12:21,910
And leaves aren't a very good sandwich.

348
00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,220
And then he said to it, may you

349
00:12:27,220 --> 00:12:28,600
never bear fruit again.

350
00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:31,160
And I just think about that, the leaves

351
00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,520
on there, immediately the tree withered, just picture

352
00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:34,400
him saying the words.

353
00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,000
All the leaves just dry and crumple and

354
00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:38,760
the tree just withers and falls.

355
00:12:39,580 --> 00:12:41,600
Like the power to be able to say

356
00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:43,340
that, like, you know, this is the eternal

357
00:12:43,340 --> 00:12:44,460
God.

358
00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:48,580
And that fig tree full of leaves, but

359
00:12:48,580 --> 00:12:50,620
it had no fruit, was a picture of

360
00:12:50,620 --> 00:12:54,000
the Jewish Old Testament church Israel.

361
00:12:54,580 --> 00:12:56,540
And when Jesus was upon the earth, they

362
00:12:56,540 --> 00:12:57,460
had everything though.

363
00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:59,420
On the outside, they looked alive, like many

364
00:12:59,420 --> 00:13:00,140
churches today.

365
00:13:00,300 --> 00:13:01,760
They had many things on the outside.

366
00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,060
The Jewish people, they had the temple.

367
00:13:04,340 --> 00:13:05,280
They had the priesthood.

368
00:13:05,380 --> 00:13:06,600
They had the daily sacrifice.

369
00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:08,840
They had the yearly feast, the Old Testament

370
00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:09,420
scriptures.

371
00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:10,260
They had the scriptures.

372
00:13:10,420 --> 00:13:15,560
They knew what the scriptures said in the

373
00:13:15,560 --> 00:13:17,480
courses of the Levites on duty.

374
00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:19,920
And they had the morning and evening sacrifice.

375
00:13:20,540 --> 00:13:24,980
But beneath all those good leaves, this nation,

376
00:13:25,180 --> 00:13:29,580
this Old Testament church was utterly barren of

377
00:13:29,580 --> 00:13:29,860
fruit.

378
00:13:32,330 --> 00:13:34,010
They had no real fruit.

379
00:13:34,270 --> 00:13:35,370
They just had leaves.

380
00:13:35,370 --> 00:13:37,030
It's a shell on the outside.

381
00:13:37,170 --> 00:13:38,130
They had no grace.

382
00:13:39,290 --> 00:13:40,630
And I want to say even at the

383
00:13:40,630 --> 00:13:41,650
top, no love.

384
00:13:43,290 --> 00:13:44,670
Which is the greatest of all.

385
00:13:45,050 --> 00:13:48,010
No, no, no love, no grace, no real

386
00:13:48,010 --> 00:13:50,950
fruit, no humility.

387
00:13:51,830 --> 00:13:53,830
And boys, I want to say today I

388
00:13:53,830 --> 00:13:54,650
preach all over.

389
00:13:55,070 --> 00:13:57,330
That is a really lacking thing amongst God's

390
00:13:57,330 --> 00:13:57,610
people.

391
00:13:57,730 --> 00:13:59,590
And I was very blessed to be around

392
00:13:59,590 --> 00:14:01,790
some of those old revival preachers back in

393
00:14:01,790 --> 00:14:03,370
the 70s when I was a boy growing

394
00:14:03,370 --> 00:14:03,630
up.

395
00:14:03,630 --> 00:14:06,590
And I remember being at meetings where all

396
00:14:06,590 --> 00:14:08,310
you could see was just people in black

397
00:14:08,310 --> 00:14:11,510
shoes and people weeping and crying out for

398
00:14:11,510 --> 00:14:14,410
their children and for their grandchildren and praying

399
00:14:14,410 --> 00:14:15,130
for the Lord to come.

400
00:14:15,490 --> 00:14:16,590
Brokenness and repentance.

401
00:14:17,130 --> 00:14:19,730
And it's like today so many people when

402
00:14:19,730 --> 00:14:21,270
they hear things, they just sit there.

403
00:14:21,290 --> 00:14:22,630
And I pray that we're not amongst that

404
00:14:22,630 --> 00:14:22,970
here today.

405
00:14:23,070 --> 00:14:24,750
I pray that God softens our heart and

406
00:14:24,750 --> 00:14:25,610
that we're really for him.

407
00:14:25,750 --> 00:14:27,390
But if we want to see God move,

408
00:14:27,450 --> 00:14:28,450
we've got to humble ourselves.

409
00:14:28,850 --> 00:14:30,410
You read the book of Nehemiah and Ezra.

410
00:14:30,410 --> 00:14:33,330
You read them confessing sins and getting things

411
00:14:33,330 --> 00:14:34,730
cleaned up before God comes.

412
00:14:35,250 --> 00:14:38,110
We can't just sit in our seats and

413
00:14:38,110 --> 00:14:40,290
hear the message and say, oh, that tickled

414
00:14:40,290 --> 00:14:43,170
my ears today or that was interesting and

415
00:14:43,170 --> 00:14:44,890
then not do nothing.

416
00:14:46,030 --> 00:14:48,410
We are to humble ourselves before God.

417
00:14:48,470 --> 00:14:48,610
Amen.

418
00:14:49,670 --> 00:14:50,830
God is holy.

419
00:14:51,670 --> 00:14:52,930
You read Isaiah 6.

420
00:14:53,390 --> 00:14:56,190
Isaiah sees Christ exalted and his train filled

421
00:14:56,190 --> 00:14:58,330
the temple, it's filled with smoke and the

422
00:14:58,330 --> 00:14:59,270
threshold shook.

423
00:14:59,270 --> 00:15:01,490
And Isaiah didn't say, oh, that was a

424
00:15:01,490 --> 00:15:02,110
good message.

425
00:15:02,210 --> 00:15:04,130
Or, you know, I really feel good about

426
00:15:04,130 --> 00:15:05,850
myself and have a lot more self-esteem

427
00:15:05,850 --> 00:15:06,190
now.

428
00:15:06,370 --> 00:15:07,510
He said, woe is me.

429
00:15:08,550 --> 00:15:09,590
I'm undone.

430
00:15:10,750 --> 00:15:13,910
That's what happens when you meet God in

431
00:15:13,910 --> 00:15:14,390
those ways.

432
00:15:14,610 --> 00:15:16,290
And quite a few years ago for me,

433
00:15:17,410 --> 00:15:19,130
and I'm not a charismatic.

434
00:15:19,490 --> 00:15:21,190
Hopefully I'm charismatic in the right kind of

435
00:15:21,190 --> 00:15:21,370
way.

436
00:15:21,790 --> 00:15:24,370
But I'm from the older school theologically.

437
00:15:25,670 --> 00:15:28,870
And I'm a firm believer in every single

438
00:15:28,870 --> 00:15:30,910
thing that the word of God says.

439
00:15:31,030 --> 00:15:32,870
I don't believe God's speaking outside of his

440
00:15:32,870 --> 00:15:33,150
word.

441
00:15:33,290 --> 00:15:35,530
And I believe whatever his word says is

442
00:15:35,530 --> 00:15:35,890
finished.

443
00:15:35,970 --> 00:15:37,090
And we're not to add to it.

444
00:15:37,110 --> 00:15:38,690
And we're not to take away at all.

445
00:15:39,970 --> 00:15:41,790
But there's a lot being taken away from

446
00:15:41,790 --> 00:15:42,230
it today.

447
00:15:42,730 --> 00:15:44,730
And back in the mid-90s, I was

448
00:15:44,730 --> 00:15:45,930
reading my Bible and praying.

449
00:15:46,050 --> 00:15:47,390
I was working to that in such a

450
00:15:47,390 --> 00:15:49,090
way I was working from 3 till about

451
00:15:49,090 --> 00:15:49,750
10 every night.

452
00:15:50,210 --> 00:15:52,090
And so my wife and I and then

453
00:15:52,090 --> 00:15:53,470
we had four little small children.

454
00:15:53,470 --> 00:15:54,810
They're all grown up now.

455
00:15:54,930 --> 00:15:56,790
One of our sons is a firefighter here

456
00:15:56,790 --> 00:15:57,350
in Fredericton.

457
00:15:57,630 --> 00:15:59,150
And another one's a carpenter.

458
00:15:59,190 --> 00:16:01,170
Our daughter's married to a logger guy.

459
00:16:01,330 --> 00:16:03,150
And our youngest son just finished forestry.

460
00:16:03,230 --> 00:16:04,690
So we got five grandkids now.

461
00:16:04,850 --> 00:16:06,270
So things have changed a lot.

462
00:16:07,050 --> 00:16:09,390
But during those times, I was spending a

463
00:16:09,390 --> 00:16:11,350
minimal of five to seven hours a day

464
00:16:11,350 --> 00:16:12,910
in the word and prayer every morning.

465
00:16:13,430 --> 00:16:16,330
And seriously, like two or three hours in

466
00:16:16,330 --> 00:16:18,750
intercessory prayer, seeking the Lord.

467
00:16:18,950 --> 00:16:19,950
And at times fasting.

468
00:16:20,310 --> 00:16:21,950
Because I'm reading my Bible and I was

469
00:16:21,950 --> 00:16:22,990
going to churches, you know what I'm saying?

470
00:16:22,990 --> 00:16:25,050
I'm not seeing what the Bible's saying.

471
00:16:25,570 --> 00:16:26,410
Something's missing.

472
00:16:26,770 --> 00:16:28,590
And I've seen things happen when I was

473
00:16:28,590 --> 00:16:28,890
younger.

474
00:16:29,750 --> 00:16:33,350
I've seen revivals and little awakenings and stuff.

475
00:16:33,490 --> 00:16:35,550
And so having seen that, I sought the

476
00:16:35,550 --> 00:16:35,750
Lord.

477
00:16:35,870 --> 00:16:37,190
And honestly, for two or three years.

478
00:16:37,610 --> 00:16:40,150
And one particular time while I was praying

479
00:16:40,150 --> 00:16:42,450
and reading my Bible in my dining room,

480
00:16:42,550 --> 00:16:43,430
the doors closed.

481
00:16:43,610 --> 00:16:45,150
It's just like the Lord showed up.

482
00:16:45,290 --> 00:16:47,290
And there was such a heaviness come upon

483
00:16:47,290 --> 00:16:47,530
me.

484
00:16:47,810 --> 00:16:49,690
It wasn't like I had this real good

485
00:16:49,690 --> 00:16:51,490
feeling about myself, like a lot of people

486
00:16:51,490 --> 00:16:52,190
are saying today.

487
00:16:52,190 --> 00:16:53,350
I trembled.

488
00:16:53,450 --> 00:16:54,230
My knees knocked.

489
00:16:54,470 --> 00:16:56,230
And this happened to me a couple of

490
00:16:56,230 --> 00:16:56,530
times.

491
00:16:56,670 --> 00:16:58,710
And you know, it never really happened again

492
00:16:58,710 --> 00:17:00,390
since that time or before that.

493
00:17:00,810 --> 00:17:03,490
But I talked to many godly men after

494
00:17:03,490 --> 00:17:03,670
that.

495
00:17:03,750 --> 00:17:06,109
God was setting me apart from ministry at

496
00:17:06,109 --> 00:17:07,569
that point to preach his word.

497
00:17:08,250 --> 00:17:11,290
And I do believe that God wants his

498
00:17:11,290 --> 00:17:12,849
people to be filled with the spirit.

499
00:17:13,470 --> 00:17:16,790
And that doesn't mean flopping around in the

500
00:17:16,790 --> 00:17:18,770
boat like a dead fish, like fish dying

501
00:17:18,770 --> 00:17:19,950
in the springtime in your boat.

502
00:17:19,990 --> 00:17:21,530
But what it means is to be alive

503
00:17:21,530 --> 00:17:22,010
in Christ.

504
00:17:22,910 --> 00:17:25,910
And so I know what it is to

505
00:17:25,910 --> 00:17:26,790
be awakened.

506
00:17:27,010 --> 00:17:28,430
I can remember when I was born again.

507
00:17:28,610 --> 00:17:31,110
And I also can remember that time in

508
00:17:31,110 --> 00:17:32,950
the 90s when God was setting me apart.

509
00:17:33,290 --> 00:17:35,410
And there's something different happened after that.

510
00:17:35,470 --> 00:17:36,890
It just seemed like when I started talking

511
00:17:36,890 --> 00:17:38,630
to people, people started coming to Christ.

512
00:17:38,750 --> 00:17:40,570
And within a few years, I had led

513
00:17:40,570 --> 00:17:41,890
over 40 people to Christ.

514
00:17:42,110 --> 00:17:44,230
And then we were in church planting.

515
00:17:44,350 --> 00:17:45,270
We were in Moncton.

516
00:17:45,770 --> 00:17:48,750
Then we moved from Moncton back on to

517
00:17:48,750 --> 00:17:50,410
Fredericton for a little while.

518
00:17:51,090 --> 00:17:52,550
And we just met with a bunch of

519
00:17:52,550 --> 00:17:53,290
people here.

520
00:17:53,670 --> 00:17:55,810
And then I moved over to Dovetown.

521
00:17:55,930 --> 00:17:57,070
That's where I actually grew up.

522
00:17:57,210 --> 00:17:58,490
That's not a real big spot.

523
00:17:58,650 --> 00:17:59,590
Some of you might know where it is.

524
00:18:00,310 --> 00:18:01,830
If you blink, you'll miss it, they say,

525
00:18:01,890 --> 00:18:02,330
in the way through.

526
00:18:03,530 --> 00:18:07,070
But at that point, you know, God was

527
00:18:07,070 --> 00:18:07,550
calling us.

528
00:18:07,590 --> 00:18:08,690
There was four or five of us.

529
00:18:09,590 --> 00:18:13,090
And we prayed and prayed and prayed and

530
00:18:13,090 --> 00:18:13,390
prayed.

531
00:18:13,630 --> 00:18:16,810
And within that first year, over 27 people

532
00:18:16,810 --> 00:18:17,530
came to Christ.

533
00:18:18,290 --> 00:18:20,450
And we baptized 27 people.

534
00:18:20,670 --> 00:18:22,390
And the next year, there were 17 that

535
00:18:22,390 --> 00:18:23,070
came to Christ.

536
00:18:23,510 --> 00:18:24,910
And every year, as a matter of fact,

537
00:18:25,010 --> 00:18:26,690
four more people just came to Christ.

538
00:18:26,970 --> 00:18:28,890
Where we live, there's just under 800 people.

539
00:18:29,110 --> 00:18:31,110
And our church, if it's full on Sunday,

540
00:18:31,170 --> 00:18:32,570
if everyone's there with all their kids and

541
00:18:32,570 --> 00:18:34,990
families, we have between about 150 and 180

542
00:18:34,990 --> 00:18:35,690
people now.

543
00:18:36,250 --> 00:18:38,310
And the high majority of them people have

544
00:18:38,310 --> 00:18:40,010
all been born again and converted at our

545
00:18:40,010 --> 00:18:40,350
church.

546
00:18:41,150 --> 00:18:44,250
And so God is moving in small populations.

547
00:18:44,430 --> 00:18:46,130
We planned another church in Rishabuckto.

548
00:18:46,890 --> 00:18:48,530
Chris Sibley is the pastor of that.

549
00:18:48,810 --> 00:18:50,790
And that church started off in a guy's

550
00:18:50,790 --> 00:18:51,110
living room.

551
00:18:51,170 --> 00:18:52,730
The same thing, that church has grown now.

552
00:18:52,970 --> 00:18:54,530
And we have another church, actually, that we

553
00:18:54,530 --> 00:18:55,270
planted here.

554
00:18:56,130 --> 00:18:58,710
But we're over in Marysville, in that area.

555
00:18:58,890 --> 00:19:01,370
We're building a new church facility now for

556
00:19:01,370 --> 00:19:02,290
our flock.

557
00:19:02,850 --> 00:19:05,290
And so again, there too, we started off

558
00:19:05,290 --> 00:19:07,190
with about so many people in the living

559
00:19:07,190 --> 00:19:07,450
room.

560
00:19:07,530 --> 00:19:09,470
We just started praying and God started saving

561
00:19:09,470 --> 00:19:09,930
people.

562
00:19:10,470 --> 00:19:12,070
And so I want to encourage you that

563
00:19:12,070 --> 00:19:13,330
you got a lot of people around you

564
00:19:13,330 --> 00:19:13,570
here.

565
00:19:14,350 --> 00:19:16,770
And God's arm is not too short to

566
00:19:16,770 --> 00:19:17,090
save.

567
00:19:18,110 --> 00:19:20,650
And it's actually, He actually would rather people

568
00:19:20,650 --> 00:19:21,970
be saved than perish.

569
00:19:22,530 --> 00:19:23,970
And so we need to be about His

570
00:19:23,970 --> 00:19:24,330
business.

571
00:19:24,690 --> 00:19:26,370
But see, Israel had no love.

572
00:19:26,770 --> 00:19:27,670
They had no humility.

573
00:19:27,850 --> 00:19:30,070
And greatest of all, they were not willing

574
00:19:30,070 --> 00:19:32,250
to receive Jesus as their Messiah, were they?

575
00:19:32,690 --> 00:19:35,050
And Jesus even said right before He was

576
00:19:35,050 --> 00:19:38,730
crucified, shortly before, He said, how I long

577
00:19:38,730 --> 00:19:40,950
to gather you together to the people.

578
00:19:40,950 --> 00:19:43,030
As a mother hen gathers her chicks.

579
00:19:43,450 --> 00:19:44,230
But you were what?

580
00:19:45,310 --> 00:19:45,810
Unwilling.

581
00:19:47,310 --> 00:19:49,050
It wasn't that Jesus was unwilling.

582
00:19:49,210 --> 00:19:49,790
He was willing.

583
00:19:50,070 --> 00:19:50,910
But they weren't willing.

584
00:19:51,410 --> 00:19:53,570
And the question is this morning, are we

585
00:19:53,570 --> 00:19:56,570
willing to be completely surrendered to Jesus Christ?

586
00:19:56,810 --> 00:19:59,610
Not only as having as our Savior or

587
00:19:59,610 --> 00:20:01,530
some ticket to heaven, but as the Lord

588
00:20:01,530 --> 00:20:03,750
of your life, that He rules your life.

589
00:20:04,550 --> 00:20:06,330
This is the only path to joy too.

590
00:20:06,650 --> 00:20:07,230
I'll say that.

591
00:20:07,290 --> 00:20:09,030
The reason why many Christians don't have any

592
00:20:09,030 --> 00:20:11,230
joy is because they're trying to control their

593
00:20:11,230 --> 00:20:11,670
own lives.

594
00:20:12,710 --> 00:20:14,510
Andrew Murray wrote a great book years ago.

595
00:20:14,670 --> 00:20:16,010
It's called Absolute Surrender.

596
00:20:16,330 --> 00:20:17,150
It's phenomenal.

597
00:20:17,790 --> 00:20:19,990
And what God wants is full surrender of

598
00:20:19,990 --> 00:20:20,370
our hearts.

599
00:20:20,450 --> 00:20:21,930
He doesn't want us holding on to parts

600
00:20:21,930 --> 00:20:24,370
to lay down everything, all of our weapons

601
00:20:24,370 --> 00:20:26,950
of warfare and say, take my life and

602
00:20:26,950 --> 00:20:29,230
let it be consecrated God unto thee.

603
00:20:29,570 --> 00:20:29,990
Everything.

604
00:20:30,570 --> 00:20:31,530
Hold nothing back.

605
00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:36,120
And so the Jewish church and the Old

606
00:20:36,120 --> 00:20:38,640
Testament church like the fig tree was soon

607
00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:39,580
going to wither away.

608
00:20:39,580 --> 00:20:41,600
And we all know about that from reading

609
00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:41,960
the Bible.

610
00:20:42,120 --> 00:20:43,420
By the time you get to Hebrews, it

611
00:20:43,420 --> 00:20:44,020
was already done.

612
00:20:44,100 --> 00:20:45,200
The sacrifices were done.

613
00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:47,400
You know, and it's talking about no more

614
00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:49,660
sacrifices, but this is the one sacrifice for

615
00:20:49,660 --> 00:20:50,160
all time.

616
00:20:51,060 --> 00:20:54,180
And so they were soon going to wither

617
00:20:54,180 --> 00:20:55,860
away and it was going to be stripped

618
00:20:55,860 --> 00:20:57,680
off of all of its leaves.

619
00:20:57,920 --> 00:20:59,780
All of its outer activities.

620
00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:02,740
They had leaves, but they had no fruit.

621
00:21:06,430 --> 00:21:10,070
They were utterly barren and destitute of fruit.

622
00:21:10,070 --> 00:21:12,170
But on the outside, just like churches, when

623
00:21:12,170 --> 00:21:14,310
you read in the first revelation, they have

624
00:21:14,310 --> 00:21:15,710
a reputation for being alive.

625
00:21:15,830 --> 00:21:16,810
But Jesus said, you're what?

626
00:21:18,070 --> 00:21:18,630
Dead.

627
00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,200
And his members were scattered all over the

628
00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,880
world and the temple was destroyed.

629
00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:32,580
And the daily sacrifice was taken away and

630
00:21:32,580 --> 00:21:34,900
the temple would soon wither to the ground.

631
00:21:35,020 --> 00:21:37,040
And by AD 70, it did.

632
00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:38,560
It was destroyed.

633
00:21:40,120 --> 00:21:42,580
And now, even today, we see in every

634
00:21:42,580 --> 00:21:45,200
wandering Jew, when you look at them, people,

635
00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:47,000
you see a branch of a fig tree

636
00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:47,940
that was cursed.

637
00:21:48,500 --> 00:21:52,100
I believe God has a purpose when you

638
00:21:52,100 --> 00:21:54,000
read Romans chapter 10 and 11.

639
00:21:54,580 --> 00:21:57,760
And, but I do believe we're living in

640
00:21:57,760 --> 00:21:59,520
extremely dark and wicked days.

641
00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:02,960
Morality is affected by the temperature of the

642
00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:03,840
climate of the church.

643
00:22:04,060 --> 00:22:06,420
You know, as the church goes, Ravenhill said,

644
00:22:06,500 --> 00:22:07,380
so goes the world.

645
00:22:07,380 --> 00:22:10,040
And when we compromise on what we believe

646
00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:13,920
and we start condoning and accepting sexual morality

647
00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:17,000
and homosexuality and all these things, what we're

648
00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:20,020
doing is we're not being loving, we're actually

649
00:22:20,020 --> 00:22:21,140
destroying the church.

650
00:22:21,740 --> 00:22:23,380
And as a matter of fact, I want

651
00:22:23,380 --> 00:22:25,740
to say that every time I've met someone

652
00:22:25,740 --> 00:22:27,800
that's actually in that lifestyle, I've shared the

653
00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:28,520
gospel with them.

654
00:22:28,820 --> 00:22:30,060
And one of the guys that we shared

655
00:22:30,060 --> 00:22:32,280
the gospel with several years ago now is

656
00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:33,340
actually a worship leader.

657
00:22:33,420 --> 00:22:34,600
He's repented of his sins.

658
00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:36,280
He said, God's given him a new heart

659
00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:38,660
and a new desire, and he's never gone

660
00:22:38,660 --> 00:22:39,940
back to that lifestyle again.

661
00:22:40,900 --> 00:22:43,220
1 Corinthians 6, 9, as such were some

662
00:22:43,220 --> 00:22:45,980
of you, but you were washed, you were

663
00:22:45,980 --> 00:22:47,580
cleansed, you were justified in the name of

664
00:22:47,580 --> 00:22:48,340
the Lord Jesus Christ.

665
00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:50,660
God can save whoever he wills, amen.

666
00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:53,860
And when he saves a drunkard, he doesn't

667
00:22:53,860 --> 00:22:54,680
leave them a drunkard.

668
00:22:54,900 --> 00:22:57,300
When he saves anybody from their sins, he's

669
00:22:57,300 --> 00:22:59,260
saving us from our sins.

670
00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:01,260
And he's actually given us a new heart.

671
00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:03,580
That new heart has new desires and the

672
00:23:03,580 --> 00:23:06,240
Holy Spirit gives us power to fulfill the

673
00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:06,920
new desires.

674
00:23:11,500 --> 00:23:13,040
And what we want to look at now

675
00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:14,620
is not only the Jewish nation, but if

676
00:23:14,620 --> 00:23:18,900
we look at verse 20 in chapter 21,

677
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,140
it says, when the disciples saw this, they

678
00:23:21,140 --> 00:23:21,800
were amazed.

679
00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:23,940
How did the fig tree wither so quickly,

680
00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:24,400
they asked.

681
00:23:25,100 --> 00:23:28,240
So also not only with Israel, but every

682
00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:31,440
fruitless branch of Christ's visible church is in

683
00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,100
danger of becoming a withered fig tree.

684
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:36,980
I've seen churches right where I live that

685
00:23:36,980 --> 00:23:38,620
seem to be thriving in the 50s and

686
00:23:38,620 --> 00:23:40,280
60s and 70s now close down.

687
00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:42,520
We were in Maine, my wife and I,

688
00:23:42,580 --> 00:23:43,800
and here's one of the saddest ones for

689
00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:45,400
me ever because I like to get down

690
00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:47,460
there just because I like the history in

691
00:23:47,460 --> 00:23:49,300
New England of the great awakening that happened

692
00:23:49,300 --> 00:23:51,220
with Jonathan Edwards when like hundreds of thousands

693
00:23:51,220 --> 00:23:52,760
of people were converted all over the place.

694
00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:55,240
At one time, Edwards said that there was,

695
00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,840
it's reported that up to 200 people a

696
00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:59,640
day were being converted and coming to Christ.

697
00:23:59,700 --> 00:24:00,520
Can you imagine that?

698
00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:05,400
200 people a day come to Christ.

699
00:24:05,660 --> 00:24:07,720
It completely changed the landscape of everything.

700
00:24:09,180 --> 00:24:11,920
And see, when people get changed, society changed

701
00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:13,520
because people make up society, don't they?

702
00:24:15,180 --> 00:24:17,300
And the reason why society is not changing

703
00:24:17,300 --> 00:24:19,040
today is because we have a lot of

704
00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:20,340
goats in the church, a lot of false

705
00:24:20,340 --> 00:24:21,580
converts all over the place.

706
00:24:21,900 --> 00:24:23,780
They think that just by repeating a prayer

707
00:24:23,780 --> 00:24:25,560
after somebody and saying some words, that makes

708
00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:25,840
you a Christian.

709
00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:26,840
That doesn't make you a Christian.

710
00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,440
Jesus said, he didn't say you must repeat

711
00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:29,920
after me.

712
00:24:30,260 --> 00:24:31,680
He says, the kingdom of God is in,

713
00:24:31,900 --> 00:24:34,040
now repent and believe the gospel.

714
00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:34,660
Amen.

715
00:24:35,700 --> 00:24:37,840
Someone may have been converted, when they said

716
00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:39,320
the sinner's prayer, but it wasn't because they

717
00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:39,980
said that prayer.

718
00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:42,420
It's because God, the Holy Spirit, convicted them

719
00:24:42,420 --> 00:24:43,540
when they heard the gospel.

720
00:24:43,780 --> 00:24:43,940
Amen.

721
00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:46,580
That's what actually saves a person.

722
00:24:49,310 --> 00:24:52,370
So every fruitless branch of Christ's visible church

723
00:24:52,370 --> 00:24:54,350
is in danger of becoming a withered fig

724
00:24:54,350 --> 00:24:54,530
tree.

725
00:24:54,670 --> 00:24:56,530
So in New England, we were going down

726
00:24:56,530 --> 00:24:58,390
through there and it was actually one of

727
00:24:58,390 --> 00:24:59,630
those congregational churches.

728
00:24:59,730 --> 00:25:00,850
And I'm not sure if you know a

729
00:25:00,850 --> 00:25:03,730
lot about them, but today, most of the

730
00:25:03,730 --> 00:25:04,710
time, we think of a lot of those

731
00:25:04,710 --> 00:25:05,870
denominations as being liberal.

732
00:25:05,970 --> 00:25:08,390
But at that time, those were the churches

733
00:25:08,390 --> 00:25:09,630
that were alive and on fire.

734
00:25:10,150 --> 00:25:12,070
And Jonathan Edwards was actually one of those

735
00:25:12,070 --> 00:25:12,370
people.

736
00:25:12,510 --> 00:25:14,510
And also, George Whitfield spoke at those churches

737
00:25:14,510 --> 00:25:15,330
at the same time.

738
00:25:15,590 --> 00:25:17,630
And those were two of the leading key

739
00:25:17,630 --> 00:25:19,610
figures in revival in John Wesley, of course,

740
00:25:19,650 --> 00:25:20,010
in the UK.

741
00:25:20,610 --> 00:25:23,330
But at that time, we went into this

742
00:25:23,330 --> 00:25:25,070
church and it said congregational church and it

743
00:25:25,070 --> 00:25:26,530
was built in 1700 and something.

744
00:25:26,930 --> 00:25:28,070
And I looked at the thing and it

745
00:25:28,070 --> 00:25:29,510
was built, Rachel, in the great awakening.

746
00:25:30,190 --> 00:25:34,030
And now, they had two people who were

747
00:25:34,030 --> 00:25:38,810
absolutely, completely opposite of the gospel, selling candles

748
00:25:38,810 --> 00:25:39,930
made out of beeswax.

749
00:25:41,050 --> 00:25:42,630
You know, and I thought, it made my

750
00:25:42,630 --> 00:25:43,210
heart weep.

751
00:25:43,870 --> 00:25:46,170
I remember being in the Grand Ole Opry,

752
00:25:46,230 --> 00:25:47,550
my wife and I, I was invited to

753
00:25:47,550 --> 00:25:49,210
speak in First Nashville of the Big Baptist

754
00:25:49,210 --> 00:25:49,930
Church down there.

755
00:25:50,170 --> 00:25:51,710
And as I'm preaching down there, they took

756
00:25:51,710 --> 00:25:51,850
us.

757
00:25:51,870 --> 00:25:52,810
They said, would you like to go see

758
00:25:52,810 --> 00:25:53,930
the old Ryman Auditorium?

759
00:25:53,990 --> 00:25:54,910
I said, yeah, I'd like to go see

760
00:25:54,910 --> 00:25:55,150
it.

761
00:25:55,710 --> 00:25:58,930
Because I grew up over home where we

762
00:25:58,930 --> 00:26:00,690
are, everybody probably pretty well listened to country

763
00:26:00,690 --> 00:26:01,690
music and that was it.

764
00:26:01,870 --> 00:26:03,870
So I had all these people I knew

765
00:26:03,870 --> 00:26:04,090
about.

766
00:26:04,170 --> 00:26:05,470
So I went there, but one thing I

767
00:26:05,470 --> 00:26:08,050
didn't know about the Ryman Auditorium, it was

768
00:26:08,050 --> 00:26:09,530
actually a church as it started out.

769
00:26:10,150 --> 00:26:11,890
And there was mass revivals there.

770
00:26:12,330 --> 00:26:14,850
And this sea captain who got converted under

771
00:26:14,850 --> 00:26:17,770
this preacher actually built this for this preacher

772
00:26:17,770 --> 00:26:18,490
to preach at.

773
00:26:18,670 --> 00:26:20,690
And there was thousands of people coming to

774
00:26:20,690 --> 00:26:22,750
Christ, just thousands and thousands coming to Christ

775
00:26:22,750 --> 00:26:23,690
in Nashville, Tennessee.

776
00:26:24,010 --> 00:26:26,710
And then they got kind of doing a

777
00:26:26,710 --> 00:26:28,570
little bit more music and less preaching and

778
00:26:28,570 --> 00:26:29,050
more music.

779
00:26:29,170 --> 00:26:30,870
And pretty soon it was all music and

780
00:26:30,870 --> 00:26:31,630
the church had died.

781
00:26:33,350 --> 00:26:35,570
And see, that's happening all over the place.

782
00:26:35,710 --> 00:26:36,250
Churches are dying.

783
00:26:36,250 --> 00:26:38,770
A friend of mine who lives in Ontario,

784
00:26:39,870 --> 00:26:42,670
he was telling me that over 200 Baptist

785
00:26:42,670 --> 00:26:45,350
churches in Ontario, actually of the group that

786
00:26:45,350 --> 00:26:47,210
he was with, in the last 20 years

787
00:26:47,210 --> 00:26:48,030
have closed their doors.

788
00:26:49,070 --> 00:26:51,550
And another friend of mine in Arkansas, Mike

789
00:26:51,550 --> 00:26:54,290
Taylor, telling me over 100 Southern Baptist churches

790
00:26:54,290 --> 00:26:55,870
closed their doors in the last 10 years.

791
00:26:56,710 --> 00:26:59,230
There's a massive apostasy going on.

792
00:26:59,290 --> 00:27:01,130
The love of most is growing cold.

793
00:27:02,170 --> 00:27:03,170
We're in those days.

794
00:27:04,210 --> 00:27:06,150
And we need another awakening.

795
00:27:07,250 --> 00:27:10,130
And so these trees that are doing this,

796
00:27:10,170 --> 00:27:11,650
when we see a church closed down, it

797
00:27:11,650 --> 00:27:13,730
wasn't just that the elders decided to close

798
00:27:13,730 --> 00:27:15,470
the church and they just said, well, you

799
00:27:15,470 --> 00:27:16,310
know, it's time for a change.

800
00:27:16,370 --> 00:27:18,030
No, I'll tell you what my Bible says.

801
00:27:18,130 --> 00:27:19,270
Jesus removed the lampstand.

802
00:27:20,650 --> 00:27:23,030
He walks among the lampstands.

803
00:27:23,130 --> 00:27:24,890
And when they stop beer and fruit, he

804
00:27:24,890 --> 00:27:26,070
pulls back the lampstand.

805
00:27:26,250 --> 00:27:28,450
He curses the tree and it withers.

806
00:27:28,710 --> 00:27:29,670
That's sad news.

807
00:27:30,450 --> 00:27:31,810
I don't want to see that happen to

808
00:27:31,810 --> 00:27:33,150
any evangelical church.

809
00:27:33,150 --> 00:27:36,610
As I know, Lord have mercy upon us

810
00:27:36,610 --> 00:27:38,110
that we'll humble ourselves and repent.

811
00:27:38,570 --> 00:27:40,550
And if you look at Matthew 3, verse

812
00:27:40,550 --> 00:27:43,150
10, it says every tree that does not

813
00:27:43,150 --> 00:27:44,890
produce good fruit will be cut down and

814
00:27:44,890 --> 00:27:45,650
thrown into the fire.

815
00:27:46,090 --> 00:27:47,870
And it's not talking about tree there.

816
00:27:48,070 --> 00:27:49,170
Again, this is an object lesson.

817
00:27:49,270 --> 00:27:51,530
It's talking about people who say that they're

818
00:27:51,530 --> 00:27:53,150
believers and they don't bear fruit.

819
00:27:53,230 --> 00:27:54,490
God, they'll be cut down and thrown in

820
00:27:54,490 --> 00:27:54,830
the fire.

821
00:27:55,670 --> 00:27:57,790
And it's the same thing in Matthew 7,

822
00:27:57,850 --> 00:27:58,710
verse 16.

823
00:27:58,710 --> 00:28:02,430
It says this here, Matthew 7, verse 15,

824
00:28:02,550 --> 00:28:06,130
rather, talking about bearing fruit.

825
00:28:07,110 --> 00:28:09,870
And Jesus is actually finishing at the end

826
00:28:09,870 --> 00:28:11,670
of his great sermon, the Sermon on the

827
00:28:11,670 --> 00:28:11,870
Mount.

828
00:28:11,950 --> 00:28:13,150
And this is what he says in verse

829
00:28:13,150 --> 00:28:13,710
15.

830
00:28:14,230 --> 00:28:15,570
Watch out for false prophets.

831
00:28:15,710 --> 00:28:17,330
They come to you in sheep's clothing, but

832
00:28:17,330 --> 00:28:18,950
inwardly they're ferocious wolves.

833
00:28:19,290 --> 00:28:20,290
And here's what he says.

834
00:28:20,870 --> 00:28:21,650
By their what?

835
00:28:22,990 --> 00:28:24,890
By their fruit, you will recognize it.

836
00:28:25,070 --> 00:28:27,290
Not by their profession of faith, not by

837
00:28:27,290 --> 00:28:32,110
their baptism certificate, not by church attendance, not

838
00:28:32,110 --> 00:28:33,010
by good works.

839
00:28:33,410 --> 00:28:35,490
You can still have all those things and

840
00:28:35,490 --> 00:28:36,750
be either saved or lost.

841
00:28:37,350 --> 00:28:38,950
That does not ensure that a man is

842
00:28:38,950 --> 00:28:39,230
saved.

843
00:28:39,550 --> 00:28:41,430
A new heart or a new woman is

844
00:28:41,430 --> 00:28:44,490
the obvious lesson that a person's been born

845
00:28:44,490 --> 00:28:44,850
again.

846
00:28:45,630 --> 00:28:47,870
And it says by their fruit, you'll recognize

847
00:28:47,870 --> 00:28:48,030
them.

848
00:28:48,090 --> 00:28:50,210
Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or

849
00:28:50,210 --> 00:28:51,070
figs from thistles?

850
00:28:51,570 --> 00:28:53,810
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but

851
00:28:53,810 --> 00:28:55,130
a bad tree bears bad fruit.

852
00:28:55,130 --> 00:28:57,450
Every tree that does not produce good fruit

853
00:28:57,450 --> 00:28:59,470
is cut down and thrown in the fire.

854
00:28:59,950 --> 00:29:02,230
Thus, by their fruit, not by their time

855
00:29:02,230 --> 00:29:04,810
of decision, by their fruit, Jesus said, you

856
00:29:04,810 --> 00:29:05,650
will recognize them.

857
00:29:06,310 --> 00:29:07,990
In our lives, and see, this is what

858
00:29:07,990 --> 00:29:08,750
happened to Israel.

859
00:29:09,050 --> 00:29:10,370
They had the profession of faith.

860
00:29:10,490 --> 00:29:12,310
They said, oh yeah, the Ark of the

861
00:29:12,310 --> 00:29:13,530
Covenant, we got this here.

862
00:29:13,650 --> 00:29:15,110
We had the priesthood was here.

863
00:29:15,450 --> 00:29:17,690
And Jesus actually cursed them because they actually

864
00:29:17,690 --> 00:29:18,350
had no fruit.

865
00:29:19,010 --> 00:29:21,190
Outside activity, but no real fruit, no real

866
00:29:21,190 --> 00:29:21,550
life.

867
00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:26,420
So a church can be full of programs.

868
00:29:26,420 --> 00:29:27,760
It can be full of activities.

869
00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:29,560
It can have lots of meetings, but many

870
00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:30,940
times, and I'm just glad to hear Don

871
00:29:30,940 --> 00:29:33,260
talking about prayer in here because any church

872
00:29:33,260 --> 00:29:35,160
that does not have a prayer meeting is

873
00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:35,960
a dead church.

874
00:29:36,420 --> 00:29:37,500
It's a dead church.

875
00:29:38,620 --> 00:29:40,760
And so in Acts chapter one in verse

876
00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:43,900
14, it says they all met together constantly

877
00:29:43,900 --> 00:29:45,820
in prayer and the women and they were

878
00:29:45,820 --> 00:29:46,660
meeting in the prayer.

879
00:29:47,100 --> 00:29:48,660
In Acts chapter four, it says they raised

880
00:29:48,660 --> 00:29:50,700
their voices together in prayer.

881
00:29:52,260 --> 00:29:53,880
And see today, when you go by churches

882
00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:56,600
on Tuesday or Wednesday night, that 20 years

883
00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:58,060
ago, I used to live here in Fredericton,

884
00:29:58,380 --> 00:29:59,100
there were prayer meetings.

885
00:29:59,260 --> 00:30:00,900
Now there's many of the big churches, they

886
00:30:00,900 --> 00:30:01,580
don't even pray.

887
00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,420
They think it's their activities that's gonna make

888
00:30:04,420 --> 00:30:04,940
the church go.

889
00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:07,180
See, they have a reputation for being alive,

890
00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:08,180
but Jesus said they're dead.

891
00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:12,240
So don't be discouraged because you don't have

892
00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:13,360
mass size.

893
00:30:13,460 --> 00:30:14,860
That doesn't mean anything necessarily.

894
00:30:17,500 --> 00:30:19,500
A church with no prayer is a dead

895
00:30:19,500 --> 00:30:19,900
church.

896
00:30:21,540 --> 00:30:23,520
And I've watched churches like that over the

897
00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:24,140
years happen.

898
00:30:24,140 --> 00:30:26,640
And in the 90s, you know, you see,

899
00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:28,860
it's just only elderly people at them, which

900
00:30:28,860 --> 00:30:29,900
we love elderly people.

901
00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:31,260
We get every age in our church too,

902
00:30:31,620 --> 00:30:32,500
but every age matters.

903
00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:34,240
I don't think it should just be some

904
00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:34,960
yuppie age.

905
00:30:35,100 --> 00:30:37,580
We want everyone right from birth right up

906
00:30:37,580 --> 00:30:38,900
into the 90s until they go home to

907
00:30:38,900 --> 00:30:39,420
be with the Lord.

908
00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:41,760
It's just that this, all these talks about

909
00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:43,300
having this church for these kinds of people,

910
00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:44,620
that's a bunch of ridiculous stuff.

911
00:30:44,780 --> 00:30:46,500
It's a church for the saints, amen.

912
00:30:48,020 --> 00:30:48,400
That's it.

913
00:30:49,100 --> 00:30:50,620
All this other stuff is ridiculous.

914
00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:52,580
If we have more activities, more people.

915
00:30:52,580 --> 00:30:54,700
One time at this church in Frederickson years

916
00:30:54,700 --> 00:30:56,720
ago, we were going to, people left it

917
00:30:56,720 --> 00:30:58,580
because they were bringing McDonald's treats and they

918
00:30:58,580 --> 00:30:59,960
had one of those hot air things that

919
00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:00,540
kids can jump.

920
00:31:00,780 --> 00:31:02,560
So the preaching was better at this other

921
00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:04,160
church, but they went to this other one

922
00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:05,700
so their kids could have McDonald's snacks.

923
00:31:05,780 --> 00:31:07,280
Like not a good reason to change churches.

924
00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:10,960
Completely carnal and worldly.

925
00:31:15,910 --> 00:31:19,790
Any church that doesn't pray is lukewarm and

926
00:31:19,790 --> 00:31:21,130
is in danger of being cursed.

927
00:31:23,110 --> 00:31:25,730
Jesus said, he didn't even say my house

928
00:31:25,730 --> 00:31:26,730
will be a house of preaching.

929
00:31:27,430 --> 00:31:29,070
My house will be a house of what?

930
00:31:30,730 --> 00:31:31,970
I want to ask you, do you come

931
00:31:31,970 --> 00:31:32,730
and pray at this church?

932
00:31:33,290 --> 00:31:34,750
It's Tuesday or Wednesday, what is it?

933
00:31:35,570 --> 00:31:36,230
Sunday evening.

934
00:31:36,850 --> 00:31:39,410
I encourage you, you know, don't stay home

935
00:31:39,410 --> 00:31:40,190
and watch TV.

936
00:31:40,770 --> 00:31:42,010
The whole world's perishing us.

937
00:31:42,110 --> 00:31:44,150
People are going to hell all around us.

938
00:31:44,250 --> 00:31:45,810
And I'll tell you, the world is in

939
00:31:45,810 --> 00:31:46,590
a dying mess.

940
00:31:47,310 --> 00:31:48,310
Come out here and pray.

941
00:31:48,390 --> 00:31:49,790
Unless you have some kind of illness that

942
00:31:49,790 --> 00:31:50,790
prevents you to come out here.

943
00:31:50,950 --> 00:31:52,290
I want to tell you, God will hear

944
00:31:52,290 --> 00:31:52,690
your prayer.

945
00:31:53,910 --> 00:31:56,410
God hears and answers the prayers of people

946
00:31:56,410 --> 00:31:57,270
who will humble themselves.

947
00:31:57,790 --> 00:31:59,510
And it's not because we're righteous, but because

948
00:31:59,510 --> 00:32:00,130
he's merciful.

949
00:32:01,390 --> 00:32:02,690
God is good, amen?

950
00:32:06,140 --> 00:32:08,520
Programs and activities, but no holiness.

951
00:32:08,780 --> 00:32:11,320
Committees, you know, on the day of judgment

952
00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:13,200
is not well done, good and faithful committee.

953
00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:16,360
Well done, good and faithful sermons.

954
00:32:16,820 --> 00:32:19,720
Ceremonies, but no true repentance and faith in

955
00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:20,940
the people sometimes, you know.

956
00:32:21,580 --> 00:32:24,340
Many visible churches have been cursed by Jesus

957
00:32:24,340 --> 00:32:25,020
and they've withered.

958
00:32:25,220 --> 00:32:26,500
And we're going to look at a few

959
00:32:26,500 --> 00:32:26,960
of them here.

960
00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,100
You know, but they don't have the fruit

961
00:32:30,100 --> 00:32:30,660
of the spirit.

962
00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:33,480
They don't have, they're not obedient.

963
00:32:33,620 --> 00:32:35,360
They think that obedience is something that you

964
00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:36,060
can do subsequent.

965
00:32:36,700 --> 00:32:38,260
You know, Jesus said, if you love me,

966
00:32:38,460 --> 00:32:39,760
keep my commandments, amen?

967
00:32:40,540 --> 00:32:41,920
The man who says, I know him, but

968
00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:43,020
does not keep his commandments.

969
00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:44,780
First John chapter two, verse three is a

970
00:32:44,780 --> 00:32:46,700
liar and the truth is not in him.

971
00:32:47,780 --> 00:32:50,200
So there's no such thing as having Jesus

972
00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:51,940
as savior, but him not as Lord.

973
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,540
As a matter of fact, in Luke chapter

974
00:32:53,540 --> 00:32:55,440
nine, when he back in the people come

975
00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:57,920
unto him, he said, deny yourself, take up

976
00:32:57,920 --> 00:32:59,100
your cross and follow me daily.

977
00:33:00,460 --> 00:33:02,100
And one guy said, let me go home

978
00:33:02,100 --> 00:33:05,840
first and bury my father.

979
00:33:05,940 --> 00:33:07,040
What he meant was wait till I get

980
00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:08,160
all my resources together.

981
00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:09,660
And then once everything's going good for me,

982
00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:10,580
then I'll come and follow you.

983
00:33:11,180 --> 00:33:12,860
You know, to the other one, let me

984
00:33:12,860 --> 00:33:14,040
go home and see my family.

985
00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:15,680
Let me ask my family if it's okay,

986
00:33:15,740 --> 00:33:16,260
if I follow you.

987
00:33:16,300 --> 00:33:18,520
No, you yourself need to decide I'm going

988
00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:19,920
to follow Jesus Christ, amen?

989
00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:22,000
I will, I'm surrendered to him.

990
00:33:27,810 --> 00:33:31,110
Love, big time and forgiveness amongst all of

991
00:33:31,110 --> 00:33:32,110
us as people.

992
00:33:32,270 --> 00:33:34,950
You're not holding, keeping records of wrong.

993
00:33:35,030 --> 00:33:36,310
Love doesn't keep any records wrong.

994
00:33:36,370 --> 00:33:37,750
If you're bitter at someone else as he'd

995
00:33:37,750 --> 00:33:39,470
been sitting in here this morning, you don't

996
00:33:39,470 --> 00:33:40,930
have the love of God in your heart.

997
00:33:42,510 --> 00:33:44,870
God commands us to love one another.

998
00:33:45,330 --> 00:33:47,290
He commands us to love the lost and

999
00:33:47,290 --> 00:33:48,090
even our enemies.

1000
00:33:48,730 --> 00:33:52,170
I was watching about Perpetua, this missionary in

1001
00:33:52,170 --> 00:33:52,910
the 200s.

1002
00:33:53,830 --> 00:33:57,870
In Perpetua, and some people were converted.

1003
00:33:58,010 --> 00:33:59,870
She got converted through, actually through the slaves.

1004
00:34:00,390 --> 00:34:01,930
And when she got, she could have lived.

1005
00:34:01,990 --> 00:34:03,910
They just said, just put a niche, just

1006
00:34:03,910 --> 00:34:06,110
put a pinch of incense and say that

1007
00:34:06,110 --> 00:34:06,730
the emperor's Lord.

1008
00:34:06,790 --> 00:34:07,690
And she said, I won't do it.

1009
00:34:07,790 --> 00:34:08,909
And they took them all out and they

1010
00:34:08,909 --> 00:34:09,429
were all killed.

1011
00:34:10,670 --> 00:34:11,850
They died for their faith.

1012
00:34:12,270 --> 00:34:13,989
Today, people would say, oh, I want to

1013
00:34:13,989 --> 00:34:15,210
protect myself, you know?

1014
00:34:15,530 --> 00:34:17,330
And so I don't want any of that

1015
00:34:17,330 --> 00:34:17,650
pain.

1016
00:34:17,710 --> 00:34:19,290
But the thing is, he has to be

1017
00:34:19,290 --> 00:34:19,530
Lord.

1018
00:34:20,670 --> 00:34:22,150
And there needs to be not forgiven.

1019
00:34:22,150 --> 00:34:24,010
There needs to be forgiveness amongst us.

1020
00:34:24,330 --> 00:34:25,810
And today, I find one of the big

1021
00:34:25,810 --> 00:34:26,909
things is no disciple making.

1022
00:34:27,050 --> 00:34:28,949
Jesus said, go and make disciples, right?

1023
00:34:29,130 --> 00:34:31,590
Matthew chapter 28, verse 18.

1024
00:34:32,330 --> 00:34:34,130
Therefore, all authority in heaven and earth has

1025
00:34:34,130 --> 00:34:34,870
been given to me.

1026
00:34:35,110 --> 00:34:37,210
Therefore, go and make disciples.

1027
00:34:37,370 --> 00:34:37,550
Amen.

1028
00:34:38,469 --> 00:34:39,730
Go and make disciples.

1029
00:34:40,330 --> 00:34:41,510
I want to ask you this morning, are

1030
00:34:41,510 --> 00:34:43,370
you personally making disciples?

1031
00:34:43,510 --> 00:34:44,590
See, that's the condition.

1032
00:34:44,670 --> 00:34:45,550
He's telling us disciples.

1033
00:34:45,730 --> 00:34:47,030
And now they're gone.

1034
00:34:47,150 --> 00:34:47,730
We're disciples.

1035
00:34:48,170 --> 00:34:48,530
Go and make disciples.

1036
00:34:48,530 --> 00:34:49,730
That means go share the gospel.

1037
00:34:49,730 --> 00:34:52,389
And then win that person to Christ.

1038
00:34:52,590 --> 00:34:54,290
And then disciple them, teach them the scriptures,

1039
00:34:54,429 --> 00:34:55,290
and to follow Christ.

1040
00:34:56,470 --> 00:34:59,170
Baptize them in the name of the Father

1041
00:34:59,170 --> 00:35:00,390
and the Son of the Holy Spirit.

1042
00:35:01,170 --> 00:35:04,310
And you know, forsaking the Lord's Day today,

1043
00:35:04,450 --> 00:35:06,030
I find for many people, they do that

1044
00:35:06,030 --> 00:35:07,250
and they've done it for their kids.

1045
00:35:07,290 --> 00:35:08,910
And they take their kids and play hockey.

1046
00:35:09,470 --> 00:35:11,150
You know, I'm not one bit against sports

1047
00:35:11,150 --> 00:35:11,950
or any of that kind of stuff.

1048
00:35:11,950 --> 00:35:13,070
It's fine and dandy.

1049
00:35:13,330 --> 00:35:14,310
But I'll tell you one thing.

1050
00:35:15,010 --> 00:35:16,950
People do that and they take their children

1051
00:35:16,950 --> 00:35:19,030
out of church their whole life.

1052
00:35:19,030 --> 00:35:22,390
And my wife and I have witnessed several

1053
00:35:22,390 --> 00:35:24,310
people and dozens of families that have been

1054
00:35:24,310 --> 00:35:25,210
completely destroyed.

1055
00:35:25,610 --> 00:35:28,190
Once churchgoers, but they thought their kid was

1056
00:35:28,190 --> 00:35:29,450
going to be good enough to make this

1057
00:35:29,450 --> 00:35:29,790
team.

1058
00:35:30,530 --> 00:35:33,410
And many times adultery and destruction of the

1059
00:35:33,410 --> 00:35:33,810
family.

1060
00:35:34,330 --> 00:35:35,850
On the Lord's Day, we're not to forsake

1061
00:35:35,850 --> 00:35:36,310
the gathering.

1062
00:35:36,590 --> 00:35:36,730
Amen.

1063
00:35:37,930 --> 00:35:39,910
Do not forsake the gathering as in the

1064
00:35:39,910 --> 00:35:42,470
manner of some, Hebrews 10.25. And so

1065
00:35:42,470 --> 00:35:43,870
when you do that and you go out

1066
00:35:43,870 --> 00:35:45,430
and take your kids and you don't go

1067
00:35:45,430 --> 00:35:47,610
to church and do that, you're actually making

1068
00:35:47,610 --> 00:35:48,570
hockey an idol.

1069
00:35:48,570 --> 00:35:51,670
And at that point, you're actually provoking the

1070
00:35:51,670 --> 00:35:52,910
Lord's wrath against you.

1071
00:35:53,290 --> 00:35:55,310
Now, I know people do it and people

1072
00:35:55,310 --> 00:35:56,830
do it all over, but I don't measure

1073
00:35:56,830 --> 00:35:57,730
myself by people.

1074
00:35:57,830 --> 00:35:58,730
I measure it by the Bible.

1075
00:35:59,730 --> 00:36:02,450
Do not forsake the gathering as in the

1076
00:36:02,450 --> 00:36:05,750
manner of some, Hebrews 10.25. It's called

1077
00:36:05,750 --> 00:36:08,790
the Lord's Day, Revelation 1.10. And we're

1078
00:36:08,790 --> 00:36:11,190
not to forsake that gathering for nothing or

1079
00:36:11,190 --> 00:36:11,630
nobody.

1080
00:36:12,530 --> 00:36:15,470
Unless it's an act of mercy, like say

1081
00:36:15,470 --> 00:36:17,370
if Don's house with the roof blew off

1082
00:36:17,370 --> 00:36:19,530
of it and it's going to rain, it's

1083
00:36:19,530 --> 00:36:21,410
normal, then that Sunday morning, we better all

1084
00:36:21,410 --> 00:36:22,550
go to his house and try to get

1085
00:36:22,550 --> 00:36:23,110
him covered up.

1086
00:36:23,330 --> 00:36:25,410
That's an act of mercy or a necessity.

1087
00:36:26,010 --> 00:36:27,890
But to go play sports or just do

1088
00:36:27,890 --> 00:36:29,210
what you want in your own hobbies, that's

1089
00:36:29,210 --> 00:36:29,870
not necessity.

1090
00:36:30,310 --> 00:36:31,830
That's actually just what you want to do

1091
00:36:31,830 --> 00:36:33,310
and it's putting what you want to do

1092
00:36:33,310 --> 00:36:34,970
ahead of what God wants you to do.

1093
00:36:35,510 --> 00:36:37,110
And it will bring discipline on you as

1094
00:36:37,110 --> 00:36:37,450
a believer.

1095
00:36:38,470 --> 00:36:40,810
I've watched it happen many times.

1096
00:36:42,450 --> 00:36:45,110
And also people who just completely keep on

1097
00:36:45,110 --> 00:36:49,790
rejecting on an individual level God's Word, that

1098
00:36:49,790 --> 00:36:52,410
person is in danger of being cursed.

1099
00:36:52,670 --> 00:36:54,910
And what that means is apostasy that actually

1100
00:36:54,910 --> 00:36:57,430
God will eventually abandon.

1101
00:36:57,750 --> 00:37:00,350
And even divine patience has an end.

1102
00:37:01,610 --> 00:37:03,410
Even divine patience has an end.

1103
00:37:05,610 --> 00:37:08,270
You know, a church can go on a

1104
00:37:08,270 --> 00:37:10,770
long time with leaves, but still have no

1105
00:37:10,770 --> 00:37:11,010
fruit.

1106
00:37:11,430 --> 00:37:13,210
And so we all know about Ephesus, right?

1107
00:37:13,810 --> 00:37:14,930
Jesus talked to them.

1108
00:37:14,950 --> 00:37:16,570
He said, you know, you're doing good deeds,

1109
00:37:16,770 --> 00:37:18,710
you know, you put out those who say

1110
00:37:18,710 --> 00:37:20,710
they're apostles and they're not really apostles and

1111
00:37:20,710 --> 00:37:21,790
you're doing all these things.

1112
00:37:22,330 --> 00:37:24,190
And he says, but I got something against

1113
00:37:24,190 --> 00:37:24,430
you.

1114
00:37:25,330 --> 00:37:27,490
And every time I read that, even right

1115
00:37:27,490 --> 00:37:29,290
now, it makes my legs weak.

1116
00:37:30,250 --> 00:37:33,090
To hear Jesus say, I got something against

1117
00:37:33,090 --> 00:37:33,310
you.

1118
00:37:34,590 --> 00:37:35,950
Like that's actually to a church.

1119
00:37:36,330 --> 00:37:37,650
This is New Testament here.

1120
00:37:37,770 --> 00:37:39,110
This is not Old Testament.

1121
00:37:39,210 --> 00:37:39,550
This is New Testament.

1122
00:37:39,750 --> 00:37:40,930
I got something against you.

1123
00:37:41,590 --> 00:37:44,870
And he said, return to where you were

1124
00:37:44,870 --> 00:37:45,350
at first.

1125
00:37:45,870 --> 00:37:47,570
Repent and do the things you did at

1126
00:37:47,570 --> 00:37:47,850
first.

1127
00:37:48,370 --> 00:37:51,210
Otherwise, he said, if you don't, I'm going

1128
00:37:51,210 --> 00:37:51,570
to what?

1129
00:37:52,150 --> 00:37:53,670
I'm going to remove your lampstand.

1130
00:37:53,930 --> 00:37:55,070
I'm going to remove your church.

1131
00:37:55,190 --> 00:37:55,930
I'm going to close your...

1132
00:37:55,930 --> 00:37:56,970
He's speaking to this pastor.

1133
00:37:58,310 --> 00:37:58,810
These elders.

1134
00:37:59,370 --> 00:38:01,290
If you don't repent, I'm going to close

1135
00:38:01,290 --> 00:38:01,930
down your church.

1136
00:38:02,610 --> 00:38:04,590
And that's what happens when churches close down.

1137
00:38:05,110 --> 00:38:06,730
Jesus has removed the lampstand.

1138
00:38:07,430 --> 00:38:09,370
It's not just that the people decided to

1139
00:38:09,370 --> 00:38:09,710
do this.

1140
00:38:09,810 --> 00:38:10,970
No, God is sovereign.

1141
00:38:11,110 --> 00:38:12,390
He's over all these churches.

1142
00:38:16,010 --> 00:38:19,170
Ephesus, Sardis, Laodicea, Thyatira, Smyrna.

1143
00:38:19,170 --> 00:38:20,610
Where are all those churches now?

1144
00:38:21,570 --> 00:38:24,130
I've read a decent amount on church history.

1145
00:38:24,250 --> 00:38:25,470
I want to tell you, not one of

1146
00:38:25,470 --> 00:38:26,750
those churches are existing today.

1147
00:38:27,210 --> 00:38:27,670
Not one.

1148
00:38:28,330 --> 00:38:32,090
Even by 120 and 130 AD, according to

1149
00:38:32,090 --> 00:38:34,990
church history, all those churches were shut down.

1150
00:38:36,570 --> 00:38:37,110
Guess what?

1151
00:38:37,450 --> 00:38:39,870
They heard a warning from Jesus and they

1152
00:38:39,870 --> 00:38:41,790
said, no, we'll do it our way.

1153
00:38:42,510 --> 00:38:44,770
Just go read chapter 2 and 3 of

1154
00:38:44,770 --> 00:38:45,110
Revelation.

1155
00:38:45,230 --> 00:38:47,670
You'll see he closed the churches down.

1156
00:38:47,770 --> 00:38:48,350
He shut the...

1157
00:38:48,350 --> 00:38:50,170
He removed the lampstands and they're gone.

1158
00:38:51,470 --> 00:38:52,890
I mean, we're reading about these churches in

1159
00:38:52,890 --> 00:38:53,990
Acts when they're being planted.

1160
00:38:54,110 --> 00:38:56,070
There's life there and all these things are

1161
00:38:56,070 --> 00:38:58,410
going on, but they forsake their first love.

1162
00:38:58,490 --> 00:39:00,210
They have a reputation for being alive, but

1163
00:39:00,210 --> 00:39:00,750
they're dead.

1164
00:39:01,150 --> 00:39:03,150
There's sexual immorality going on in these churches.

1165
00:39:03,610 --> 00:39:06,390
And after a while, he just says, even

1166
00:39:06,390 --> 00:39:09,570
after 30, 40, 50 years, he says, that's

1167
00:39:09,570 --> 00:39:10,410
it, I'm done.

1168
00:39:12,870 --> 00:39:15,770
And may that never be said about you

1169
00:39:15,770 --> 00:39:16,110
here.

1170
00:39:16,590 --> 00:39:18,550
May the Lord cause you to prosper and

1171
00:39:18,550 --> 00:39:19,090
be blessed here.

1172
00:39:19,090 --> 00:39:20,070
That's my prayer for you.

1173
00:39:21,370 --> 00:39:25,090
And these churches were cursed by Jesus.

1174
00:39:25,310 --> 00:39:26,570
Their lampstand was removed.

1175
00:39:27,310 --> 00:39:29,490
And the sad thing is, is that many

1176
00:39:29,490 --> 00:39:31,630
lampstands are still being removed across our country

1177
00:39:31,630 --> 00:39:32,030
today.

1178
00:39:32,790 --> 00:39:35,250
Because they quit preaching the gospel and they

1179
00:39:35,250 --> 00:39:37,270
think that entertainment is a good substitute for

1180
00:39:37,270 --> 00:39:37,590
the word.

1181
00:39:37,710 --> 00:39:38,050
It's not.

1182
00:39:38,570 --> 00:39:39,370
Stick to the word.

1183
00:39:40,110 --> 00:39:41,070
Don't go to the new.

1184
00:39:41,370 --> 00:39:43,030
Go back to the original, the Bible.

1185
00:39:43,910 --> 00:39:44,670
And that's what we do.

1186
00:39:44,810 --> 00:39:46,830
People, we went to this big thing in

1187
00:39:46,830 --> 00:39:48,250
Georgia and I spoke in front of 5

1188
00:39:48,250 --> 00:39:50,730
,000 pastors because our church had seen so

1189
00:39:50,730 --> 00:39:52,810
many conversions and they wanted to know what

1190
00:39:52,810 --> 00:39:53,990
our secret was.

1191
00:39:54,110 --> 00:39:55,270
And I said, what's your program?

1192
00:39:55,490 --> 00:39:56,870
And I said, we don't do any programs.

1193
00:39:56,930 --> 00:39:58,850
I said, we just preach the gospel and

1194
00:39:58,850 --> 00:40:00,670
we pray for people and we keep going

1195
00:40:00,670 --> 00:40:01,390
and evangelizing.

1196
00:40:01,530 --> 00:40:03,010
We keep coming back until they either get

1197
00:40:03,010 --> 00:40:04,670
saved or tell us not to come back

1198
00:40:04,670 --> 00:40:05,810
anymore to their house, one of the two.

1199
00:40:07,450 --> 00:40:09,030
After a while, you get over yourself.

1200
00:40:09,230 --> 00:40:11,130
You know, people, they're not rejecting you.

1201
00:40:11,190 --> 00:40:12,010
They're rejecting Christ.

1202
00:40:14,150 --> 00:40:15,390
But this is what needs to happen.

1203
00:40:15,670 --> 00:40:17,910
We need to get serious about the Lord.

1204
00:40:24,530 --> 00:40:26,890
Every person who makes a profession of faith

1205
00:40:27,690 --> 00:40:28,750
is not a Christian.

1206
00:40:29,330 --> 00:40:31,110
Matthew 7, verses 21.

1207
00:40:31,230 --> 00:40:33,810
Jesus said, not everyone who says to me,

1208
00:40:33,830 --> 00:40:34,370
listen to this.

1209
00:40:34,490 --> 00:40:36,130
This is Jesus speaking, Matthew 7, verse 21.

1210
00:40:36,430 --> 00:40:39,170
Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord

1211
00:40:39,170 --> 00:40:41,790
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only

1212
00:40:41,790 --> 00:40:44,630
he, not who understands or even knows, but

1213
00:40:44,630 --> 00:40:46,390
he who does the will.

1214
00:40:46,470 --> 00:40:47,330
So that's not works.

1215
00:40:47,670 --> 00:40:50,030
The doings, the fruit, the faith is the

1216
00:40:50,030 --> 00:40:50,230
root.

1217
00:40:50,430 --> 00:40:50,890
You see that?

1218
00:40:51,810 --> 00:40:54,170
And if there's a root, there's a fruit

1219
00:40:54,170 --> 00:40:54,950
just like Israel.

1220
00:40:55,070 --> 00:40:56,130
They could say, well, I don't have to

1221
00:40:56,130 --> 00:40:57,030
have fruit because I got a root.

1222
00:40:57,110 --> 00:40:58,590
But no, Jesus cursed the tree because it

1223
00:40:58,590 --> 00:40:59,170
had no fruit.

1224
00:41:01,140 --> 00:41:03,380
There's no such thing as good trees that

1225
00:41:03,380 --> 00:41:04,380
don't produce good fruit.

1226
00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:10,080
So if a person's just content to, with

1227
00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:12,740
mere leaves of religion, having a reputation, you

1228
00:41:12,740 --> 00:41:15,060
go to church on Sunday, don't come out

1229
00:41:15,060 --> 00:41:15,960
on Wednesdays.

1230
00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:17,800
And then your talk to the week's not

1231
00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:18,100
great.

1232
00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:19,960
You gossip and slander about other people.

1233
00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:22,260
You backbite people and stuff like this here.

1234
00:41:22,820 --> 00:41:23,840
I want to tell you one thing.

1235
00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:25,620
God's presence is nowhere near you.

1236
00:41:26,220 --> 00:41:28,040
We as, even as Christians, we can grieve

1237
00:41:28,040 --> 00:41:29,640
the Holy Spirit and he'll just back off

1238
00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:29,980
of us.

1239
00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:32,840
That's why the Bible says, do not grieve

1240
00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:33,840
the Holy Spirit.

1241
00:41:34,580 --> 00:41:36,060
We need to be sensitive to the Spirit

1242
00:41:36,060 --> 00:41:36,480
of God.

1243
00:41:37,060 --> 00:41:37,740
Don't grieve it.

1244
00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:38,460
And we grieve it.

1245
00:41:38,760 --> 00:41:40,480
If I became ugly at dawn or he

1246
00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:41,580
became ugly at me and we got a

1247
00:41:41,580 --> 00:41:42,480
friction going, guess what?

1248
00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:44,300
Next Sunday, God's not going to be doing

1249
00:41:44,300 --> 00:41:45,180
anything through my preaching.

1250
00:41:45,940 --> 00:41:48,860
So if there's anything here between you that's

1251
00:41:48,860 --> 00:41:50,800
not right and you're unwilling to make it

1252
00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:53,140
right, God's presence is not with you in

1253
00:41:53,140 --> 00:41:54,040
a manifest way.

1254
00:41:54,300 --> 00:41:56,620
What that means is you won't have peace

1255
00:41:56,620 --> 00:41:58,180
and you'll actually become more bitter.

1256
00:41:58,660 --> 00:42:00,040
And we don't need to go to a

1257
00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:00,860
whole bunch of counselors.

1258
00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:01,840
We need the Holy Spirit.

1259
00:42:01,940 --> 00:42:03,060
That's the counselor we need.

1260
00:42:05,480 --> 00:42:06,280
It's a waste of time.

1261
00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:08,440
All these Christian counselors, imagine paying people money

1262
00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:09,240
to go see somebody.

1263
00:42:09,380 --> 00:42:11,120
We need to just go to Jesus Christ.

1264
00:42:12,260 --> 00:42:13,160
He has the answers.

1265
00:42:13,740 --> 00:42:15,180
You don't see this in the early church.

1266
00:42:15,540 --> 00:42:17,060
We have not got better than the early

1267
00:42:17,060 --> 00:42:17,280
church.

1268
00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:18,940
As a matter of fact, we have more

1269
00:42:18,940 --> 00:42:20,620
books and more stuff than we've ever had.

1270
00:42:20,760 --> 00:42:22,540
And we're hardly seeing anything happen in our

1271
00:42:22,540 --> 00:42:22,800
country.

1272
00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:24,100
And I know because I talked to pastors

1273
00:42:24,100 --> 00:42:25,160
all over Canada.

1274
00:42:27,630 --> 00:42:30,170
But in those days of revival in the

1275
00:42:30,170 --> 00:42:31,930
40s after the war, it took the war.

1276
00:42:32,090 --> 00:42:34,330
That's what happened in those revivals is that

1277
00:42:34,330 --> 00:42:36,610
people were coming home with half their body

1278
00:42:36,610 --> 00:42:38,950
shot off or else buried somewhere over there.

1279
00:42:39,250 --> 00:42:40,650
They come back and their wife were having

1280
00:42:40,650 --> 00:42:42,830
kids by someone else where we lived and

1281
00:42:42,830 --> 00:42:45,150
people were drinking and drunkenness and the days

1282
00:42:45,150 --> 00:42:45,590
were wicked.

1283
00:42:46,650 --> 00:42:50,270
And people were almost borderline starving to death.

1284
00:42:50,370 --> 00:42:51,190
They didn't have the food.

1285
00:42:51,610 --> 00:42:53,850
Military taking all the big rations for stuff

1286
00:42:53,850 --> 00:42:55,890
and there was just nothing.

1287
00:42:56,050 --> 00:42:58,230
And so people got desperate and God brought

1288
00:42:58,230 --> 00:42:59,450
the fear of God on the place.

1289
00:42:59,590 --> 00:43:01,330
And out of that, he brought a revival.

1290
00:43:02,810 --> 00:43:05,230
And that revival, even in the 40s, was

1291
00:43:05,230 --> 00:43:07,050
felt all over the world in different pockets.

1292
00:43:07,470 --> 00:43:09,670
And again in the 70s, but we have

1293
00:43:09,670 --> 00:43:10,870
not seen a move of God.

1294
00:43:11,330 --> 00:43:12,790
I'm telling you in a spot in a

1295
00:43:12,790 --> 00:43:13,750
long time that's genuine.

1296
00:43:14,190 --> 00:43:15,390
We need a move of God.

1297
00:43:15,490 --> 00:43:15,590
Amen.

1298
00:43:16,950 --> 00:43:18,350
And the only way it's going to happen

1299
00:43:18,350 --> 00:43:19,270
is we humble ourselves.

1300
00:43:19,610 --> 00:43:21,570
But proud men and women who will hear

1301
00:43:21,570 --> 00:43:23,010
things like this and say, oh, I don't

1302
00:43:23,010 --> 00:43:23,550
agree with that.

1303
00:43:23,550 --> 00:43:25,750
Listen, I feel for you.

1304
00:43:28,060 --> 00:43:29,300
We need to humble ourselves.

1305
00:43:29,780 --> 00:43:30,900
And I want to say if some of

1306
00:43:30,900 --> 00:43:34,220
the older men, like older than my dad's

1307
00:43:34,220 --> 00:43:35,840
age, them men humbled themselves.

1308
00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:37,360
But it seemed to be like during the

1309
00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:39,480
baby boomers time, it kind of became all

1310
00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:41,020
about us and we felt like everything was

1311
00:43:41,020 --> 00:43:41,440
for us.

1312
00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:44,140
We're just unworthy servants and we're just doing

1313
00:43:44,140 --> 00:43:44,520
our duty.

1314
00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:46,460
We're nothing.

1315
00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:49,060
If it weren't for Jesus Christ, we're absolutely

1316
00:43:49,060 --> 00:43:49,540
nothing.

1317
00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:50,940
We need him.

1318
00:43:53,130 --> 00:43:54,710
But if a person is just willing to

1319
00:43:54,710 --> 00:43:56,850
go on having a reputation for being a

1320
00:43:56,850 --> 00:43:59,410
Christian, showing up when it's convenient for them,

1321
00:43:59,430 --> 00:44:01,330
if there's not something better on TV or

1322
00:44:01,330 --> 00:44:02,610
some other thing they'd rather do.

1323
00:44:04,230 --> 00:44:05,470
Maybe not as bad.

1324
00:44:05,550 --> 00:44:07,130
You know, people's testimony is I don't drink

1325
00:44:07,130 --> 00:44:07,690
and I don't smoke.

1326
00:44:07,770 --> 00:44:08,170
I don't swear.

1327
00:44:08,410 --> 00:44:08,950
Well, that's fine.

1328
00:44:09,010 --> 00:44:10,430
That's good that you don't do those things.

1329
00:44:10,650 --> 00:44:12,490
But it's not so much what I'm just

1330
00:44:12,490 --> 00:44:12,950
not doing.

1331
00:44:13,030 --> 00:44:14,350
What are you doing for Christ's sake?

1332
00:44:15,290 --> 00:44:15,470
Amen.

1333
00:44:18,300 --> 00:44:20,240
It's good that we turn from civil habits.

1334
00:44:20,380 --> 00:44:21,260
Well, that's holiness.

1335
00:44:21,460 --> 00:44:22,640
That means setting ourselves apart.

1336
00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:24,140
But righteousness means doing right.

1337
00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:26,640
So it's not just holiness, but it's holiness

1338
00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:27,460
and righteousness.

1339
00:44:28,020 --> 00:44:29,560
That we need in our lives.

1340
00:44:30,660 --> 00:44:32,480
Satisfied with church attendance, you know.

1341
00:44:33,020 --> 00:44:34,220
And here's the big thing.

1342
00:44:34,620 --> 00:44:35,660
Sins not forsaken.

1343
00:44:36,660 --> 00:44:40,080
And I find today many people are hooked

1344
00:44:40,080 --> 00:44:44,400
on their phones for internet pornography, reading evangelical

1345
00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:44,920
churches.

1346
00:44:45,300 --> 00:44:46,340
I want to tell you one thing.

1347
00:44:46,820 --> 00:44:48,660
God will, he'll be nowhere near you.

1348
00:44:49,800 --> 00:44:52,200
The Bible says they're sexually immoral will not

1349
00:44:52,200 --> 00:44:54,980
inherit the kingdom of God regardless to their

1350
00:44:54,980 --> 00:44:56,700
profession of faith or whatever else they have.

1351
00:44:56,700 --> 00:44:58,980
And so the thing is, a person cannot

1352
00:44:58,980 --> 00:45:02,340
be practicing immorality and people can do it

1353
00:45:02,340 --> 00:45:04,000
right on their phone or whatever and expect

1354
00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:04,620
God to use them.

1355
00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:06,500
He just won't, he just won't be with

1356
00:45:06,500 --> 00:45:06,680
you.

1357
00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:08,540
Does that make sense to you this morning?

1358
00:45:09,900 --> 00:45:11,260
Sin has to be forsaken.

1359
00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:14,180
And see what happens is when you get

1360
00:45:14,180 --> 00:45:15,380
a new heart, you repent.

1361
00:45:16,280 --> 00:45:16,520
Right?

1362
00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:18,000
God gives us a new heart.

1363
00:45:18,240 --> 00:45:19,540
All of a sudden, boom, he makes us

1364
00:45:19,540 --> 00:45:19,980
alive.

1365
00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:21,000
The Holy Spirit comes.

1366
00:45:21,080 --> 00:45:21,700
We hear the gospel.

1367
00:45:21,820 --> 00:45:23,420
It's like, man, conviction is sin.

1368
00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:24,600
And you see Christ, you repent.

1369
00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:26,280
Put your faith in Jesus.

1370
00:45:26,420 --> 00:45:27,660
You're justified by faith.

1371
00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:28,940
Adopted into his family.

1372
00:45:29,100 --> 00:45:29,760
And then guess what?

1373
00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:31,560
Sanctification does happen.

1374
00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:35,820
And as Leonard Ravenhill said before, if there's

1375
00:45:35,820 --> 00:45:39,420
no sanctification, regeneration and justification never happened.

1376
00:45:41,850 --> 00:45:44,990
Have you forsaken your sins here this morning?

1377
00:45:46,130 --> 00:45:47,830
Have you forsaken your sins?

1378
00:45:48,930 --> 00:45:51,830
My uncle Atherton was 84 years old when

1379
00:45:51,830 --> 00:45:52,350
he was converted.

1380
00:45:52,490 --> 00:45:53,750
He was a member of a Baptist church

1381
00:45:53,750 --> 00:45:54,390
his whole life.

1382
00:45:54,910 --> 00:45:57,110
Knew the Bible quite well, but he was

1383
00:45:57,110 --> 00:45:57,490
miserable.

1384
00:45:58,090 --> 00:46:00,070
And even as two of his own boys

1385
00:46:00,070 --> 00:46:01,010
wouldn't come to his funeral.

1386
00:46:01,170 --> 00:46:02,150
That's how miserable he was.

1387
00:46:02,250 --> 00:46:03,550
Hateful to his children.

1388
00:46:04,150 --> 00:46:05,910
And yet he's a member of this Baptist

1389
00:46:05,910 --> 00:46:06,310
church.

1390
00:46:06,910 --> 00:46:08,130
And so, but yet there's no life in

1391
00:46:08,130 --> 00:46:08,290
there.

1392
00:46:08,570 --> 00:46:09,970
His wife, Edith, dies.

1393
00:46:10,050 --> 00:46:10,690
It was my aunt.

1394
00:46:11,250 --> 00:46:12,750
And he was not good to her at

1395
00:46:12,750 --> 00:46:13,570
all his whole life.

1396
00:46:13,630 --> 00:46:15,470
He was miserable and mean to her.

1397
00:46:16,030 --> 00:46:17,010
But I want to tell you at that

1398
00:46:17,010 --> 00:46:19,530
funeral, it was just like an explosion.

1399
00:46:20,250 --> 00:46:21,450
He just started weeping.

1400
00:46:22,270 --> 00:46:23,510
He started crying out.

1401
00:46:24,390 --> 00:46:25,830
He said, God have mercy on me.

1402
00:46:25,930 --> 00:46:27,850
He realized the Holy Spirit woke him up

1403
00:46:27,850 --> 00:46:29,150
and saved him at his wife's funeral.

1404
00:46:29,450 --> 00:46:31,390
He was a professing Christian for 60 years.

1405
00:46:31,670 --> 00:46:32,210
He lost.

1406
00:46:33,290 --> 00:46:34,770
Church is full of people like that.

1407
00:46:35,450 --> 00:46:36,510
No love in his heart.

1408
00:46:37,930 --> 00:46:39,070
Miserable to his wife.

1409
00:46:39,450 --> 00:46:41,110
Look, if you're miserable as a man to

1410
00:46:41,110 --> 00:46:43,330
your wife and short and snappy, there's something

1411
00:46:43,330 --> 00:46:44,030
wrong with your heart.

1412
00:46:44,670 --> 00:46:46,430
God has called us to love our wives.

1413
00:46:46,910 --> 00:46:48,150
As Christ loved the church, amen?

1414
00:46:49,190 --> 00:46:50,210
That's not optional.

1415
00:46:53,820 --> 00:46:55,520
It will also, even if we don't treat

1416
00:46:55,520 --> 00:46:57,800
them with respect, as the Bible says, it

1417
00:46:57,800 --> 00:46:58,580
will hinder our prayers.

1418
00:46:58,680 --> 00:47:00,140
That means they're just going to bounce off

1419
00:47:00,140 --> 00:47:00,540
the ceiling.

1420
00:47:01,820 --> 00:47:02,980
God's not going to hear our prayers.

1421
00:47:04,220 --> 00:47:06,880
But when I watched him change after, you

1422
00:47:06,880 --> 00:47:08,700
could just say the name Jesus, and he'd

1423
00:47:08,700 --> 00:47:09,220
start crying.

1424
00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:10,220
84 years old.

1425
00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:13,160
And he became the most loving man I

1426
00:47:13,160 --> 00:47:13,660
ever met.

1427
00:47:14,740 --> 00:47:15,500
He would weep.

1428
00:47:15,780 --> 00:47:17,420
And he always even hated kids.

1429
00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:19,800
He actually literally hated children.

1430
00:47:21,000 --> 00:47:22,860
And Lisa and I had our oldest son,

1431
00:47:22,960 --> 00:47:23,260
Anthony.

1432
00:47:23,960 --> 00:47:25,360
He's 28 this year.

1433
00:47:27,300 --> 00:47:29,160
And he would come in wherever he was,

1434
00:47:29,280 --> 00:47:30,360
and he would just pick them up and

1435
00:47:30,360 --> 00:47:31,040
love on them.

1436
00:47:31,340 --> 00:47:33,480
And everyone said, what happened to this man?

1437
00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:35,620
He was born again.

1438
00:47:36,220 --> 00:47:37,040
Got a new heart.

1439
00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:39,220
Filled with love now, not hate and a

1440
00:47:39,220 --> 00:47:40,520
mean, spiteful spirit.

1441
00:47:40,980 --> 00:47:42,900
There's lots of people, just like my Uncle

1442
00:47:42,900 --> 00:47:45,540
Atherton, if they die in their sins that

1443
00:47:45,540 --> 00:47:46,420
way, they're going to go to hell.

1444
00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:51,960
God, you cannot live a contradictory, a vain

1445
00:47:51,960 --> 00:47:53,720
life to the gospel and expect things are

1446
00:47:53,720 --> 00:47:54,560
going to go well for you.

1447
00:47:56,180 --> 00:47:57,540
Sins must be forsaken.

1448
00:47:58,280 --> 00:48:00,620
And this is a real picture of being

1449
00:48:00,620 --> 00:48:01,700
cursed or withered.

1450
00:48:03,100 --> 00:48:05,200
And this is provoking God to wrath too

1451
00:48:05,200 --> 00:48:05,860
when we do this.

1452
00:48:05,940 --> 00:48:06,980
And even to discipline us.

1453
00:48:07,020 --> 00:48:09,060
In Hebrews, it talks about that God disciplines

1454
00:48:09,060 --> 00:48:11,080
those he loves, even his own children.

1455
00:48:11,640 --> 00:48:13,320
Because we have enough battles as it is,

1456
00:48:13,360 --> 00:48:13,620
don't we?

1457
00:48:13,620 --> 00:48:14,700
Even as believers, amen?

1458
00:48:15,260 --> 00:48:16,820
There's struggles with the way you think, the

1459
00:48:16,820 --> 00:48:18,180
way you talk, the way you do things.

1460
00:48:18,420 --> 00:48:20,800
It's a constant battle because the flesh and

1461
00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:21,580
the spirit warn.

1462
00:48:26,740 --> 00:48:28,220
But the fruit of the spirit, I'll say

1463
00:48:28,220 --> 00:48:32,300
this this morning, is the real evidence that

1464
00:48:32,300 --> 00:48:34,740
a person is saved and on their way

1465
00:48:34,740 --> 00:48:35,100
to heaven.

1466
00:48:35,600 --> 00:48:36,080
They love.

1467
00:48:36,920 --> 00:48:38,480
Let me ask you, do you love God

1468
00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:38,840
this morning?

1469
00:48:38,920 --> 00:48:40,180
Do you love Jesus Christ?

1470
00:48:41,020 --> 00:48:42,380
When I got saved, I'm not kidding you,

1471
00:48:42,400 --> 00:48:44,800
I just absolutely fell in love with Christ.

1472
00:48:44,940 --> 00:48:45,740
You know, it's just boom.

1473
00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:49,200
I was hard-hearted and like five minutes

1474
00:48:49,200 --> 00:48:52,200
later, I'm actually broken in tears, worshiping Jesus

1475
00:48:52,200 --> 00:48:53,460
Christ as my Savior.

1476
00:48:53,540 --> 00:48:54,060
I loved him.

1477
00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:56,260
See, that's what happens when you get born

1478
00:48:56,260 --> 00:48:56,480
again.

1479
00:48:56,520 --> 00:48:57,140
You get the new heart.

1480
00:48:57,140 --> 00:48:58,160
You love Jesus.

1481
00:48:58,740 --> 00:49:00,720
He's delivered you from the wrath of God.

1482
00:49:01,720 --> 00:49:04,020
He saved you from all your sins, past,

1483
00:49:04,200 --> 00:49:04,760
present, and future.

1484
00:49:05,200 --> 00:49:05,640
You're free.

1485
00:49:07,060 --> 00:49:07,920
You love him now.

1486
00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:09,240
You worship him.

1487
00:49:10,880 --> 00:49:12,800
It's not just religion or I go to

1488
00:49:12,800 --> 00:49:13,180
church.

1489
00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:15,600
The fruit of the spirit and then joy.

1490
00:49:15,980 --> 00:49:17,540
And see, how many people have no joy

1491
00:49:17,540 --> 00:49:19,480
but it's joy unspeakable and full of glory?

1492
00:49:19,820 --> 00:49:22,620
1 Thessalonians 5.16, be joyful always.

1493
00:49:22,680 --> 00:49:23,280
That's the command.

1494
00:49:26,120 --> 00:49:27,180
Be joyful always.

1495
00:49:29,850 --> 00:49:31,890
Prayer, do you pray at home?

1496
00:49:33,110 --> 00:49:34,270
Do you pray at home?

1497
00:49:34,430 --> 00:49:36,430
Like, do you actually get on your knees

1498
00:49:36,430 --> 00:49:37,110
or bow your head?

1499
00:49:37,170 --> 00:49:38,990
Do you actually pray and seek the face

1500
00:49:38,990 --> 00:49:39,690
of God each day?

1501
00:49:40,830 --> 00:49:43,530
And on Sunday night, do you come to

1502
00:49:43,530 --> 00:49:47,430
this church corporately with these brothers here and

1503
00:49:47,430 --> 00:49:48,250
do you pray with them?

1504
00:49:48,930 --> 00:49:52,330
See, in the early church, nobody missed the

1505
00:49:52,330 --> 00:49:52,870
prayer meetings.

1506
00:49:53,190 --> 00:49:55,810
In the revival times, nobody missed the prayer

1507
00:49:55,810 --> 00:49:56,170
meetings.

1508
00:49:56,170 --> 00:49:59,870
When a church is lukewarm, the spiritual adolescents

1509
00:49:59,870 --> 00:50:01,610
say, I won't bother going tonight.

1510
00:50:01,690 --> 00:50:02,530
It's just the prayer meeting.

1511
00:50:03,130 --> 00:50:03,910
That's what happens.

1512
00:50:08,300 --> 00:50:09,200
Sins are forsaken.

1513
00:50:09,540 --> 00:50:10,960
And even when you do sin, you feel

1514
00:50:10,960 --> 00:50:11,800
terrible about it.

1515
00:50:11,820 --> 00:50:12,280
Isn't that true?

1516
00:50:12,900 --> 00:50:14,420
I know when I sin, it's just like,

1517
00:50:14,600 --> 00:50:15,960
man, I hate that.

1518
00:50:16,140 --> 00:50:18,040
It almost ruined my day sometimes.

1519
00:50:18,340 --> 00:50:19,680
It would be the smallest thing and someone

1520
00:50:19,680 --> 00:50:21,300
else might say, well, that's not that big

1521
00:50:21,300 --> 00:50:21,800
of a deal, dude.

1522
00:50:21,820 --> 00:50:22,600
But it was to me.

1523
00:50:23,100 --> 00:50:24,900
Because I sinned against he who died for

1524
00:50:24,900 --> 00:50:25,080
me.

1525
00:50:27,170 --> 00:50:28,190
He died for that.

1526
00:50:28,970 --> 00:50:29,810
And it bothers me.

1527
00:50:29,910 --> 00:50:30,670
It convicts me.

1528
00:50:30,670 --> 00:50:31,310
And it ought to.

1529
00:50:32,290 --> 00:50:34,550
And then the other evidence is that you're

1530
00:50:34,550 --> 00:50:36,630
continuing to repent and believe.

1531
00:50:36,990 --> 00:50:39,090
And see, in the church, many who profess

1532
00:50:39,090 --> 00:50:41,690
to be saved across our land, the Bible

1533
00:50:41,690 --> 00:50:44,050
says, are lamps without oil, Matthew 25.

1534
00:50:44,610 --> 00:50:46,110
They're goats, Matthew 25.

1535
00:50:46,290 --> 00:50:48,110
They're tears, Matthew 13.

1536
00:50:48,110 --> 00:50:50,350
Or bad fish in the net, Matthew 13.

1537
00:50:50,750 --> 00:50:53,870
And Jesus even said that five foolish and

1538
00:50:53,870 --> 00:50:54,390
five wise.

1539
00:50:54,450 --> 00:50:55,330
What did he say in that passage?

1540
00:50:55,410 --> 00:50:57,830
Half of the professing body of Christ is

1541
00:50:57,830 --> 00:50:59,710
actually, they're just lamps.

1542
00:50:59,710 --> 00:51:01,430
It's a profession of faith, but no possession

1543
00:51:01,430 --> 00:51:02,610
of the oil, the grace of God in

1544
00:51:02,610 --> 00:51:02,990
their hearts.

1545
00:51:03,250 --> 00:51:04,170
No Holy Spirit.

1546
00:51:05,910 --> 00:51:07,850
And so God is looking for fruit, amen?

1547
00:51:09,550 --> 00:51:11,210
He's not just looking for a profession of

1548
00:51:11,210 --> 00:51:11,750
faith, is he?

1549
00:51:12,950 --> 00:51:14,990
Anybody can say, oh yeah, I know Jesus,

1550
00:51:15,690 --> 00:51:15,970
you know.

1551
00:51:16,310 --> 00:51:19,510
But let me ask you, do you actually

1552
00:51:19,510 --> 00:51:21,930
speak with them?

1553
00:51:22,190 --> 00:51:23,610
And as he's speaking back to you, is

1554
00:51:23,610 --> 00:51:24,050
there a relation?

1555
00:51:24,110 --> 00:51:26,270
Is his spirit testifying with your spirit that

1556
00:51:26,270 --> 00:51:27,430
you're a son or daughter of God?

1557
00:51:30,970 --> 00:51:32,730
And if you don't have fruit, I want

1558
00:51:32,730 --> 00:51:34,730
to say to you this morning, encouraging news,

1559
00:51:34,990 --> 00:51:36,010
that God is so merciful.

1560
00:51:36,250 --> 00:51:37,530
I just want to share that with my

1561
00:51:37,530 --> 00:51:38,570
Uncle Atherton about you.

1562
00:51:38,770 --> 00:51:40,270
But I want to go to Ezekiel 36

1563
00:51:40,270 --> 00:51:42,970
this morning, 26 and 27.

1564
00:51:43,170 --> 00:51:44,810
Just share this here as we're closing.

1565
00:51:47,530 --> 00:51:49,290
Ezekiel 36, 26 and 27.

1566
00:51:50,110 --> 00:51:52,890
Now, my Uncle Atherton, he would have been

1567
00:51:52,890 --> 00:51:54,430
the type of guy to snap at preachers

1568
00:51:54,430 --> 00:51:55,170
for saying things.

1569
00:51:55,490 --> 00:51:56,390
I don't agree with that.

1570
00:51:56,550 --> 00:51:57,810
Like, you know, I've heard him say things

1571
00:51:57,810 --> 00:51:59,130
like, I don't agree with what this guy's

1572
00:51:59,130 --> 00:51:59,350
saying.

1573
00:51:59,350 --> 00:52:00,950
I want to tell you, after he got

1574
00:52:00,950 --> 00:52:03,350
saved, every time they spoke, he just wept,

1575
00:52:03,610 --> 00:52:04,610
tears running down his face.

1576
00:52:04,830 --> 00:52:05,990
Changed heart, changed man.

1577
00:52:09,120 --> 00:52:10,400
Here's what needs to happen.

1578
00:52:10,560 --> 00:52:12,780
If you don't have power over sin, here's,

1579
00:52:12,840 --> 00:52:14,220
I got good news for you today.

1580
00:52:14,500 --> 00:52:15,440
Here's what God says.

1581
00:52:15,600 --> 00:52:17,000
Ezekiel 36, 26.

1582
00:52:17,060 --> 00:52:18,380
I will give you a new heart and

1583
00:52:18,380 --> 00:52:19,460
put a new spirit in you.

1584
00:52:19,800 --> 00:52:21,700
I will remove from you your heart of

1585
00:52:21,700 --> 00:52:21,980
stone.

1586
00:52:22,060 --> 00:52:22,960
That's the one from Adam.

1587
00:52:24,600 --> 00:52:26,260
I'll remove from you your heart of stone

1588
00:52:26,260 --> 00:52:29,260
and give you a new heart and put

1589
00:52:29,260 --> 00:52:29,960
a new spirit in you.

1590
00:52:29,960 --> 00:52:31,140
Look at the next verse.

1591
00:52:32,140 --> 00:52:34,080
And I will put my spirit, capital S,

1592
00:52:34,120 --> 00:52:35,460
the Holy Spirit in you.

1593
00:52:35,880 --> 00:52:38,100
And the result will be and move you

1594
00:52:38,100 --> 00:52:38,560
to what?

1595
00:52:39,600 --> 00:52:42,400
Follow my decrees and be careful to keep

1596
00:52:42,400 --> 00:52:42,920
my laws.

1597
00:52:43,020 --> 00:52:43,840
You see what happens?

1598
00:52:44,020 --> 00:52:45,460
When you get a new heart and the

1599
00:52:45,460 --> 00:52:48,000
Holy Spirit, from then on, from then on,

1600
00:52:48,280 --> 00:52:50,320
no one has to go around reminding you

1601
00:52:50,320 --> 00:52:51,000
because guess what?

1602
00:52:51,060 --> 00:52:52,100
The Holy Spirit's reminding you.

1603
00:52:53,040 --> 00:52:55,460
And he makes you careful to obey him.

1604
00:52:56,560 --> 00:53:00,000
And so don't keep trying over and over.

1605
00:53:00,160 --> 00:53:01,800
If you've been lived the Christian life, I've

1606
00:53:01,800 --> 00:53:04,020
at our church, even I'm not kidding you.

1607
00:53:04,060 --> 00:53:05,800
We've seen at least 30 people who are

1608
00:53:05,800 --> 00:53:08,540
professing Christians who after sitting there for five

1609
00:53:08,540 --> 00:53:10,840
or six months were born again and completely

1610
00:53:10,840 --> 00:53:11,720
changed after that.

1611
00:53:12,300 --> 00:53:14,260
And I'm talking about all different ages of

1612
00:53:14,260 --> 00:53:14,620
people.

1613
00:53:14,880 --> 00:53:17,340
And so what it is, it's like, I'll

1614
00:53:17,340 --> 00:53:18,520
not, I'll try harder.

1615
00:53:18,660 --> 00:53:19,500
I'll flip over a new leaf.

1616
00:53:19,560 --> 00:53:20,500
God, I need a new heart.

1617
00:53:20,980 --> 00:53:22,640
It's getting desperate, isn't it?

1618
00:53:22,720 --> 00:53:23,900
I can't change me.

1619
00:53:24,500 --> 00:53:26,320
I can't change my bad food.

1620
00:53:26,480 --> 00:53:28,400
I can't stop my gossiping and slandering.

1621
00:53:28,780 --> 00:53:30,340
And I can't stop my filthy mouth.

1622
00:53:30,600 --> 00:53:32,240
I can't stop looking at these things.

1623
00:53:32,560 --> 00:53:34,140
God have mercy on me, a sinner.

1624
00:53:35,280 --> 00:53:37,600
And what ends up happening is when God

1625
00:53:37,600 --> 00:53:39,560
gives that person a new heart, they got

1626
00:53:39,560 --> 00:53:40,080
new power.

1627
00:53:40,580 --> 00:53:43,140
The Holy Spirit comes in, new desires, new

1628
00:53:43,140 --> 00:53:43,500
power.

1629
00:53:45,000 --> 00:53:46,480
So I just want to encourage you on

1630
00:53:46,480 --> 00:53:47,080
that this morning.

1631
00:53:47,740 --> 00:53:50,300
If you're here and I don't know everyone's

1632
00:53:50,300 --> 00:53:52,580
heart, everyone could be saved here this morning,

1633
00:53:52,680 --> 00:53:53,360
but I doubt it.

1634
00:53:53,360 --> 00:53:55,100
Usually in a crowd this size, there's always

1635
00:53:55,100 --> 00:53:56,380
a few people not there.

1636
00:53:57,080 --> 00:53:59,020
I'm not your judge, God is, but I

1637
00:53:59,020 --> 00:54:00,240
just know it from experience.

1638
00:54:00,480 --> 00:54:01,580
I've preached in a lot of places.

1639
00:54:02,620 --> 00:54:04,180
There needs to be a full surrender on

1640
00:54:04,180 --> 00:54:04,580
your heart.

1641
00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:06,340
And if you really want to get right

1642
00:54:06,340 --> 00:54:07,400
with God, you need to repent.

1643
00:54:08,400 --> 00:54:09,240
God, I'm a sinner.

1644
00:54:10,640 --> 00:54:12,420
I don't have any power over my sin.

1645
00:54:12,680 --> 00:54:14,160
Help me to forsake my sin.

1646
00:54:14,540 --> 00:54:16,200
And I believe that Jesus Christ is the

1647
00:54:16,200 --> 00:54:16,640
only way.

1648
00:54:17,120 --> 00:54:19,100
And it's like signing the registration paper over

1649
00:54:19,100 --> 00:54:19,800
of your life.

1650
00:54:19,880 --> 00:54:20,680
You know how when you do that to

1651
00:54:20,680 --> 00:54:21,840
a vehicle and you give it to the

1652
00:54:21,840 --> 00:54:22,160
person?

1653
00:54:22,160 --> 00:54:23,860
Well, that person gets both sets of keys

1654
00:54:23,860 --> 00:54:24,620
if you got them right.

1655
00:54:25,200 --> 00:54:26,680
But many times what we do is we

1656
00:54:26,680 --> 00:54:28,660
sign the registration paper and hold back a

1657
00:54:28,660 --> 00:54:29,140
set of keys.

1658
00:54:29,260 --> 00:54:30,900
And sometimes both doesn't work.

1659
00:54:31,300 --> 00:54:32,320
He gets both sets.

1660
00:54:33,940 --> 00:54:36,460
And you get in the passenger side and

1661
00:54:36,460 --> 00:54:38,340
he gets in the driver's side and you

1662
00:54:38,340 --> 00:54:38,860
follow him.

1663
00:54:39,840 --> 00:54:40,840
That's the Christian life.

1664
00:54:41,380 --> 00:54:42,740
That's the real Christian life.

1665
00:54:43,960 --> 00:54:45,920
I shared about that revival.

1666
00:54:46,140 --> 00:54:47,480
I just want to share the four things

1667
00:54:47,480 --> 00:54:49,400
in closing that were happening.

1668
00:54:49,400 --> 00:54:52,380
The first thing for Evan Roberts in 1904,

1669
00:54:52,720 --> 00:54:54,240
the first thing was he told the people,

1670
00:54:54,400 --> 00:54:56,120
confess any known sin to God.

1671
00:54:56,540 --> 00:54:58,240
Anything in your life right now that you

1672
00:54:58,240 --> 00:55:02,560
know, bad talk, talking about somebody else, talking

1673
00:55:02,560 --> 00:55:06,400
down on somebody, slandering people, bitterness in your

1674
00:55:06,400 --> 00:55:09,280
own heart, or whether it be watching filth

1675
00:55:09,280 --> 00:55:11,220
on the computer or the internet or on

1676
00:55:11,220 --> 00:55:13,680
your phone, needs to be taken care of.

1677
00:55:14,300 --> 00:55:15,760
Because if you don't take care of it

1678
00:55:15,760 --> 00:55:17,660
now, you'll stand before God and give an

1679
00:55:17,660 --> 00:55:18,260
account for that.

1680
00:55:19,040 --> 00:55:20,360
That's why we need to do it now,

1681
00:55:20,440 --> 00:55:20,560
amen?

1682
00:55:22,200 --> 00:55:23,080
Now is the day.

1683
00:55:23,460 --> 00:55:24,740
Now is the accepted time.

1684
00:55:27,580 --> 00:55:29,020
That's the first thing we need to do.

1685
00:55:29,260 --> 00:55:31,320
And then make any wrong right with other

1686
00:55:31,320 --> 00:55:33,360
people around you.

1687
00:55:33,700 --> 00:55:34,720
Even in your own family.

1688
00:55:34,800 --> 00:55:36,040
Some people have feuds for years.

1689
00:55:36,100 --> 00:55:36,780
You got to make it right.

1690
00:55:37,420 --> 00:55:39,900
And secondly, you got to put away any

1691
00:55:39,900 --> 00:55:40,780
doubtful habits.

1692
00:55:41,400 --> 00:55:43,400
And you know what Romans 14, 23 says?

1693
00:55:43,560 --> 00:55:46,060
Everything that does not come from faith is

1694
00:55:46,060 --> 00:55:46,320
sin.

1695
00:55:47,320 --> 00:55:48,980
Might not be sin listed in the Bible,

1696
00:55:49,100 --> 00:55:50,040
but it may be sin to you.

1697
00:55:50,040 --> 00:55:51,260
You're violating your conscience.

1698
00:55:51,760 --> 00:55:53,500
If you know something, you got no peace

1699
00:55:53,500 --> 00:55:54,780
on it, don't move on it.

1700
00:55:56,460 --> 00:55:58,900
And thirdly, obey the Holy Spirit promptly.

1701
00:55:59,100 --> 00:56:00,760
And if you're following God and reading his

1702
00:56:00,760 --> 00:56:02,380
word, he'll just prompt you to want to

1703
00:56:02,380 --> 00:56:03,260
go do things for people.

1704
00:56:03,560 --> 00:56:05,560
He'll prompt you to go and talk to

1705
00:56:05,560 --> 00:56:06,900
this person, evangelize this person.

1706
00:56:07,000 --> 00:56:08,480
If you're walking close with God, I'm not

1707
00:56:08,480 --> 00:56:09,380
kidding, it just happens.

1708
00:56:11,200 --> 00:56:12,640
It's not that he's speaking to me in

1709
00:56:12,640 --> 00:56:14,320
audible voices, but it's just a prompting and

1710
00:56:14,320 --> 00:56:16,220
a moving on my heart and a brokenness

1711
00:56:16,220 --> 00:56:18,500
from that person to do something for them.

1712
00:56:18,800 --> 00:56:19,680
That's what happens.

1713
00:56:21,640 --> 00:56:24,160
And fourthly, confess Christ publicly.

1714
00:56:25,180 --> 00:56:27,380
Acts chapter 1, verse 8, it says, when

1715
00:56:27,380 --> 00:56:29,680
the Spirit comes upon you, you will be

1716
00:56:29,680 --> 00:56:30,200
my witnesses.

1717
00:56:31,040 --> 00:56:31,840
Not you might be.

1718
00:56:32,360 --> 00:56:34,180
When the Holy Spirit comes upon a man

1719
00:56:34,180 --> 00:56:36,080
or woman, they will be his witnesses.

1720
00:56:38,080 --> 00:56:39,980
And just at a few more verses, Matthew

1721
00:56:39,980 --> 00:56:43,300
28, 19, Jesus, last words, go therefore and

1722
00:56:43,300 --> 00:56:43,880
make disciples.

1723
00:56:44,040 --> 00:56:46,640
Mark 16, 15, go and tell every living

1724
00:56:46,640 --> 00:56:47,000
creature.

1725
00:56:47,000 --> 00:56:49,580
Luke 14, 23, go out and compel them

1726
00:56:49,580 --> 00:56:51,440
to command Jesus, said that my house may

1727
00:56:51,440 --> 00:56:51,780
be filled.

1728
00:56:52,880 --> 00:56:54,180
That's how you know you're filled with the

1729
00:56:54,180 --> 00:56:54,420
Spirit.

1730
00:56:54,580 --> 00:56:56,060
You're walking tight with God those ways.

1731
00:56:58,900 --> 00:57:00,820
People say, well, I don't have that gift.

1732
00:57:01,220 --> 00:57:02,360
Well, I want to say this morning, go

1733
00:57:02,360 --> 00:57:03,860
and make disciples isn't a gift, it's a

1734
00:57:03,860 --> 00:57:04,600
command, amen.

1735
00:57:06,060 --> 00:57:07,560
Don't ever get that mixed up.

1736
00:57:12,070 --> 00:57:14,170
In Proverbs 11, 30 says, he who wins

1737
00:57:14,170 --> 00:57:15,150
souls is wise.

1738
00:57:16,310 --> 00:57:18,790
Not he who knows a whole bunch, but

1739
00:57:18,790 --> 00:57:19,710
he who wins souls.

1740
00:57:20,110 --> 00:57:21,590
It'd be better to know a whole lot

1741
00:57:21,590 --> 00:57:22,670
less and obey it.

1742
00:57:22,830 --> 00:57:24,930
Than to know a whole bunch and not

1743
00:57:24,930 --> 00:57:25,490
obey any.

1744
00:57:26,090 --> 00:57:27,970
And too much has been given, much is

1745
00:57:27,970 --> 00:57:28,350
required.

1746
00:57:30,270 --> 00:57:32,330
And so this morning, as we think about

1747
00:57:32,330 --> 00:57:35,730
that, 100,000 people saved in six months.

1748
00:57:36,390 --> 00:57:38,690
20,000 people saved in five weeks in

1749
00:57:38,690 --> 00:57:39,050
Scotland.

1750
00:57:39,590 --> 00:57:42,070
Same thing happened in Bill McLeod in Saskatchewan

1751
00:57:42,070 --> 00:57:42,490
out there.

1752
00:57:43,070 --> 00:57:45,870
In 1944, just down the road from me

1753
00:57:45,870 --> 00:57:49,070
a few miles, 98 people saved in two

1754
00:57:49,070 --> 00:57:49,410
nights.

1755
00:57:50,150 --> 00:57:50,690
Two nights.

1756
00:57:51,850 --> 00:57:53,870
Drunkards completely forsaken their alcohol.

1757
00:57:54,390 --> 00:57:57,630
People in adulterous relationship completely abandoned those relationships.

1758
00:57:58,070 --> 00:57:59,570
They made their wrongs right.

1759
00:57:59,730 --> 00:58:01,050
And it was the evidence that their salvation

1760
00:58:01,050 --> 00:58:01,510
was real.

1761
00:58:04,790 --> 00:58:06,150
And so this morning, I just want to

1762
00:58:06,150 --> 00:58:09,090
ask you, and I ask this to myself

1763
00:58:09,090 --> 00:58:09,630
as well.

1764
00:58:09,970 --> 00:58:13,470
And I don't think highly of myself.

1765
00:58:13,630 --> 00:58:16,030
And I even still to these days wonder

1766
00:58:16,030 --> 00:58:17,390
why God would use me.

1767
00:58:18,210 --> 00:58:20,110
But I know he's called me and I

1768
00:58:20,110 --> 00:58:20,750
speak his word.

1769
00:58:21,790 --> 00:58:24,350
Second Chronicles says, if my people will humble

1770
00:58:24,350 --> 00:58:24,990
themselves.

1771
00:58:25,370 --> 00:58:26,350
Humble themselves.

1772
00:58:26,850 --> 00:58:27,210
And what?

1773
00:58:28,330 --> 00:58:28,810
Pray.

1774
00:58:29,950 --> 00:58:33,570
Then I'll hear their requests, you know, and

1775
00:58:33,570 --> 00:58:34,090
restore the land.

1776
00:58:34,310 --> 00:58:38,890
So this morning, I want you to confess

1777
00:58:38,890 --> 00:58:39,490
your sins.

1778
00:58:39,730 --> 00:58:41,670
I plead with you to confess any sins

1779
00:58:41,670 --> 00:58:42,510
between you and God.

1780
00:58:43,470 --> 00:58:45,310
Maybe God's been pulling on you a long

1781
00:58:45,310 --> 00:58:47,450
time about something and you've been ignoring it.

1782
00:58:48,490 --> 00:58:49,970
I know I've had this happen to me.

1783
00:58:49,970 --> 00:58:51,450
He pulls on you and you don't want

1784
00:58:51,450 --> 00:58:52,130
to deal with it.

1785
00:58:52,270 --> 00:58:53,450
But he keeps pulling on you.

1786
00:58:54,310 --> 00:58:56,470
And the spirit keeps tapping and he's convicting

1787
00:58:56,470 --> 00:58:56,750
you.

1788
00:58:57,130 --> 00:58:58,450
This morning, if you have sin in your

1789
00:58:58,450 --> 00:59:00,150
life, I plead with you in the name

1790
00:59:00,150 --> 00:59:00,950
of Jesus Christ.

1791
00:59:01,130 --> 00:59:02,670
Repent of your sins to God.

1792
00:59:03,470 --> 00:59:04,390
Make it right with the Lord.

1793
00:59:05,230 --> 00:59:07,350
If you don't, you'll just go on barren

1794
00:59:07,350 --> 00:59:08,050
and joyless.

1795
00:59:08,230 --> 00:59:09,870
And your life will have no purpose.

1796
00:59:10,290 --> 00:59:11,730
And you'll actually just be dismal.

1797
00:59:11,870 --> 00:59:12,370
Do you want it?

1798
00:59:12,550 --> 00:59:15,330
Who here today wants to experience the joy

1799
00:59:15,330 --> 00:59:16,410
of the Lord besides me?

1800
00:59:17,190 --> 00:59:17,590
Amen.

1801
00:59:17,710 --> 00:59:18,410
It's good, isn't it?

1802
00:59:18,410 --> 00:59:20,090
And I want to say that God loves

1803
00:59:20,090 --> 00:59:20,190
you.

1804
00:59:20,310 --> 00:59:20,910
He's merciful.

1805
00:59:21,550 --> 00:59:22,330
He's kind.

1806
00:59:23,570 --> 00:59:25,590
And he's not willing that anyone here should

1807
00:59:25,590 --> 00:59:25,850
perish.

1808
00:59:26,050 --> 00:59:27,530
And even he's not willing that any of

1809
00:59:27,530 --> 00:59:28,470
his people be joyless.

1810
00:59:28,530 --> 00:59:30,010
If we're joyless, it's not God's fault.

1811
00:59:30,110 --> 00:59:30,450
It's ours.

1812
00:59:31,370 --> 00:59:33,570
See, joy doesn't depend upon happenings.

1813
00:59:33,610 --> 00:59:34,550
It depends upon God.

1814
00:59:37,180 --> 00:59:38,580
And the second thing I want to ask

1815
00:59:38,580 --> 00:59:41,780
you to do this morning is make all

1816
00:59:41,780 --> 00:59:43,120
wrongs right with other people.

1817
00:59:43,240 --> 00:59:44,560
It could be a brother or sister, someone

1818
00:59:44,560 --> 00:59:45,540
who's not even saved.

1819
00:59:45,860 --> 00:59:46,420
Someone in your family.

1820
00:59:46,580 --> 00:59:47,280
Make it right.

1821
00:59:47,860 --> 00:59:49,700
No one's going to believe us if we're

1822
00:59:49,700 --> 00:59:52,580
contentious with other people, if we're hateful, if

1823
00:59:52,580 --> 00:59:53,520
we're unforgiving.

1824
00:59:53,900 --> 00:59:54,920
Make the wrongs right.

1825
00:59:55,020 --> 00:59:55,600
I'm not kidding you.

1826
00:59:55,600 --> 00:59:57,380
If you do, you'll see God's hand move

1827
00:59:57,380 --> 00:59:57,800
in your life.

1828
00:59:57,920 --> 00:59:59,700
And if you don't, you'll continue to be

1829
00:59:59,700 --> 01:00:00,440
just as you are.

1830
01:00:00,680 --> 01:00:01,180
No joy.

1831
01:00:02,980 --> 01:00:04,980
And thirdly, obey the Holy Spirit.

1832
01:00:05,140 --> 01:00:06,860
God will start convicting you in your workplace.

1833
01:00:07,160 --> 01:00:07,880
He'll convict you wherever.

1834
01:00:08,260 --> 01:00:09,680
Go talk to this person, you know.

1835
01:00:09,940 --> 01:00:11,440
Go give this person a track, you know.

1836
01:00:11,620 --> 01:00:13,000
Tell them about me, you know.

1837
01:00:13,080 --> 01:00:14,080
Go share your testimony.

1838
01:00:14,240 --> 01:00:14,680
It's powerful.

1839
01:00:15,780 --> 01:00:18,800
And then confess Christ publicly.

1840
01:00:19,640 --> 01:00:20,260
Share the gospel.

1841
01:00:24,180 --> 01:00:25,480
I don't know about you, but I know

1842
01:00:25,480 --> 01:00:27,020
for me, I'm not willing to go through

1843
01:00:27,020 --> 01:00:29,260
the motions and I honestly couldn't care if

1844
01:00:29,260 --> 01:00:30,460
someone cut me in a million pieces.

1845
01:00:30,720 --> 01:00:32,180
I'd rather stand before the Lord and please

1846
01:00:32,180 --> 01:00:32,340
him.

1847
01:00:33,440 --> 01:00:34,900
See, the fear of God will remove all

1848
01:00:34,900 --> 01:00:35,400
fear of man.

1849
01:00:40,230 --> 01:00:42,890
Who in this place really wants to experience

1850
01:00:42,890 --> 01:00:43,630
personal revival?

1851
01:00:43,890 --> 01:00:44,830
This is reality.

1852
01:00:44,970 --> 01:00:45,790
This is for all of us.

1853
01:00:46,090 --> 01:00:47,190
I mean, I want that.

1854
01:00:47,230 --> 01:00:48,290
Do you want that in your life this

1855
01:00:48,290 --> 01:00:48,490
morning?

1856
01:00:49,130 --> 01:00:50,690
Who in this place this morning by a

1857
01:00:50,690 --> 01:00:51,830
show of hands says, I want personal revival?

1858
01:00:51,850 --> 01:00:52,870
My life.

1859
01:00:52,910 --> 01:00:54,350
I want a revival.

1860
01:00:54,470 --> 01:00:55,150
I want it, God.

1861
01:00:55,190 --> 01:00:55,990
I want to be close to you.

1862
01:00:56,190 --> 01:00:57,670
Remember when you first got saved and the

1863
01:00:57,670 --> 01:00:58,610
joy was so powerful?

1864
01:00:58,750 --> 01:00:59,770
I want that back again.

1865
01:01:00,470 --> 01:01:02,550
I want awakening in my own heart.

1866
01:01:03,390 --> 01:01:05,430
And then if we want that, and then

1867
01:01:05,430 --> 01:01:07,810
see, that would affect our whole churches.

1868
01:01:08,350 --> 01:01:09,070
All of our churches.

1869
01:01:09,130 --> 01:01:10,830
Our church is only 15 years old, but

1870
01:01:10,830 --> 01:01:12,470
we've had to deal with things a few

1871
01:01:12,470 --> 01:01:12,890
times.

1872
01:01:13,170 --> 01:01:14,370
But we do it in such a way

1873
01:01:14,370 --> 01:01:16,590
that we don't handle the people harshly.

1874
01:01:16,670 --> 01:01:18,690
We love them and come alongside them and

1875
01:01:18,690 --> 01:01:20,050
try to show them things and work them

1876
01:01:20,050 --> 01:01:21,430
together until we get it worked out, you

1877
01:01:21,430 --> 01:01:21,550
know.

1878
01:01:21,550 --> 01:01:23,770
The odd times, a few people blessed, but

1879
01:01:23,770 --> 01:01:24,970
by the grace of God, we haven't had

1880
01:01:24,970 --> 01:01:25,470
any splits.

1881
01:01:26,150 --> 01:01:27,690
But we, as our elders, we try to

1882
01:01:27,690 --> 01:01:29,990
deal very, we preach strongly, but we deal

1883
01:01:29,990 --> 01:01:32,010
with our people very gracefully and very kindly

1884
01:01:32,010 --> 01:01:35,030
and very lovingly, knowing that if the tables

1885
01:01:35,030 --> 01:01:36,330
could be turned and it could be us,

1886
01:01:36,490 --> 01:01:38,750
because we all get those blind spots.

1887
01:01:39,790 --> 01:01:41,670
And so this morning, if you want that,

1888
01:01:41,770 --> 01:01:42,590
here's what we need to do.

1889
01:01:43,170 --> 01:01:45,550
We need to humble ourselves even right now.

1890
01:01:49,780 --> 01:01:51,180
And the Lord will hear us.

1891
01:01:52,280 --> 01:01:53,860
And I want to say, I don't know

1892
01:01:53,860 --> 01:01:55,040
how you guys do things, whether you just

1893
01:01:55,040 --> 01:01:56,160
want to stay right in your seat or

1894
01:01:56,160 --> 01:01:58,120
some people want to do, but I encourage

1895
01:01:58,120 --> 01:02:00,240
you, like Ferdinand's a big spot, and don't

1896
01:02:00,240 --> 01:02:01,640
be discouraged by all the stuff you see.

1897
01:02:01,920 --> 01:02:02,980
God's got all the power.

1898
01:02:03,360 --> 01:02:04,180
They don't got the power.

1899
01:02:09,250 --> 01:02:11,250
But if God's speaking to your heart this

1900
01:02:11,250 --> 01:02:16,600
morning, call on his name and say, God,

1901
01:02:16,680 --> 01:02:18,020
I want to confess my sins.

1902
01:02:18,340 --> 01:02:19,880
I want things right.

1903
01:02:24,250 --> 01:02:26,390
If we refuse to make things right in

1904
01:02:26,390 --> 01:02:28,370
our lives on a personal level, there'll be

1905
01:02:28,370 --> 01:02:29,390
no personal revival.

1906
01:02:30,390 --> 01:02:30,730
See what I'm saying?

1907
01:02:31,210 --> 01:02:33,010
And don't be afraid to come to God

1908
01:02:33,010 --> 01:02:33,530
this morning.

1909
01:02:33,930 --> 01:02:35,590
God's not like us.

1910
01:02:35,830 --> 01:02:37,010
Aren't you glad he's not like us at

1911
01:02:37,010 --> 01:02:37,270
times?

1912
01:02:37,770 --> 01:02:40,470
The prodigal son, when he comes, God is

1913
01:02:40,470 --> 01:02:41,110
full of mercy.

1914
01:02:41,370 --> 01:02:43,730
And Jesus stands with his arms wide open.

1915
01:02:44,050 --> 01:02:45,330
And he says, come to me, all you

1916
01:02:45,330 --> 01:02:46,470
are weary and burdened.

1917
01:02:46,850 --> 01:02:48,370
And that doesn't just count for when you

1918
01:02:48,370 --> 01:02:48,990
first get saved.

1919
01:02:49,010 --> 01:02:50,050
That means all the time.

1920
01:02:50,250 --> 01:02:51,810
We can just keep coming to the throne

1921
01:02:51,810 --> 01:02:54,090
of grace with confidence because he cares for

1922
01:02:54,090 --> 01:02:54,250
us.

1923
01:02:54,290 --> 01:02:56,010
And he says, cast all your cares on

1924
01:02:56,010 --> 01:02:57,370
him for he cares for you.

1925
01:02:57,370 --> 01:03:01,340
So I just want to encourage us today

1926
01:03:01,340 --> 01:03:02,100
to pray.

1927
01:03:03,080 --> 01:03:07,260
And maybe you may want to come and

1928
01:03:07,260 --> 01:03:07,700
pray here.

1929
01:03:07,780 --> 01:03:08,800
I don't know how you guys do it

1930
01:03:08,800 --> 01:03:09,900
here, but we do in our church.

1931
01:03:09,940 --> 01:03:13,100
People come right forward and they pray and

1932
01:03:13,100 --> 01:03:14,400
they say, God, this morning, there's some things

1933
01:03:14,400 --> 01:03:15,300
that need to change in me.

1934
01:03:17,700 --> 01:03:19,280
So if that's the case this morning and

1935
01:03:19,280 --> 01:03:22,000
God has spoken to you, I encourage you

1936
01:03:22,000 --> 01:03:25,540
to humble yourself before God, even before each

1937
01:03:25,540 --> 01:03:27,940
other, to say, God, some things are going

1938
01:03:27,940 --> 01:03:28,700
to have to go in me.

1939
01:03:29,820 --> 01:03:32,160
In order for me to experience personal revival,

1940
01:03:32,300 --> 01:03:33,400
I need to make a few things right

1941
01:03:33,400 --> 01:03:34,160
with some other people.

1942
01:03:35,540 --> 01:03:38,360
And if you do that today, God will

1943
01:03:38,360 --> 01:03:38,840
meet with you.

1944
01:03:41,670 --> 01:03:43,130
And so I don't know, brother, do you

1945
01:03:43,130 --> 01:03:44,390
guys close with a song here in the

1946
01:03:44,390 --> 01:03:44,590
morning?

1947
01:03:47,660 --> 01:03:49,300
Okay, yeah, that would be great.

1948
01:03:49,440 --> 01:03:49,540
Yeah.

1949
01:03:49,860 --> 01:03:52,640
And so maybe just as he's playing that,

1950
01:03:52,760 --> 01:03:54,740
if you'd like to just come and seek

1951
01:03:54,740 --> 01:03:56,660
the Lord, you know, I encourage you to

1952
01:03:56,660 --> 01:03:57,080
do that.

1953
01:03:57,880 --> 01:03:58,580
You know, it could be a day of

1954
01:03:58,580 --> 01:03:59,640
brand new beginnings here.

1955
01:03:59,640 --> 01:04:02,600
It could be a day of refreshing, a

1956
01:04:02,600 --> 01:04:04,140
day of the new presence of the Lord

1957
01:04:04,140 --> 01:04:05,000
back in your life.

1958
01:04:08,230 --> 01:04:10,150
If you hear his voice, don't harden your

1959
01:04:10,150 --> 01:04:10,490
hearts.

1960
01:04:12,350 --> 01:04:13,850
Just say, Lord, there's some things today in

1961
01:04:13,850 --> 01:04:14,670
my life that's got to go.

1962
01:04:14,790 --> 01:04:15,910
There's some sin that's got to go.

1963
01:04:16,750 --> 01:04:19,110
I can promise you that he is faithful

1964
01:04:19,110 --> 01:04:21,130
and just, and he will forgive you of

1965
01:04:21,130 --> 01:04:23,390
all your sins and purify you of all

1966
01:04:23,390 --> 01:04:25,550
unrighteous if you'll just humble yourself before him.

1967
01:04:26,650 --> 01:04:28,090
Please make it good with the Lord, you

1968
01:04:28,090 --> 01:04:29,250
know, not for my sake.

1969
01:04:29,430 --> 01:04:30,810
I mean, I'd like to see you again.

1970
01:04:30,810 --> 01:04:31,830
I may never see you again.

1971
01:04:32,970 --> 01:04:34,730
And, uh, but do it, do it for

1972
01:04:34,730 --> 01:04:36,530
the sake of the glory of God and

1973
01:04:36,530 --> 01:04:38,050
for your own soul, for your own joy.

1974
01:04:38,970 --> 01:04:39,190
Amen.

1975
01:04:41,830 --> 01:04:43,250
So I'll leave it with you.

1976
01:04:45,870 --> 01:04:46,310
Amen.

1977
01:04:47,630 --> 01:04:48,430
Please stand.