Not with, not with this man and his
staff.
What a wonderful staff of people we have
here.
God bless you.
Gentlemen, thank you.
Stand behind your men.
Thank you.
Please go to Matthew 18, if you will,
please.
Matthew 18.
This is one of, could be my, my
final message on covenant.
I don't know unless God opens something else,
but this summer I'll be finishing the book
entitled The New Covenant Unveiled.
My message this morning, the cross and the
covenant, the cross and the new covenant.
First 11 verses of Matthew 18.
Now, first reading, you'll, you'll not see the
covenant at all, probably some of you may,
but when I'm done, I want to show
you both the cross and the new covenant
in this unusual passage.
And at the same time came the disciples
under Jesus saying, who's the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven?
And Jesus called a little child unto him
and set him in the midst of them
and said, verily, I say unto you, except
you be converted and become as little children,
you should not enter into the kingdom of
heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little
child, the same as greatest in the kingdom
of heaven, and whoso shall receive one such
child in my name received with me, but
who shall offend one of these little ones,
which believe in me, it were better for
him that a millstone were hanged about his
neck and that he were drowned in the
depth of the sea wall onto the world
because of offenses for it must needs be
that offenses come, but woe to that man
by whom the offense cometh.
Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foot offend
thee, I'm reading you one of the most
misunderstood verses in the Bible.
Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foot offend
thee, cut them off, cast them from thee.
It is better for thee to enter into
life.
Halt remained rather than have two hands or
two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
If your eye offend thee, pluck it out
and cast it from thee.
It's better for thee to enter into life
with one eye rather than having two eyes
to be cast into hell fire.
Take heed that you despise not one of
these little ones.
For I said to you that in heaven,
their angels do always behold the face of
my father, which is in heaven.
The final verse for the son of man
is come to save that which was lost.
Praise the Lord.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the word
of the living God.
I pray you give us hearing ears to
hear.
Open our ears.
Holy Spirit, open our understanding.
Lord, don't let anyone in this place allow
their minds to wonder from the youngest to
the oldest.
Let us hear what the spirit has to
say.
Lord, give me words that are simple and
clear.
Let it come through Lord Jesus, because I
believe that you want us more than anything
else to understand the new covenant and what
the cross is all about.
I pray father that in in this message
that there will be something of simplicity and
reality come through that would be life changing
in Jesus name.
Amen.
Now, the passage of this read to you
doesn't mention the cross at all, but I
really believe that Jesus has given us here
one of the most profound revelations of the
cross and the new covenant.
Incredible revelation.
Never seen it before, and I hope I
can make it understandable through the power of
the Holy Spirit to you this morning.
Now listen closely, please.
The cross of Jesus Christ totally annihilates all
works of the flesh, totally annihilates it, does
away with it completely as there's no merit
is no contribution to your salvation by anything,
any human merit or any willpower, any striving
of your flesh.
The cross did away with all of that.
Now that's the foundation of what I'm trying
to teach you here this morning.
The cross, therefore, is a stumbling block or
an offense to those who are trained in
legalism, who are trained in keeping the law,
all the rules and regulations that Jews remember
in Christ's time truly believe they honestly believe
they could help earn their eternal salvation by
keeping the 900 more than 900 rules, regulations
and ordinances that came under the law.
They really believe that that they were earning
their salvation, especially when they took on the
mark of circumcision.
And the first church in Jerusalem, the Pentecostal
Church of Jerusalem after Pentecost came, there were
numbers of Jewish converts, many of them that
were priests who had been trained under the
legalism and the striving of the law and
circumcision and what they were saying.
Yes, Jesus died.
He paid for our sins, but it was
not a full salvation.
You have to be circumcised to complete your
salvation.
And they literally said that you can't be
saved unless you're circumcised and your flesh is
cut.
Paul was incensed by the Holy Ghost against
such a mixture.
Paul boldly cried out, The cross of Christ
has abolished all your rules and regulations.
He's done away with it.
So this is no value, has no meaning.
God doesn't see it.
God doesn't look at it.
And if he doesn't appreciate it, you're wasting
your time.
Ephesians 2.5, Paul said, having abolished in
his flesh, that's his cross, the enmity, even
the law of commandments contained in all your
ordinances.
Wherefore, brethren, if you be dead with Christ
from the elements of the world, why is
no living in the world?
Are you subjecting yourself to man's ordinances like
touch not, taste not, handle not, which are
all to perish with the using after the
commandments and doctrines of men?
And then he capped it off and he
made, I mean, he drove the nail in
it.
It's impossible to get away from what he
said here.
Christ blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that
were against us, which were contrary to us.
He took it all out of the way.
He nailed it to his cross.
Anything, anything that contributes to your salvation, anything
you think that earns the favor of God
other than the blood of Jesus Christ, Paul
said, that's all finished.
Now, think how offensive that is to the
striving, burdened down, hapless, unhappy Jewish believers who
had been taught, except you'd be circumcised after
the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved,
Acts 15.1. You see these priests, you
see these Jews going about their weary way,
trying to struggle with the law.
These are believers.
They've given their heart to Jesus Christ and
they're still burdened down, trying to merit something
with God, trying to invest in their salvation.
They're still trying to walk only the prescribed
amount of mileage per day on keeping certain
rules of the Sabbath, washing of hands, pots,
pans, utensils, making sure that they didn't swish
their clothing across a Gentile or touch a
Gentile or shake hands with a Gentile dog.
They were still under the law, striving, making
sure that they kept the Sabbath, their long
prayers, their tedious chanting, long hours trying to
understand the law, still sitting under scribes and
Pharisees and every night taking inventory of their
lives and figuring out every jot and tittle
of the law and then their conscience railing
against them because they failed during the day
and they couldn't keep the law.
And here they are claiming to be Christians
and they were going to the priest to
be circumcised even though they were believers.
Many of them were priests and can you
imagine the offense to tell these men who
thought that their whole lifetime of religious activities
in vain and especially thinking that that mark
on their body of circumcision enhanced their standing
with God and assured them of eternal salvation
and Paul's coming along saying that's of no
value.
That's the offense of the cross.
That's the offense that Jesus did it all
and I have no, I have no way
to merit other than coming in repentance and
faith to the finished work of Jesus.
I have nothing to offer.
I have no goodness in me.
I don't care how good you think you
are.
It's all filthy rags in the sight of
God according to the scripture.
And some of you good people I'd like
to talk to you of the service.
It won't take me 10 minutes to find
some bad.
Now it seems that there were certain Jews
that spread a rumor that Paul also preached
circumcision plus Christ, Christ plus circumcision and boy
did he put a quick stop to that
rumor.
Paul said if I am preaching circumcision why
am I still being persecuted?
Then is the offense of the cross ceased.
He said now wait a minute.
He said I preach Christ.
I preach salvation by faith in Christ and
into repentance as the only way of salvation
and I know that's an offense to all
of you who spent your lifetime striving and
pleading trying to do good to please God
and earn your way to heaven.
He said that's an offense but he said
that's not what I preach.
I preach that that is all finished.
I preach that circumcision has no value or
uncircumcision that is simply faith in Christ.
He said if I'm preaching circumcision then you
would be applauding me.
I would be your hero because I removed
the offense of the cross.
I would be part of your crowd.
But he said why am I being persecuted
by all of you in the circumcision?
Why are you turning against me?
Why are you fighting me?
It's because I will not let go of
the offense of the cross of Jesus Christ.
It's not by works it's by faith.
I won't let it go.
Now there are multitudes of believers including many
ministers around the world who are not dead
to the law.
They still have certain terms that they've added
and in every country and every in almost
every city in every section of the United
States even the different denominations have their own
standards about touch, not taste, not proper makeup,
proper length of dresses and skirts.
In every country there's there's an absolutely different
standard.
Now folks I believe in high standards.
I believe in in moral dress codes and
I believe in separation from the world.
But God help us if you ever ever
say to your heart or to anyone else
that any of these things add to your
salvation and that merit favor with God.
God said forbid.
God said I forbid that you should even
think that.
I can always tell when a pastor or
a believer is under bondage to works thinking
that that is holiness.
They're striving so much in the flesh and
they don't want to believe that all of
their sacrifice over the years, all of their
struggling to do right and dress right and
make sure that their makeup was on right,
that there wasn't too much red or their
hair was at a certain length and there's
every and keeping all these laws and struggling
and said Lord look you know it's hard
for a Christian.
It's an offense when the cross comes along
and the preacher comes along said no it's
my faith.
All of those things you do led by
the Holy Ghost after you are saved by
faith.
No one will have to tell you to
do it.
The Holy Ghost will deal with you about
it.
But I can always tell when somebody's under
the law and under the works because they
get angry and they say oh I get
letters from people when I preach this grace
message.
Pastor Wilkerson has become permissive.
He doesn't preach holiness anymore.
Now in light of all this let me
show you how profound the words of Jesus
are now in chapter 18.
Very very profound.
This this chapter begins with the disciples arguing
among themselves who is greatest in the kingdom
of God.
Imagine just coming off the Mount of Transfiguration
and the presence of God should have so
humiliated them.
So brought them down to see what human
nature is in light of the pure holiness
of God.
And here they are now squabbling among themselves
who's the greatest in the kingdom of God.
And how do you measure greatness among men
unless you're measuring it by your works.
They are made they're trying to measure their
relationship with Christ their nearness to Christ their
place in God's work in God's kingdom by
the works they've done which one is greatest.
And folks I don't know what they said
but I know human nature and the Bible
is also giving some good hints about the
nature of some of these men like impetuous
Peter.
You know don't you that this man was
very hot-headed and I if and Peter
in this conversation I could just imagine no
wait a minute gentlemen I have just come
from the mountain and I'm Jesus said I'm
not I'm not supposed to speak about I
want you to know though God talked to
me I heard God speak and by the
way gentlemen who was it that walked on
water if anybody merits if anyone is close
to him and here they are talking about
how they sacrifice for him the things they've
done for him what they've given up for
him as if that merits anything in his
sight.
Now folks I want you to get a
picture here trying to make the new and
old covenant so simple that a child can
understand it.
The Bible said there are two covenants and
you're sitting here and you're under one of
these covenants either one you may know nothing
about the old or new covenant that's an
agreement God makes it's how you serve God
it's the attitude of your heart the one
attitude the old covenant is the striving making
God promises sin confess sin confess and it
doesn't work and I'll tell you what God
just let you play that game and let
he just let the law wear you out
that's the reason for the law just to
show you you can't make it just to
show you your heart and here are these
men there's the picture of the old covenant
competition and we got we got preachers all
over America in competition who's got the biggest
church the biggest budget and here's a dying
world and here are God's servants over here
come right out of the prayer cloth and
still talk about how big their budgets are
and how big the churches are and they're
competing and they're still living under this I
have got to accomplish something for God there's
a drive a horrible job there's no rest
I see it all over the United States
and around the world striving there's a there's
a big church in Indiana somewhere supposed to
have 25,000 a sinner friendly church and
and they're coming from all over the world
to get some idea how they can get
in on it oh my this is this
is what the Lord saw he had to
have been appalled by what he heard and
saw it matters not thinking of Peter in
those men it matters not if you've had
some revelation up on a mountain it doesn't
matter how good you can preach or how
bold you are on the street corner anything
else that is not what counts with God
it's do you have a simple childlike faith
in the finished work of the cross of
Jesus Christ every waking moment of Christ's ministry
here on earth he I I believe was
focused on his church and these apostles are
the foundation stones of the church you'll find
that revelation he's building his church upon these
men and and and the Lord knows that
he can't build on this kind of mixture
here are people who loved him these are
servants of his that love Jesus with all
of their heart they're willing to die for
him with their still focused on their works
in their relationship to him and the Lord
knows that soon he's going to be sitting
at the Passover and he's going to hold
the cup of the new covenant before them
and the new covenant a new arrangement is
coming he's going to do away with all
these works he's going to do away with
all of this striving and this this is
the cup of the new covenant and the
moment he dies the moment the cross finishes
at work and and he goes into the
grave the new covenant the new agreement is
in effect that it's not by works it's
not by the works of man he calls
a little child now see he's interested in
that little child is Jesus setting before those
of the old covenant a concept of what
is coming he takes a little child and
what he's really saying this is my church
to come now all through the Bible you
hear the Lord referring to new converts and
his children as little children you'll find him
talking about my little children children of the
kingdom children of God children of the bride
chamber children of the promise Paul in Galatians
refers to them as my little children this
little child that Jesus there is representing every
convert that's going to come from every nation
and every tribe they're going to come in
childlike faith under the new covenant and he's
putting this little child before them and he
said except you become as a little child
you can't he said you've got to repent
now let's read this verse 3 4 and
5 verily I say to you except you
be converted become as little children verse 2
says he called a little child and he
was said in the midst mark said he
took him in his arms the child in
his arm except you be converted converted these
are his disciples that word in Greek is
sudden twist God said there has got to
be a sudden turning a sudden twist in
your thinking your theology because I am I
am building a church I'm building it upon
you he's not saying it but this is
what these this according to what we see
in scripture now this is what he's thinking
this represents every single convert black white red
yellow from now to Jesus comes this is
his church this little child and he's trying
to show the kind of relationship to be
developed under the new the new thing the
new covenant the new agreement that God made
with his son who's therefore so humble himself
as this little child the same is greatest
in the kingdom of heaven and I'm telling
you it's something to humble yourself from this
thinking that you can do it on your
own God said there's a pride in that
that's the pride of the flesh and that
has to be dealt with unless you humble
yourself and you get rid of that concept
in your mind that you can save yourself
humility that's required and that's difficult to choose
never did attain it they never did humble
themselves they stuck to the law they said
Jesus you did this we live with this
we can do it on our own they
stayed under the new covenant in the process
ruined it ruined themselves whosoever shall receive one
such child in my name receive with me
said I I'm going to give you a
theology now that you have to receive you
and if you receive it you receive me
you understand me and you'll understand the father
he that receiveth me receive it the father
he said if you want to understand the
kind of relationship that I desire under the
new covenant I'm going to die on the
cross new covenant goes into effect the agreement
that I and I alone will present my
blood before the father I will redeem all
mankind and whosoever cometh to me I will
not cast out hallelujah but who so shall
offend one of these little ones which believe
in me it were better for him that
a millstone were hung around his neck that
he was drowned in the depths of the
sea now folks please follow me Jesus knew
that all these little children would be coming
under the ministry of these men he foresaw
the ministry of Paul the Apostle I'm sure
but to see his disciples had missed it
completely they were not understanding the cross that
was looming ahead you know if Jesus let
this go by he would this would have
destroyed the work of the cross the eternal
purpose of God if he allows these men
to go on believing and teaching this competitive
thing of how do I become favorable to
God how do I become greatest in the
kingdom to my works the cross would have
been in vain it would have been totally
in vain because everybody would get you well
I can do it myself Jesus
had to strike a blow that would kill
this once and for all you must become
as little children humble yourself is this a
little child now plain and simple folks I've
read books where people trying to explain what
Jesus is saying all the childlike attitudes in
a childlike behavior I don't see that at
all folks what he's talking about simply are
two simple two things that have to do
with the relationship that Jesus wants with us
if you're under the new covenant believing that
salvation is justification by faith by repentance and
faith in it is finished work Jesus is
saying my church is going to be built
on childlike dependency and uncomplicated devotion two things
and this is what the Holy Ghost is
striving with every one of us about to
bring us to this place not some deep
doctrinal place Oh what complicated theologies and doctrines
we have invented the Lord foresaw all of
this denominations that are going to say you
can be saved by faith but you must
keep Saturday for Sabbath yes you you can
be saved but you've got to venerate Mary
his mother and you know well the doctors
of law are all stand around debating about
where he's to be born they're debating about
how he got his knowledge without going to
any one of their schools and they're debating
and debating and debating while Jesus is walking
into the temple and he is throwing over
the money changers and what are the children
doing the Bible makes it very clear the
children were crying in the temple singing Hosanna
to the Son of David devotion uncomplicated simple
dependence on Jesus are you getting a picture
are you under the old covenant here what
you you you're going to Bible studies trying
to figure out now I believe in Bible
here I believe in good doctrine I believe
in good theology we need to know what
it means to be justified by faith sanctified
made holy by the Holy Ghost we need
to know the things about the covenant but
there are some people study study study and
they never get it and the reason they
don't get it is because they don't have
this simple dependence and uncomplicated love for that
is what he's trying to say there's a
new covenant coming I'm going to do away
with 900 regulations don't nail all to my
cross and all I want out of you
is to put your bring yourself into my
arms love me and believe that I'll direct
you give you everything you need he said
I'm gonna pay your everything glory be to
God why is it that some people get
it they know more than the theologians they
can't explain the new covenant but they're living
it because they've just been close to Jesus
and they don't do anything without checking with
Jesus they don't go anywhere they don't talk
to anybody they go to the secret closet
they pray and suddenly they're understanding Jesus and
the father they've come into the covenant without
any Bible school Jesus said if any man
will do is will he'll know the doctrine
is you just love me and depend on
me you'll know the doctrine you may not
write a book on it like I'm going
to do but some of you probably understand
it better than me anyhow there are a
lot of preachers and a lot of people
in church need to be converted I I
mean converted from this I can do it
doctrine they need to be converted from the
foolish spirit of competition back to the secret
closet of prayer back to just trusting the
Lord verse 6 to 10 read it with
me now and but whosoever shall offend one
of these little ones which believe in me
it were better for him that a millstone
were hung it around his neck that he
were drowned in the sea wherefore if I
hand or that could offend thee cut them
off cast them from thee I'm not going
to go into that but I want you
to listen very very close now here's something
you've got to see and got done so
we're coming into this very misunderstood passages portion
of scripture offenses will come but walk to
that man by whom the offense comes above
but listen to me this is the heart
of the gospel right here Jesus is now
expressing his wrath against those who come teaching
that the cross was not totally sufficient he's
talking about the offense this is the offense
of the cross right now he's making it
so clear he's not talking now to Jewish
leaders he's talking to the foundation stones of
his own church now who are these offenders
who are these offenders is those who bring
in the offense of the cross those who
are offended by the new covenant the truth
of Christ alone is full payment for sin
the offenders came along and they said yes
believe in Jesus yes the cross was payment
but it wasn't full payment you must do
this you must do that to be saved
you keep this habit all of these things
you have to do these things and that
these are different the Lord says wall to
any preacher any teacher any witness who goes
to a baby convert that's just come to
me by simple faith and repentance and you
add you offend that person by saying that's
not enough there's more to it if you
really want to be saved here's what you've
got to do this is what it says
in our doctrines of our church take this
young man young young lady that comes into
church and she's got black lipstick she got
spiked hair now she's not here this morning
she's come off drugs she's prostituted but she's
sick of it all and she's tired she
wants Jesus she's been praying oh Jesus if
you're real show yourself to me someone brings
her to Times Square Church and she sits
there in shirts and tears rolling down mascara
black everything all over her face and she
just gets genuinely in love with false genuinely
in love with Jesus Jesus saved me she
comes next Sunday she's justice by care she
still has all the black stuff all over
her face and she's got dangles down to
her shoulders and their hair still spikes to
constrain all directions and here comes one of
the offenders here comes an offender and this
lady says no honey I'm tell you something
if you're going to really be saved you
have got to get that muck out of
your hair you've got to get red instead
of black lipstick and you don't ever come
to church again wearing tight pants like you
have on right now now folks that is
the work of the Holy Ghost and that
if that woman who had just left her
alone she'd have been here one night and
nobody say anything in the Holy Ghost she'd
just get her hanky and go like this
it looks so black and look like sin
to her now if you got black lipstick
is white I'm not talking about your black
lipstick I don't care what color lipstick you
wear I don't have to like it but
I did it's a long-haired boy comes
into church gets saved he's on drugs cries
weeps and gives his heart to the Lord
and within a week or two there's another
offender somebody going up there and says Bible
says it's a shame for a man to
have long hair and so they forget the
next verse but if anyone's contentious about this
we have no such rule but you see
their salvation says if you're going to serve
God you have to look a certain way
if you're going to really be saved this
is what it's all about there's been legalism
all of the United States and around the
world when I first came to New York
and I told you once about I went
up to the 100th Street and there were
a number of little Pentecostal churches there and
we got drug addicts girls and boys that
were on drugs and prostituting and I would
pray with them they'd weep on the street
and I'd go up and pastor be in
the church I said look you see these
kids can I borrow your church next two
hours and pray I want a prayer meeting
with them and he'd look at these girls
in their their makeup and in their short
shorts and in their scroungy hair and one
of them said I would let any of
them in here they'll ruin my kids some
of those girls were so offended they walked
away and say what kind of religion is
this offenders under the law here
is oh folks come on at Times Square
Church would you get your eyes off of
what people look like we someone just
told me the other day a dear Methodist
couple got saved and invited the pastor this
Bible Church that they were starting to tend
and they had some wine on the table
he looked at the way I got him
walked out they just offended them and they
said what would we do and he said
well it was that wine on the table
so we didn't know why didn't he say
something seldom in the word has God has
God spoken so harshly on any subject anywhere
in the scripture and folks listen to this
let the seriousness and the harshness of these
words sink into your soul it's sunk into
my soul and I'll never forget it better
for a milk better than a millstone were
hung about his neck and they were drowned
in the depth of the sea now nothing
stirred God's wrath more than anything that would
pollute his church remember when he drove the
money changers out of his house but that
was nothing compared to this indictment you hear
now it's even stronger because he knew if
this mixture is allowed to continue then the
eternal purpose of God to the cross is
absolutely destroyed this is what I hear in
all this if any one of us any
minister any teacher any of us preacher teach
any man-made moral code list the legalistic
rules or human standards as necessary to salvation
we face the wrath of God God said
I would rather a millstone hung around your
neck and that you should offend one little
baby convert by your man-made doctrines your
man-made ordinances your man-made rules because
you have offended and you have damned an
innocent child burdening down converts with their denominational
standards telling babes in Christ they're not completely
saved until they comply he said better a
millstone hung around that kind of teacher preacher
witness and cast into the sea Matthew 18
8 this is one most misunderstood passages and
all the scripture it you know look with
adverse eight would you please wherefore it begins
with the word where for you with that
that ties it in to the whole context
where for me in light of the past
in other words in light of what I've
just said so this next these next few
verses are tied into the context of what
he's saying about this mixture of false doctrine
of works he said if your hand your
foot your eye offends you know folks the
offense is not alcohol drugs that's not the
thing it does talking about he's not talking
about mutilation of a flesh spiritual the physical
he's trying to get at something it has
their heart that has to come out has
to be cut out of their innermost being
it's this same doctor we're talking about of
works added to the finished work of the
cross of Jesus Christ this thriving trying to
do something to invest in your salvation remember
what Jesus said of many because of the
word they are offended because of the word
they are offended his own countrymen were offended
in him the same word used the hard
I mean the hand look at me please
the hand the foot the eye what are
we talking about flesh we're talking about flesh
you see the Jewish thing no I can
handle I'm going to go as I please
you see if you're offended by anything in
your right eye you can be offended by
your left eye just as much offended by
your left right foot your left foot can
lead you just as much as stray we're
not talking about that at all we're talking
about the flesh trying to find merit and
favor in the sight of God works folks
how many of you have come to place
where you have cut off you're finally cut
off by faith any dependence on your own
flesh how many become the place where you've
said Lord I can't handle it this hand
of mine that's taking a control of everything
folks if you're still in control you're under
the Old Covenant you have to say Jesus
I'm not in control anymore I've messed up
everything my hand has been put to my
feet have led me astray Lord I go
the wrong I I've been I've been giving
going in my own direction I'm not totally
dependent upon you he's talking about total dependence
and the Lord said you're not seeing with
and he said your eyes focused on the
wrong thing he said you've got to cut
off that focus you are not focused on
the right thing you're focused on your own
ability your own power your eye is you've
got to pluck that out you've got to
absolutely rid your body you rid your mind
rid your heart of this kind of thinking
and folks that's what God's been dealing with
me about say David you'll never understand the
new coming you'll never understand the cross you'll
never come in to rest you'll never be
able to face what is coming until you
have finally once and for all cut off
any hope of pleasing me or bringing something
to my throne the goodness there's no plea
that you have and until that is final
and you have cast yourself completely at the
cross then there's no hope he said
surgically remove that thinking from your mind now
Paul the Apostle picked up on that very
quickly he understood the new covenant because the
Jewish believers in Jerusalem Paul said we're taking
these children of Christ and putting a yoke
of bondage on them they were insisting that
the believers had to be circumcised in order
to be saved and that the cross did
not fully justify and Paul cried out Christ
has become of no effect to you people
whoever of you are justified by the law
you're falling from grace for we through the
Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness which
is by faith for in Christ neither circumcision
availeth anything nor uncircumcision but faith which work
is by love it's that devotion it's that
dependency he said I would they were cut
off with trouble or in the word there's
a friend I would that they were cut
off to defend you know you just talking
about cutting off cutting off cutting off now
in the here's something that that did amaze
me when I followed the original Greek on
what Paul was saying and the original the
statement original Greek says I would to God
that they would mutilate themselves as a pop
-up apocopy of the bill not let me
just stop there minute show you what it
it's all about Paul knew it every body
in Galatia knew about this call every worshipper
of the bill a in the headquarters was
in the city of the famous and Paul
knew it was known all over the world
especially in Galatia and there were a group
of people called a copy and they were
mutilators of flesh they worship this by cutting
off members of their flesh they they were
like flagellants who beat their backs and it
was blood and it was mutilation and Paul
said what he's trying to say if you
believe that cutting the flesh is pleasing to
God it merits anything why don't you go
with the group called apocopy why don't you
go worship the bill because that's mutilation taken
to extreme because if your theology is right
a little bit of cutting is not enough
a whole lot of cutting is more holy
they said once you're going down and truly
mutilate yourself folks that's where it goes if
you are not so on the foundation the
cross and the finished work of Jesus where
does it all end the cutting of the
flesh where does it all in where do
the rules and regulations and it ends up
in 900 and more ways to try to
please God Paul's saying no for the Son
of Man has come to save that which
is lost all you have to acknowledge is
that you're lost with this I close Paul
said first of all he saved me because
I was the worst among sinners and I'm
a pattern now I'm telling you I can't
go to Europe until anybody Jesus saves till
I know I am saying Jesus came to
say I was lost I've acknowledged it and
I know now I'm 60 some years old
when I get to
70 I'll tell you if these hairs these
gray hairs could talk my goodness no man
in the world has striven more than I
am to be what I did over the
years to be holy Oh cried Oh God
you know I want to be holy you
know I want to be pure to God
I don't want anything hidden in my life
and striving and when I failed God so
help me God I'll never do that again
God I'll never do that again and boy
it would but by the time I got
to two months and didn't do it ha
hallelujah Lord you've got to bless me in
the preaching tonight man I've made it for
two months now now don't try to figure
out what I'm talking about you know what
you're talking about we think we've earned it
we think God owes us something no no
no no that's the cost of the end
of it hallelujah so simple we just
did well how
many there are watching and hearing right now
how many of you listen closely how many
of you tired and weary of the struggle
to do right and be right in the
sight of God just struggling so so hard
you have so many temptations you're in a
situation that just makes it more and more
difficult I don't care if it's adultery fornication
I don't care it's pride I don't covetousness
but I want to hear some before I
close you know what I fear the sin
I fear more than any sin known to
mankind more than anything of this flesh the
one sin I fear more than anything else
in the holy fear of God is covetousness
wanting the things of this world I'm not
saying that that's a problem in my life
but I don't ever want it to be
a problem but I fear that more than
anything else that something in this world would
get a hold of my heart and take
me away from Jesus from my prayer closet
from that first love for Jesus and folks
that's the number one thing in America America
is going spending mad they're going the stock
market everything's going wild I went into a
garage the other day to get a car
fixed and he had he must have had
7,500 cars and he couldn't he's I
can't keep men young people coming in yeah
everything everybody's going in debt they're just signing
no don't time it and going deep in
debt people are buying homes like crazy who
can't afford them we're in a mad spending
spree and America is gripped in this spirit
of covetousness and met never able to get
enough never able to get enough like the
prosperity preacher I told you about I saw
his tape he said I live in 8
,000 square foot house he said I'm building
a bigger one one that King Saul would
be proud to live in and he said
when people see my big house and my
Rolls Royce sitting in the front lawn they
know there's a God in heaven and he
said that's a $32,000 ring and I
just spent $15,000 for a doll if
I named him you'd know him covetousness does
that have your heart never having enough it's
never nothing is ever enough we just keep
reaching and grabbing and grabbing is taking us
away from our first love for Jesus folks
you can't lick that you can't beat that
spirit if it's in you by just making
a promise you can't do it in your
flesh you just say Holy Ghost come expose
it in me if it's there expose it
and come now Holy Ghost if we through
the spirit to mortify the deeds of the
flesh we shall live hallelujah and the cure
for it all I just told you fall
in love with Jesus all over again get
close to him and depend on him depend
on the Holy Ghost if you have an
open heart say God I depend on the
Holy Ghost to do what he's been called
to do and that's to convict me of
my sin every day in a prayer closet
that's what God is there anything turn the
light on show me anything it's unlike Jesus
in my heart do it Lord Jesus I
don't know what's in my heart but you
you do bring it out I can't do
it but I trust the covenant I trust
the cross and I trust the blood and
all through my struggle the whole time I'm
struggling tell me I'm damned and and can't
make it and I'm foolish the whole time
Jesus has the blood applied Jesus stands before
the father and I am totally accepted by
the father through my struggle until the battles
over I'm still his child he's still in
love with me he's still not going to
cast me out because he knows that I'm
his you are his he's not going to
let you go he may chastise you but
he said I'll never take my Holy Ghost
from you I won't take my spirit his
spirits here now I don't have to ask
you if you're under the anointing or or
under conviction right now the Holy Ghost he
said if you're his you'll never take his
spirit away from you so he's there dealing
with you in love now I'm going to
open these altars that open now in the
annexes you go forward to the stage I
mean to the screen go up to toward
the screen and then what what room do
we go in there you will go from
206 for prayer those that are in this
auditorium up in the balcony I would like
to pray for those who say pastor David
something you said this morning turned the lights
on for me something you said and I
truly want to come into that rest of
the new covenant where I don't have to
even consider my works anymore that I come
into this rest and fully trusting Jesus no
matter what battle you're in what senior and
if you're not right with God if you're
backslidden or you're going through a great struggle
striving to please God and you're losing the
battle step out of your seat and come
and join these that are coming now let
me pray with you we'll trust Jesus we
don't count heads please don't come unless the
spirit draws you upstairs in the balcony come
to your stairs on either side come down
any aisle and join these that are coming
please move in close to make room for
those that are coming please now look this
way please you say well pastor Dave you
say good works don't save me but are
we supposed to do good works if we
really love him you know what Jesus said
he said if you love me you'll obey
me that's that's the secret if you love
me you obey me I'll cause you to
know what is right and wrong by my
Holy Spirit and I'll give you a will
to do what I show you is right
he says you love me if you're willing
to give up your own will your own
stubborn will trying to do things you're only
trying to figure things out look at me
folks don't try to figure it out anymore
say Jesus I'm just going to spend quality
time with you I'm going to love you
and if you really love him you'll find
him in the revelation of them here in
this book and you I don't care what
you have to do or how you go
about it get into the book just get
into this read the Psalms let just your
heart be washed in the word it's such
a washing cleansing thing and you begin to
see Jesus in every page now you're here
now to make a commitment to him that
you'll not try to bring anything to Jesus
now it's worth anything towards your salvation you
understand that now Lord is completely by my
I repent of my sins I repent of
one of the biggest sins is trying to
do it your own way I repent of
all of that and the Lord has all
the power you need he'll put his arms
around you you see he called the little
child the child came to him that's what
you did he called you you're the little
child you came to him now and he
embraces you would you pray this from your
heart Lord Jesus forgive me for all my
struggles all my trying and striving to do
right and to please you in my own
strength by my own willpower forgive me I
renounce that I turn from it that's an
offense to me now now Jesus I come
to the new agreement you made at the
cross that if I would repent and believe
you and trust you and just give my
whole life and my will everything to you
you would become everything to me all the
resources I need all the power I need
the love that I need and the strength
you would become my God and I've become
your child now Jesus I accept all of
this by childlike faith nothing complicated now just
lift up your hands say Jesus I surrender
all I surrender all now give him thanks
for what he's done right now just thank
him I give you thanks I give you
praise I give you praise now how many
of you came forward here this morning for
the first time in this church would you
raise your hand please you've never come forward
in this church before all right God bless
you God bless God bless all of you
had your hand hand up now you don't
join this church and we don't try to
sell you anything but we do have a
gospel for you and we'd like to have
somebody pray with you if you'll just go
out any aisle back there and go in
the second floor that their ushers back there
show you where to go we want just
about five minutes with you to minister to
you and pray with you would you turn
right now don't don't anybody leave let these
you had your hand up please would you
go out this way or up this plea
are there ushers out there or that what
coach do they have they have a sign
out there all right just follow them with
the sign and others that your hand up
over here just go up this place now
the rest of you if you if you've
been backslidden you say pastor I don't understand
I I've got to have some counseling I've
got to have some direction I want you
to follow them please just go back that
way and go into the room that they
lead you to and there are people there
waiting to minister to you one-on-one
right now even after we dismissed you can
go to room 204 is it 206 room
206 Heavenly Father I thank you this morning
for your grace your incredible mercy that you
loved us when we were so lost you
didn't come to save the righteous you said
you came to save sinners you came to
save lost people like us now we give
you thanks now let the word bring life
to us and let it be changing in
our character and everything we do and safety
your glory and honor a man tell you
what I'd like you to do but before
we dismiss this service gentlemen I'm going to
ask you to remember that you're either male
or female when you hug somebody men you
hug men women you can hug women and
just say God bless you hug somebody so
love you in the Lord and please meet
at least five people you've never met before
would you three o'clock six o'clock
you're dismissed God bless you