24-0128a Transcript

Preacher: Tom Freed

(0:54) Good morning. I’ll be preaching today on being not conformed.

So the devil has many ways of (1:03) influencing us, and one of his best ways is to conform us to the world. (1:10) Throughout our whole lives, we have been bombarded in many different ways (1:13) that conform us to the world and tempt us to sin, whether we’re a Christian or not. (1:19) We really cannot avoid everything. I mean, if you live in this world, you’re going to be constantly, (1:25) you know, have things thrown at you that are against God. So the devil cannot stop us from (1:32) becoming Christians. So he does his best to lead us astray by any means he can.

(1:38) He is powerful and the ruler of this world, according to the Bible, 1 John 5, 19. (1:45) We know that we are children of God, that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1:52) The Bible even calls him the God of this world, 2 Corinthians 4, 4. In their case, (1:59) the God of this world is blind in the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing (2:04) the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

(2:11) The devil is powerful. He doesn’t have a lot of control here, not absolute control, because (2:18) God still ultimately decides what he can and cannot do, but he’s given the devil power. (2:25) He even is powerful enough to offer Jesus the whole world when he tempted him.

(2:31) Again, the devil took him up to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of (2:37) the world and their glory. And he said to him, all these I will give to you if you fall down (2:43) and worship me, Matthew 4, 8-9. So he was able to offer God himself who created the world.

(2:52) He was able to offer him the world when he came in human form. That means the devil, (2:59) you know, he has a lot of authority, he has a lot of control. He roams the earth looking to devour (3:06) us, 1 Peter 5, 8. Be sober minded, be watchful, your adversary the devil prowls around like a (3:15) roaring lion seeking someone to devour.

You saw in Job how God asked him what he’s been doing. He (3:23) said roaming, going to and fro on the earth. You can also see that he wanted to attack (3:30) one of God’s people, Job, and did all he could to destroy him.

So just like a lion hunting his (3:38) prey, he waits, you know, he stays hidden until the last second when he pounces on you, when you’re (3:44) weak, when you’re down. You’ve, you know, started to stray from the church, that’s when he’s going (3:50) to get you. The devil just doesn’t hold up a sign with flashing lights saying this way to hell, (3:59) everybody come follow me.

He’s not that obvious. You know, he influences the world behind (4:08) a veil, you know, he wants to stay hidden like a good mob boss, you know, the best mafia bosses, (4:16) you know, they stay out of the limelight. You know, they think about the man behind the curtain (4:24) and the Wizard of Oz controlling everything.

I’m sure most of you saw the Wizard of Oz. (4:31) They had the man behind the curtain pulling all the strings, you know, that’s just how (4:35) Satan is. So he has a different many tools in his tool belt to try and influence us and lead us to (4:43) the path of destruction.

One of his greatest weapons is trying to conform us to the world (4:50) using his massive influence over every area of life. He controls almost every area of life, (4:59) you know, he has influence over it. We’ll look at a few ways the devil tries to conform us (5:04) to this world and one of the simple solutions to defeat this tactic.

The devil knows (5:13) that the sooner he can get to you the better. The young children are very impressionable from birth (5:20) and most of us will be set down the wrong path, you know, from early childhood. (5:27) So we’re taught to go to school, get an education, get a great job, make a lot of money, get married, (5:34) kids, etc.

But we’re rarely taught to focus on growing spiritually. (5:41) Most parents mean well and they do their best to raise children but a lot of times they (5:48) neglect spiritual growth. But some parents

don’t even believe in God, they raise their kids to be (5:54) atheists while others might be Buddhists or Muslims.

All religions aren’t equal and salvation (6:01) is found only under one name, Acts 4.12. And there is salvation in no one else. (6:09) But there is no name under heaven given among men which men must be saved. (6:17) There’s only one name under heaven.

These other people say, oh my God is the same as your God. (6:23) Well that’s not true. Only salvation is offered through Jesus, nobody else.

(6:30) The sad thing is that many parents believe they are Christians (6:35) but many are still off base. There are thousands of churches claiming to be Christians (6:41) but they’re all practicing faith in a different way. (6:45) This isn’t the way it should be.

The Bible says we have one Lord, one faith, one baptism. (6:52) He didn’t say we have a thousand faiths. (6:58) You know, God didn’t want a thousand different ways of doing his word.

(7:04) I believe, you know, it’s not everybody’s interpretation. You can’t have a billion (7:08) different interpretations of the Bible. If you put enough study and work in, you can (7:12) discover what he wants.

You can discover how, you know, the truth of the Bible. (7:21) So a lot of people just don’t want to put in the work or they believe what they’ve been (7:24) raised to believe. We need to be very careful that we follow the whole law of God properly (7:31) and not just part of it.

Whoever keeps the whole law but fails at one point (7:37) has become accountable for all of it, James 2.10. Even if you do the whole law and fail (7:45) at one or two things, the Bible says you’re accountable for all the law. (7:51) God is merciful but he also expects us to know the law and do what it says. (7:58) He did not accept Cain’s offering because it wasn’t what he asked for.

He also didn’t (8:04) accept Nadab and Abihu’s strange fire they used for sacrifice because it was unauthorized (8:11) and he burned them with fire as punishment. He also didn’t let Moses go to the promised land (8:17) because he struck the rock with his staff to produce water instead of speaking to it. (8:24) And what about Adam and Eve? All they did was eat a piece of fruit.

(8:30) These all seem like such minor offenses but they were big in God’s eyes. We might say, (8:37) what’s the big deal? We have an instrument in worship. What’s the big deal? We have Lord’s (8:43) Supper once a month instead of every week.

It might be a little thing to us but it’s a big (8:51) deal to God. If God didn’t ask for it then he doesn’t want it. The girl I talked to at work (8:59) said, well God didn’t say I couldn’t so I’m going to do it.

But Jim made a good point that we’re not (9:05) allowed to add or take away from the word. So if we do something the Bible tells us not to do then (9:10) we’re adding to it. You know just like Cain added to it and gave it a different sacrifice and it (9:17) wasn’t accepted.

We can look and say all Moses did was tap a rock instead of speaking to it (9:25) to produce water. But God didn’t allow him into the promised land because he did that. (9:31) One small offense on all the great things Moses did and he was still punished.

So as Christians (9:40) we need to make sure we know the whole Bible and what God wants from us. Especially (9:46) parents because they’re raising the next generation. It only takes one generation to (9:53) you know change the world basically.

If we fail to teach the next generation that’s all it takes (9:59) for Christianity to vanish. Rat poison is less than two percent poison and it’s still effective (10:08) in killing rodents. The devil knows that it only takes a small amount of false doctrine to (10:15) destroy you spiritually.

So he knows if he can’t stop the church he can create a lot of confusion. (10:25) If he can get you to do one or two of the wrong things then he knows that your soul’s in danger. (10:32) We need to put more effort into spiritual growth than we do in any other area in life.

(10:38) How a child is raised early in life will greatly affect where they will end up when they get older. (10:45) Proverbs 22 6. Train up a child in the way you should go. Even when he is old he will not depart (10:52) from it.

That’s why it’s important to bring a child to church and teach them the Bible. (11:00) When they grow up they will always be with them. So it’s good to see guys like Kevin who brings (11:06) his kids every chance he gets.

You know I know it’s kids don’t want to come to worship service. (11:13) You know I didn’t want to as a kid. You know it’s boring.

You’re probably ready to be home playing (11:19) Fortnite or taking selfies or doing you know something else. But it’s important to learn the (11:27) Bible especially from an early age. Because you know what you’re taught as a child that’s the way (11:33) you’re going to grow up to be.

So children are lucky enough to be unscathed in their early years (11:43) and like the public school system will do their best to change that. So it seems like public schools (11:50) nowadays are giving students a lot more than just a fundamental education. (11:56) Even though we spend more money than any other country in the world our education system is (12:03) somewhere in the middle of tech and performance.

In some places it’s a joke with all the money we put (12:08) into it and how horrible it is. The truth is those in power don’t want you to be intelligent and (12:16) think for yourself. You’re way easier to control that way.

You know they dumb you down. (12:25) They brainwash you. You’re going to be easy to control.

You know you’re not going to go (12:31) against a corrupt government. You’re not going to stand up for yourself. (12:36) The public school system has gone has taken God out of the picture and it’s gone downhill ever since.

(12:43) Years ago there was problems in schools but not like today. You can expect children fighting or (12:49) being rude to teachers but things have gotten way out of hand. Teachers being verbally and even (12:57) physically assaulted seem pretty common.

It seems like every few months we hear about a mass shooting (13:04) at a school in the news. A lot of students come out of school with a poor education (13:09) and some of them with PTSD. That shouldn’t be how it is.

You know you take God out of the school (13:18) you lose his divine protection. You know we replaced it with you know this atheistic view (13:29) that goes against everything God you know God teaches through his word. You can see the effect.

(13:34) You can see how you know you need armed guards at school. You need metal detectors at some schools. (13:42) Students are not being taught the truth of the gospel but instead the lies of the world (13:47) and the worst thing about it is that we are forced to pay for them to teach these falses.

(13:55) So not only are they teaching lies but they’re forcing us taxpayers to pay for it. (14:00) Children are taught one of the biggest lies ever perpetrated on the world (14:05) and that’s the theory of evolution. Nothing exploding billions of years ago is not science.

(14:13) Science is observable and repeatable and this is neither. So show me how nothing explodes. (14:22) You know once you say billions of years ago you’ve left science.

(14:27) So you cannot get life from not living things. Biogenesis, the fossil records, DNA, (14:35) science and even mathematics all point to intelligent design. But unfortunately you know (14:43) creation is taken out of schools.

You can’t even argue about it. So it takes much more faith to (14:50) believe in evolution than Christianity. You know you can’t show me what you can’t even have (14:57) nothing explode but show an explosion that created anything.

I mean it just doesn’t make (15:03) sense. It’s not even if they were neurological but children also taught about sex from a very early (15:10) age from even kindergarten. Given powerful drugs that they can’t focus and even taught you can (15:19) change your sex by just thinking it.

That’s not science. That’s political science. You can’t (15:25) change your gender just because one day you think you’re you know a boy or a girl.

It’s not how (15:32) you know reality works. I’ve even heard from numerous people that one school is even allowed (15:41) a girl to think she’s a cat. She walked around with a cat food and they have some kind of (15:45) litter box for her.

So this is how we want to raise our kids in school. What is this kid going (15:53) to be like when they grow older and have to face the real world if they think they’re a cat? (15:58) They’re not doing these kids any favors by allowing them to believe and do whatever they want. (16:04) They’re not preparing children for the real world.

They’re filling them with lies and confusion. (16:10) 60 years ago Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev said we do not even have to invade the United States. (16:19) We will destroy them from within.

We don’t even have to shoot one shot and that’s what he said (16:26) 60 years ago is coming true today. Communism has infiltrated almost every institution in America (16:34) especially our schools. Well I know how easily influenced children are and they’re corrupting the (16:41) youth.

So almost everything that children are being taught in public schools goes against God and his (16:47) word. It’s not by accident. The public schools are pretty much at this point in a way communist (16:56) documentation camps.

That’s why 70 percent of millennials would vote for a socialist nowadays (17:05) and you know I don’t blame them because there’s a there’s some kind of appeal with a low wages (17:11) nowadays, costly student loans, high health care costs, and soaring home prices. (17:19) But communism isn’t the answer. It’s anti-God and brings nothing but poverty, death, and destruction (17:27) wherever it is implemented.

Like Margaret Thatcher once quoted, communism is great until (17:35) you run out of spending other people’s money. You know free things are amazing but somebody’s got (17:42) to pay for it. Eventually the money runs out and all you have is death and poverty.

Most immigrants (17:51) have fled other communist countries that have it better here and they’re shocked to see what’s (17:56) happening in the United States happened in their countries years ago overthrowing the government (18:02) to a communist system. I said this quote before, with 100 years of communism and 100 million (18:12) dead, probably way more than 100 million. So we need God and his law to have a great country, not (18:19) more government.

You know read about the gulags, read about Russia, you know when they had their (18:27) strict communism where you had government watching over every single thing you’ve done. (18:32) You know if you speak against it you’re thrown in you know these death camps. (18:38) You have no rights, no freedom, that’s not a good system to have.

And if you think public school is (18:46) bad, colleges like that on steroids. Well every, almost every college is far left and everybody (18:55) toes the line from the administration all the way down. The anti-fascists are really the true (19:03) fascists in disguise.

So many of these militant students don’t allow anybody with an opposing (19:09) view to speak on campus. They use a brown shirt tactics of the Nazis to shut down or assault (19:17) anyone who dares disagree with their opinions. So fascism uses violent suppression (19:24) of the opposition and that’s what exactly some of these students do.

Not every student, (19:31) I’ve seen tons of videos where they riot, you know they come to a speech and scream and yell (19:37) and even assault people, throwing boiling water on them. So that’s fascism, but they call themselves (19:46) anti-fascists. So if you’re a conservative speaker, even a fellow student with a pro-life display on (19:54) campus, there’s a high probability you’ll be screamed at or assaulted by various students, (19:59) even have your property stolen.

These students mean well, but they’re very misguided. (20:08) They’re not taught the right things. The shame students aren’t taught biblical truth, (20:15) useful skills for life in the workplace and about decency and morality.

(20:21) Instead they’re filled with confusion and lies and charged tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars (20:27) for it from colleges and universities. I can see why young kids are upset nowadays. (20:35) Many come out of college with fifty to a hundred thousand dollars in debt (20:38) and still can’t find a good job.

You know, college has become somewhat of a scam. (20:47) You know, I mean there are some degrees that you can really be (20:50) successful and profit in, but a lot of the jobs they don’t really train you for anything. (20:57) So the devil has done a great job conforming the world to his evil systems of lies and deceit (21:04) using one of the most powerful weapons, the schooling system.

(21:07) I know there’s good teachers out there and people trying to do their best, (21:12) but overall in my opinion the schooling system is failing. There’s plenty of other ways the (21:20) devil conforms us, but we don’t want to be here all day so I’ll talk about one other thing and (21:27) that’s the media. So in my opinion the same evil forces that have taken over schools (21:34) have taken over almost every other area in life, especially media.

All news stations are basically (21:42) controlled by a few companies that push non-stop fear propaganda and lies at us every day. (21:51) Almost every news story is negative. They don’t really tell you the truth of what’s going on in (21:57) the world.

They’re all slanted, they’re all biased. You can’t get new real reporting anymore. (22:03) They all have an agenda.

You look at Hollywood and pretty much every TV station, they all push a (22:11) satanic agenda to mold and corrupt society. Hollywood is filled with, you know, people (22:20) who almost seem to worship Satan. The music industry is just as bad and almost exclusively (22:27) promotes sex, violence, drugs, partying, and almost every other sin under the sun.

(22:34) How many singers out there are, you know, singing about God? (22:39) You know, unless you listen to a Christian station, you probably won’t hear one of them. (22:44) And good luck starring in a movie role or getting a hit record contract if you’re a Christian. (22:50) You basically don’t see any Christians in Hollywood.

You don’t see any movies (22:55) promoting God or Christianity, unless it’s outside of Hollywood. (23:01) You know, like The Chosen, you know, there’s a few great ones out there, but it’s rare. (23:09) So they really, the devil really has his control in these areas.

Pretty much every movie and TV (23:18) pushes the same anti-Christian agenda on whoever watches it. You know, they make fun of Christians. (23:25) They make Christians look stupid or silly or, you know, completely weird.

So, you know, they have (23:34) an agenda. And just like with the music industry, Hollywood shows sex in every movie, violence, (23:44) homosexuality, drinking, drugs, and every other sin. You know, they’re definitely getting worse (23:51) and worse.

And we, you know, I watch some of the shows and movies. I mean, I’m not perfect. I’m not (23:57) going to sit here and act like I don’t listen to, you know, some of the music or watch some of the (24:02) movies or shows, but I can see in them that what they’re trying to push, and it’s all anti-God.

(24:13) It may at times be entertaining, but being bombarded every day with non-stop (24:18) satanic agendas taking the country down a dark path. We can’t forget about the internet, (24:24) with all the major search engines and websites controlled by the same small group of people (24:31) that ban and censor anyone who disagrees with them. We have the same fascists that want absolute (24:38) control that censor anybody that disagrees.

They can’t have, you know, an intelligent argument (24:45) because they know they’ll lose, so they have to ban and censor everybody with a different opinion. (24:52) On top of that, the endless amount of pornography or other sexual material available at our (24:58) fingertips. Though we’re non-stop, we can see that there are all these avenues attacked (25:05) by the devil to conform us to the world, to conform us to sin.

(25:11) So unless you live under a rock, you’re being influenced (25:14) to sin in many different ways, and many of us don’t even realize it. (25:21) Many of our parents and grandparents would not have put up with this, and we have slowly been (25:27) desensitized as a nation to accept all these evils without much of a fight. You know, the way (25:36) a boiling frog is one degree at a time, you know, you slowly raise the temperature and the frog (25:43) doesn’t even notice he’s being boiled alive.

So that’s what’s happening to us. These things (25:50) are added in slowly and over time before we know it, we’re spiritually dead. (25:56) So this nation has been corrupted slowly, and the majority of people along with it, (26:02) even a strong Christian can easily be led to sin in this day and age.

(26:06) You know, as a Christian, we’re not safe either. We live in the world. Every time, you know, we’re (26:13) safe here at church, every time we leave these doors, you turn on the radio, you turn on the TV, (26:20) you walk down the street and talk to people, you’re going to be influenced by a worldly system, (26:25) controlled by the devil.

So I’m not even going to get into the government or we’ll be here all night. (26:33) You know, how evil and corrupt most politicians are. (26:39) You know, so my point of this sermon is you can see the devil does a good job of conforming us to (26:47) sin and act worldly.

Basically, from the moment we’re born, he has major influence over us and (26:56) a strong grip on the nation right now. And every single one of us feels the effect of it. (27:05) But as Christians, we need to stand strong and go against the grain of the common day belief.

(27:11) The easiest way to be lost is just be driftwood. Float down the stream with everybody else and do (27:17) nothing. You know, my old preacher used to say that.

It’s a good analogy. You know, you can just (27:23) sit there and do nothing. You know, the Bible says it’s a sin if you see wrong and don’t say (27:28) anything about it.

We need to swim up current. You know, we need to fight against the current, (27:34) not just go along with it. We need to go against the grain of common day belief.

(27:42) We do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, (27:48) against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places, (27:53) Ephesians 6.12. We see it’s a spiritual battle, not a physical one. We have to do our best (28:03) to fight the good fight of faith, light hold of eternal life, to which you are also called to (28:10) have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses, 1 Timothy 6.12. (28:16) We can see it’s a spiritual battle. We can see the control the devil has over all these (28:23) principalities and powers.

We need to stand fast under these trials that we are put through on (28:31) earth to receive a reward. James 1.12. Blessed is a man who endures temptation. For what he has (28:39) been approved, he will receive a crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.

(28:47) So we can see that our world is corrupt, it’s evil, the devil’s using all these different (28:52) avenues to attack us. But we still have hope because God’s ultimately in control. (28:59) And we’re going to have to answer to him.

So what’s the solution to the constant bombardment (29:07) from the devil to conform us to the worldly system he rules over? The Bible makes it clear (29:17) we are transformed by the renewing of our mind to the Word of God, Romans 12.2. (29:24) And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, (29:30) that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (29:35) So although we’re attacked constantly, you know, everywhere we go, we see, you know, (29:42) different shows, different music, different images, how we were raised, you know, the school, (29:48) we can still defeat all that through God’s Word. Through renewing our mind to God’s Word.

(29:54) It’s that simple. If you’re spending more time reading and studying God’s Word, (30:03) you know, none of this stuff’s going to affect you. We need to meditate on the law of the Lord (30:08) night and day, so we always prosper.

Psalms 1, 1 through 3. (30:15) Blessed is a man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the paths of sinners, (30:21) nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is the law of the Lord, (30:27) and his law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water (30:33) that brings forth its fruit in the season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does, (30:39) he shall prosper.

So we can see that we could have a ton of growth if we just read the Bible more. (30:49) Our mind is like a fertile garden, and whatever seeds we plant, they’ll grow. (30:55) We can plant the seeds of the Word of God and His truth in our mind, or the seeds (31:00) of evil lies from the devil.

It is up to us what we consume in our life. (31:06) No one is forcing us to spend time in front of the TV, computer, or phone all day corrupting our minds. (31:14) You know, we have a choice.

It’s not a gun to our head saying you need to watch these shows, (31:18) you need to go on the computer and surf these sites. We could spend all day if we wanted reading (31:25) the Bible. I mean, I know it’s not really feasible.

We could do myself included away. (31:35) Do not be deceived. God is not mocked.

For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. (31:42) Galatians 6-7. So whatever you’re watching, whatever you’re doing in life, (31:49) whatever information you put in your brain is going to affect you.

That’s going to grow. (31:56) Decoding language, garbaging, garbage out. You know, we’re putting all this garbage in our minds, (32:05) with all these shows, with all the news, our phones, bad food, all kinds of stuff.

(32:13) What’s going to happen? What’s going to be the result? You know, we’re going to be corrupted. (32:20) If we let all these sinful things in our minds, we can’t expect to be amazing Christians. (32:26) You can’t plant one seed and expect something else to grow.

Whatever you plant is going to grow. (32:34) If you plant the pure word of God, that’s a harvest you’re going to reap. (32:39) So we need to know the truth first for ourselves, which I believe we teach here.

(32:46) We need to know the truth. You know, when we know the truth, we can teach it to others,

(32:51) especially the next generation. The parents need to be active in their kids' lives (32:57) and know what they’re being taught in school.

So, you know, you can’t just let the schools (33:05) raise their kids for you or they’re going to grow up messed up. You know, we’ve seen that many times. (33:11) The schools don’t have the kids' best interests at heart.

And, you know, if you’re lucky enough (33:18) or fortunate enough to be able to homeschool or private school, that’s great, but not everybody (33:23) can do that. You’ve got to get involved and active, maybe even get on the school board. (33:31) The main thing is that the parents raise their children.

Fathers, do not provoke your children (33:38) to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, Ephesians 6.4. (33:45) Parents should be constantly teaching their children God’s law, Deuteronomy 6.7. You shall (33:51) teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit down in your house (33:57) and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise. (34:02) So the Bible says you should be constantly teaching your kids God’s law. (34:07) They’re not too young to learn.

They’re learning all this other stuff that is going to (34:14) lead them to sin and destruction. So it’s tough in this day and age, but we have to do our best (34:21) to teach the next generation the truth of God’s word. (34:26) So as Christians, we need to get our noses in the Bible as much as possible.

(34:30) That’s how we grow in faith. Romans 10.17. So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the (34:37) word of Christ. So it’s obviously easier said than done with all the entertainment out there today.

(34:47) Like I said, I fall short in this area. I waste my time on the internet or watching TV or (34:53) video games or on my phone, you know, just as much as anybody else. So I’m not acting like I’m, (35:01) you know, perfect, but we definitely have to do our best to fill our minds with the (35:08) word of God instead of the, you know, the evil things out there in the world.

(35:15) We have to try our hardest to do what’s right in life. It’s up to us how successful we are (35:21) as Christians and how much fruit we bear for the Lord. So let’s aim to be the 20 or 30-fold (35:29) Christian.

Well, let’s not aim to be the 20 or 30-fold Christian, but the 100-fold Christian. (35:36) It’s up to us how much, you know, time, dedication, how much spiritual growth we want. (35:44) It’s unlimited.

Look what Jesus did in three years. In just three years, He did so many things, (35:50) not every book in the whole world could be contained with what He did. He changed the (35:56) whole world in just three years.

Imagine what we could do in 40, 50 years if we dedicated ourselves. (36:04) But those who are sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word of and accept it and bear (36:09) fruit. 30-fold and 60-fold and 100-fold, March 420.

Let us be the Christian who doubles the talents (36:18) God has given us and not buries the one talent we receive. So Mike Mathis is a great example of this. (36:26) He preaches, he teaches, he sings, does the Lord’s Supper, you know, he prays, he does everything.

(36:35) So he took his talents that God had given him and he’s doubled them. He’s done, (36:40) you know, he worked hard, he does every single, you know, every single thing possible in worship. (36:47) So, you know, we’re not, you know, we’re not like the greatest, most talented people here, but (36:53) you know, a lot of us have stepped up and preached and taught because we don’t have a preacher.

And a (37:03) gift. So if you’re not a Christian and are conformed to the world of lies, deceit, (37:10) and bear the heavy chains of sin, now’s the time to break free. (37:14) So calling on the name of the Lord is the only way to have true freedom.

(37:19) Psalm 118, 5. Out of my distress, I called on the Lord. The Lord answered and set me free. (37:27) We don’t call the name of the Lord just by shouting his name out.

We call on his name by obeying his (37:34) word. We need to hear the word, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized as a final act of calling (37:43) on his name before we’re added to his kingdom. Acts 22, 16.

And now while you’re waiting, (37:51) arise and be baptized and wash away your sins calling on the name of the Lord. That’s how you (37:57) call on his name. You call on his name through obedience.

You call on his name through being (38:03) baptized. You don’t just say Jesus. You do what he says.

That’s how you show your love for God. (38:13) John 14, 15. If you love me, keep my commandments.

You know, a lot of people are out there claiming (38:19) they love God, this, that, and the other thing, but they’re not doing what he says. They don’t (38:24) love him. It says it right here.

Not everyone who calls on God’s name will be saved. Not everyone (38:33) who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he who does the will of my (38:38) father in heaven.

So it’s more than just calling out his name. It’s obeying the word of God. (38:46) If you want to make it to heaven, you need to obey God’s word.

It’s that simple. (38:54) Many people think they’ll be saved, but they’re in for a rude awakening on the day of judgment. (38:59) Matthew 7, 22 through 23.

Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in (39:06) your name? Cast out demons in your name and done many wonders in your name. And I will declare to (39:13) them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.

So don’t be that person that (39:21) God turns away from and closes the door on. Be the person who God says, well done, good and faithful (39:31) servant. You are faithful over a few things.

I will make you rule over many things. Enter into (39:37) the joy of the Lord. Matthew 25, 21.

So it’s our choice in life. We can’t blame anybody else. (39:45) God’s not going to accept any excuse.

It’s not hard to become a Christian, but it is hard to (39:52) lead the Christian life. Nothing is more profitable. Nothing is more rewarding than (40:00) becoming a Christian, not only on this earth, but when we die and face eternity.

(40:09) So everything is prepared. If you’re not a Christian, it’s only a step away (40:14) or if you’re struggling, you know, there’s a lot of people struggling out there. (40:20) You know, it’s hard times.

Like I said, it’s an evil world ruled by the devil. (40:26) So if you need a prayer or anything, we’re here to help. So feel free to come forward.

Thank you.