Lightly edited for readability while preserving the speaker’s meaning and substantive statements.
[music] Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus. The Lord is showing me lately that uh sometimes I just need to hush my mouth and to love on him and listen for him. The Lord is just showing me lately [music] And I just love the Lord so much. [music] He loves it when we love on him. You are God in [music] heaven [singing] and here am I on earth. So [singing] I'll let [music] my works beused. [music] Jesus, [singing] I am so in love with you. [music] And I'll [singing] stand in all [singing] of [music] you, Jesus. And I'll [music and singing] stand I'll stand in all of you. [music] I'll let my words [singing] be few. [music] Oh [singing] Jesus, I I [music] am so in love with you. Yes. [music] The simplest [singing] of all of songs I want [singing and music] to sing to you. So [music and singing] I'll let my words be few, [music] Jesus. I am so in love with [singing] you. [music] We're already standing. So let's stand and I'll stand. I'm standing [singing and music] all in all of you. [music] Oh Jesus. Yes. I'll stand. [music and singing] I'll stand in all [singing] of you. [music] And I'll let [singing] my words be. [music] [singing] Lord Jesus, I am so in love with you.
[singing and music] I love it. Thank you, Lord Jesus. [music] Let's sing that again. [singing] Lord, I'll stand I'll stand [music] in [singing] you, Jesus. Sing it with me. Yes, I'll [music and singing] stand in all of you. [music] I'll let [singing] my words be few. Yes, [music] Lord. And I'll let my [singing] words be [music] few. And I'll let [singing] my words be few. Jesus, [singing and music] I am so with [singing and music] you. [music] Sometimes [music and singing] the Lord just wants us to listen. [music] And I'll let [music and singing] my words be, Lord Jesus. [music and singing] I am so in love with [music and singing] you. [music] [music] Thank you, Jesus. [music] Thank you, Lord. Lord, we love you this morning. [music] We just thank you for your presence, Lord. We just say, "Holy Spirit, [music] come into this place." And and Lord, I just pray that, [clears throat] [music] Lord, that you would just remove everything in us, Lord, that that's not pleasing to you, Lord. And and we just [music] declare this morning, Lord, that we can't do anything without you, God. That you're our [music] source for everything good, Lord. And we love you this morning, Lord. We do stand in [music] all of you, God. You are so good. Thank you, Jesus. Just [music] thank the Lord this morning. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. You're so good. Praise you. [music] I'm caught up in your presence [singing] and I [singing] just want to sit here at your feet.
I'm caught up in this holy [singing] moment and I [singing] never want to leave. No, I'm not here for blessings. [singing] And Jesus, you don't owe [singing] me anything more than anything [singing] that you can do. I just [singing and music] want you. Tell him this morning. And I'm sorry [singing and music] when I've just gone through the motions. I'm sorry [music] when I [singing] just sang another song. Take me back to where we started. And I open [singing] up my heart [music] to you, Lord. And I'm [singing] sorry [music] when I've come with my agenda. [singing] And I'm sorry [music] when I forgot [singing] that you're enough. Take me back to where we started. I [singing] open up my heart to you. [music] Cuz I just want you, Lord. Cuz I [singing] just want you. And nothing else. No, nothing else. [music] Nothing else will do. [singing] I just want you. [music] Nothing else. [singing] No, nothing else. [music] Nothing else will [singing] do. I just want you. [music] Nothing else. [singing] No, nothing else. Nothing else will do again. I just [singing] want you. Nothing else. [music] Nothing else. Nothing else will [singing] do. When the music fades and all is stripped [music] away and I [singing] simply come, Lord, we simply come [music] longing just [singing] to bring something that's of worth that will bless your [singing] heart. And I'll [music] bring [singing] you more than a song. For song in itself is not what [singing] you have required.
[music] You search much deeper [singing] within. Through the way things appear, you're looking [singing] into my heart. I'm coming back now. [singing] I'm coming back to the [music] heart of worship. [singing] It's all about you. It's all about you, Jesus. And I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made [singing] it. When it's all about you, it's all about [music] you, Jesus. I'm coming back. Coming back to the [singing and music] heart of worship. when it's all about you. It's all [music and singing] about you, Jesus. And I'm sorry, Lord, [music] for the [singing] thing I've made it, but it's all about you. It's all [singing] about you, Jesus. Jesus, [singing] Jesus. [singing] [music] Cuz I just want you. Nothing else or nothing else. [music] Nothing else will [singing] do. I just want you. Nothing else, [singing] Lord. Nothing else. Nothing else will [singing and music] do again. I just want you. Nothing else [singing] or nothing else. Nothing else [singing] will do. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. We just want you, [music] Lord, today, Lord. Nothing else, Lord. Lord, we just [music] lay down everything that hinders us from coming and just worshiping you, Lord, with all of our hearts, Lord. Thank you, [music] Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Lord, we just bring to [music] you a an offering, Lord. We give to you this morning, Lord, what we have to give, which is our surrender to you, Lord. We just surrender. Just surrender [music] to the Lord this morning. That's that's what he requires of us. So Lord, [music] we just bring our offering. Thank you Lord. I bring a fragrant offering. Thank you Jesus. Lord, let it be [music] pleasing to you Lord.
Thank you Jesus. [music] I bring to you [singing] a fragrant offering. I pour [music and singing] out my heart and I wash your feet. [music and singing] I offer up to you, oh Lord, [singing] this brokenness. [music] What you can see in [singing] me shall be my confidence. Let's sing that again. And I bring to you a [singing] fragrant offering. [music] I pour [singing] out my love and I wash your feet. [music] I offer [singing] up to you, oh [music] Lord, this brokenness. [singing] Where [music] you can see in me shall be my confidence. [singing] [music] May be a pleasing [singing] fragrance that I bring to [singing] you, oh my Lord. Yes, I am so in need of [singing] your presence that I [singing] bow before [music] you now. And I [singing] pour my vow of worship [music] over you, Lord. I pour my v [singing and music] of worship over you. Yes, Lord. I pour my [singing] v of worship [music] over you. [singing] [music] I pour my v of worship over [singing] you [music] and [singing] I give to you a humble sacrifice. [music] I pour [singing] out my heart and I give you my life. [singing] Yes, Lord. I offer [music] up to you, oh Lord, this costly gift. And with [music and singing] absolute abandon now my love I confess Lord. [singing] Oh Mary be a pleasing fance that I bring to [singing and music] you oh my Lord. Cuz I am so [singing and music] in need of your presence that I bow before [singing] you now.
And I [singing] pour my v of worship [music] over you, Lord. We give it to you. [music] I pour my v of [singing] worship over you. The only one worthy. Yes, Lord. [music and singing] And I pour my v of worship over you. [singing] And I pour [music] my v of worship [singing] over you. And [singing and music] I pour my v of worship over you. Oh, I [music and singing] pour my v of worship over you. [music] We worship you. [singing] Lord we worship you. [singing] Lord [music] we worship [singing] you. Oh [music] you worthy [singing] of all praise. Tell him this [music] morning you're worthy. You're [singing] worthy of all praise. We worship you [singing and music] Lordship. Oh Lord, we worship you. We [singing] give you [music] our surrender today. You're the only one worthy, Lord. [singing and music] Tell them this morning in your own words, you're the only one [singing and music] worthy, Lord. Oh, we worship you. [singing] [music] Jesus, [singing] [music] Jesus. Lord Jesus, you're worthy. You're so worth our [music and singing] praise. We bless your holy name today. We love you. [music] Yes, Lord. We worship you this morning. We worship you, Almighty God. Lord, we sing these songs to you, Lord. We give thanks, Jesus, Lord, for your precious blood that was shed on that cross and the fact that you rose from the dead the third day, and you're alive and have the keys of hell and death, Lord. God, you defeated sin. You defeated Satan. You defeated death, hell, and the grave. And we are grateful, Lord, that we can know you. That we can be born again, washed in the blood of Jesus, cleansed from all sin and iniquity, and that we can have your righteousness, Lord, because ours is filthy [music] rags, Lord. We look to you. We look to you. We look to you to do things your way, to surrender to you fully, [music]
to humble ourselves, and to obey. Lord, give us your grace today. Give us your anointing. Give us your direction. In Jesus name we we pray. Amen. Amen. Awesome. Wonderful. Thank you'all very much. Welcome everybody to Fire and Grace Church this morning. Welcome everybody watching from all over the place. Um you know I I get some interesting emails, phone calls. Uh this past week I had two about problems in churches with pastors and their elders, deacons asking, "What do we do? What do you think we should do?" What's disturbing is is the level of disregard for just God's word, the way we're supposed to do things by pastors. And then the churches just because they either they don't know or they don't care let some of these guys get away with I I'm I sometimes I stand in awe what they get away with. Um, I can't go into exact details, but I'll tell you this much. The discussion I had last night about a pastor, not in this area, um, but decades, decades into pornography. and not just regular heterosexual pornography, but he's into homosexual pornography. And then stated that he was into, you know, what what pornography is it? Oh, it's all kinds all kinds. Are we talking about the illegal stuff? But what's most disturbing about this is that once caught very little remorse over it. None really just wants to keep his job and keep the paycheck coming in. Going to go to a I guess a pastor rehab. That ain't going to work because see he believes once saved always saved no matter how you live. So, I've been telling y'all this for years. If you believe that doctrine in your heart, you will end up in sin because it is turning the grace of God into lasciviousness. It's turning the grace of God into a license to sin. And he actually thinks he is justified in this. This is what's so amazing. He thinks that God is okay with this. And the Lord is not okay with this.
There has to be true as the Bible calls it when it talks about in repentance means that you have compunction. That's a big word we don't use in English much anymore. But what does that mean? You actually feel the guilt of your sin enough that it makes you reform your life change. But see what what this you know the sin that I see in a lot of these even pastors it's it shows one thing they have absolutely no fear of God in their lives. They fear men more than they fear God. They want the worship of men. They want the honor of men. They want the approval of men more than the approval of God. And it's disgusting. And these little pastor rehabs that they come up with. If somebody can for 20 and 30 years have no desire to change, have no sense of guilt or shame for not just sin, normal sin, but sin against nature, that's an abomination. Do you think these little rehabs that are going to take their money are going to do anything? Because if they don't preach repentance, if they don't correct his doctrine, and if they don't if if something does not come and put the fear of the Lord in him and he gains a respect for the word of God and then get rid of the demons, there is no hope. What he's doing is trying to go to a little rehab and get a little piece of paper that says he was rehabilitated and go right back to preach it. In fact, he said he's going to run things from the rehab center. He's still going to run the church. I guess y'all know what I told him. He shouldn't be running the local dog catcher, right? It's time for him to sit down. And if he won't resign, he needs to be fired. And he needs a crisis in his life. He needs to the first Corinthians 5 to be put out of the church, delivered over to Satan in hopes that that'll get his attention and that he'll repent and get his life right with Jesus before he dies. And this is a gentleman older than me. I'm 58. This guy's in his 60s. You would think he's old enough to know better. Sad.
And that brings me to this. Numbers chapter 13. Let's go there. verse one. We're going to start reading there and we're just you go ahead and put up the slide. I guess this is what we'll call it. The secret to the favor of God. Y'all want the secret to the favor of God? It's real simple. But let me go ahead and clue you in. The majority will not get it. And I'm talking about the majority of Christians will not get it, do not have it, and will not get it unless they change. And I call this the secret of the favor of God. It's really not a secret. It's pretty revealed. But let's let's read this. Now, everybody ought to know this story, but this is when they Moses sent the spies into the land of Canaan to spy out the land. And it says, "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou men that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel, every tribe of their fathers shall ye send to man, everyone a ruler among them." And of course, it lists them all. And it says, go over to verse 16. These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Osha, the son of Nun Joshua. And he Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, "Go up this way southward, and go up into the mountain, and see the land, what it is, and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many, and what the land is that they dwell uh that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad, what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents or in strongholds, and what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein or not, and be of good courage, and bringing of the fruit of the land. And now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes. So they went up and searched the land from the wilderness of Zen to Rahab as men come to Hamoth, and they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron. And [laughter] I'm not going to read all those names. And then they came unto the brook of Escoll, and cut down from then a branch of one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff, and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs, and the place was called the brook Escob because of the cluster of grapes, and the children of Israel cut down from then, and they returned from searching the land after 40 days. So 40 days they went through the land and they went and came to Moses and to Aaron and to all the congregation of the children of Israel unto the wilderness of Perin to
Kadesh and brought back word unto them and unto all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. And they told him and said we came unto the land whether thou hast sent us and surely it flowth with milk and honey and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless, the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled and very great. And moreover, we saw the children of Anch there, the giants, and the Amalecchites dwell in the land of the south, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains, and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it." But the men that went up with him said, 'We be not able to go against the people, for they are stronger than we.' And they brought up an evil report of the land, which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land which though which we have gone to, searchth it is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof, and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. And there we saw giants and the sons of Anoch which come of the giants. And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers. And so we were in their sight. Now let's keep reading. And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried. And the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation said unto them, would God that we had died in the land of Egypt? Or would God we had died in this wilderness? And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land to fall by the sword, and that our wives, our children should be a prey, were it not better for us to return into Egypt?" And uh they said one to another, "Let us make a captain, and let us return to Egypt." Now, think about this. Just this is this is not long after they were slaves. And God destroyed the entire land of Egypt with plagues, supernatural plagues, delivered them from the mightiest army on earth, parted the Red Sea, brought down mana from heaven. Yet they're ready to go back to Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jeffuna, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes. And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land which we pass through to search it is exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us, a land that flowth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord. Neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bred for us. Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Fear them not. But all the congregation
bade or wanted to stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation. And basically, the Lord said, "Just let me destroy him all. I'm sick of this mess." And Moses talked him out of it. But the Lord was absolutely sick of [snorts] them. He was about to just destroy all of them. But let's think about this for a minute. You want to know the secret to the blessing and the favor of God? It's really simple. Do what he says. Have the courage to do what he says. It's that simple. You will either fear God and overcome your fear of the giants and the strongholds and the difficulties or you will fear men. You will fear all that and you will not do what God wants you to do. I I I think about how how awful this situation is. These people had no excuse. And how many Christians, especially if you've been in this church, Pastor Troy's church, you watch out here. You hear the word. You hear the truth. You hear the truth that most churches, the majority will not teach. And you want to wonder why things aren't going your way. I I think there's some people still in in our church, in our ministry, that still do not want to surrender fully to God. God said about Jacob, about not Jacob, but Caleb and Joshua, he said they had a different spirit upon them than the rest. But they were just men. They weren't perfect men. They were just men. What made them different than the others, than the 10 others? They believed God. Actually, they could actually think logically. I I don't know what it is about people. It's like we can't they can't think logically anymore. If God did all this for us and delivered us from the Egyptians, he can't give us this land that he promised us. Think about it. If you've truly been born again, what God brought you from, what he delivered you from, and you're in another situation that looks impossible, and you want to run back to your old life instead of move forward, you want to run back and live in sexual immorality, you want to run back and live in pornography or drugs or alcohol or drinking or whatever it may be. You want to run back to Egypt instead of going where God wants you to go.
And listen, there's no pastor, prophet, apostle, evangelist, teacher, church that can help you if you won't go forward. If you won't do the will of God, there is no amount of counseling that's going to help you. There's no amount of deliverance that's going to help. We can sit down and go through deliverance all day long. And you go, you refuse to do what God's told you to do. the way his word says to do it. I can't help you if you do that. No one can. All I can do is talk God out of destroying you, judging you, maybe giving you a little longer to get your act together. But think about this. this act of rebellion, this absolute lack of faith to do what God said to fear the physical world and to fear those things instead of fearing God. Think about what it did. It delayed everybody else. Oh, we want revival. You won't go next door and talk to your neighbor when God tells you that you won't revive him. You see with the problem God shows us we can't live habitually in sexual immorality and think everything's okay. Think he's okay with it. He's not. He never will be. And let me tell you, pornography, this pornography is an absolute scourge upon us. But it's not new. You know, I was doing a little reading about Tiberius Caesar. Do you know Tiberius Caesar was the first Epstein? Oh, yeah. He had his own little island called the island of Capri where he had children. Oh, it's disgusting. He even turned over governing of Rome to somebody else so he could stay on his island and be a pedophile. He was a degenerate. What do you think about it? Pompei, they found pornography on their dinner wear. Horrible stuff. We go back to Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord says, "Come out of that land cuz I got another one for you. You got to let go
of the perversion in the world system. If you don't, it will destroy you. And there is a difference. Look, I I when I was talking to this couple last night, there's a difference between a Christian that struggles and falls and gets up and said, "I don't want to do it." And maybe they have a battle for a while and they finally hate the sin and wrestle with the sin and then and then they're they're overcoming things and they're growing and they're getting free. God has a lot of mercy and patience. And then there's people who've come out of horrible sexual abuse and perversion in their childhood and it takes them longer to overcome some things. There's grace for people like that. But people who know better, who know what God expects and just say, "I'm going to do what I want. I'm just going to indulge and do whatever I want." And grace will let me, God's grace will just let me go do whatever I want. It is a deception. God said, "We're going to wait until all these people who talked about going back to Egypt are dead. Then we'll go." Have you been holding back people around you because you won't go forward? There's wives that have held back husbands. There's husbands that have held back wives. There's parents that have held back children because they're having to wait for somebody to get their act together. I marvel. I marvel at this. Can I just tell you right now, there's no superch Christians, you know, and I know sometimes I mean, I appreciate people's love and encouragement and saying, "Thank you, Pastor Dean, for what you do and all this stuff, but let me show you something. Psalm 39. Put up Psalm 39:5 for me, please. And then the first Peter 5, Psalm 39. That's not it.
Hang on. I believe it's first five. I can't. I was looking at it a minute ago. Ah, yeah. It's verse five. Psalm 39:5. There we go. Behold, he says, "Thou hast made my days as a handbreath, and my age is as nothing before thee. Verily, every man at his best state is altogether vanity." [clears throat] Can I just tell you, none of us, we don't have anything. If we have anything that's good, if we've done anything that's good, if we've overcome anything, if we blessed anybody, if we've helped anybody, if we've done anything pleasing to God, it's because he helped us do it. o there there where is boasting then? There is no boasting. If God left me to myself, I'd fall apart because I'm not all that in a bag of chips and neither are you, right? So, I need to seek God's mercy and God's grace and God's help, but I gain it by submitting to him. Now, some people see obedience to God or doing things that he says do. Sometimes they judge that as um pride or arrogance or control. You know, I get called a dictator all the time because I try to do things God's way. Like 1 Corinthians 5 when it talks about if any man be called a brother, be a fornicator, an idoltor, covetous, right? Goes down this list. with such a one know not to eat and then put that wicked one out of the church, deliver him over to Satan that maybe his spirit might be saved. Now, that's what the Bible says to do with a brother or a sister in the kingdom of God who will not repent and stop habitual sin in their life. That's what it says to do. But I've been called a dictator for doing it. But see, I want to tell you right now, I would rather not do it. It would be easier for me to ignore you. You understand? My life would be easier if I didn't have to sit down individually and deal with all these problems and correct you and instruct you and say, "Yeah, here's what we're going to have to do if you don't straighten up." Right? I would rather not have to do 1 Corinthians 5. my life would be easier.
We'd have a bigger church, too. Cuz some of them that I've had to put out got mad and carried others with them and influenced others right out the door. And some people think I'm too harsh. [laughter] Yeah. Well, you can find a lot of soft churches. So, go to those. Just remember this. The majority 12 spies went, 10 came back. with error, teaching error, teaching rebellion, teaching fear, teaching disobedience. Only two said we can do it. So the majority is not always right. Isn't that something? That's why in church, church government's not supposed to be voting in it. No such thing. The majority get gets it wrong all the time. Look at America. Yeah. Look at the Supreme Court. Name the circuit, right? Think about that. The majority usually go the wrong way. The majority of churches right now are going the wrong way. And they think we're crazy because we're trying to go the right way. and just trying to not say not because we're saying I we're any better than anybody else. We're just trying to follow the word of God and trying to follow what the Holy Spirit shows us to do. That's it. There's nothing special. There's no, you know, we're up here. You're we're just we're struggling along, too. But we've made some choices like Caleb and Joshua have made that we're going to go where God says to go and we're going to believe we can get there even if it looks impossible. Even if the odds are against us, even if the enemies outnumber us and are bigger than us, we're going to do what he says to do. And you know something I realized last night when I was praying over this, this seems to be the theme of what I preach and teach and have for 40 almost 40 years now. Pray and obey. Even if it's difficult, even if it scares you. See, courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the determination that you are you're not going to let fear stop you. We're all afraid sometimes. We're all afraid to do what God tells us to. It looks scary sometimes. Sometimes it is scary. Sometimes we are, what's the line from Batman? Sometimes we are involving ourselves in the secrets of scary people.
Sometimes there's people that don't like that and they want you dead. There's scary people out here in this world. But if the Lord sends you in the midst of them, you go. See, you think about the the everybody the all the old songs that you say the promised land was a type and shadow of heaven. No. How could it be? You got fallen angel human beings, you know, mixture mutants that are giants. You got massive cities that are walled like Jericho. strongholds. And the Lord wasn't just going to wipe him out. See, the Lord the Lord purposefully does this. The Lord could have just waved his hand and all the itites and mightes of the land of Canaan could have been dealt with just like that. Could have dropped them all like bad habit, you know, snap his fingers like Thanos and they all just vanished, right? But he didn't do that. Why? Because he always leaves us something to fight and overcome. And he always wants it to be. And this why does he do it? Because he wants us to be co-laborers with him. He doesn't need us. He wants us because it's in that battle where we just keep walking with him and obeying him and trying to do things his way. It's in that that we grow our relationship with him. It's in that that we grow our faith. But if we refuse, we refuse to do what he said at any point or we refuse to do things according to the way the scripture lays them out just because we're stubborn or rebellious or lazy, whatever it may be. I mean, when the Lord gave the talents to the three servants, what did he say to the one that went and took a hid, buried it, and was scared to death? I was afraid. So, I went and hid your talent in the earth. Lo, it's here's what did he say? You wicked and slothful servant. You should have. You should have done something with what I gave you. Why did you just hide it? Why did you just Why did you run and hide in fear? You're going to stand before God one day and if the excuse out of your mouth, the reason you didn't do what God told you to do for with your life is because I was afraid. I was afraid. what so- and so might think of me. I was afraid of what Cindy Sue might say about me in the meetings. I'm afraid of this. I'm Oh, I can't do it. Pastor Dean can do
it, but I can't do it. No. Ain't no different in me and you. Only thing is that I have spent years overcoming my fears, not letting my fears bury me. That's it. I learned a long time ago. I I in fact the Lord spoke it to me one time. He said, "You will overcome fear or fear will overcome you." There is no median ground there. There is no gray area. There's no uh demilitarized zone you can go to. You will overcome fear. Fear will overcome you. Your battle is with fear. It's always going to be fear. Fear will make you disobey. What is disobedient? Disobedience is also a manifestation of pride. Because what do we do when we're fearful? We think something's going to hurt us or destroy us or be bad for us. And we decide, I'm going to retreat from this. What is that all about? Selfpreservation. That's why when we disobey God, it is a full manifestation of pride. Let's let's put this up here. I'm going to show you something. Um go to second I mean uh go to Philippians chapter 2. [cough] I'm going turn there myself. Philippians 2. Say, "Pastor Dena is helping me today." I hope you believe that. What did I say? I'm jumping ahead of myself. Get there. I keep my pages are sticking or something. All right, there we go. All right, everybody ought to know this. Go down to verse five. He says, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant or a slave, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. And then he says this, "Wherefore, my beloved brother, uh, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." But he tells us the key. If humility brings the favor of God, the blessing of God on you, the grace of God, and it says Jesus humbled himself and became obedient. To humble yourself, you have to become obedient. It's not hard. That's why Jesus said, "You love me. If you love me, what you will obey me." Again, not hard. I learned over the years that if God told me to do something and I didn't do it, my spiritual life dried up like I've told you, like Spongebob in the desert. And guess what? There was no fixing that. I could pray in tongues for three hours. I could pray for eight hours. I could read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in a week. It was not going to fix anything until I did what God said to do. And I learned that lesson very early on when I was 19, 20, 21 years old. And I learned that if you don't obey and the Holy Spirit steps back away from you, you are capable of falling into any sin that exists if you're not careful. God resists the proud. Wish I had the whiteboard. Pride equals what? Disobedience. Disobedience equals pride. Humility equals obedience. Obedience equals humility. It's that simple. Amen. Or on me, right? Amen. And on me, right?
You know, this is why you're constantly I I constantly pray and search my and say, "Lord, please show me if there's anything I've missed. If there's anything that you've told me to do that I've not listened to, that I've not obeyed, that I've not paid attention to as I should, or if I'm not doing something the according to the the word, show me. Show me. Have mercy on me. Oh, you ought to hear me in the Lord. I talk to him. I don't know why, God, you have me being pastor at all. There's people far more patient and loving than me. But maybe it's just cuz I have to be like this for the time we live in. I know y'all wish I was more cuddly. you know, more counsily, more sweet and kissy. I know. [laughter] I hope the women don't either, brother. Um, of course, I mean that in a spiritual way. We need we need to do this. We need to do things God's way. Even if it doesn't make sense to us. It may not make sense at the time when he's saying to do it. Make no sense whatsoever. Here's the land I've given you. It's a land that flows with milk and honey. Look at the fruit of it. It's wonderful. But Lord, there's giants in there. The sons of Anoch. probably some of them up to 36 feet tall. There's walled cities. We They were like, "We don't have the weaponry. We don't have the We don't have the the physical strength or weapons to overcome this. Why would you give us this place? Why not something easy?" They should have learned it wasn't going to be easy. But if you're doing what God says to do, if you're where you're supposed to be, he will be with you and you will overcome. You will win against the giants, against the strongholds.
It's going to be I I'm I'm afraid where we are, you know, first Peter 4 verse 17. I think this is where we are right now. That's why you seeing so many pastors going down, getting exposed. For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? Why? What will the end be of them that do not obey the gospel? Obey not their present participle ongoing continuously taking place. He said those who live in continual persistent disobedience to the gospel. But he says that judgment begins first at the house of God. I'm telling you the preachers we are seeing go get exposed for and and what a what blows my mind a lot of it is sexual abuse of children. 1:00:001 hourWe're talk we're not talking about you know a little struggle here or there. We're talking about deep dark the 1:00:091 hour, 9 secondsone of the most wicked things that you can absolutely do in this world 1:00:151 hour, 15 secondsor covering up for pastor friends who've been doing it. 1:00:251 hour, 25 secondsIt can't be. 1:00:321 hour, 32 secondsAnd y'all think the Epstein files are something. 1:00:361 hour, 36 secondsIf all the redacted parts are unredacted, it's still that will not even compare 1:00:461 hour, 46 secondsto what is still hidden in churches, 1:00:531 hour, 53 secondsdaycare centers. I mean, we just saw up in I don't know, I can't remember now, north of here in Alabama, church daycare 1:01:021 hour, 1 minute, 2 secondsworker abusing, sexually abusing little kids in a daycare. Four teachers over 1:01:091 hour, 1 minute, 9 secondsWest Alabama in child pornography and using their position as teachers to mess with kids. 1:01:201 hour, 1 minute, 20 secondsWe live in a perverse generation, a wicked generation. 1:01:321 hour, 1 minute, 32 secondsAnd judgment is beginning. 1:01:361 hour, 1 minute, 36 secondsI really feel sorry for some of these people because it's really about to come down upon them. 1:01:481 hour, 1 minute, 48 secondsAnd you know, a lot of them started out just a little bit of pornography. 1:01:531 hour, 1 minute, 53 secondsThen that went to deeper, darker homosexual stuff. Then it goes to darker 1:02:001 hour, 2 minutesand darker and evil stuff, dark web stuff. 1:02:121 hour, 2 minutes, 12 secondsYou know, I've never gone on the dark web. 1:02:151 hour, 2 minutes, 15 secondsYou know, I didn't even want to stumble on anything like that. 1:02:291 hour, 2 minutes, 29 secondsThere's some really dark stuff going on, y'all. The kids are starting to tell it. 1:02:371 hour, 2 minutes, 37 secondsI mean, think about it. Here in Alabama, the Bib County dungeon foster kids in there. 1:02:501 hour, 2 minutes, 50 secondsYou think that's the only one in Alabama? 1:02:541 hour, 2 minutes, 54 secondsBib County. Oh, it's just one time. Oh, no. 1:03:001 hour, 3 minutesYou know, AJ McCarron, his family involved in a satanic sex cult that went on for generations. 1:03:111 hour, 3 minutes, 11 secondsNow, of course, he and his mom say they weren't involved, but his uncle and aunt went to prison. 1:03:181 hour, 3 minutes, 18 secondsone of his cousins disappeared because she was going to tell the main uncle that was in charge of the little sex cult, satanic sex cult they 1:03:261 hour, 3 minutes, 26 secondshad going on, uh, allegedly shot himself in the head from behind. 1:03:401 hour, 3 minutes, 40 secondsI think that's why he got out of the race. All that was going to come out. I mean, it was in the newspapers anyway. I mean, 1:03:471 hour, 3 minutes, 47 secondspictures of him sitting next to Uncle at Christmas, the one that went to prison, who was one of the perpetrators. He and his wife. 1:03:561 hour, 3 minutes, 56 secondsBut you didn't, nobody knows about that one, do they? 1:04:001 hour, 4 minutesStar quarterback at Alabama, national championship quarterback at Alabama. 1:04:041 hour, 4 minutes, 4 secondsDidn't know his whole family down there is involved in a satanic child pedophile sex ring that was one of the biggest in Alabama history. 1:04:221 hour, 4 minutes, 22 secondsNo, I think we're just barely seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this. 1:04:321 hour, 4 minutes, 32 secondsWhen I was in Montgomery, Alabama years ago, when I lived there, when I was pastoring a church there, people came to me and told me some 1:04:401 hour, 4 minutes, 40 secondsstories that you would not I could not tell. 1:04:461 hour, 4 minutes, 46 secondsBut there were people that in big churches, highlevel pastors that needed to go to prison. 1:04:581 hour, 4 minutes, 58 secondsWell, people thought they were the best things at sliced bread during those years. 1:05:061 hour, 5 minutes, 6 secondsIt's it's it's disturbing the secrets that go on. 1:05:131 hour, 5 minutes, 13 secondsAnd this is why I'm telling you the human nature, the side of you, the part of your heart that is deceitful and desperately wicked. 1:05:241 hour, 5 minutes, 24 secondsIf you don't have the spirit of God in you helping you, the grace of God, the favor of God, because you're obeying God 1:05:311 hour, 5 minutes, 31 secondsand walking with God, you are capable of going down some very dark roads 1:05:391 hour, 5 minutes, 39 secondsand then wonder why get there and all of a sudden, you know, you're doing things that you end up going to jail for. 1:05:481 hour, 5 minutes, 48 secondsMost everybody in jail never thought that they would do the stuff they did, but they ended up doing it. 1:05:571 hour, 5 minutes, 57 secondsIt's a slippery slope, y'all. That's why I want to put this up. 1:06:071 hour, 6 minutes, 7 secondsUh, put up I gave you the amplified. 1:06:101 hour, 6 minutes, 10 secondsI want to just read. This is first Peter 5, first few verses in the amplified. 1:06:151 hour, 6 minutes, 15 secondsYou can turn to it and B. I just I've always liked the way the Amplified said this here. Let's read it. says, "Likewise, you who are younger and of 1:06:231 hour, 6 minutes, 23 secondslesser rank, be subject to the elders, the ministers, and spiritual guides of the church, giving them due respect, and yielding to their counsel, clothe, aped 1:06:321 hour, 6 minutes, 32 secondsyourselves, all of you, with humility as the garb of a servant, so that its covering cannot possibly be stripped from you, with freedom from pride and 1:06:411 hour, 6 minutes, 41 secondsarrogance toward one another. For God sets himself against the proud, the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the 1:06:491 hour, 6 minutes, 49 secondsboastful, and he opposes, frustrates, and defeats them, but gives grace, favor, blessing to the humble, or what is humble? 1:07:001 hour, 7 minutesObedient. 1:07:031 hour, 7 minutes, 3 secondsTherefore, humble yourselves, demote yourselves in your own estimation under the mighty hand of God, that he that in due time he may exalt you. 1:07:131 hour, 7 minutes, 13 secondsLet me demote yourselves. All that means is shut up. 1:07:211 hour, 7 minutes, 21 secondsThere's a lot of I I I me me. There's a problem. 1:07:261 hour, 7 minutes, 26 secondsShut your mouth and ask God to search your heart. 1:07:311 hour, 7 minutes, 31 secondsAnd then say, "Lord, show me the way that I must walk. 1:07:361 hour, 7 minutes, 36 secondsShow me what you want me to do with everything in my life. 1:07:421 hour, 7 minutes, 42 secondsI mean, there's a lot of there's a lot of people that want to be in the ministry who need to sit down and shut their mouths. 1:07:511 hour, 7 minutes, 51 secondsAnd God may actually have them sit there for a year or two or three or five or 10. 1:07:591 hour, 7 minutes, 59 secondsYou know, a lot of people forget that Jesus was on the earth. God manifested in the flesh. 1:08:051 hour, 8 minutes, 5 secondsWas on the earth for 30 years before he started his ministry. 1:08:101 hour, 8 minutes, 10 seconds30 years of being a normal guy, working a normal job, 1:08:181 hour, 8 minutes, 18 secondsjust being faithful, being a good son to his mother, 1:08:251 hour, 8 minutes, 25 secondsproviding for his family, doing hard work. 1:08:321 hour, 8 minutes, 32 seconds30 years Humility. 1:08:401 hour, 8 minutes, 40 secondsHumility can sit down and be quiet and wait for God. 1:08:471 hour, 8 minutes, 47 secondsHumility can say, "You know what? I was wrong. Let me go back. Let me repent. 1:08:541 hour, 8 minutes, 54 secondsLet me seek God for a while. Let me fast for a while. Let me read the word for a while. Let me correct this in my life. 1:09:061 hour, 9 minutes, 6 secondsOne of the best things that ever happened to me was God making me sit down from the ministry for about six years. 1:09:161 hour, 9 minutes, 16 secondsIt was a tough six years, but it was the one of the best things that ever happened. 1:09:231 hour, 9 minutes, 23 secondsAnd I knew he wanted me to sit down and shut up. 1:09:301 hour, 9 minutes, 30 secondsPeople would ask me, "Why aren't you preaching that? Why aren't you doing this? Why aren't you doing that? 1:09:361 hour, 9 minutes, 36 secondsBecause I can't do anything until God shows me what to do. 1:09:401 hour, 9 minutes, 40 secondsI can't do anything until God heals me, my broken heart. I can't do anything until God helps fix all these mess in me and all this pride that was in me as a 1:09:491 hour, 9 minutes, 49 secondsyoung minister and all the wrong motives that I had for doing things that I was doing but hiding 1:09:561 hour, 9 minutes, 56 secondsthose motives behind, you know, theological phrases 1:10:031 hour, 10 minutes, 3 secondswhen God rips it. You know, you think that you're, you know, all I'd done is been a, you know, I mean, I worked a bunch of different secular jobs over 1:10:111 hour, 10 minutes, 11 secondstrying, you know, as I was in the ministry and growing in the ministry, but having all of that ripped away. 1:10:181 hour, 10 minutes, 18 secondsOh, that was good. 1:10:221 hour, 10 minutes, 22 secondsBecause then you got to figure out, you know, a lot of people, a lot of ministers, they really live their life through 1:10:311 hour, 10 minutes, 31 secondsbeing a minister instead of being a minister here and living their life with God like everybody else. 1:10:431 hour, 10 minutes, 43 secondsSee, that becomes their identity instead of just being a Christian, just walking with God. And here's the scary thing is God will anoint you for ministry and 1:10:521 hour, 10 minutes, 52 secondsyour life, your private life will be falling apart. 1:10:571 hour, 10 minutes, 57 secondsAnd see, I would get up and preach under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, but my private life was crumbling. 1:11:061 hour, 11 minutes, 6 secondsMarriage was crumbling. The children were going the wrong direction. Demons were just running rampant. 1:11:211 hour, 11 minutes, 21 secondsI'm glad the Lord set me down. He made me lie down. 1:11:271 hour, 11 minutes, 27 secondsSometimes if you won't, he will make you. 1:11:361 hour, 11 minutes, 36 secondsThat's why I tell people, humble yourself or you will be humbled. 1:11:421 hour, 11 minutes, 42 secondsAnd this thing about elders, you know, sometimes I have to be stern. 1:11:481 hour, 11 minutes, 48 secondsAnd it's only 12 y'all, so I still got some time. 1:11:521 hour, 11 minutes, 52 secondsSometimes I have to be stern. Sometime My wife will tell you, my wife will tell you this. A lot of times I don't want to I don't want to do it. Don't want to talk to you. Don't want to confront you. 1:12:021 hour, 12 minutes, 2 secondsdon't want to correct you. Don't want to do any of it. 1:12:071 hour, 12 minutes, 7 secondsI'd rather just go to my room by myself, pray, read, do what I do what I do. Just leave me alone. Even when I was a little bitty baby, my mama said she wrote my 1:12:161 hour, 12 minutes, 16 secondsbaby book. If somebody irritated me, I just leave me alone. I'd run in my room. Just leave me alone. I'm still the same exact way. Just leave me alone. 1:12:251 hour, 12 minutes, 25 secondsI'll be all right in a little while. 1:12:291 hour, 12 minutes, 29 secondsBut here's the thing, though. Think about this. 1:12:321 hour, 12 minutes, 32 secondscorrection, instruction, rebuke. The Bible says it's a way of life. 1:12:381 hour, 12 minutes, 38 secondsBut how many of you can really take a real rebuke, a real correction? 1:12:491 hour, 12 minutes, 49 secondsThere's a few. I guess those of you is still here. Y'all y'all handled it. 1:13:001 hour, 13 minutesBut how many people don't have Think about this. You know, just think how many Christians when somebody actually really sits down with them and goes, "Okay, you want me to be honest? You 1:13:071 hour, 13 minutes, 7 secondswant me to tell you what's going on and what's and they tell you and it won't be pleasant, right? 1:13:151 hour, 13 minutes, 15 secondsIt's never pleasant to be corrected, to be rebuked." And yet the Bible says we should love 1:13:221 hour, 13 minutes, 22 secondsit. We should welcome it because it stings that pride. 1:13:311 hour, 13 minutes, 31 secondsAnd then it's like, how dare they? I'm this, I'm that, and who are they? You're right. Who is anybody? 1:13:411 hour, 13 minutes, 41 secondsWe're all wretched vanity. 1:13:491 hour, 13 minutes, 49 secondsBut we still got to try to do things God's way. 1:13:531 hour, 13 minutes, 53 secondsSo that's why I got to put elders in your life. But elders are supposed to be there to what? To watch over you. 1:14:001 hour, 14 minutesto see if you're going the wrong way and tell you to see if you get allowing stuff in your life that you should and to tell you. 1:14:121 hour, 14 minutes, 12 secondsSo that's why we do what we do. Just know I'd rather not do it. 1:14:191 hour, 14 minutes, 19 secondsI'd rather not. I'd rather go play golf, go work out with weights, 1:14:261 hour, 14 minutes, 26 secondsjust be away from all this. Like my wife said the other day, can we retire? No, we can't. 1:14:371 hour, 14 minutes, 37 secondsI say it, too, though. Right? 1:14:411 hour, 14 minutes, 41 secondsBecause some of the crap gets old, y'all. It gets old. But we live, we definitely live in this time. the 1:14:501 hour, 14 minutes, 50 secondsmajority, they are not going the way they're supposed to go. 1:14:571 hour, 14 minutes, 57 secondsWhat's going to be a shame though are going to the ones that have sat in this church or listened to this ministry 1:15:061 hour, 15 minutes, 6 secondsmaybe even for years and they're going to stand before God and he's going to say, "Depart from me, 1:15:161 hour, 15 minutes, 16 secondsyou wicked and slothful servant. You knew what you ought to have done, but you didn't do it. 1:15:251 hour, 15 minutes, 25 secondsI can only tell you so many times. 1:15:291 hour, 15 minutes, 29 secondsYou going to be part of the 10 or part of the two. You can't do it. Can't do it. 1:15:401 hour, 15 minutes, 40 secondsAnd see, that's another thing. What do those strongholds represent? What do those giants represent? They represent demonic strongholds in our lives that we 1:15:481 hour, 15 minutes, 48 secondshave got to tear down and we have got to remove and we have and we have got to fight and we've got to find God's 1:15:561 hour, 15 minutes, 56 secondsdirection how to do that and we got to be willing because you know he told them you're going to go in the land don't 1:16:031 hour, 16 minutes, 3 secondsmake peace with these people you are supposed to drive them out completely out of your land 1:16:101 hour, 16 minutes, 10 secondsdon't make peace with them how many people have decided I'm tired of fighting ing. I'm tired of spiritual warfare. I'm tired of dealing with this. 1:16:181 hour, 16 minutes, 18 secondsI'm tired of not overcoming these strongholds or these giants, these these strong men in my life. I'm tired of it. 1:16:251 hour, 16 minutes, 25 secondsI'm just going to make a peace treaty with them and live with them. 1:16:311 hour, 16 minutes, 31 secondsWhat did he tell him? He said, "If you do that, they are going to be snares, traps, thorns in your side. 1:16:421 hour, 16 minutes, 42 secondsYou will worship their gods. 1:16:451 hour, 16 minutes, 45 secondsAnd if you worship their gods, guess what? What what always goes along with idolatry. What have I taught you? It always accompanies idolatry is sexual immorality and perversion. 1:16:561 hour, 16 minutes, 56 secondsThat's why you can't make peace with them. You can't live with the demons. 1:16:591 hour, 16 minutes, 59 secondsYou can't hold them beach balls underwater forever. 1:17:031 hour, 17 minutes, 3 secondsYou got to confront them and deal with them. 1:17:081 hour, 17 minutes, 8 secondsSome of you still know you have Freemasonry in your family line and still hadn't gone through the whole Freemasonry breaking all the curses and 1:17:161 hour, 17 minutes, 16 secondsoaths off of you from Freemasonry. Still hadn't done it. 1:17:231 hour, 17 minutes, 23 secondsSome of you know and you know what that you you prayed that scripture. Him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him is sent. 1:17:301 hour, 17 minutes, 30 secondsThat's in James. 1:17:341 hour, 17 minutes, 34 secondsYou guys know about deliverance. You know about tearing down strongholds, binding the strong men, casting out the demons out of your land. 1:17:421 hour, 17 minutes, 42 secondsY'all know more excuses. Especially if y'all been through the school of ministry, you know. 1:17:471 hour, 17 minutes, 47 secondsAnd still hadn't done it thoroughly completely. You you you and and let me just say this. Halfway is not enough. 1:17:561 hour, 17 minutes, 56 secondsOh, well, I got delivered from this and that. But, and no, but he told them, 1:18:031 hour, 18 minutes, 3 secondsGod told them, "Drive all of these wicked things out of your land. 1:18:111 hour, 18 minutes, 11 secondsNo compromise, no resting, no peace treaty, no living with them." 1:18:191 hour, 18 minutes, 19 secondsBut some of you've lived with them for so long, you've gotten used to them. You've accepted them. 1:18:271 hour, 18 minutes, 27 secondsAnd again, you wonder why you got problems, right? 1:18:351 hour, 18 minutes, 35 secondsYou wonder why you can't overcome. You wonder why you can't grow. You wonder why because you quit fighting. You made peace with them. 1:18:441 hour, 18 minutes, 44 secondsSaid they're too scary. Facing facing the stuff in my life or in my childhood or in my past, it's just too painful. 1:18:521 hour, 18 minutes, 52 secondsIt's too scary. It's too daunting. I just can't do it. 1:18:581 hour, 18 minutes, 58 secondsWell, if you don't do it, they will overcome you eventually. 1:19:041 hour, 19 minutes, 4 secondsThey will take you down. That's their job. You cannot make peace with them. 1:19:121 hour, 19 minutes, 12 secondsNo peace with the devil. No peace with demon spirits. No peace with strongholds in your life. 1:19:181 hour, 19 minutes, 18 secondsSo, Pastor Dean, I I started but I just I got blocked or I couldn't feel. Well, I understand sometimes it's a battle. 1:19:251 hour, 19 minutes, 25 secondsSometimes it takes years to deal with certain things. But you can't give up. You can't quit. 1:19:331 hour, 19 minutes, 33 secondsYou can't go, "Well, I'm just going to live with this demon in here." No. 1:19:411 hour, 19 minutes, 41 secondsAmen. 1:19:441 hour, 19 minutes, 44 secondsWe can go in and take the land. We can obey. 1:19:531 hour, 19 minutes, 53 secondsI don't care what it looks like. May look impossible, but we can do it. Let's think. 1:20:121 hour, 20 minutes, 12 secondsSay this with me. 1:20:141 hour, 20 minutes, 14 secondsI will I will obey the gospel. Obey the gospel. 1:20:181 hour, 20 minutes, 18 secondsI will obey. I will the word of God. the word of God. 1:20:221 hour, 20 minutes, 22 secondsI will do I will do what the Holy Spirit What the Holy Spirit leads me to do. 1:20:301 hour, 20 minutes, 30 secondsFear Fear will not stop me. Will not stop me. 1:20:361 hour, 20 minutes, 36 secondsSomebody say amen to that. Give the Lord praise this morning. Come on. 1:20:411 hour, 20 minutes, 41 seconds[applause] 1:20:431 hour, 20 minutes, 43 secondsI can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Right? 1:20:511 hour, 20 minutes, 51 secondsHe told them, "But I will go with you. I will go before you." The words you don't want to hear 1:21:001 hour, 21 minutesis, "I'm not going with you until you fix this." So, you better fix whatever it is he wants you to fix or he will not go with you. 1:21:121 hour, 21 minutes, 12 secondsAmen. All right, let's pray. Father, I pray today in Jesus name that you'll help us all fear you instead of fearing men. 1:21:251 hour, 21 minutes, 25 secondsThat we'll respect you more than they worry about gaining the respect of people around us. 1:21:341 hour, 21 minutes, 34 secondsLord, I pray you will lead us in a plain path because of our enemies. 1:21:391 hour, 21 minutes, 39 secondsA path that we can see, that we can know, that we can hear clearly so that we can do it. 1:21:451 hour, 21 minutes, 45 secondsIf we've disobeyed at any point, if we've detourred off, help us get back on the right road, Lord. I pray, show us what we need to do 1:21:541 hour, 21 minutes, 54 secondsindividually, corporately, every every way. We want to obey you, Lord. 1:22:011 hour, 22 minutes, 1 secondLord, we move forward with things even though they appear daunting and scary. Lord, 1:22:111 hour, 22 minutes, 11 secondswe ask you, Lord, to show us the way of deliverance, victory, how to win in spiritual warfare and 1:22:191 hour, 22 minutes, 19 secondsovercome the strongholds and the giants that are in our land. 1:22:281 hour, 22 minutes, 28 secondsNow, we're thankful that the secret is we don't have to be perfect. 1:22:321 hour, 22 minutes, 32 secondsYou just want people who will obey, who will listen, who will not let fear stop them. 1:22:441 hour, 22 minutes, 44 secondsLord, we choose to obey the gospel. We choose to obey your word. We choose to do things the way the scriptures say to do them. We choose to be led by the Holy 1:22:521 hour, 22 minutes, 52 secondsSpirit and not our flesh, not a majority vote. We don't want to run with the crowd. 1:23:001 hour, 23 minutesLord, we want to do what you say. 1:23:041 hour, 23 minutes, 4 secondsSo Lord, I pray that you help us always surrender to do things the way you say to do them, 1:23:121 hour, 23 minutes, 12 secondsto be obedient children, not fashioning ourselves according to our former lust. 1:23:221 hour, 23 minutes, 22 secondsI pray that over everyone in this church. I pray that over everyone watching. 1:23:261 hour, 23 minutes, 26 secondsPray that over our students in the school of ministry. I pray that over our graduates. I pray that over our graduates out there starting ministries, churches. 1:23:381 hour, 23 minutes, 38 secondsBless them. Lead them and guide them. 1:23:401 hour, 23 minutes, 40 secondsLet them hear your voice. Let them always be humble enough to change course if they need to change course, 1:23:501 hour, 23 minutes, 50 secondsto admit they've missed it, to admit they're wrong on something or whatever. 1:23:541 hour, 23 minutes, 54 secondsbut to be humble and to grow and to repent and to change. 1:23:591 hour, 23 minutes, 59 secondsAnd Lord, I pray that over our church family, Lord, if anybody struggling with 1:24:071 hour, 24 minutes, 7 secondsthe pornography thing, that that stronghold would be broken in their lives, that they would hate that 1:24:161 hour, 24 minutes, 16 secondssin and want to be free from it, and that they will fight until they overcome it and get victory over it. 1:24:291 hour, 24 minutes, 29 secondsBut Lord, I pray that I don't care if it's pastors, deacons, elders, priests, anybody out there messing with kids. 1:24:401 hour, 24 minutes, 40 secondsLord, expose them. Expose them. Bring it down. 1:24:461 hour, 24 minutes, 46 secondsbring the judgment to the house of God because we know that after that is 1:24:551 hour, 24 minutes, 55 secondsjudgment upon the world and then your return. 1:25:011 hour, 25 minutes, 1 secondSo Lord, we look to your return, but we look to be ready. 1:25:061 hour, 25 minutes, 6 secondsWhether we live to that time or whether we die before it, we want to be ready. 1:25:101 hour, 25 minutes, 10 secondsWe do not want to hear the words, "Depart from me. 1:25:191 hour, 25 minutes, 19 secondsSo Lord, forgive us, cleanse us, help us. 1:25:251 hour, 25 minutes, 25 secondsWe admit that we're nothing without you, Lord. 1:25:341 hour, 25 minutes, 34 secondsI pray you get that across to every Christian that there are no superch Christians. 1:25:421 hour, 25 minutes, 42 secondsWe pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. All right. 1:25:491 hour, 25 minutes, 49 secondsI almost thought about wearing a cape today. Super Christian. 1:25:581 hour, 25 minutes, 58 secondsI know more. I pray more than all of you. I'm so spiritual. 1:26:081 hour, 26 minutes, 8 secondsOkay. 1:26:101 hour, 26 minutes, 10 secondsThat has to get that's going to have to get torn down. If that if you got one of those capes on, it needs to get torn off, right? All right, y'all know the drill. Hug some necks before you leave. 1:26:211 hour, 26 minutes, 21 secondsGod bless. And yes, the building is about to be started. We're in our last little 1:26:291 hour, 26 minutes, 29 secondsour last little approval, licensing approval thing. We're the last little bit of it and then we've already got 1:26:361 hour, 26 minutes, 36 secondslining up the foundation to be laid and then we it's going to be soon. So, 1:26:441 hour, 26 minutes, 44 secondswe are almost there. I I really never dreamed it would take this long to get from to just get to the point where we can start building uh government regulations, y'all. 1:26:561 hour, 26 minutes, 56 secondsLee County, it's just awesome. Yeah. All right. God bless y'all. 1:27:041 hour, 27 minutes, 4 secondsI said it. Hugs from Nicks. Sync to video time