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to love or look forward to, but you. And I'm glad it's that way, Lord, because you don't disappoint. >> Nobody's ever been in your presence and walked away empty.

Hallelujah. >> So, tonight as we uh walk through your word a little bit, will you open up our understanding? And we'll thank you for it in Jesus' name we pray.

And everybody said, "Amen." >> Amen. >> Thank you for being seated. I I guess some of you are wondering why I'm here.

The guest speaker is stranded somewhere. Is that I thought I saw Pastor Reggie somewhere. Is that right?

Is that close? >> Took his family on a cruise and can't get back. So, uh, they call me.

I'll do the best I can. I was at a restaurant the other day. I thought I'd go in and have a salad and a cup of soup really quick.

Sander was doing another grandmother thing. And it turned out to be an hour and 20 minutes of sessions. Different ones came up, wanted to talk, and they, "Hey, I see you're here.

I want to ask you this question. I said, "You ask and I'll eat." And I I don't know what happened, but they asked me a question about John the Baptist and I began to relate the account um when Jesus referred to John the Baptist. That would be in Matthew chap 11.

And I don't want to rush through this. I want to read these words carefully. I think that we are so blessed that we don't appreciate it.

I think that we are fat and happy Christians. Even with all the stuff, everybody here is going through something. Would you agree with that?

>> And it's [clears throat] bad for some people. Really bad. But with all of that, we still have wonderful fellowship, great church, and I think sometimes we take it for granted and we don't realize how blessed we are or what a miracle took place when Jesus saved us.

>> A miracle. So, I want to go over this. It's very elementary, but if you miss the elementary stuff, there's no need in trying anything else.

Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women," and that's all of us, isn't it? Nobody's in here. It didn't come from mommy of and among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.

Think about it. [clears throat] Of those born of women, there has not been one greater than John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the last New Testament prophet.

John the Baptist is the only prophet that didn't perform a miracle. He did no miracles. John the Baptist was Jesus cousin.

John the Baptist came out of the wilderness baptizing in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit. He even baptized Jesus. Think about it.

John the Baptist was greater than Moses, greater than Elijah, Elisha, and you can just go on and on. Of all those born of women, there's never been one greater than John the Baptist. I'll just throw this in quickly in case we have a brand new Christian watching or listening.

John was just like you and me. Remember that time he got really discouraged after he had done all that preaching and baptizing and declaring and saying he pointed to Jesus up on the riverbank of Jordan and said, "Hey everybody, look, there's the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." And John was in the river when he baptized his cousin. Jesus came up out of the water.

The Holy Spirit came in the form of a dove. John saw that John heard a voice from heaven, a literal audible voice from heaven saying, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." But when the battle got hot and John got weary in welloing, he said, "I'm not sure I was right." So he sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you he or should we wait for somebody else?" If you ever get discouraged and then get discouraged at your discouragement, just think about John who saw it all had Jesus make those declarations about him and found himself alone in jail about to be beheaded and said, "I'm just not even sure anymore." Be honest with me. How many of you have said, "I'm not sure right now." Slip your hand up.

You see both of mine in the air. Yeah. So Jesus said, "There's not been a greater than John the Baptist, but I tell you all the time, punctuation matters.

But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Who is that? We who are saved by the blood of Jesus.

Which means we are greater than John the Baptist because that's what it says. It means we have greater privileges than Moses had. Hey, we've had a greater experience than David or even the early apostles had.

We've had a new birth experience. David did not know the new birth. Moses did not understand the new birth.

Elisha could not teach the new birth because there was nothing about a new birth. And I'm telling you, this is a pivotal uh statement from Christ as he begins to lean towards telling us that another called out people was soon to come. Just like he called Abraham out of her, he's about to call another people out of the world.

And here you sit. And there you sit. I just in this conversation yesterday while I was talking to this good brother, it hit me and I said, "What?

What am I talking about?" As many times as I've preached this and studied this, I don't think it's hit me like it just hit me right now at this table in with this bowl of chili. He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. Oh my.

The key to it is born of women. See, we're talking about birth here. He that is born of women.

So what makes us greater than John the Baptist? The fact that we were not just born of a woman, but born, it says it two ways, of the spirit and born of God. The new birth.

The most basic thing Christians learn is you must be >> born again. Jesus said that to a Pharisee. The Pharisee couldn't get it.

He didn't understand it. And Jesus said, "There's a reason why people don't get stuff. Don't understand stuff because you have to be born again.

Born of the spirit, born of God to receive the things of the spirit of God." Got it? So, you remember a few weeks ago when I told you and I it was around the holidays that the reason your lost children resent you, get mad at you, don't want you to quote scripture is because unsaved people don't understand saved people. But it goes a little deeper than that.

They resent saved people because the spirit of darkness that controls them hates the spirit of light that controls you. So you there's no need to be confused. The the natural man, you know what I mean by natural unsaved man does not understand the things of the spirit of God.

For they are foolishness unto him. They're foolish. They don't understand why you love God, why you love the church.

They think you're in a cult. They think that some pastor is controlling you and trying to get your money Yes, that money always comes into it. Yeah, they just want your money.

And so the natural man, the lost man, the man that's only been born once, cannot comprehend the things of those who are born twice. For they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. It is impossible for a sinner to understand the things of God.

Did you get that? >> Even if your children are lost and you brought them up in a Christian home, they still won't get it if they're not born again. Think they think you were just rigid and strict and demanding and you made them get up and go to church and go to youth camp and sing in the youth choir and they and now they resent it.

because they don't have to do it anymore. They by God they're not going to do it. Now I'm going to calm down.

I I get so worked up and I wish I didn't. So don't be uh upset with yourself. Don't say, "What did we do wrong?" Just remember the Bible says they can't get it until they are born again.

And you don't get born again by reading the Bible or going to church. You are born again by the spirit of God. When the truth of God impregnates your spirit and something happens inside of you and you are at that moment a brand new creation in Christ Jesus.

Okay, I could get hung up there. Uh, I want them to put 1 Peter 1:23 on the screen. Everybody's got a screen.

Look at the screens we got here. Everybody read it with me. Having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible.

Now, that's an incomplete sentence there. It's a It's a verse taken from two more verses, but that's the gist of it. Oh, you got more.

Through the word of God, which lives and abides forever. Okay. Now, go back, Stephen, to 22.

1:22. Having been born again, not of corruptible seed. You know what that means?

the normal uh way but incorruptible because the way we re reproduce we re reproduce death the moment you're conceived you start dying because you are conceived in death in my mother's womb he said I was conceived and I was already a sinner So, having been born again changes the whole dynamic. What's the next verse? Stephen, is it Stephen?

Is he on tonight? International Stephen. Oh, he's in another building.

So, nobody's going to talk to me. And how does that happen? Through the word of God, which lives and abides forever.

You will not get saved without scripture. You do not get saved by hearing good stories. And you guys know this, but I'm talking to a lot more people than are here.

You don't get saved by hearing inspirational speeches. You get saved by somebody telling you you are lost and dead in trespasses and sins. And the only way to live forever is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

and that because he shed his blood and his blood paid for your sins. That's the only way to be born again. James in 1:18 says this of his own will.

He brought us forth by the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. You know what that means? When he saved us, he started a new creation.

We are a new thing, a new entity. Listen, when you got saved, he didn't make a better person out of you. >> He made a new person out of you.

>> Nobody here was saved and just got better. >> Nope. You were saved and you became totally new, something that never existed before.

You were born of the spirit, born of the word of God. And if I were to go back to John, I'm sorry, John 3. Let's see if I can do that right quick.

Uh, I can't. Yeah, here it is. I want I want to read this quickly and bring something to your attention.

Jesus answered, "Most assurely, I say to you, unless one is born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the spirit is spirit.

Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the spirit.

So you see what's happening here. Jesus Christ has created a new nation of people. We are not Israel.

Israel is not the church. He didn't do away with Israel. He didn't break his covenant with Israel.

He's still working with Israel. Their time is coming. But Jesus said, "Upon this rock, I'll build my church." Now, I'm going somewhere with this.

If you'll just hang on. I know it's all very elementary. Just Just hang on a minute.

What makes us better than John the Baptist? We're different. What makes us greater than John the Baptist?

Different. A lion, the mightiest lion you could bring in this place, is not the same as a tiny little child. They're different.

You see, we're not stronger people. We're not kinder people. We are totally different people than the world out there.

>> You see, we are in it, but not of it. We've been called out of darkness into his marvelous light. So, with all of our foiblesss and thoughts, one would tend to think, are are you talking about me?

Do you know what I did today, pastor? Do you know what I thought? Do you know what I felt?

[cough and clears throat] Probably. Because I had one of those days, too. I've had several of those days lately.

So, it's not a new I I put it this way. We're a new nation. You are a peculiar people, a holy nation, a royal priesthood.

Nothing like it on this earth. The difference between the church and Israel is that Israel was always and still is looking for land. They've been promised land.

It's theirs. Their promises are in a king who will help them get the land. Their hope is that the king, the Messiah, will protect them and prosper them.

That's the hope of Israel. But the church is looking for the King of Kings. Israel is not looking for Jesus.

They're looking for, they don't really know who they're looking for. They're just looking for a Messiah. The church is not looking for a land down here.

We're looking for a land somewhere else. Right? Our promise or our hope and our for a promise is not that we'll be safe and prosperous.

Our hope is that we will soon be with Jesus and never ever again be separated from him. That's the difference between the church and Israel. The church is mighty.

The church has conquered is conquering. The church cannot be defeated. Hell is not stronger than the church.

The church cannot be snuffed out. Israel is hunkering in a corner again. They're about this big, you know, and everything else is about this big and they [clears throat] still whip everybody and outthink everybody and out survive everybody and out invent everybody.

Because when you have the favor of God on you, it doesn't matter who's against you. >> Now, I don't want you to say that just because you think I'm talking only of Israel. The favor of God is on the church.

>> And if you are a member of the church, uh member of the body of Christ, you've got the same favor on you that helps you create and overcome. You have authority. You can pray.

You can walk straight into the throne room of God. Satan trembles when Christians pray. That's why I want to start back these Wednesday night prayer meetings.

I mean have prayer meeting because I want to see the devil. [clears throat] I'm gonna have to watch my language tonight. I got sir.

No sir. >> I I just want to do that. So, if you have of late wondered if you got it right, is does this work?

Am I silly? Am I fooling myself? Do I just go to church so I can be with other hysterical people who live in denial?

Just remember this. The greatest man born of women, of woman, had the worst day he could ever have when he even said, "I'm not even sure Jesus is the Messiah." So, let me ask you this. If we are a holy nation and we are more than conquerors, if we are the body of Christ, great day, did the body of Christ.

And if we are the bride of Christ soon to be married to him and if we John says as he is so are we in this world. Isn't that a great verse? As he is so are we right now.

What is he seated victorious? Everything else that goes along with it. If I'm his body I'm enjoying the rest of Christ.

And if all that's true, then why are we constantly admonished? Yes, even begged to quit living like sinners. You ever read Paul's writings?

I beg you by the mercies of God, flee the appearance of evil. If all of this is true and we're born again of a different spirit, the spirit of God, then tell me why Paul had to go to the Corinthian church and say, "Quit committing adultery. Don't you know you are the body of the Lord?" And the list just goes on and on.

Sexual immorality was rampant. And yet Paul said, "You're the body of Christ. You're the temple of the Holy Spirit." How can this how can these things be?

Well, that's where preachers come in and pastors, we come in to remind you that while you have been born again and you are filled with the spirit of God and you are the temple of the Holy Spirit and you are the body of Christ, you're still in a body made of flesh and it will raise its ugly head up ever so often and you will not be able to figure out what in the world, who am I I just get an amen from somebody. >> It was a weak amen, but I guess I'll take it. Why?

Why is he constantly telling people, "Present your body a living sacrifice. Stop yielding yourself to the flesh." Why does he have to go to a church in Corinth and say, "Have you people lost your minds?" Communion is not to have a feast and be glutton and leave poor people out that don't get to eat. Have you lost your mind?

Paul said, "I'm travailing like a woman travailing in birth." AND HE SAID, "I'M TRAVAILING THAT CHRIST MIGHT be born in you." For I'm sorry, formed in you. He said, "I cry about it. I pray about it.

I'm begging you. I'm writing letters. I'm traveling.

I wear out sandals. I I sail on ships. I get lost.

Sometimes I get beat up. I get whipped. I get lost in the ocean just to come and tell you, "Stop it.

That's not who you are. You are mastered by whatever you choose to do. If you choose to sin, that's your master.

If you choose to live righteously, that's your master. That's what Paul said. Drunkenness.

How why is he having to tell them, don't be overcome with things. Don't let things control you. And then he got into the stuff.

You know, we can handle the gluttony thing mo most of the time. I didn't when the snow was falling. I still can't believe how much I ate one day.

It just I And Sandra said, "I don't know what's wrong with me, pastor. I need some help, brother." I said, "I can't help you, sister. You cooked it and I'm eating it." But then he got down to the nitty-gritty and he said, "They said, quit gossiping.

Shut your mouth. Bridle your tongue. Your tongue controls your whole body.

Your tongue determines the destination of your day, the altitude of your day. Stop it. Quit.

He said, "Quit lying." He's telling people who've been born again, quit lying. [clears throat] Born of the spirit, born of the truth, quit lying. Deception.

Don't deceive one another. Tell the truth. Let your yay be yay and your nay nay.

Boy, I found something yesterday when I was studying and I've preached it preached it so many times and I I hesitate to bring it up. What was that? >> Okay.

[clears throat and cough] I just don't want a group of demonstrators coming in here. It won't bode well for you. I don't want to go there.

But when the Lord met Jacob at Bethl and the Lord said, "What's your name?" He asked him his name. You know, God knew his name. And Jacob was busted, broken, empty, scared.

What's your name? He said, "My name is Jacob." You know what [clears throat] Jacob means? deceiver, suppler, trickster, conniver.

God wanted Jacob to admit it. We will not admit that we have streaks of deceit in us. I got it.

My wife does not want me to give the dog a treat from the table. from the table. You know, I just remember this is online, isn't it?

[laughter] Okay. Okay. Here.

Actually, that's not what the story I want to tell [laughter] because we all do things we have been asked not to do. Then when you asked, "Did you do it?" you go, [laughter] "You got to be kidding me. You're asking me that?

You don't trust me? Why are all the men laughing here? We a great day in your life is when you realize you're full of it, right?

What is your name? Jacob. Why did God want him to tell him his name?

He wanted him to say, "I am a deceiver. I'm a conniver. I'm a trickster." God said, 'Well, now I'm going to change it to Israel.

I may preach on this Sunday. It just it's really getting good to me right now. But after he changed his name, I noticed in the same chapter, God went from calling him Jacob to Israel, back to Jacob, back to Israel, back and forth.

Why? Because some days he acted like Jacob and some days he acted like Israel and some days I act like Jacob and some days I act like Israel. Anybody want to agree with me on that?

>> That's some good teaching right there. Probably won't preach it Sunday because I just used it up. He he he begged them to quit fighting among each other.

stop the competition. He He admonished them about anger. Anger.

Anger. Be ye angry and sin not. Don't let the sun go down on your wrath.

Angry. You ever been angry? >> [laughter] >> I don't know what any of this means.

>> Have you ever hated anybody? I'm sorry I didn't hear what you said. Have you ever hated anybody?

Yes. >> Have you hated anybody since you were born again? >> I have.

I have. I've wept about it. I've read scripture till my eyes turn red.

But somehow I couldn't get rid of the hate. Here's what I have concluded. I can't change my heart.

I can only act the right way. But I can't change the way I feel about somebody. Somebody that's hurt somebody I love.

I can't just say, "Oh, it's cool." No, I want vengeance. I want justice. And everybody knows that our system is upside down in this country.

The villains are always the victims now. Boohoo, they make me sick. Justice has fallen in the streets.

So I'm telling you, and if you want to come Sunday and hear me preach, you can't. You can. But I'm telling you that this preacher wrestles has wrestled with hate.

And all I can do is act the right way when I can't even change my own heart. I can react act the right way. Can you say amen to that?

Amen. >> I'm praying to God one day I'll be able I will have the opportunity to forgive when someone comes to me and says I'm asking for your forgiveness. I am ready.

I am willing. I oh you know I want it. But until that day I got to wrestle with stuff.

And that's what Paul is dealing with here. You're a new creation. and you've been born of the spirit of God.

Why is that inside of you? Well, because I am a man and I'm I'm struggling sometimes. Anger.

I got a friend and I'll be very careful. I have a friend [snorts] who's been who had a great high position and he got accused of something. And for the last four years, he's been going to court spending millions of dollars to prove that he didn't do it.

They still can't find anything. Santa and I have been in their home several times. We've talked about it.

He said, "I haven't done anything. They can't find anything anywhere." And he said, "I've spent all I've got. My life is all to pieces.

My nerves are shot. My wife has cried till she can't cry anymore. This is not fair." And he said, "I'm wrestling with hate right now.

I hate the people that are doing this to me. Help me out, pastor. I said, I can't I can tell just tell you this.

If you will act godly, if you will let God take care of it, he said, "Vengeance is mine. I will repay." Now, it's hard to wait on that. And I'll tell you, if I had there been a couple of times if I weren't the pastor of this church and it wouldn't affect this church, I would have taken things into my own hands.

But, you know, cooler heads prevailed, that would be my wife and the Lord. And the Lord said, "I'll take care of it." But when could I just just give me a clue? Just give me an estimation.

When will you take care of it? because it seems to be ever going. The Lord said, "I do things in my own time.

The wheels of God's justice turn slowly, but they turn surely. And when they turn, they grind to powder." So, if you're one of those and there's something way, way, way down deep inside and it troubles you and it disturbs you, you have to get up every day and lay it on the altar every single day. I don't mind telling you, um, a few weeks ago when that mob invaded that Minnesota church, I I was so mad I was crosseyed.

I couldn't believe that they had the audacity to invade a church and then say it's our right to express ourselves. First amendment rights. I almost lost my mind.

I wanted to throw something and I wanted to hit somebody. It's they don't have the right to do that. That's this is private property.

Nobody has the right to demonstrate anything here. And you won't. I'm just I'm just going to tell you all our people, we've all sat down and talked about it cuz we're a prime target.

It's just not going to happen here. Don't expect me to say we love you. We're praying for you.

I'm not playing. [applause] I'm not. This is serious to if Jesus could kick over tables and throw money up in the air and make a whip and beat people, I'm not going to stand in the house of God, which is private property, and let lost people infect what the Lord is doing here.

>> But but I can't be mad about it either. I just got to be ready for it. And so I'm telling you, I guess the best I know how is even though we're born again, sometimes we don't feel like born again people and sometimes we don't act like born again people, >> but we are.

and he that has begun a good work in you. >> Just think the very reason we are upset at being angry at somebody is because the Holy Spirit is reminding us that this is not Christ. >> And I thank God for that.

That's conviction. I thank God for it. It may take a long time to get through this, but m can I just tell you, we don't have much time.

I'm ready for the Lord to come back. >> Man, am I ready for the Lord to come back. So, here's what I'm going to uh conclude with.

I didn't realize I'd gone this long. We have to have safeguards in our life. You have to prepare every day for an onslaught.

You have to fix your heart every day and say, "I belong to Christ." Flee the appearance of evil. Don't play with it. Don't flirt with it.

Run from it. Run from it. Bad company.

You can't Bad company corrupts good manners. The Bible says you can't expect to hang around with lost people who are full of darkness and live a victorious life. That's why the Bible says, "Come out from among them." >> That's right.

>> And be separate, says the Lord. And I know we live in a society where you you got to work with sinners and you know you but there are some things you cannot do. But pastor it might cost me my job.

Well I I just uh scribble down four things here. We do not allow on our church staff men and women to be alone. We don't allow them to eat lunch alone.

We don't allow them to ride in cars alone or vans. We don't allow them to meet in rooms alone. I don't meet with women.

Carrie, every so often a fine young lady will come up and say to my sister, cuz as soon as choir is over, my sister comes down and kind of does this deal here. She's she's tough. And she'll say, "Can I help you?" "Well, I want to meet with the pastor." She said, "You can't do it." "Well, he's the pastor, isn't he?

Don't I deserve to be able to meet with the pastor?" She said, "No, you don't. He's not going to meet with you. He doesn't do that.

We're [clears throat] happy to give you somebody else. No, I want him. You can't have him.

And I said, 'Thank you, Janice. I don't do that. But isn't that rude?

I don't care what it is. I'm not I'm not putting myself in a vulnerable position so that somebody can accuse me. If you've ever come up and talked to me after church and you notice that one of these guys are standing there like this and you think, "Well, that's rude.

They're they're eavesdropping. They are eavesdropping. >> They want to hear everything that's said because people have uh you know how people are, >> don't you?

>> All right. My wife has access to my phone. I don't keep my phone from her.

I She can check my history. She can check all my calls. I don't have any secrets with my wife.

Amen. >> You ought not to either, sir. >> Or ma'am, >> if you can't hand it and say, "Here's here it is.

Look at it." Um, something's wrong with you. Now, I will say, is that like continuing to do that? Cuz I'm am I going into a coma?

I think that's probably enough to say anyway. [laughter] >> [snorts] >> Lisa, is that you on the lights back there? What do you do about business trips, pastor, when you have to go on business trips and you know the company is mixed?

You better figure it out. You better have a plan before you leave. Guard your heart.

The proverb says, "For out of it come all of the issues of life. Plan not to sin. Look ahead because all it takes is one mistake.

And by the way, while I'm at it, I'm going to upset some people with this one. Alcohol doesn't do anybody any good." >> You know, when Dr. Az says it.

They finally he said we there's no medical um benefit to alcohol. They they used to say, you know, a little red wine for your heart and all that stuff. Now they're saying there's no benefit whatsoever.

I've had my own issues with it. Even after I was saved and was a pastor, I got with some pastor friends and we were all in this we're liberated in Christ. I thought, well, what's it going to hurt?

I gave it a shot. It didn't it didn't work well for me. To this day, I regret it.

To this day, I've asked God, please don't remember my sins. Because the moment you take in any of it, you lose some degree of control. Some degree.

But it helps me relax, pastor. Well, then what about tomorrow? You're going to need to relax tomorrow.

How about in the morning? You're going to need to relax in the morning. So, there's no end to it.

And for those of you that are fine with it, you know, I'm just giving you my biblical opinion. I don't deal with it. Don't taste it.

Don't touch it. Don't have I just don't because I care about being in control. And one of the problems is we are not teaching it strongly enough to our children anymore or they're watching their parents do it.

So what are you going to teach them if you do it? Okay, I just killed it. But we that's the way I feel and that's why I'm at this church to give guidance and direction.

You will never suffer from not having had a beer, young man, or not having had a glass of wine. You won't suffer from that. But you can mess around with this stuff and suddenly it begins to get a hold on you.

We have six minutes left. I'm going to ask the council members and wives to come quickly and gather across the front if you want prayer about anything. Now, is everybody listening to me?

>> They're not here to counsel. >> If you get into a long drawn out thing, you're just going to mess everything up. Just come and tell them, will you agree with me?

Is this good? It's good. Well, you're not a counselor anyway, are you?

Just come up and say, "I want prayer for this." And let that be it. And let them agree with you. And then we will go our way.

And God willing, we'll be back Sunday. >> Thank you for coming tonight. God bless you who are watching online.

Feel free right now. Uh you want me to play >> [clears throat] [snorts] >> Father God, what is it? >> [crying] >> 69 years old.

Lord, we don't