All right, turn to Deuteronomy
again, chapter 12. Deuteronomy chapter 12. My desire,
as I thought about this this morning when I got up and was
going over my notes, I thought, oh God, help this sinner to speak
the truth of God as it is in Christ Jesus. Because that's
what I am. I don't ever want to preach down
to people. Although I'm sure it comes over
that way sometimes. I'm reminded, before I even read,
I'm reminded of something. I spoke with an individual sometime
back. And I was asking that individual,
you know, do you really, do you love Christ? Do you want to be
around his people? Do you want to be around the
gospel? Questions along that line. I don't remember exactly
what I asked. And their answer was a constant,
well, I'd like to be, but you know, and you know what I told
that person? Well, I think you're lost. I think you're lost. Now, what
was sad is I guess a couple few Sundays ago, I don't remember
which ones it was. Joe and I both preached. And
someone shared those messages online on whatever it is, Facebook,
whatever it is. This same person passed Joe's
message on but didn't pass mine on. Joe preaches the same gospel
I preach. That's right. If you don't love it, leave it.
And I remember Larry Criss saying down at Danville, you know, if
you've never been lost, you've never been found. If you've never
been stripped, you've never been clothed. And people don't want
to face the fact that by nature we are lost. And God's got to
convince you you're lost first before he'll ever save you. You
know, and it's sad. Deuteronomy chapter 12, listen
to what Moses wrote, the first three verses for this morning.
These are the statutes and judgments which ye shall observe to do
in the land. Notice that phrase. Which the
Lord thy God, the Lord God of thy fathers, giveth thee to possess
it all the days that ye live upon the earth. Ye shall utterly
destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possess
served their gods upon the high mountains and upon the hills
and under every green tree. And ye shall overthrow their
altars and break their pillars and burn their groves with fire
and ye shall hew down their graven images of their gods and destroy
the names of them out of that place. Remember this is the chapter
with the law of the central altar. Last week I spoke about the singularity
of the central altar. There is but one altar at which
God's people worship and that altar is a person, that's Jesus
Christ. And that's what this central
altar here spoken of was pointing toward. Now at that time it was
the central altar. I mean, if you worship God and
you offered sacrifice, you came there and no other place. But those things were, we remember
according to Paul in Hebrews 10, those things shadowed something
greater to come. Exactly. What I want to talk
to you about this morning is this. The central altar dictates
attacking abomination. Yes, sir. Now you, I asked everyone
to read this chapter a few weeks ago. And you cannot read this
chapter and not come away with this. God told the Israelites,
when you go into that land, you tear down their altars. That's what it says. Amen. Have you seen the bumper sticker?
I suppose it's been out for a while. It says co-exist. Yeah. Have you seen it? And it's not
spelled with the letters C-O-E-X-I-S-T, it's spelled with symbols that
look like C-O-E-X-I-S-T, co-exist. It has the emblem Islam, that's
the C, the present. It has the peace movement, that's
the O with the peace sign in the middle. It has the gay rights
movement, that's the E with an upward arrow and a downward arrow. It has the Star of David, the
X in the word. It has what looks like to be
an eye, which is the symbol for witchcraft. And it has a symbol
which looks like an S, which is a zero with an S in it. That's
the symbol for yin and yang, far eastern religions. And then
it has the symbol of the cross, T. Coexist. Was Israel ever told to coexist
in the land? No. Let's read further. Look at the last part of the
chapter. Look at verses 29 through 32. When the Lord thy God shall
cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess
them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land, Take
heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them,
after that they be destroyed from before thee, and that thou
inquire not after their gods, saying, how did these nations
serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise. God
said, don't you do that. Thou shalt not do so unto the
Lord thy God. For every abomination to the
Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods. For even
their sons and their daughters have they burnt in the fire to
their gods. And these people were literally
doing this. What things soever I command
you observe to do it, thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish
from it. In our day and age, and I've
seen this digression personally, it's no longer ecumenical Christianity
that is all professing Christians ought to get along. You know
of that movement. And let me tell you, it can't
happen. It just can't happen. It's not
to happen. But it's not just that any longer.
Now there is expected to be an expected ecumenical world. All religions should coexist
and get along together. That's what that little bumper
sticker means, coexist. Now listen to me. As Israel had
geographical boundaries commanded for their iconoclasm, And what
iconoclasm is, don't you? That's when you go into the land,
you break down their altars, you burn their groves. Scorched
earth, Joe. That's what it was to be. Any
place they worship, you destroy it. Isn't that what he told them
to do? But they had a geographical boundary to do that. They weren't
to go down into Egypt and destroy it down there. Right? Even when
they went to Babylon, they were to keep themselves separate.
We see ones like Daniel, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
doing such. But they weren't tearing down
the altars in Babylon, were they? Because that wasn't the command.
The command was, you do it in the land that I'm putting you
in. There's the command. So as Israel
had geographical boundaries commanded for their iconoclasm, so does
the church have God-ordained boundaries, gospel boundaries. Let me just give you a couple
for instances. The gospel is not for the conversion
of human government. You all probably are aware, you
remember, several years ago. It's not as big as it is. I don't
know that you really even hear about. You remember the moral
majority? And it was an attempt to try to Christianize the government
of the United States. That is not the purpose of the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That was attempted once in Rome. under Constantine when he was
supposedly converted. Now whether he was or not, I
don't know. Whether a lot of that history is true or not,
I don't know about Constantine. But this one thing I know, you
know what we got out of that? The papacy. That's what we got out of that.
We had thousands of conversions by the sword and thousands of
conversions of convenience because now the government is Christian. But I'm here to say there are
gospel boundaries. Just like Israel had boundaries
for their iconoclasm, there is gospel boundaries today. The
gospel is not for the conversion of human government. Human government
is ordained of God. Its purpose is to establish the
rule of law and to keep total anarchy from happening on the
planet. It's to punish evildoers, thus
saith the book of God. And we ought to pray for those
who are in charge. Right? Because let me tell you,
no matter who you may vote for come in November, God's gonna
put in that office who he's ordained to put in that office. And he
may use your vote or he may cancel your vote. I don't know, but
that's not the point. But we ought to pray for whoever's
put in there. Why? Here's one reason why that we
may live a quiet and peaceable life. That's why. We may live a quiet, peaceful
life, but the gospel is not for the conversion of human government.
Human government has always been corrupt. Why? Because it's human government.
Ordained of God, yes, but it's still human government. Here's another example. The gospel
is not for the conversion of society. It's not for the conversion of
neighborhoods. God may well convert in any singular or different
neighborhoods, many people at any given time, but that is not
for the purpose of converting society. It's not for the purpose
of making society to be a better place. As a matter of fact, when
we see the apostles go out and preach the gospel to society
in their day in the book of the Acts, what happens? Uproars take
place. Society isn't brought together,
society's split apart. That's just the way, those are
gospel boundaries. And when we try to go beyond
the boundary, we're going beyond the ordained command of God.
You see what I'm saying? Do you see a point, the point
that I'm trying to make this morning? So let's get the, it
ain't about coexisting. Now granted, we all live in this
world. And we are not given a physical iconoclasm. We're not told to
go out here and tear down everybody else's church or to burn their
churches or their religious institutions. And I'll tell you what we are
to do. We are to attack abomination. And we attack abomination by
preaching the truth of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. But
there's even gospel boundaries in that. You see what I'm saying? You see what I'm giving you now?
Now, as Israel was to tear down the trappings of false religion
in the land, so are we to rebuke false religion, and that's all
false religion. That's from false Christianity
all the way down to the yin and the yang and whatever else there
might be. As Israel was to tear down the
trappings of false religion in the land, so are we to rebuke
all false religion as we preach the gospel where God has placed
us. Remember, Israel wasn't this. An outline, here's the country.
Israel was this. Each tribe had their own designated
place. Right? And they were to engage this
thing in their ordained place. Right? Now, do you see any figurativeness
there? Mason, it's not my responsibility
to try to declare the gospel to Florida. Do you understand
what I'm saying? It's our responsibility to try
to declare the gospel right here where we are. But, you remember
there were times when, I think it may have been Joshua, forgive
me if I'm wrong with that, but he said to one camp, one group,
one tribe, if you hear the trumpet of war blow over in your brother's
land, come here and help. That's what he said, you come
here and help. You know why? Because we are
still all this. You see? Even though we have
our own particular places that God has put us, we're still one
body. We're still one family. We're
still one group, and we stand at one another's defense. You
see, the gospel ministry is to be proactive, not just defensively
reactive. Now, I'm not saying we should
not be defensively reactive. When we're attacked, when our
God is attacked, when his gospel is attacked, we're to stand up,
Neil, in defense of that gospel. But it's not just back up in
the corner. I've done that here, just backed up in the corner.
We'll stand by ourselves. That ain't the way it's supposed
to be. Ain't the way it's supposed to be. The gospel ministry is
to be proactive. And it's always on the personal
level. Take the gospel to the people. You see what I'm saying? Take the gospel to the people.
Take the gospel to individuals. We all read with probably sometimes
great amazement when 3,000 were saved in one day. Now don't you?
You read that and especially nowadays, it's like that had
to have been amazing. Or maybe what, 5,000. And it
even writes, and the Lord added Daily I don't see that today
Do you the Lord added that but I'll tell you what he is We're
just not seeing it. But you know, even then it's
just as glorious. It's just as much it takes just
as much grace When those 3,000 were saved in one day, or when
5,000 were saved in one day, and when God was adding visibly
to the church daily such as should be saved, it took as much grace
to save that one woman at that well. It took just as much grace
down on that riverbank when that woman of Thyatira, Lydia, and
it was the same exact gospel. And it took just as much of the
power of God to save those singular individuals as it did those thousands. Now in our day and age, it's
more like this. We know what you believe. But
just talk about what you believe. Don't criticize anybody else.
Right? In another way, really, when
they hear what we believe, they really want you to be very quiet.
You keep this at home. Keep it in your closet, like
they used to do homosexuality. It used to be in the closet.
Now the thing has come out of the closet. Well, they want us
to take our truth, our God, our gospel, and go in the closet
with it. That ain't the way it is. That ain't the way it is. No. According to the truth even
of the new covenant, we are to go on the attack. Paul uses it
that way. 2 Corinthians chapter 10, the
weapons of our warfare. This is a warfare just like the
Israelites had a real warfare. We're still in a warfare today. It's a battle, and he says, our
weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God
to the what? The pulling down of strongholds,
just like that walls in Jericho, Joe. The preaching of the gospel
will tear down every wall that God's ordained for that gospel
to tear down. Now, if there's a castle left
standing, that's his business. Mason, that's his business. But
if God Almighty, if there's an individual out there and that
individual's built up walls against God, but God set his love on
that individual before the world began, God will send his spirit
and God will send his gospel to that person and God will tear
down their walls. And it's not gonna happen because
we're sitting back in our closet hiding. It's because God by his
spirit has enabled us to go forth with plainness of speech and
declare the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Joe, if the
broadcast, the radio broadcast, if all it does is add more judgment
to those that are condemned, so be it. So be it. It's worth every dollar. Because
we're not trying to convert the government. We're not trying
to convert society. We endure all things for the
elect's sake that they might obtain the salvation which is
in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. No, this thing is to rebuke. Don't rebuke anybody else. That
ain't the way it works. Let me give you some examples
of that. You remember John the Baptist? John the Baptist, and
this was his primary message. There's one coming after me.
This is his primary message. Here's his gospel. There's one
coming after me. I'm not even worthy to bend down
and untie his shoes. He's preferred before me, and
in one place he said, behold the Lamb of God. This Old Testament,
or I should say, Inter-Testament prophet, the prophet prophesied
in the Old Testament. His message was there's a Lamb.
there's a singular lamb. He didn't say behold the lambs
back in yonder, back in this Old Testament. He didn't say
behold them, he said behold the lamb. And he was looking at Jesus
Christ when he said it. But that same man lost his head.
Physically lost his head. And you know why he lost his
head? Because as you declare the glory of God, we must rebuke
all error. And he said to Herod, it ain't
right for you to bed down with your sister-in-law. Right You remember Herod was
bedding down with Herodias? John said it ain't right for
you to have her And he lost his head because of it right See,
it's not about well preach your gospel all you want. Just leave
us alone ain't gonna do it Because a part of the gospel is this
God will tear down your walls. I God will tear down all the
idols that we have erected in our hearts and our minds. And
he does this by the proclamation of the truth of God. I mean,
you got people today, they believe in election and predestination.
But they certainly don't live like they do. I believe salvation is by grace,
not by works. Therefore, they avoid any kind
of works. And they swallow up all kinds
of evil works, but they fall back on election and predestination.
Don't work like that. They deny the result of election. God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation. Christ didn't just say, I come
to call sinners. What did he actually say? I come
to call sinners to repentance. So we warn people what they ought
to repent about. Don't we? John the Baptist lost
his head because of the truth of God, Joe. And what about Jesus
Christ? He said, here's the words of
Jesus Christ. Now turn, first of all, to Matthew
chapter five. And I'm gonna read you some words
from this Jesus Christ, but this is the same Jesus who said, coming
to me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, I'll give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I'm meek. and I'm lowly
in heart, right? And that's true. I'm not going
to belittle that. In other words, He can be approached.
You got troubles, come to Him with them. Come to Him with them. But I'll tell you what, don't
come in pride. Don't come in pride. And even more, don't come
in self-righteousness. We'll see that here in a moment,
God willing. But here's the same Jesus. Look what He says in this.
This is what is called the Sermon on the Mount. And you know why
it was called the Sermon on the Mount? because he was up on a
mountain when he said it. I mean, that's all, that's pretty
simple. But look what he says in verse 20 of Matthew chapter
five. For I say unto you that except
your righteousness, you'll exceed the righteousness of the scribes
and Pharisees. Well, come on, Jesus, let them
alone. What does it really matter, right? No, he says, except your
righteousness exceed theirs, you'll in no case enter into
the kingdom of heaven. Have heard that it was said by
them of old Say hey, well, just Jesus just preach your message
get off their backs. It don't work that way, right? You've got to tear down the idols
You got to tear down the things in which men rest their eternal
hope the most tear them down You've heard what they say They
said this Thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall
be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you," you see
it? But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without
a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. You see that, huh? You know why he did that? Because
even when men try to do their best, they always lessen the
truth of God's holiness. Well, is there anything wrong
to say, thou shalt not kill? That's what the Old Testament
said, that's what the law says, right? But Christ is saying that
law goes much deeper than just his pure letter. It goes much
deeper. He went on to say, I lost my
spot, got all worked up there. Look at what he says, look at
another spot, verse 27. Ye have heard that it was said
by them of old, He just won't quit. All right, well, one time,
yeah. Well, he said it again. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Now, what's wrong with that? Nothing wrong with that. But
look at what he says. But I say unto you that whosoever
looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with
her already in his heart. And here's how bad it is. If
your right eye offends you, pluck it out. Cast it from you. But you know what the problem,
he don't even deal with all of it. You know what the problem is? I still
got a left eye. I still got a left eye. So what
am I going to have to do with that thing? Pop that baby out
too. In one place it said if your
right hand offends you, chop it off. It's better to enter
into glory maimed, right? But what's the problem if I chop
my right hand off? Still got a left one. And you're
left with nothing but a bloody nub. Because our problem That's
right, it's down in here. It's not just in what we do out
here. And the preaching of the cross
work of Jesus Christ includes this. Tearing down men's idols. Tearing down their altars. Tearing
down the things that we love most by nature that are an abomination
to God. Things that God hates. Isn't
that what he said to the Israelites? He's saying no less to us today.
He's not saying, well today, we're talking about grace, and
grace just lets you run free. No, grace is to be a slave of
God. To be under the grace of God is to be a slave of God.
Purchase with his own, so much so that he says, even our bodies
are not our own. We're bought with a price, therefore
glorify God in your body, which is his. Isn't that what he says? Isn't that what grace teaches,
Mason? Hmm, that's what it teaches. Go on the attack. What about
Paul on Mars Hill? Remember Paul in Athens on Mars
Hill and he's seeing all these idols and devotions to little
plaques and stuff to him. He said, I beheld your devotions
and you're too superstitious. God don't dwell in temples. They
had temples. There's still a piece of one
over there now, ain't it? One big place over there in Athens,
huh? He said, how the hell, I said, God don't dwell in temples made
with hands. Well, come on, Paul, just preach Jesus. Huh? No, you tear down their idols.
You tear down their altars. You rip up their groves. Why? Because there is but one King,
and that's Jesus. There is but one King. Listen
to what Paul told Titus. Turn to Titus chapter one. In
other words, what I'm saying is today it is so denigrated
even amongst Christianity. They're not just saying all Christians
all get along. We can't get along, we don't
all believe the same message. But they think we all ought to
get along all over the world. We ought to get along with ISIS.
You can't get along with somebody who's gonna chop your head off.
You can't get along with them. Now look at what he says, Titus,
let me get to it. Titus chapter one and verse nine. Look at what
he says. Hold him fast, the faithful word. He's telling Titus the
same thing he told Timothy. Hold him fast, the faithful word,
as he hath been taught. Talk about these men that you
need to, you need to have these men in the church. That's what
he says. That's what he's talking about, bishops. Holding fast
the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able
by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince, what? The gainsayers. For there are many unruly and
vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision. Wait
a minute, I thought that coexists, but Star of David and the Christian
cross right all there together. Huh? Not according to this. Look, whose mouth must be stopped. In what way? Preach the truth. Isn't that the boundary? It ain't,
all right, I gotta go up there and make up, we gotta get the
government to make some rule where they don't get to speak. Is that
the way it's really to be done? Paul wasn't fighting that here.
He didn't go to the Senate in Rome and see if we could pass
a law. What is it? Preach the truth. Preach the
truth. Preach the truth. whose mouth
must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things
which they ought not for filthy lucre's sake. One of themselves,
now remember Titus was in Crete. One of themselves, even a prophet
of their own, now not an Old Testament prophet, not a New
Covenant prophet, but a prophet in Crete, one who, the Cretans
looked up to this man evidently, whoever he was, Mason, and he
probably had a lot of writings, and people read him because he
was such a forth teller. One of themselves, even a prophet
of their own, said, the Cretans were always liars, evil beasts
with slow bellies. And Paul's using this unbelieving
man's words to write to Titus and say, you know what? This
witness is true. That's what they are, that's
what they're like. Well, you shouldn't stereotype.
If it's right, it's right. It's one thing to stereotype
based upon a personal opinion, but not when it comes to the
fall of mankind. Because you know what? We're
all liars. We're all evil beasts. We're
all slow bellies. And some of us, some societies,
we show it a whole lot more than others, but we're all really
that. But what does he say? This witness is true. Wherefore? What does it say? Just let it
go. Let's just all get along. Is
that what he says? No. Wherefore, rebuke them sharply
that they may be sound in the faith. You see it? Now, what
you want me to do is just preach election, predestination, and
tell everybody, well, if you're one of those, you'll be all right.
There's no need for me to even stand up here. You can read that
in your Bibles. But it's more than that. It's
emphasizing these things that they are preeminent because they
all point to the person and work of Jesus Christ. And the things
that we hold most dear by nature are an abomination in God's sight. And we need to let go of them,
Joe, and hang on to those sound words. You see, the gospel ministry
is not about bringing all to some common ground. That ain't
what it's about. The gospel ministry divides even
the family union. Look at what Christ said in Matthew
10, 34 through 40. I am not come to bring peace,
but a sword. That's what the gospel does. That hurts sometimes when God's
done that. That hurts, but that's God's business. God divides a
father from a son-in-law because of the gospel. That's the way
it's meant to be. It's not just the sad effect.
Christ said, I came not to send peace, but to bring a sword. The gospel ministry even divides
professing Christians, professing Christians by command. You're
still in Titus chapter 3. Titus, look at chapter 3. Look
at what he wrote to Titus. What else? Verse 10, a man that
is an heretic after the first and second admonition, do what?
Reject him. You see it? Reject him. Now when you got it, how do you
admonish somebody and be real sweet and nice about it? How
could John the Baptist be real sweet to Herod when he says you
ain't supposed to have that woman? I don't care how you say it,
Joe, it ain't gonna come off as sweet. When you walk in and
tear down a man or a woman's idols, they're not gonna like
you for it. I didn't like it when God sent
a man to me and started tearing down my idols. But you know what? I look back now, Neil, and I
thank God for it. I thank God for it. The gospel,
look at it. Knowing that he that is such is subverted. That's a strong, subverted. and sinneth, being condemned
of himself. And you know what, I'm just gonna
throw this out. You know what, if you look up the word heretic,
and it's made up of three actual words, you know what it actually
means? Human choice. Man's opinion. The opinion of
human choice. Now you tell me what free will
is. I had an individual the other day, not in a negative way, but
a positive way, me talking about positively. I want God to help
my self-will. And he wasn't wanting God to
help him concerning his self-will. He thought his self-will was
a good thing. And the book of God condemns self-will people
as apostates. It's like, you know, build up
these idols. My self-will? He said, self-willed
are they. A man that's an inherited. Here's
the third, the gospel ministry divides the world at large because
he tells us in 2 Corinthians 6, four through chapter seven,
verse one, and he's actually starts quoting from the Old Testament,
come you out from among them and be you separate, saith the
Lord. Let's just look at, look, let's just turn there for a second.
2 Corinthians chapter six. Versal, O ye Corinthians, our
mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. You're not straightened
at us, but you're straightened in your own bowels. What he's
saying, you're not fighting against me, you're fighting against yourself.
And he says, God is my witness, their bowels to them. In fact,
indeed, they looked at that as the place of emotion, the place
of care, the place of concern. Paul said, I'm concerned about
you. Isn't that what he's saying? Look, Now, for a recompense in
the same, I speak as unto my children, be ye also enlarged,
be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Now, there
is a sense that we have to live in this world, we gotta work
in this world. We're to love those that despitefully use us,
right? But at the same time, there's
to be this separation, this distinction. being not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
And yet today, the problem is, that line is so blurred today,
people don't even think there is such a difference. Isn't that
true? Because what used to, as I said
before, what used to be one time a thing you kept in the closet,
you did it, but you kept it in the closet. You didn't want nobody
knowing about it. Why? Because people understood
that was wrong. Now that's the thing you're supposed
to boast about. Adultery, fornication, homosexuality, drunkenness, whatever
it is. Now it's the thing you bring
out in the open and we celebrate one another for these things.
That ain't so, it's an abomination in God's sight. It's still called
unrighteousness. Morality may change because morality
is a human standard, but righteousness and unrighteousness never changes.
It never changes, look. For what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with
darkness? There is none. We can't coexist. Somebody says,
well, you ought to tolerate us. Tolerance. You know what tolerance
implies? That somebody is superior. It
ain't about tolerating. It ain't even about tolerating.
We're gonna go forth and by God's grace, preach the gospel. I don't
care who it offends. because I know it's for the benefit
of God's people and it's for the glory of God. You know, the
preacher of the gospel just adds condemnation to some people when
they hear it. But we're still told to go into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature, right? And what concord
hath Christ with Bilal? And what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel? Yes, that's something that Islam
has hijacked from God's word. That's a good word, an infidel.
You know what an infidel is? A person that doesn't believe
in Jesus Christ. That's who an infidel is. In
what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? Go back and
look at Deuteronomy 12. You see it? For ye are, now we
see it. Now, ye are the temple of the
living God. Isn't it said, I said Christ
is the central altar, right? Does not the new covenant say
Christ in you? The hope of glory. So that means,
Mason, that we're a part of that now. Our physical bodies are,
he dwells in us. And what agreement at the temple
of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God,
as God hath said. And now he said, this comes from
God, back yonder in the Old Testament. I will dwell in them and walk
in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore, come out from among them and be a separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you,
and I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises,
dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all Filthiness
of the flesh, yeah, and the spirit. Outward overt things, Joe, and
these inner problems too. Perfecting holiness. Perfecting holiness. How? In the fear of God. Even Christ
told the disciples, don't fear man, all they can do is kill
your body. Here's who you fear, you fear God because he can cast
both your soul and your body into hell. Let us engage the gospel ministry
as God has revealed it. As I've done said, it's a warfare. It's a warfare. The warfare of
Israel of old, their physical warfare is a shadow of the warfare
we're in today. And remember, there are boundaries.
It ain't about us going out here and making people be Christians.
That ain't what it's about. There's a land, there's a place,
there's boundaries to it. Let us engage this gospel ministry
as God's rebellious warfare. God hates abomination. Isn't
that what we read? Chapter 12, verse 31. Now think about it, all self-justification,
of all kinds is abomination in God's sight. And that's exactly
what Christ said in Luke 16, 15. He said, there are some who
justify themselves. Yeah, that's right. But that
which is highly esteemed among men, what is it? Self-justification.
That's right. And there's all kinds of self-justification.
There are people who justify their sin. They try to say sin's
okay. Sin's not really all that bad,
it's just a mistake. I made a mistake, it ain't about
a mistake, it's a crime against God. So much so that the son
of God, the son of glory, when he bore the sins of his people,
God the Father turned his holy back on his son. And so that
he cried out, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And
one of the next words he said, but thou art holy, that's why. That's why that's how holy God
is Christ said that which is highly esteemed among men is
an abomination in God's sight and it doesn't matter whether
it's the dregs of man's immorality Or whether it's the heights of
his religion. It's all abomination in God's
sight why because men does these things and seeks to justify himself
in it and or justify himself by it. One or the other. To either
say it's not really that bad, it's okay, or this is the right
way, let's do that. But if it's self-justification,
God says, God the Son even said, preached it. Roy Jr. preached
it. It's an abomination in God's
sight. Why? Because there is only one
altar. There is one central altar. There
is one place where God is worshiped. Look at Deuteronomy 12. There's
one place. And that, now, we see the fullness of it now. That's
found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. That's where
it's at. Go back and look at what Paul
said in 2 Corinthians 4. We're not like those that corrupt
the word of God. We don't use it deceitfully. Peter said, they'll come along
with people making merchandise of men's souls. They turned the
grace of God into lasciviousness. That is, since we're saved by
grace, then everything goes. That is not the doctrine of the
grace of God. Because Paul even told the Galatians,
you got liberty even from the law. And if you're a believer,
you're liberated from the law. Only, what? Use not your liberty
for an occasion to the flesh. Oh, how hard I had to learn that
lesson. You know, I had to learn that
the hard way. But it's still true, Joe. Only
use not your liberty for, Jude said they will become in people,
they come in unawares. Now their condemnation was before
ordained of God, but that don't make it right. Let me read you what Jude said. What words? Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ
and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the
Father, preserved in Christ Jesus and called. Mercy unto you and
peace and love be multiplied. Beloved, when I gave all diligence
to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for
me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should what? Earnestly
contend for the faith. It's a struggle, it's a battle,
it's a warfare. which was once delivered unto
the saints. For there are certain men, crept
in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation,
ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness."
Well, I believe if it's by grace, it's not of works, and that's
exactly right. because otherwise work is no
more work and grace is no more, it's one or the other. But let
me tell you, God saves you totally, completely, 100% by grace, based
upon nothing you did, good or evil. But when God Almighty saves
you, it says, therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature. Things are different. Let me
put it, something is different in a person that's in Christ. Those idols stand out for what
they are now, Joe, idolatry. And you remember the one cycle,
the songwriter, Lord, I'm paraphrasing, Lord, if there's an idol in me,
an idol in my heart, help me to tear it from its throne and
worship only Thee. That's where it's at today. That's
where it's at today. Why? Because as I said, there's
only one altar, and that's the personal work of Jesus Christ.
All else, according to God, is an abomination. Yeah. All else, even self, you say,
casting your children in the fire? Of course. Of course. But even trying to justify yourself,
Joe, before God is an abomination in God's sight. God said in Deuteronomy,
what I tell you, don't you add to it and don't you take away
from it. That's exactly what Joe was preaching.
Don't add to it, don't take away from it. Why? Because here's
where it's at, the central altar. If you miss Christ and you miss
love for him, not just mental ascent, not just academic equation,
I believe those things. No, I know him, Joe. Glad you preached on it. I know
him whom I, it's a person. Everything else about us, Mason,
is an abomination in God's sight. Even as a believer. Everything
outside of Christ is an abomination. The only place of acceptance
before God is in Christ Jesus. And when God opens your blind
eyes to see that, you will never get over it. Even when you fall
flat on your face, you still won't be able to get over that.
You know what? And you acknowledge whatever
that sin was, whatever that thing was, it's evil, heinous, wickedness
in God's sight. It's an offense to my God. And
that's just where it stands. So the sinful altar dictates
that we attack abomination, not try to coexist with it. I don't
coexist with it in here, Not to co-exist with it in here,
and I don't co-exist with it out there either. Because as
Joe has said, a little leaven will leaven the whole lump. No
matter where that leaven comes from, in here or from out there,
it's going to leaven the whole lump. Eventually, it's going
to corrupt everything about you. Father, oh God, teach us these
things. Make them real to us. Bow us,
bow us before your Son. in humble adoration and praise
and worship of him. I thank you in Christ's name,
amen.