WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:05.745 We're gonna get started tonight in God's word and I'm gonna start by praying, so join with me in prayer. 00:00:05.745 --> 00:00:12.884 Heavenly Father, I thank you for your written word, your holy written word and the Holy Spirit that dwells on the inside of us. 00:00:12.884 --> 00:00:19.342 Lord, I ask you to help me tonight, to give me utterance that whatever I speak will be your words. 00:00:19.342 --> 00:00:20.928 And your words never return void. 00:00:20.928 --> 00:00:26.266 They always accomplish the thing that you intend for it, and so I'm leaning on that tonight. 00:00:26.266 --> 00:00:34.607 I thank you that we have ears that are open and they're listening, people ready to receive, now, when they're watching this live, and in the future, when they're watching it recorded. 00:00:34.607 --> 00:00:36.365 It'll be a blessing to people who hear it. 00:00:36.365 --> 00:00:38.582 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:00:38.582 --> 00:00:40.664 Well, again, thank you for joining tonight. 00:00:40.664 --> 00:00:58.904 The title of tonight's message is God is Faithful and he's faithful all the time, and so I know that we went through a tough election, but let me just start off by saying I'm so proud of our church and our church members and people who attend here. 00:00:58.904 --> 00:01:13.043 I don't know what the count is, but if I had to guess, we'd probably be about 15 to 20% of our church congregation is involved in some way, shape or form in helping to influence the political arena, the governmental arena. 00:01:13.043 --> 00:01:21.131 People served in election, people serve as precinct chairs and various levels of governance and influence. 00:01:21.131 --> 00:01:35.009 And so I think it's a unique thing and a rare thing for a church our side to have this many people involved in a way where we get to influence government and bring God back to that process. 00:01:35.009 --> 00:01:41.507 And so we had an election and there were some very disappointing election results. 00:01:41.507 --> 00:01:43.968 And I know so many people put so much time into this. 00:01:43.968 --> 00:01:51.421 They poured their feel like they poured their whole lives into this during this little political season, I'll call it. 00:01:51.421 --> 00:01:53.950 But people poured so much into that. 00:01:53.950 --> 00:01:55.566 Millions of dollars were spent. 00:01:55.566 --> 00:02:03.367 People spent huge amounts of time and effort and personal sacrifice to do what they did, and yet it seems like there was a disappointing result. 00:02:03.367 --> 00:02:06.066 But I want to bring you some encouragement tonight. 00:02:06.066 --> 00:02:10.686 It's going to come from God's word and God is faithful, and so I want you to hold on to that. 00:02:12.900 --> 00:02:13.842 Here in Harris County. 00:02:13.842 --> 00:02:20.290 The current regime is godless and evil and it appears that they're going to stay in power. 00:02:20.290 --> 00:02:23.149 Unless there's some intervention that occurs. 00:02:23.149 --> 00:02:25.723 That appears that they're going to stay in power for another cycle. 00:02:25.723 --> 00:02:30.966 The crime is up several hundred percent over the last two and three years. 00:02:30.966 --> 00:02:47.467 We've got a justice system here that really favors the criminal over the citizenry, over the victims, over the people who need the protection, and we're just letting more and more criminals back out onto the street, and so that is not very encouraging news. 00:02:47.467 --> 00:03:00.806 You know, we had hoped to replace our county government, but it didn't happen that way, and so now, if things continue on the current track that they've been on, it looks like things are going to get worse from here, and you're wondering how could it possibly get worse? 00:03:00.806 --> 00:03:07.366 It could get worse and it might, and I know those aren't encouraging words and this message is not starting off well. 00:03:07.366 --> 00:03:10.929 If I were to stop right here, that wouldn't be very good. 00:03:10.929 --> 00:03:13.586 But just listen, receive. 00:03:13.586 --> 00:03:18.224 I've got some good news and it's coming from, it's coming hot off the press. 00:03:18.360 --> 00:03:23.048 Some of this stuff is right out of God's word, and the rest of it is right out of God's word. 00:03:23.048 --> 00:03:24.901 So just listen to it, it'll help you. 00:03:24.901 --> 00:03:28.026 We're going to start off in Psalm 37. 00:03:28.026 --> 00:03:32.847 And verse one through three it says first, the first verse. 00:03:32.847 --> 00:03:43.125 It says do not fret because of evil doers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity, for they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb. 00:03:43.125 --> 00:03:51.506 And then it says trust in the Lord, do good, dwell in the land that is where he's called you to be and feed on his faithfulness. 00:03:51.506 --> 00:03:55.507 And so we're talking about God is faithful and so you need to feed on his faithfulness. 00:03:55.507 --> 00:03:57.826 You need to understand that God is faithful. 00:03:57.826 --> 00:04:02.569 And so, again it started off do not fret. 00:04:02.569 --> 00:04:04.645 Isaiah 41, 10,. 00:04:04.705 --> 00:04:07.306 Here's another verse that starts off the exact same way. 00:04:07.306 --> 00:04:12.455 It says fear not, do not fret, fear not, for I am with you. 00:04:12.455 --> 00:04:28.319 You know, we've had this campaign from this church called my God Votes, and we've been helping other churches and ministries and individuals and people, and even our own Republican political party, to recognize that God has a side on all these issues. 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:33.396 God is not neutral on anything. 00:04:33.396 --> 00:04:39.158 He's not Republican, he's not Democrat, but God has a side and people have got to get on that side. 00:04:39.158 --> 00:04:45.954 And so when people see this sign out there that we've put out it's a popular sign people are excited to get it. 00:04:45.954 --> 00:04:51.697 In most cases, some were greatly offended by it, but it just simply said my God Votes. 00:04:51.697 --> 00:04:53.935 And people scratch their heads about that. 00:04:53.935 --> 00:04:54.858 What do you mean God Votes? 00:04:54.858 --> 00:04:57.617 Does he literally go in there and push buttons and vote. 00:04:57.617 --> 00:05:00.096 The mail-in ballot has God vote. 00:05:00.490 --> 00:05:01.334 Well, it starts here. 00:05:01.334 --> 00:05:03.014 He says fear not, for I am with you. 00:05:03.014 --> 00:05:05.475 God is on the inside of us. 00:05:05.475 --> 00:05:12.456 We have the Holy Spirit that dwells on the inside of us, and so if we're a born-again believer, we've got the Holy Spirit dwelling on the inside of us. 00:05:12.456 --> 00:05:15.177 We don't leave Him outside when we go vote. 00:05:15.177 --> 00:05:19.821 In fact, we obey and we act on God's behalf here on earth. 00:05:19.821 --> 00:05:27.596 We're ambassadors for God, and so when we vote, the Holy Spirit votes through us, or at least that's how it's supposed to work, but that's not how it always does work. 00:05:27.596 --> 00:05:30.619 So Isaiah 41, 10, fear not, for I am with you. 00:05:30.619 --> 00:05:36.213 And then it says be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you. 00:05:36.213 --> 00:05:40.178 Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 00:05:40.178 --> 00:05:42.555 So that word dismayed, right there. 00:05:42.555 --> 00:05:43.379 Be not dismayed. 00:05:43.379 --> 00:05:55.699 That word dismayed means discouraged, dispirited, disheartened, mystified, disturbed, perplexed, bewildered and confused. 00:05:55.699 --> 00:05:59.139 And God says be not any of those things. 00:05:59.139 --> 00:06:00.593 Do not be dismayed. 00:06:00.593 --> 00:06:06.677 I will strengthen you, I'm your God, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 00:06:06.677 --> 00:06:10.360 And so I'll tell you a couple of stories. 00:06:10.410 --> 00:06:13.860 So I was an election worker, a presiding judge. 00:06:13.860 --> 00:06:21.620 At one election site we had several of our members that served as election judges and alternate judges and clerks and helpers in the election. 00:06:21.620 --> 00:06:34.298 But at my particular site, where the polling place was, it was another church, and so Claire and I went out and we delivered my God vote signs to several churches in the area with permission. 00:06:34.298 --> 00:06:40.259 And the lady that I talked to at first at this church she said oh yeah, that'd be great, put some out front, we'd love it. 00:06:40.259 --> 00:06:42.216 And so I went out there, stuck the signs out. 00:06:43.089 --> 00:06:52.317 When I showed up to prepare my election site on Monday evening, all of those signs were gone, and so I went up to her and I didn't say a word about it. 00:06:52.317 --> 00:06:54.295 But she felt so bad. 00:06:54.295 --> 00:06:55.572 She hung her head down. 00:06:55.572 --> 00:06:56.797 She said I am so sorry. 00:06:56.797 --> 00:06:59.134 They took the signs out. 00:06:59.134 --> 00:07:00.173 I said it's no problem. 00:07:00.173 --> 00:07:02.117 She said oh, it really is. 00:07:02.117 --> 00:07:04.298 It's really, it's disheartening for me. 00:07:04.298 --> 00:07:07.574 She said it's so disappointing, I am so disappointed. 00:07:07.574 --> 00:07:26.836 They took them out and it was her church leadership and I don't know who in particular it was, whether it was the pastor or someone on the board or whoever, but they came in and they saw those signs and she said they were greatly offended and I said well, the sign did its job then, because it forces people to make a choice to recognize something or not. 00:07:26.836 --> 00:07:29.497 There's a truth that they're faced with and they must make a choice. 00:07:29.497 --> 00:07:34.278 And that person made a choice and she was so disappointed in that choice. 00:07:35.329 --> 00:07:43.937 Well, so that was the preparation day on Monday, and then election morning I show up to bring in the remaining equipment and get set up early, early in the morning. 00:07:43.937 --> 00:07:50.237 And this is the day that the facility agrees to allow both political parties any political party to put whatever sign they want out on the property. 00:07:50.237 --> 00:08:02.194 And so I took my liberty on that side and I went ahead and planted a whole bunch more of my Godvote sign out there and put one by their church sign, and it wasn't mid-morning before that sign was gone as well. 00:08:02.194 --> 00:08:18.718 And so of all the signs out there that day, all the political signs, the good signs, the bad signs, the evil signs, whatever, whatever sign was out there, that individual was so offended at my Godvotes, that concept, that they pulled the sign again. 00:08:18.718 --> 00:08:30.999 They didn't care anything at all about the political signs or what those parties might stand for or against, but they were offended at God and that he might have a side on this, and so again they were forced to make a decision. 00:08:31.110 --> 00:08:42.235 That's very telling of many of the churches that are still out there that just have the wrong perspective about who God is and who we are in Christ and what our role here is on earth. 00:08:42.235 --> 00:08:48.775 So our pastor was telling us this morning during a staff meeting that he heard another pastor say that that pastor doesn't vote. 00:08:48.775 --> 00:08:51.625 That pastor said I don't vote, I just pray. 00:08:51.625 --> 00:09:01.755 Again, huge lack of understanding of what our role is on earth, and it just makes me want to ask that pastor how's that working for you? 00:09:01.755 --> 00:09:23.039 Because it's not working very well, but anyway, you know, half our culture right now and our country is divided down the middle, our county is pretty much divided down the middle half of our culture can't even tell you what a woman is, and yet God defined a man and a woman in His Word, and so these are churches that can't even get on the right side of these issues. 00:09:24.330 --> 00:09:25.333 Don't be so surprised. 00:09:25.333 --> 00:09:26.197 Don't be shocked. 00:09:26.197 --> 00:09:31.789 You know it's easy for us to be shocked and dismayed over things and be frustrated, but don't be surprised. 00:09:31.789 --> 00:09:35.899 You know Jesus said in John 16, verse 33, he said these things. 00:09:35.899 --> 00:09:41.660 I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace, but in the world you're going to have trouble and tribulation. 00:09:41.660 --> 00:09:42.673 But be of good cheer. 00:09:42.673 --> 00:09:46.355 Jesus said I have overcome the world, so get happy about it. 00:09:46.355 --> 00:09:48.155 Jesus has already done the hard part. 00:09:48.155 --> 00:09:51.298 It's just up to us to walk in what he's already done. 00:09:51.298 --> 00:09:52.234 Be of good cheer. 00:09:52.234 --> 00:09:54.274 I have overcome the world. 00:09:56.889 --> 00:10:01.741 So that begs the question you know, if we've done all these things, our church has been so involved. 00:10:01.741 --> 00:10:07.275 There's been other churches involved and you know I'm somebody who. 00:10:07.275 --> 00:10:13.177 I'm a pastor here at Glorious Way Church, but I'm also an elected official within the Republican Party. 00:10:13.177 --> 00:10:14.634 I'm an elected precinct chair. 00:10:14.634 --> 00:10:19.336 I don't do this to try to make people Republican. 00:10:19.336 --> 00:10:26.854 I do what I do because I want to bring God back into our political party, into our process, into our government. 00:10:26.854 --> 00:10:35.961 And so wherever I go and I know it's true for the people in our congregation when they're part of this process, wherever they go, we are diffusers of God's truth. 00:10:35.961 --> 00:10:39.158 Wherever we go, we get to diffuse the fragrance of the knowledge of God. 00:10:39.158 --> 00:10:40.615 Wherever we go, we are light. 00:10:40.615 --> 00:10:41.835 We get to shine this stuff. 00:10:41.835 --> 00:10:43.855 But why didn't it seem to work this time? 00:10:43.855 --> 00:10:44.418 What happened? 00:10:44.418 --> 00:10:46.669 We poured so much into this. 00:10:46.669 --> 00:10:49.236 We'd worked so hard to get good candidates elected. 00:10:49.236 --> 00:10:51.192 What happened? 00:10:52.169 --> 00:10:58.600 So the main text for tonight is going to come out of 1 Peter, chapter 4, beginning in verse 12. 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:00.854 First Peter, 4, 12. 00:11:00.854 --> 00:11:10.096 Beloved, do not think it's strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing had happened to you. 00:11:10.096 --> 00:11:22.837 Don't be so surprised about this, it says, but rejoice, to the extent that you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 00:11:22.837 --> 00:11:32.056 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the spirit of the glory and of God rests upon you. 00:11:32.056 --> 00:11:37.038 On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified. 00:11:37.038 --> 00:11:44.994 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer or a busy body in other people's matters. 00:11:44.994 --> 00:11:51.673 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. 00:11:51.673 --> 00:12:02.960 So the more that they persecute us, the more that they come against us, the more that they hate us, the more we get to glorify God, and in that way we partake in the sufferings of Christ. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:04.876 We're not looking to take on sufferings. 00:12:04.876 --> 00:12:14.600 Jesus isn't putting sufferings on us, but he suffered for a while and we suffer because of the nature of the world that we're in and the nature of our business. 00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:19.416 There are people that hate you and are going to come against you just because you love Jesus and serve our heavenly Father. 00:12:19.416 --> 00:12:23.311 And so you get to glorify God in that Verse 17,. 00:12:23.370 --> 00:12:26.738 For the time has come for judgment to begin in the house of God. 00:12:26.738 --> 00:12:38.272 The time has come for judgment to begin in the house of God, and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 00:12:38.272 --> 00:12:52.961 And I ask that question concerning those churches, that individual who decided it was so offensive to have a my God Vote sign out front of their church instead of having all these other political candidate signs out there from both parties. 00:12:52.961 --> 00:12:53.822 They were so offended. 00:12:53.822 --> 00:13:01.980 I'm telling you, it's time for judgment to begin in the house of God, and judgment is a dividing. 00:13:01.980 --> 00:13:03.414 People are forced to take a side. 00:13:03.414 --> 00:13:08.552 In other words, god drops the line and people have to choose which side of that line to be on. 00:13:08.552 --> 00:13:14.331 God is separating out the wheat from the chaff, the wheat from the tears Jesus was always separating People talk about. 00:13:14.331 --> 00:13:16.960 You know, this political stuff is so divisive. 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:18.576 We don't want to get involved as a church. 00:13:18.576 --> 00:13:19.794 It just divides people. 00:13:19.794 --> 00:13:24.570 Yes, it does divide people, and Jesus didn't come to bring people together. 00:13:24.570 --> 00:13:27.418 He said he came to bring a sword that would cut and separate. 00:13:27.418 --> 00:13:38.123 It's people who separate themselves from the love of God when they don't choose the love of God, and so really it comes down to a choice, but judgment needs. 00:13:38.244 --> 00:13:40.534 It's time for judgment to begin in the house of God. 00:13:40.534 --> 00:13:47.182 If the righteousness, if the righteous one, is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly in this center appear? 00:13:47.182 --> 00:13:53.033 Therefore, let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in doing good. 00:13:53.033 --> 00:13:57.511 As to a faithful creator, there's our faithful God again, but we do. 00:13:57.511 --> 00:14:01.312 We do to our faithful creator Every bit of our effort. 00:14:01.312 --> 00:14:08.235 We don't do for a party, we don't do for our government, we don't do for our community, we do it as unto the Lord, to our faithful creator. 00:14:08.235 --> 00:14:17.636 But there are many who should be doing and are not doing, and it's time for judgment to begin in the house of God. 00:14:19.850 --> 00:14:26.238 You know there are seven churches listed in Revelations, chapter two and three, and those churches are present in the earth today. 00:14:26.238 --> 00:14:41.245 Those are types of churches that you see today you got the Luke worm church, You've got the church that is at Sardis, that Jesus said you have a name that you're alive, that you are dead, in other words, the woke church. 00:14:41.245 --> 00:14:44.576 Jesus said I never even saw that one coming. 00:14:44.576 --> 00:14:49.210 But now, in modern day times, right now you have the woke church, you have a name that you're alive, but you are dead. 00:14:49.210 --> 00:14:53.436 And Jesus' warning to them was therefore strengthen what little remains. 00:14:53.436 --> 00:14:59.011 There's a little bit of life left in you somewhere and we need to strengthen that little bit because the rest of you is lost. 00:14:59.011 --> 00:15:01.365 And those are the words from Jesus. 00:15:01.365 --> 00:15:05.761 Jesus warned five out of the seven churches and gave them a stiff rebuke. 00:15:07.625 --> 00:15:13.164 But the mandate of this church and you've heard pastor talk about it quite often is to wake up the church. 00:15:13.164 --> 00:15:16.294 This ministry right here has a. 00:15:16.294 --> 00:15:17.678 You know different ministries. 00:15:17.678 --> 00:15:26.581 God gives them mandates to do different things in different regions, but we have a regional purpose right here in Harris County, in this region, right here we have a purpose and it is to wake up the church. 00:15:26.581 --> 00:15:32.783 And that's part of what my God votes is, and the election results tell me that we've still got more work to do. 00:15:32.783 --> 00:15:36.893 It tells me that the church is not ready for a godly government. 00:15:36.893 --> 00:15:40.331 It tells me that Harris County is not ready for a godly government. 00:15:40.331 --> 00:15:46.107 Righteousness does not come to a region because there are good people in government. 00:15:46.107 --> 00:15:54.754 Righteousness comes when the people of God rise up and raise that culture up in our community. 00:15:54.754 --> 00:16:01.096 We have a good government when the people of the community, when the people, vote for a godly government. 00:16:01.096 --> 00:16:03.402 And we're not there yet because it would again. 00:16:03.422 --> 00:16:05.767 It was split roughly 50-50 down the middle. 00:16:05.767 --> 00:16:11.344 Now I am certain that there were manipulations in this election. 00:16:11.344 --> 00:16:13.648 I have no doubt that there were. 00:16:13.648 --> 00:16:19.712 Our election was manipulated by the evil regime that currently resides in Harris County. 00:16:19.712 --> 00:16:23.366 It was manipulated, without a doubt, and I won't back off of that. 00:16:23.366 --> 00:16:30.110 Anytime you have an election where it is so close, it doesn't take much of an adjustment to take it over in your favor. 00:16:30.110 --> 00:16:38.379 The other way and there were adjustments that happened before the election even began and I don't want to go into those things. 00:16:38.379 --> 00:16:44.974 I don't want to talk about all the nitty-gritty, the little things that happened, but there are plenty. 00:16:46.264 --> 00:16:48.850 But let me give you a quote from James A Garfield. 00:16:48.850 --> 00:16:51.759 This is the 20th president of the United States. 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:56.071 He said now more than ever, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. 00:16:56.071 --> 00:16:57.986 You can apply that to any government. 00:16:57.986 --> 00:17:05.314 If that body be ignorant, reckless or corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption. 00:17:05.314 --> 00:17:08.122 And that is exactly what we have here in Harris County. 00:17:08.122 --> 00:17:17.435 We've got an election result that shows that people tolerate evil and we will have more of what we as a people tolerate. 00:17:17.435 --> 00:17:18.479 We can have what we allow. 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:21.609 Jesus gave us the power to bind and loose. 00:17:21.609 --> 00:17:23.738 He gave us the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 00:17:23.738 --> 00:17:28.834 He gave us authority to operate on earth and we'll have more of what we allow. 00:17:28.834 --> 00:17:32.846 But I want us to remember and not forget our purpose. 00:17:32.846 --> 00:17:36.538 Our purpose is to make straight the way of the Lord. 00:17:36.538 --> 00:17:37.140 John the Baptist said that. 00:17:37.140 --> 00:17:51.406 John the Baptist said that when they asked who are you, john, he said I'm just a voice, one voice crying out in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight the way of the Lord and that was a prophecy about him Came out of Isaiah, chapter 40. 00:17:51.426 --> 00:17:53.673 What does that mean? 00:17:53.673 --> 00:17:53.932 To make? 00:17:53.932 --> 00:17:56.502 Make straight the way of the Lord? 00:17:56.502 --> 00:17:57.326 It means to get ready. 00:17:57.326 --> 00:18:01.587 It means Jesus is coming soon and the people are not ready. 00:18:01.587 --> 00:18:03.736 The church is not ready, america is not ready. 00:18:03.736 --> 00:18:07.008 It's the same message that we've heard for a long time, but it's still true. 00:18:07.008 --> 00:18:14.400 We're not ready for the second coming of the Lord, but he is coming and he's coming for a church without spot or wrinkler or blinish. 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:15.888 And that means we got a lot of work to do. 00:18:15.888 --> 00:18:17.016 We got churches to wake up. 00:18:17.016 --> 00:18:19.026 We got friends and family and neighbors to wake up. 00:18:19.026 --> 00:18:19.366 We got to. 00:18:19.366 --> 00:18:21.034 We have to get the house ready. 00:18:21.958 --> 00:18:29.373 You know, if you've got a guest coming to your house we experienced this from time to time If we got a guest coming over, I tell you our house is never cleaner. 00:18:29.373 --> 00:18:37.396 Things have never been more orderly and precisely put than when we have a guest coming and then they come in walking our house. 00:18:37.396 --> 00:18:38.661 Oh, your house is beautiful. 00:18:38.661 --> 00:18:40.728 Oh, yeah, we live like this all the time. 00:18:40.728 --> 00:18:41.369 No, we don't. 00:18:41.369 --> 00:18:47.669 We live in a house and it's a mess and things are out of place and not everything is as clean as it ought to be. 00:18:47.669 --> 00:18:52.148 But when you got a guest coming, everything is perfect when Jesus is coming. 00:18:52.148 --> 00:18:53.853 We've got to get this house right. 00:18:53.853 --> 00:18:58.489 We've got to make straight the way of the Lord, 1 Corinthians 6, 19. 00:18:59.090 --> 00:19:05.202 You know, this is the Scripture that says do not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, who you have from God. 00:19:05.202 --> 00:19:08.111 You're not your own, you've been bought with a price. 00:19:08.111 --> 00:19:12.688 Therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God. 00:19:12.688 --> 00:19:13.651 So we're not our own. 00:19:13.651 --> 00:19:17.825 We don't get to give ourselves our own assignments. 00:19:17.825 --> 00:19:27.996 We serve our sovereign and we obey him, and it doesn't matter what kind of trouble comes against us, what kind of pushback we get, or how hard it might seem to be. 00:19:27.996 --> 00:19:31.952 We just say sir, yes, sir, and we obey. 00:19:31.952 --> 00:19:33.361 That is our job. 00:19:33.361 --> 00:19:35.108 We obey our sovereign. 00:19:35.108 --> 00:19:36.497 So that's our point. 00:19:36.698 --> 00:19:40.635 Number one tonight is that I want you to remember that you're not your own. 00:19:40.635 --> 00:19:41.440 You're bought with a price. 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:44.488 Number two is we are charged to be salt and light. 00:19:44.488 --> 00:19:53.352 Jesus said this to His disciples you are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses the flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 00:19:53.352 --> 00:19:57.557 You know what difference can we make if we look and sound like the world? 00:19:57.557 --> 00:20:04.721 If the world doesn't recognize something different about us, what effect can we have on the world, he said. 00:20:04.721 --> 00:20:08.290 Jesus said, if the salt has no flavor, we might as well just throw it out. 00:20:08.290 --> 00:20:09.682 It's no good. 00:20:09.682 --> 00:20:13.310 And so if we're not being salt and light, we might as well just throw you out. 00:20:13.310 --> 00:20:14.323 How about that? 00:20:14.323 --> 00:20:16.490 That's what Jesus is saying. 00:20:16.490 --> 00:20:18.356 We've got to fulfill our purpose. 00:20:18.356 --> 00:20:19.521 We've got to be salt and light. 00:20:19.521 --> 00:20:21.009 You are the light of the world. 00:20:21.009 --> 00:20:28.215 A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden, and this church right here has been salt, and sometimes it stings. 00:20:28.215 --> 00:20:30.443 When it gets in people's wounds, it adds flavor. 00:20:30.443 --> 00:20:31.667 It's different. 00:20:32.009 --> 00:20:34.017 We've got people that attend this church. 00:20:34.017 --> 00:20:38.147 I wouldn't even call them members yet, but people come because they hear about it. 00:20:38.147 --> 00:20:48.797 They hear a message that their pastor is not teaching, their church is not teaching, and they come and their spirit gets excited about things and they don't always understand with their brain what's going on. 00:20:48.797 --> 00:20:50.184 I haven't heard these things before. 00:20:50.184 --> 00:20:51.191 This doesn't make sense. 00:20:51.191 --> 00:20:53.676 But here it is in God's Word and they have to reconcile that. 00:20:53.676 --> 00:21:03.786 But their spirit on the inside is excited when they get here and they find themselves coming back Catholic people who say I am Catholic through and through but I love pastors preaching it. 00:21:03.786 --> 00:21:07.781 Just it doesn't mesh but it's real. 00:21:07.781 --> 00:21:15.615 And so there are people from all walks of life that come in here, different levels of faith, and they're here in a truth that they've never heard before. 00:21:15.615 --> 00:21:22.894 That's what it means to be salt and light, and it's not just here in this building, but it's every member of this church that carries that outside and shines your light. 00:21:22.894 --> 00:21:24.520 That means you can't be silent. 00:21:24.520 --> 00:21:30.663 That means you gotta open your mouth and can't be afraid to speak, can't be afraid of what people think about you. 00:21:30.663 --> 00:21:38.060 Well, if I say that they might be offended yes, they might, but they might come to a saving knowledge of the gospel of Christ. 00:21:38.060 --> 00:21:42.481 It's not for you to determine the results, it's just for you to obey God. 00:21:42.481 --> 00:21:46.713 I can't tell you what the election results are gonna be, but we obey God. 00:21:46.713 --> 00:21:47.962 That's what we're charged to do. 00:21:47.962 --> 00:21:52.170 Number three we're charged to speak the truth in love. 00:21:56.215 --> 00:21:58.463 Ephesians 4, verse 11. 00:21:58.463 --> 00:22:10.714 This is where it's talking about the various ministries that he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and the teachers for this purpose, for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry. 00:22:10.714 --> 00:22:17.743 So those five-fold ministry would seemingly be really, really high and mighty, really important, serious ministries, and they are. 00:22:17.743 --> 00:22:20.584 But the greatest ministry is the believer's ministry. 00:22:20.584 --> 00:22:49.775 Those five ministries that we just mentioned right there apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher are there to support the believer's ministry, to train up the believer's ministry, to equip the believer's ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ, until we come to the unity of faith and to the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure and the stature, the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine. 00:22:49.958 --> 00:23:00.755 There's a lot of doctrines out there and people are being carried away by all kinds of winds of doctrine, crazy stuff, and by the trickeries of men and the cunningness and craftiness and deceitful plotting. 00:23:00.755 --> 00:23:03.607 There's all kinds of deception out there and people are hearing it. 00:23:03.607 --> 00:23:06.875 They're masked up, they're doing this, they're following that protocol. 00:23:06.875 --> 00:23:11.903 They're stop listening to the news, social media. 00:23:11.903 --> 00:23:14.701 Your kids don't need to be on that and being filled up with that. 00:23:14.701 --> 00:23:19.118 This is the cunningness and the craftiness and the trickery and the deceitful and plotting that's happening. 00:23:19.118 --> 00:23:21.020 People are being drawn away by this stuff. 00:23:21.498 --> 00:23:24.861 Our job is to in verse 15, but speak the truth in love. 00:23:24.861 --> 00:23:26.861 That's what we're charged to do. 00:23:26.861 --> 00:23:30.044 We don't withhold the truth, because that's not love. 00:23:30.044 --> 00:23:32.321 Well, they might not be able to hear it. 00:23:32.321 --> 00:23:36.555 Well, if they don't hear the truth, they're gonna continue to do the very same thing. 00:23:36.555 --> 00:23:40.306 That's gonna cause them disaster in life and spiritual death. 00:23:40.306 --> 00:23:42.502 We have got to speak the truth in love. 00:23:42.502 --> 00:23:43.914 That's what we're called to do. 00:23:43.914 --> 00:23:47.682 I can't tell you, we're called to win elections, but we're called to speak the truth in love. 00:23:47.682 --> 00:23:51.122 So all those things were kind of hard, I know. 00:23:52.098 --> 00:23:53.315 And so I wanna give you some encouragement. 00:23:53.315 --> 00:23:55.280 I've got three points of encouragement for you. 00:23:55.280 --> 00:24:00.386 You know, when David was at his lowest, he had lost everything. 00:24:00.386 --> 00:24:01.454 And what did he have to do? 00:24:01.454 --> 00:24:05.494 His own men wanted to stone him and he had to encourage himself in the Lord. 00:24:05.494 --> 00:24:07.394 And so even this morning I woke up. 00:24:07.394 --> 00:24:11.323 I didn't wanna look at election results because I'm personally invested in that. 00:24:11.323 --> 00:24:13.246 That's not what I'm charged to do. 00:24:13.246 --> 00:24:16.894 But I want success and I care about it and I've poured a lot into that. 00:24:16.894 --> 00:24:20.561 But I have to keep my perspective right, that I serve my sovereign. 00:24:20.561 --> 00:24:22.275 I'm here to speak the truth in love. 00:24:22.275 --> 00:24:26.643 I'm here to be salt and light and I don't care what people think about me. 00:24:26.643 --> 00:24:31.265 I'm just here to obey God and the results belong to him. 00:24:31.265 --> 00:24:34.282 And so here's some encouragement for you. 00:24:36.457 --> 00:24:38.855 Number one it's the title of the message. 00:24:38.855 --> 00:24:39.940 God is Faithful. 00:24:39.940 --> 00:24:50.708 Hebrews 10, 23 says let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he is faithful, who promised. 00:24:50.708 --> 00:24:57.339 And then it goes on to say and let us consider one another to stir each other up in love and good works. 00:24:57.339 --> 00:25:11.523 We need to be encouraging each other, stirring each other up, always driving each other to do more and to not quit, not forsaking the assemblies of yourselves together, as the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much more as you see the day approaching. 00:25:11.523 --> 00:25:15.420 So we don't do less of that, we do more of that as we get closer to his coming. 00:25:15.420 --> 00:25:16.564 And why do we do that? 00:25:16.564 --> 00:25:17.538 Because he is faithful. 00:25:17.538 --> 00:25:18.877 We don't quit. 00:25:18.877 --> 00:25:20.202 Because God is faithful. 00:25:20.202 --> 00:25:21.058 So that's number one. 00:25:21.595 --> 00:25:24.763 Number two your work and labor of love is not in vain. 00:25:24.763 --> 00:25:38.285 All that effort that we poured out, all that money that we spent, all that time that we spent away from our families I spent away from my family trying to get good candidates elected, is not in vain. 00:25:38.285 --> 00:25:41.723 Because all the way I was salt, I was light. 00:25:41.723 --> 00:25:49.765 I got to minister the gospel of truth to people all along the way, on people's doorsteps, in the Republican party, all kinds of places. 00:25:49.765 --> 00:25:54.922 I've got to do nothing but shine God's light and be salt and help people get on God's side. 00:25:54.922 --> 00:25:56.681 That's what we're charged to do. 00:25:56.681 --> 00:25:56.996 So. 00:25:56.996 --> 00:25:59.423 My work, your work, is not in vain. 00:25:59.423 --> 00:26:00.920 It's a labor of love. 00:26:00.920 --> 00:26:02.160 We poured ourselves into it. 00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:04.281 That comes from 1 Corinthians 15. 00:26:04.281 --> 00:26:07.442 1 Corinthians 15, verse 58. 00:26:07.974 --> 00:26:10.663 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast. 00:26:10.663 --> 00:26:20.781 That means your feet are planted, they're not moving, immovable, and yet always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain. 00:26:20.781 --> 00:26:24.864 In the Lord, we need to always abound and not quit. 00:26:24.864 --> 00:26:29.623 You know, rush Limbaugh was a good encourager, encouraging people to not quit. 00:26:29.623 --> 00:26:31.782 He said it's not who we are, it's not what we do. 00:26:31.782 --> 00:26:34.824 We will never quit, never, never, never. 00:26:34.824 --> 00:26:36.057 And so we got to. 00:26:36.057 --> 00:26:41.661 He had that relentless spirit, and God is relentless and Christians ought to be relentless. 00:26:41.661 --> 00:26:43.179 And so we don't quit. 00:26:43.179 --> 00:26:45.025 Our labor is not in vain. 00:26:46.796 --> 00:26:50.826 In Hebrews 6-10 it says for God is not unjust. 00:26:50.826 --> 00:26:51.659 We know he's faithful. 00:26:51.659 --> 00:26:59.202 God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love and you have shown towards his name and that you have ministered to the saints and do minister. 00:26:59.202 --> 00:27:02.482 That makes all of you ministers of God's righteousness. 00:27:02.482 --> 00:27:08.864 And you're ministering God's word, god's truth, god's light, god's love, wherever you go. 00:27:08.864 --> 00:27:11.983 That political world needs more of God, not less. 00:27:11.983 --> 00:27:14.063 It needs more of you involved, not less. 00:27:14.063 --> 00:27:16.702 We need more of you involved in government, not less. 00:27:16.702 --> 00:27:23.039 There is a deficit of God there and that says we have more work to do and the world isn't ready. 00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:26.740 Our state isn't ready, our Harris County is not ready, the church is not ready. 00:27:26.740 --> 00:27:30.545 So we have to go do more of this stuff and not quit. 00:27:30.545 --> 00:27:33.061 You are God's ministers for righteousness. 00:27:33.061 --> 00:27:42.538 And then in verse 11, so Hebrews 6-11 it says we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end. 00:27:42.538 --> 00:27:47.170 That means there's no stop, that you do not become sluggish. 00:27:47.170 --> 00:27:48.945 That means there's no slowing down. 00:27:48.945 --> 00:27:53.363 We gotta do more and we've gotta do it more intensely and faster. 00:27:53.363 --> 00:27:54.046 Why? 00:27:54.046 --> 00:27:57.829 Because Jesus is coming soon and the house ain't ready. 00:27:59.720 --> 00:28:03.229 Couragement number three there is a great reward. 00:28:03.229 --> 00:28:06.107 There's a great reward for what we do. 00:28:06.107 --> 00:28:09.669 Hebrews 10.35 says do not cast away your confidence. 00:28:09.669 --> 00:28:15.380 And again, I've said this before, but that's a Greek word do not cast away your confidence. 00:28:15.380 --> 00:28:23.626 That Greek word means all outspokenness, boldness, boldness of speech and freedom of speech. 00:28:23.626 --> 00:28:26.287 God cares about your free speech. 00:28:26.287 --> 00:28:30.205 God wants you to use your speech freely and to not hold it back. 00:28:30.205 --> 00:28:41.640 It says do not cast away your confidence, your boldness of speech, which has great reward, For you have need of endurance so that, after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. 00:28:41.700 --> 00:28:44.365 That means after the job is done, you can receive the promise. 00:28:44.365 --> 00:28:53.445 We don't tell God, god, we've been working so hard, we've done a lot of hard work, and he's gonna say, well, the job's not done. 00:28:53.445 --> 00:28:55.444 We have need of endurance. 00:28:55.444 --> 00:29:03.669 That means we have an active fortitude that resists weariness and defeat While we don't quit and we press to the end. 00:29:03.669 --> 00:29:05.486 Then we can get our reward. 00:29:05.486 --> 00:29:07.025 And so the job's not over. 00:29:07.025 --> 00:29:14.019 I'm gonna say take a little pause, take a little breather for just a moment, but get right back in there and don't quit. 00:29:14.019 --> 00:29:19.233 You have need of endurance to resist weariness and defeat, and there is a great reward waiting for you. 00:29:19.233 --> 00:29:27.609 Galatians 6-9 says and let us not grow weary and well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we don't quit. 00:29:27.609 --> 00:29:33.403 The only way you're not gonna reap something good is if you don't quit. 00:29:33.403 --> 00:29:35.290 We are not quitters. 00:29:35.290 --> 00:29:37.084 It's not who we are, it's not what we do. 00:29:37.084 --> 00:29:40.166 And I'm gonna close with this little story right here. 00:29:41.460 --> 00:29:45.365 This comes out of our history books, our Star-Spangled Banner. 00:29:45.365 --> 00:29:48.007 That was composed by Francis Scott Key. 00:29:48.007 --> 00:30:06.011 It was inspired when he was being detained on a British warship in Baltimore Harbor, right out off the coast of Fort McHenry, and the British ships were bombarding that fort relentlessly. 00:30:06.011 --> 00:30:12.650 I think it was something like 25 hours of cannon fire and bombardment on that fort. 00:30:12.650 --> 00:30:25.660 And he wrote these words that the bombs bursting in air, the rockets, red glare, the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night it lit up the sky and gave proof all through the night. 00:30:25.660 --> 00:30:32.220 Every time one of those bombs exploded, it gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. 00:30:32.220 --> 00:30:35.950 And so he wrote that Star-Spangled Banner watching that. 00:30:35.950 --> 00:30:40.549 And of course, in the morning, when the morning came and all that was over, our flag was still there. 00:30:40.549 --> 00:30:45.709 We have a nation because we didn't cave in, we didn't bend, we didn't quit. 00:30:47.059 --> 00:31:05.483 And I want you to know that when the smoke clears and the dust settles, after this battle and after the next one because there's gonna be another one and after the one after that, when the smoke clears and the dust settles and you're standing there in the shining, gleaming armor of God, unscathed, you're not dismayed. 00:31:05.483 --> 00:31:14.388 You've done everything that you can do on your side and the devil has thrown everything he can at you and tried to make it look like you failed. 00:31:14.388 --> 00:31:15.663 You didn't achieve your goal. 00:31:15.663 --> 00:31:22.628 You didn't make it and yet you're still standing, having done all to stand and still standing. 00:31:22.628 --> 00:31:25.488 There is nothing that frustrates the devil more. 00:31:25.488 --> 00:31:38.548 There is nothing that discourages the devil more than when he's given you everything he's got and you're still standing Because the greater one lives on the inside of you and you faithfully obey your sovereign. 00:31:38.548 --> 00:31:45.469 That frustrates the devil, that makes him wanna quit, and that's how we're gonna make ready the way of the Lord. 00:31:45.469 --> 00:31:46.721 God is faithful. 00:31:46.721 --> 00:31:47.823 Don't quit. 00:31:47.823 --> 00:31:50.006 I hope that encourages you tonight.