WEBVTT 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:11.439 Hey, I'm Steve Holt, the senior pastor of the Road at Chapel Hills. 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:12.880 This is the Road Podcast. 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:14.240 Thanks for joining us. 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:17.600 My heart is to empower you to change the world. 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:20.399 I hope this message impacts you. 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:26.640 Alright, gang. 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:30.399 We are in this series within a series. 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:34.640 Okay, so the first series is the book of Ephesians. 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:37.359 And that's been about being a warrior. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:40.399 That's about the fact that you were born for war. 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:47.119 And what I'm going to say today is that we're going to talk about the armor, but here's the deal, you guys, you're born for war. 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:50.799 You guys are born to be fighters. 00:00:51.520 --> 00:01:01.200 So as we see, and I talked about the Great Reset and the stuff that's happening worldwide right now with the Great Reset and Klaus Schwab and those involved with him. 00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:10.560 And we had uh President Biden just two weeks ago say we are we are working toward a one-world order, one world government. 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:11.359 He said that. 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:14.719 Walter Cronkite said it 50 years ago. 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:18.959 Barack Obama said it 30 years ago. 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:20.799 So it's happening. 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:30.719 And we can act like it's not happening, we can pretend like we didn't hear it, or act like, well, I don't want to be so right wing that I'm become angry. 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:32.400 That's not what I'm talking about. 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:35.920 What I'm talking about is dealing with the truth. 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:42.879 Okay, so the first message I talked about in Ephesians 6 was Satan, demons, and the fourth dimension. 00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:49.599 So I talked about Ezekiel 28, Isaiah 14, Luke 4, temptation of Christ. 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:56.319 I talked about the fact that there are principalities and powers over nations. 00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:02.480 And I gave biblical evidence all through the book, all through the book, the Bible, about that. 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:05.439 Then, secondly, last week I talked about the Great Reset. 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:07.519 And you can go back and listen to it. 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:13.280 And I got a lot of just incredible comments from actually all over the country from people who watched it. 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:15.840 And I guess it got sent out and got a lot of views. 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:16.879 So that's great. 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:23.280 Well, today I want to talk about where Paul in his letter to Ephesians is taking us about the armor of God. 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:28.560 But here's three things, three ways that I think we prepare for what's before us. 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:30.719 The first is spiritual, and that's what we're gonna do today. 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:33.199 We're gonna open the word, we're gonna study the word. 00:02:33.599 --> 00:02:37.840 Guys, if you're not spiritually prepared, everything else doesn't matter. 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:44.879 Okay, so you gotta be spiritually prepared, or you'll get into fear, or you'll get into anger, or you'll get frustrated. 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:48.639 I want us to be full of righteousness, peace, and joy in this church. 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:50.560 And that's the fruit of the kingdom. 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:52.159 That's Romans 14. 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:55.680 The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:58.240 So we're walking in righteousness, peace, and joy. 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:01.520 Secondly, is to prepare individually. 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:12.159 So I'm gonna talk about at the end of the message, I'm gonna talk about how you can start preparing if you know we're without power or we're without electricity. 00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:13.599 Um, I want you to be ready. 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:16.080 I want you guys to be ready to know how to do that. 00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:20.240 But then thirdly, how to prepare corporately as a church. 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:24.159 We are going to do everything we can in this church to take care of each other. 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:27.680 It's really important, though, that you're in a small group. 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:30.960 You've got to be in a community group. 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:32.240 That we're gonna do some stuff. 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:33.919 I'm not rolling it out today. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:41.039 I probably won't even roll it out for a couple weeks because we when we roll it out, I want it to be a clear clarion trumpet call, see understand? 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:49.840 But we're thinking in terms of how the church would be prepared as a victorious church if uh if bad tidings come our way. 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:53.439 So let's start this morning with Ephesians 6. 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:54.800 So turn to Ephesians 6. 00:03:54.879 --> 00:04:11.039 And when I say it's a series inside a series, we're in the book of Ephesians, but now in Ephesians 6, there's so much about spiritual warfare that I felt like we would start calling this series within the series the invisible war. 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:15.439 So this is Invisible War Part 3, and we've got a couple more coming. 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:21.600 I might even take the invisible war actually into Easter, because and you'll understand why in just a second. 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:32.000 Um, but let's read verse 10, and I'm just gonna read to 15, because I did not get very far in the first service. 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:36.800 Um finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:41.360 Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:53.199 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, and against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:59.920 Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:01.839 I think we're in the evil day. 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:08.319 I can just tell you, in my lifetime, uh, I think we're the closest to being in an evil day than I've ever been before. 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:14.560 So take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand the devil in the evil day, and having done all to stand. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:25.279 Stand, therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:44.399 Okay, so Paul is concluding his letter with how to fight, how you deal with principalities and powers, how you deal with demonic powers both governmentally as well as just spiritually in the life that you live. 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:46.480 Okay, so he's telling us how. 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:50.399 But he's been preparing us all along in the book of Ephesians. 00:05:50.480 --> 00:06:02.639 So now go back to chapter one, and in this prayer, this powerful prayer, he's telling us something about the purpose of the church. 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:04.959 It's really, it's really powerful here. 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:07.279 Verse 15, chapter 1, verse 15. 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:16.639 Therefore, I also have to heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks to you, making mention of you in my prayers. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:26.560 That the glory of our God, of our of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:29.040 Now that's really important, gang, because that's what we're doing here. 00:06:29.519 --> 00:07:05.680 We're walking in, we're being taught, we're being empowered to have a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God, verse 18, so that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe. 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:10.560 According to the working of his mighty power, which he worked in Christ. 00:07:10.800 --> 00:07:53.920 This is the Easter's coming up, gang, in two weeks, which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, comma, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come, and he put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the to the to the church. 00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:55.519 Who's the church? 00:07:56.480 --> 00:07:57.040 Us. 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:05.519 He put all these things under us, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:09.759 Church, we don't fight for victory, we fight from victory. 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:11.920 It's already been won. 00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:16.879 You've got to grow in that confidence to know that demons are under your feet. 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:25.199 And if you're struggling with demons, you need to tell them to go to hell and get out of your life and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit because you have that. 00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:33.120 And so when he says, put on the armor of God, remember, remember, Joshua's getting ready to go and cross the Jordan River. 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:37.840 He's gonna go into Jericho and he sees a warrior, full armor, all of it. 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:39.200 He doesn't know who this guy is. 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:42.639 And he just shows up and he says, Are you for us or against us? 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:44.159 It says, Neither. 00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:51.200 And he says, I come as a commander over the armies of God. 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:55.600 Church, we need to understand, Jesus is a warrior. 00:08:56.080 --> 00:09:08.480 He's not just this little guy, you know, kind of, you know, tanned dude with kind of flowing blonde hair that's a surfer boy out of Southern California like you had in Sunday school. 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:10.720 I don't need that kind of Jesus. 00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:12.799 I need a warrior Jesus today. 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:25.840 And so he's saying that by rising from the grave, he has put all things under his feet, and by rising from the grave, he's put all things under your feet. 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:40.320 So when you put on Christ, you're putting on a breastplate of righteousness, you're putting on a helmet of salvation, you're putting on a shield of faith, you're putting on a sword of the spirit, you're putting on the belt of truth, and you're shodding your feet with the gospel of peace because he is the prince of peace. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:43.759 You're not called to be a peacekeeper. 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:46.240 You're called to be a peacemaker. 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:50.559 And if people want to slop around with the pigs, let them slop around with the pigs. 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:54.720 When you slop around with the pigs, everybody gets dirty and the pigs like it. 00:09:56.159 --> 00:09:58.960 You're a peacemaker, not a peacekeeper. 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:05.360 And so sometimes you walk into places where there's chaos and God calls you to bring the peace. 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:09.360 But don't get down in there and get in all their little arguments and all their stuff. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:10.799 You're above that. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:13.440 But you gotta know who you are in Christ. 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:15.840 Well, he doesn't finish there, he keeps going. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:18.480 Now go to chapter 3. 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:25.519 So in chapter 3, he reiterates this point of the purpose that he's given all of us. 00:10:26.159 --> 00:11:04.159 Verse 8 to me, who am less than the least of all the saints, the grace was given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which is from the beginning of the ages, has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ, to the intent, I circled that in my Bible, to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:06.960 Verse 11, according to the eternal purpose. 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:26.480 So when my Bible I circled intent and then I drew a line to eternal purpose, which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence, through faith in him. 00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:45.840 So what Paul's saying is I'm writing this letter to build your confidence up, that you won't lose heart, that you won't get discouraged, that you'll realize that Christ has done the work at the cross, and then he did the work by rising from the grave, and he now lives in you. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:12:07.840 He's within you, and all that you need you have, but you've got to proactively and intentionally believe it, walk in it, act on it, because every time you tell the truth, every time you do the right thing, you are proclaiming the wisdom of God into the principalities and powers. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:20.080 And so what's gonna happen in your life as you start to live this stuff is you're gonna start to walk into falsehood and you'll recognize it because you're a truth seeker, you're a truth lover. 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:27.840 In the end times, in 2 Thessalonians 2, it says that we will, those will be deceived who are not what? 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:29.840 Lovers of truth. 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:34.879 We're becoming lovers of truth, we're walking in truth. 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:38.559 And so now he's gonna tell us how to do it. 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:40.320 So I'm gonna give you three things, three quick things. 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:42.320 I don't even think I put these in the PowerPoint. 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:47.440 Number one, the church is supposed to be making known the wisdom of God in the heavenly realm. 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:51.360 So I'm making known in the heavenly realm the wisdom of God right now. 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:57.120 God has anointed me this morning to make known from the book of Ephesians the wisdom of God. 00:12:57.279 --> 00:13:08.799 Every time you speak truth, every time you tell the truth, every time you you love people and you care for people, you are speaking the wisdom of God into the heavenly realm and you're pushing back darkness. 00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:09.759 Number two. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:14.960 Secondly, the church is called by God to be bold and confident. 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:20.159 To be bold and confident in truth, to be bold and confident in what we believe in. 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:24.639 And then thirdly, the church is called to put on the armor of God, and we're gonna talk about that now. 00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:27.600 How do we put on the armor of God? 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:30.799 So let's go back to chapter six. 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:35.600 So, chapter six, we're gonna pick it up, pick it up at verse 13. 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:39.440 Therefore, take up the whole armor of God. 00:13:39.600 --> 00:14:02.159 So, so Paul is chained to a Roman soldier in a prison in Rome, and he's looking at this guy, and through the inspiration of Scripture, through the inspiration of God, through the inspiration of the knowledge that he had at that time, the Spirit of God causes eyes, I think, to look at that armor that that Roman soldier's got on him, and he said, That's what it's like. 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:03.679 That's what the battle's like. 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:04.879 It's like that guy. 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:20.480 It's like if we were, if someday I'm imprisoned because of my faith, and they've got me in this room, there might be like a SWAT-looking guy, or there might be a military guy who's in the jail there, and I might look at him and I would say, This is what it's like when you fight. 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:22.799 It's like, and he, so then he goes through the armor. 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:24.720 He says, put on the whole armor of God. 00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:26.799 So that you can withstand. 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:28.799 Say, withstand. 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:30.720 Say, withstand. 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:32.639 This this idea is so important. 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:35.360 I want I want you to look at the definition as I've written it out. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:41.279 Withstand, compare with anahistamine in Greek. 00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:46.960 Antahistame, meaning to cause to stand against. 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:53.120 The verb suggests vigorously opposing, bravely resisting. 00:14:53.360 --> 00:15:00.480 Just like an antihistamine blocks histamine, we can stop the enemy's advances. 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:01.039 Okay? 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:07.039 And so what he's saying here is you've got to learn how to stand up, not sit down. 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:11.039 How to stand up, not be cowardly, not run away. 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:12.000 Stand. 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:14.240 Stand your ground, withstand. 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:16.159 It's like the histamine. 00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:25.039 It's like the antihistamine withstands to strengthen the body, to strengthen the spirit, to strengthen us chemically in our lives. 00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:28.159 God wants you to be strengthened by learning to stand. 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:31.120 And then he says, in the evil day. 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:34.159 And guys, we are in the evil day. 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:36.559 And it's gonna get eviler. 00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:37.519 It is. 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:41.440 And that's why I'm gonna talk at the end about how to prepare. 00:15:42.639 --> 00:15:53.039 I think it would be uh it would be a mistake by uh the road and leadership if some of us know how to prepare and we didn't train you guys in how to prepare. 00:15:53.360 --> 00:16:00.000 Because I'm an outdoorsman, I hunt, I fish, I've been up in some gnarly areas of this of this state. 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:09.360 I've been on edges of cliffs that drop down a hundred feet, just barely making it up, and I'm pumped about it. 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:12.799 And and then we go in, we do our camping, we camp out. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:16.320 I mean, we are not the guys in the cabins with the guides. 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:21.200 And some of you guys are, and if you invite me, then I'll never say anything again about it. 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:27.120 But other than that, no, I mean, we get up there and we don't have it, we bring stuff with us. 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:28.399 We know how to pre-prepare. 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:34.480 So I want to prepare you guys too, in case the evil day gets really gnarly. 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:38.080 So we're gonna be a church that's ready to go and we're gonna know how to fight. 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:40.559 So the first thing he says is we gotta learn to stand. 00:16:40.639 --> 00:16:46.879 So here's how he says, this is what Paul says through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that's how we stand. 00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:57.360 And he says, first, verse 14, first thing, stand, therefore, having girded your waist with truth. 00:16:57.519 --> 00:17:00.240 It's the belt, it holds it all together. 00:17:01.200 --> 00:17:05.119 Now, I'd like to say if I take this belt off, my drawers would drop down. 00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:10.240 But I'm old enough to know that these that these jeans are tight enough they won't drop down. 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:13.039 But there was a time when they would, okay? 00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:18.000 So you you gird your armor with truth. 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:20.079 It all starts there. 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:23.279 You've got to be a lover of truth. 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:31.680 I don't know any parent, I'm sure it's happened, there's a lot of evil people out there, but I don't know them. 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:38.799 They would say to their kids, you know, son, daughter, it's a corrupt world out there. 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:40.400 It's an evil world. 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:42.799 Everybody lies and cheats. 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:45.839 Everybody's up to no good. 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:50.880 And I just want to train you, as my child, to learn how to lie. 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:53.440 I want to train you how to cheat. 00:17:53.599 --> 00:18:01.200 I want to train you how to be the most, you'll be the happiest kid in the neighborhood if you'll learn how to manipulate everybody and cheat and lie. 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:05.680 Bad parenting. 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:13.920 Lying, lying always lines you up with bad people. 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:22.160 Lying always lines you up with a bad place in your life. 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:25.440 Telling the truth always wins. 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:30.079 Not always in the short term, but in the long term it always means. 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:33.920 You're on good ground if you learn to tell the truth. 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:36.079 Don't lie. 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:49.119 The biggest thing, the main message, the theme of the great Russian dissident, Alexander Solskynyson was don't live by life. 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:50.480 Write that down. 00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:51.519 Put quotes around it. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:57.200 That's from Alexander Solskynyson, and if you can spell that name, you deserve a medal, man. 00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:58.000 That is one. 00:18:58.079 --> 00:18:59.920 He didn't even do Alexander right. 00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:01.279 Okay? 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:04.160 Alexander Solskynson, don't live by lies. 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:08.880 That's what the media lives by. 00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:12.400 That's what the entertainment world lives by. 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:20.480 I remember one time, I'll never forget this, years ago, they were interviewing a producer, a producer and director of movies. 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:25.279 And I think it was like 60 minutes or something, it's 25, 30 years ago. 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:28.799 And I don't know what the question was, but the guy said this, and I never forgot. 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:35.359 He says, Our job in producing movies is to not produce reality. 00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:39.759 That's our number one job, because reality's boring. 00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:45.920 How many of you are into Marvel and all the fantasy stuff, the movies and everything? 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:49.119 Yeah, well, you're into that because it's not reality. 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:51.680 Because you would, that would never happen. 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:54.559 I mean, if that would happen, then you why would you want to go to a movie and watch it? 00:19:54.640 --> 00:19:56.240 Because that's the life you're living. 00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:00.240 So, what we like is we like to go in here, this hero just can do everything. 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:03.279 They're all like, they've got every martial art down. 00:20:03.599 --> 00:20:05.920 They can use any weapon, they know how to use them. 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:11.839 And I just find myself, because I don't watch a lot of movies, I uh and and I guess if I watched more, I'd get more into them. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:14.720 But I look at that and I go, that's stupid. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:21.519 Because I don't want to ruin your all you movie watchers and stuff too much, but I'm gonna ruin it a little bit today. 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:41.680 It's that they they produce non-reality, so you'll go watch them because life's boring unless you change something and you make your life not boring because you're walking in the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit, because you're living in truth. 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:44.160 Truth always wins. 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:47.839 You you guys heard what happened right at the at the Oscars, right? 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:49.359 And the whole slap thing. 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:50.559 They said he slugged him. 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:52.559 I looked at that and went, that's a slug? 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:54.000 You kidding me? 00:20:54.079 --> 00:20:56.559 You guys need to get out more often, you know? 00:20:58.640 --> 00:20:59.759 Little slap. 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:06.079 And Hollywood's upset about that when they make movies where they just mow people down all the time. 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:11.680 It's the total picture of hypocrisy. 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:14.960 Live by truth, gang. 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:17.440 Let's be a church of truth. 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:23.680 And so what happens in the political realm and stuff even in this county. 00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:28.640 People calling each other rhinos and labeling people. 00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:30.559 You know what labeling is? 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:36.960 Labeling is an excuse for people who can't get in and actually develop an argument and debate it. 00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:39.359 So you just label people. 00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:43.599 They're all just liberals, or they're all just this or that. 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:46.000 Folks, quit doing that. 00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:48.240 Debate the issues. 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:50.799 Get in there, fight for truth. 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:52.880 You truth is on our side. 00:21:53.119 --> 00:22:10.160 That's the reason we started the the uh health recovery ministry, because we knew what we knew about the Natural immunity of our body, and even though the community of healthcare was telling us something else, we decided to just stand on truth. 00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:14.160 And then we didn't have to apologize, everybody just got better. 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:17.519 People didn't die around here, nobody died. 00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:21.519 Because we stand on truth. 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:22.880 Truth always wins. 00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:24.240 In the end, it does. 00:22:24.480 --> 00:22:27.119 Just, you know, make a vow today. 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:29.440 I'm gonna quit lying. 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:32.240 Or I'm gonna quit exaggerating the truth. 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:35.279 You know, that's always the problem with marriage. 00:22:35.519 --> 00:22:37.519 It's always what leads to divorce. 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:40.960 Is when one spouse or both spouses are lying to each other. 00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:42.160 Stop it. 00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:44.000 That's dumb. 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:45.519 That's not smart. 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:48.480 And if you do it a lot, you get demonized. 00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:53.839 And demons come and they and they build up a stronghold in your life. 00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:57.039 And then I have to come along and cast your demons out. 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:02.319 I don't like casting out demons. 00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:05.359 You cast out your demons today. 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:07.839 Live truth, you'll cast them out. 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:11.119 You can self-deliver by walking in truth. 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:12.559 That's why it all starts there. 00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:14.240 It's the belt of truth. 00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:22.880 That's why Solskynitsyn, who looked at the at the Soviet Russian Empire, and he said, that's the problem, is they lie all the time. 00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:27.200 And that's the problem in America, is when we lie a lot. 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:28.720 Stop lying. 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:45.440 Let us be people of truth by seeking after having an intimate relationship with the one who said, I am the way and the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father but through this Jesus Christ. 00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:52.559 He's the way to truth that leads to life. 00:23:54.079 --> 00:23:55.279 Anyone want that? 00:23:57.759 --> 00:24:00.480 And then he gave us this book. 00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:06.400 I'm so big on this book because it's changed my life. 00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:08.160 It's changed my wife's life. 00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:11.839 We read it, we talk about it all the time in the whole family. 00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:12.960 We're in the word. 00:24:13.359 --> 00:24:23.039 And I'm telling you, the word will keep the devil away, or the devil will keep you from the word. 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:29.039 So you gotta decide to get up early in the morning and pay the price and open God's Word. 00:24:29.119 --> 00:24:30.960 If you don't know where to start, start with Matthew. 00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:33.519 We call it P B and J, Prayer Bible, and Journal. 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:34.799 Just start with Matthew. 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:39.599 Read a chapter or two and pray it and then write in your journal something God says to you. 00:24:39.759 --> 00:24:40.720 Just keep doing it. 00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:44.400 30 days, your life will be transformed if you haven't been doing it. 00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:45.599 Truth. 00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:48.400 You shall know the truth. 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:50.559 Truth shall set you free. 00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:55.200 Always be a truth seeker, not a crowd pleaser. 00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:59.039 Always be a truth seeker and not a crowd pleaser. 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:02.720 The church is called the pillar and ground of the truth. 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:04.319 1 Timothy 3.15. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:06.559 Truth sets us free. 00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:08.720 Number two. 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:18.160 Therefore, having girded your ways with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, church, these go together. 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:19.759 Truth and righteousness. 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:21.359 What is righteousness? 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:23.759 Why is it called the breastplate? 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:27.759 He could have shod your feet with righteousness. 00:25:27.839 --> 00:25:32.319 He could have put a helmet of righteousness, breastplate of righteousness, because these are your vitals. 00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:33.839 This is your heart. 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:34.720 This is your lungs. 00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:35.440 These are your vitals. 00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:36.880 It's a breastplate of righteousness. 00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:40.240 Righteousness is right relationships. 00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:42.640 That's what righteousness is. 00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:44.880 Right relationships. 00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:47.440 That's what the Sermon on the Mount is all about. 00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:57.759 Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, 6, and 7, is all about the conundrum of religion and relationship. 00:25:58.079 --> 00:26:07.039 You see, when you become religious, then your rules become more important than your relationships. 00:26:08.079 --> 00:26:16.480 But when Christ is on the throne of our lives and we're thinking relationally, then relationship becomes more important than the rules. 00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:17.920 And here's what I mean by that. 00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:21.519 I mean that we get the heart of our kids. 00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:24.160 We get the heart of our relationships. 00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:26.160 We get the heart of those around us. 00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:28.559 That's why it's the breastplate of righteousness. 00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:33.279 We get the heart, and the rules and that stuff follows. 00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:35.519 Got to get the heart. 00:26:36.160 --> 00:26:42.960 The biggest problem in America today is we've lost the heart of our founding fathers. 00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:46.799 Not just the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence. 00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:48.480 We can talk a lot about that. 00:26:48.640 --> 00:26:49.680 That's really important. 00:26:51.680 --> 00:26:53.200 And I'm going to be speaking. 00:26:53.440 --> 00:27:04.480 I was asked by Christy Burton Brown, the chairman of the Republican Party for Colorado, to speak at the convention next Saturday at the World Arena. 00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:05.680 For two minutes. 00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:06.799 Don't get too fired up. 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:08.480 It's just two minutes, okay? 00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:12.240 Heart. 00:27:13.759 --> 00:27:15.759 We need the heart of America. 00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:17.519 We need the heart of the Bible. 00:27:17.599 --> 00:27:18.480 We need Jesus. 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:20.160 We need his heart. 00:27:20.799 --> 00:27:22.160 Right relationships. 00:27:22.319 --> 00:27:26.720 That means that we can have right relationships even though we disagree on things. 00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:29.920 We can have disagreements and still love each other. 00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:32.319 It's really hard. 00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:39.920 But Paul's saying that's that's the first thing with truth is that you have right relationships. 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:48.559 And so that's why he says of the kingdom of God in Matthew 5 and Matthew 6, he's talking about, look, you worry about all these things. 00:27:48.799 --> 00:27:53.359 You worry about your clothing, you worry about money, you worry about houses and stuff. 00:27:53.440 --> 00:27:57.519 And then he says, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:00.000 And all these things will be added unto you. 00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:05.200 So men and women, we when we get the kingdom first, things start to line up. 00:28:05.440 --> 00:28:06.319 They do. 00:28:07.599 --> 00:28:11.200 Because we run, we run from truth. 00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:16.880 I know, because I don't like looking at our finances sometimes. 00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:22.960 So I say, oh, you know, I've got to work on my sermon. 00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:26.480 Doesn't that sound godly and spiritual or anything? 00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:29.359 No, you need to look at your finances, you know, and figure something out. 00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:34.880 Because truth may always make it always at the end does make you feel better. 00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:38.079 You know where you're at, even if it's not good, but you deal with it, right? 00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:42.480 And so the kingdom, when we do kingdom things, it's it lines things up. 00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:46.720 Things just go better in our lives when we become kingdom people. 00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:56.960 And so the kingdom of God and his righteousness, Jesus saying, seek the kingdom and have right relationships. 00:28:57.200 --> 00:28:59.680 Seek the kingdom and love your neighbor. 00:28:59.839 --> 00:29:02.880 Seek the kingdom and forgive that person who wronged you. 00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:06.240 Seek the kingdom and be unoffendable. 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:10.880 Wouldn't it be awesome if we could grow to be a church that's unoffendable? 00:29:12.799 --> 00:29:21.920 Because we can fear, I think we can fear God, not fear men, be unoffendable, and still stand on truth. 00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:26.079 In other words, we take the hits, and we'll talk about that with the shield of faith. 00:29:26.160 --> 00:29:27.599 We're not going to talk about that today. 00:29:27.759 --> 00:29:39.039 But we can take some hits, but we're standing in righteousness because we become defensible against truth and with truth and against falsehood. 00:29:39.839 --> 00:29:43.759 But when people get personal with us, we don't get personal with them. 00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:51.839 And so the only way to do that is to become a person who walks in the power of the armor of the Holy Spirit. 00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:54.400 So I think we fight on three fronts, gang. 00:29:54.480 --> 00:29:56.559 I think we fight on three fronts. 00:29:56.640 --> 00:29:57.359 Here's the first one. 00:29:57.440 --> 00:30:00.799 The first one is your flesh, our flesh. 00:30:00.960 --> 00:30:02.880 We struggle with our flesh. 00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:05.519 I'm gonna call that the Benedict Arnold within. 00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:13.440 And if y'all don't know who Benedict Arnold was, he was actually an American general who was a traitor to our country during the Revolutionary War. 00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:15.599 We all are traitors within. 00:30:15.759 --> 00:30:17.279 We all struggle within. 00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:23.839 We lie to ourselves and we say something we know is not true, and we convince ourselves that it is true. 00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:28.640 Listen, gang, you have a new heart and you have a new spirit when you were born again. 00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:32.000 And when you were born again in Christ, you're given a new heart and a new spirit. 00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:34.799 You now can fight the flesh. 00:30:35.039 --> 00:30:37.039 You change your battle tune. 00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:42.880 Because when you become saved, when you come to know Christ, you now have a battle that you didn't have before. 00:30:43.119 --> 00:30:45.039 I was a happy pagan. 00:30:45.519 --> 00:30:48.000 I was such a happy pagan in high school. 00:30:48.160 --> 00:30:50.960 I mean, I just could party with the best of them, didn't bother me a bit. 00:30:51.039 --> 00:30:52.640 I just didn't want mom and dad to know about it. 00:30:52.799 --> 00:30:54.480 But I, you know, I did my thing. 00:30:54.640 --> 00:30:56.799 And so, you know, at school, I was Mr. 00:30:56.960 --> 00:30:58.160 Goody Two Shoes. 00:30:58.799 --> 00:30:59.519 I was Mr. 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:01.519 Goody Two Shoes, a present student body. 00:31:01.599 --> 00:31:01.920 I'm Mr. 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:08.000 Goody Two Shoes, you know, and I'm I'm doing all these projects all over the county, and and I'm getting all these accolades. 00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:11.680 And then on Friday and Saturday night, I was not goody two shoes. 00:31:13.839 --> 00:31:16.400 Because I and I didn't care. 00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:18.480 Anybody? 00:31:18.720 --> 00:31:19.920 Remember that life? 00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:20.720 Okay? 00:31:21.279 --> 00:31:23.119 Some of you are still living it. 00:31:25.119 --> 00:31:28.079 Then you get saved and you start to have a conscience. 00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:31.599