 Have you all noticed what's happening with with regards to church attendance? Church attendance has dropped and it is dropping and is going to keep dropping It's not a it's not that we should even be caught off guard It's not that we should be surprised by but it's happening. Let me put this on the screen for you I want you guys to see this. This is what's happening with church attendance Notice the weekly attendance is dropped to the point where there are more people who have never attended Not the people who who stopped going there are more people now who have never attended Then there are people who are are going more people are not going and there are more people who have never attended So the line is gone. Let me see if I can get this right going down this way not this way Am I doing it right or this way that way either way the one that's going down? No good The one that's going up also no good now. I'm addressing this because Someone asked me to address a video I think this video was actually some time ago because I can't find the actual video But it was done by the people over at the jude 3 project If you've ever heard of them, they tend to deal with things from church a church standpoint from a From a black perspective And what they were talking about was the decline of black church attendance And so I want to talk about why black people are leaving the church But not just black people because it's not just black people. It's also white It's also hispanics. It's also asian white church attendance has declined in general And I'm going to start off looking at the black church Because what's what's happening there is also happening elsewhere And so I want to start off by just playing her this one particular name is dr. Nicole massie martin I've never heard of her before But apparently she's also the reverend doctor Martin, so she's also Functioning as a preacher. I believe her husband is too. I think the church they go to they they they are okay with that But let's just hear what she has to say this past year We saw three out of five Christians Christians have decided we're not going to church. They say I haven't been to church in the last six months Or haven't been at all in the last year I mean, this is the highest percentage of african americans not going to church And you say well, why aren't you going to church 101 different reasons misogyny in the church abuse in the church the top three Now before we get into her top three and there is no I guess no real way to measure it Although we're going to look at the bible for some guidance, but she says massaging the church abuse in the church Which you can always already see kind of where where she's going Again, she is a woman who is in the role of a preacher and so For anyone to deny that Would be would be the equivalent of being misogynistic Well, no, it's just the equivalent of being biblical And so that might be one of the reasons in her mind It may not have made the top three But one of the reasons in her mind why people are no longer going to church So let's finish listening to her What's the way the church talks about money the way the people in the congregation treated me and the way the pastor leads by in law What do you think the way that people talk about money the way that people treated them and the way um What would she say talk about money treated me and Let me go back and play that again matter of fact Those were the three reasons And the way the pastor leads by in large those were the three reasons also I'm sorry and the way the pastor leads so money the way I was treated and the way the pastor leads I can see all of those being a problem. I really can but we're not talking about leaving church And going to another church. We're talking with people who had just left the church all together And I think there is a reason why that just doesn't seem to get addressed. We're gonna address it though So I would say we need to cultivate relationships number one where people can be redeemed and restored If you were hurt by someone you actually do need someone else to help you heal It's counterintuitive But you do need someone to come alongside you and bring usher in god's healing But secondly we need to create spaces in the church where it's okay to ask questions Okay, anytime I hear the word space I almost get a little bit triggered because I when I hear space create spaces. I'm thinking of creating safe spaces I don't know what that is about me. Maybe that's a problem but Do we need to create spaces for people to feel a certain way or to address certain things or we just do that I don't see in my house. I don't we don't have to create a space for me to say something We don't have to create a space for me to feel a certain way nor anyone else. We just do it Why because it's our family Something has happened in church and when I say the church I don't mean the the actual church because we don't know who all Is a part of the actual church Some folks are saved and don't look like it some folks look like they're saved and are not just don't know But I mean the folks that go something has happened. We have become extremely Sensitive when I say sensitive I mean since at some point in time we and we may even deal with it today we may even deal with it today, but I'm not saying that people don't get hurt at church. I don't I'm not saying that at all But this whole concept of church hurt Got me kind of scratching my head a little bit because are we kind of going overboard because we don't have you know, we don't have We don't have school hurt No, we don't have job hurt We don't have house hurt We don't have walmart hurt. We don't have a highway hurt It's gotten to the point to where Let's go ahead and say if something happens at church. Well, guess what you are around You should be around them to some degree That's your family and so somebody in the church family is going to say something or do something that you're not That you're not feeling I understand things can happen in church. I get that but things happen elsewhere else Elsewhere and so we don't tend to boycott those and so you know what I'm through with it all together But let me just be through with the church. Yeah, I understand that the church is supposed to be different But how so remember it's we know it's made up of folks who don't have it together We know the church is full of folks who don't have it together because you go to church and you don't have it together nor do I So sometimes I think it's just that the church is an easy target Because we're thinking that it's not really a specific person. So when we say the church We're saying some nameless faceless person The church down the street that church over there would have you not my church until I get upset with my church But I think that that's part of the problem The disciples ask Jesus some of the craziest questions, but they knew that they could do that Jesus Who's going to be first in the kingdom? What are you talking about in these parables? We don't understand. Why are you sleeping? Aren't you don't you recognize that we're about to die? They had safety in the relationship to ask questions So it makes me wonder what would it look like for people with doubts to ask a question about the way that money is raised in a church Is there a way for them to do that or is it just you're just supposed to give and not ask a question Is there a way for them to ask questions about ordination who gets ordained and who doesn't Where's the space for that to happen? Well, the space for that to happen is in the bible. We the bible is funny how nowadays We seem to figure out things and come up with things and even solutions That apparently god didn't think of Apparently god didn't think about how to handle this how to deal with some of these things And so now we have to deal with that and now let me just say this as well because I'm seeing some of the comments I don't want anyone to think that that that Things happening in the in the church in the in the thing. It's not a bad thing or it's not a real thing I get that that's not what I'm saying But if the church would have been biblical in the first place and if the members of the church would have held the church To a biblical standard in the first place Maybe we wouldn't see some of these things and maybe we would know how to address some of these things And maybe we would know how to deal with some of these things That's that's my whole point because if you've got a biblical biblical Uh leadership, you've got a biblical body as well You've got the folks in the pews who are biblical if they are taught That we should look to the bible as our guide And not so much dealing with our feelings because we do let's let me just be honest We deal a lot with Things with our feelings we our feelings matter our feelings how we feel are of the utmost importance to us Yeah, let's let's let's be honest if we don't like a song If we don't like a person singing the song if we don't like this we don't like that The church is response for all these different things remember all the stuff happening with George floyd and that's a particular summer and what the church isn't or is or isn't doing with regards to racism The church has failed to lead when it comes to racism, especially racism in the church. The church is full of people The church would be perfect if it wasn't for the fact that people happened to go there And so we're gonna have that problem But let's just be let's be clear Just like there are times where I want to defend the United States of America Now there are a lot of things that America that America is is to be blamed for But where else are you gonna go? What where where are you going? Are you going to venezuela? I tell you what I hear gaza's nice this time of year How about yemen? Yeah, see Let's stop blaming The better option now we can fix the better option But same thing with the church. Where are you gonna go? Where are you gonna go? That's better than the church as a matter of fact It's the institution that God gave us and if we would just be biblical Now don't leave the unbiblical church thinking that there are no other unbiblical churches. There are There are maybe the church you were going to you were only going there in the first place out of convenience Without a friend for all the wrong reasons and so because you were there you went there You stayed there and maybe even left for the wrong reasons When you go looking for another church you might have all the wrong reasons As your criteria to find the church. It's too far Forget the fact that I drive 45 minutes There and back to work. I'm not driving that far for a church. Okay Sometimes we need to look at ourselves also because it's not always the church has a problem. Sometimes it's the people Which is to be expected But let's listen to more of what she has to say Is there a space for them to say I came in the church. I was cussed out Like where do they bring their issues their concern? So I think it's relational and I think it's about creating spaces where people can bring their doubts and their fears and authentically ask Really meaningful. There's nothing wrong with with with it being relational But I wonder if what she means by relational is just how you feel Because we need to be we need to make people feel comfortable and at home and so forth I don't know. I don't know as a matter of fact. I think oftentimes when you're a church You ought to have your feet stepped on from time to time Which also brings up another point We're going to talk about this by the way that people actually Hear the gospel hear their sermons preached in church because too often in church Especially the black church, let me just say this Don't tell the truth shame of devil some folks can get upset with me And when I'm saying this, it's not just the black church And when I say black church, you all know what I mean. So don't come back. There is no such thing as a black church There's no such thing as a white church. Okay The predominantly black church the church where there's a lot of black folks at the church where there's a whole lot of Dark-skinned folk there About that the church where there's a whole lot of his spanning folks the church where they speak a lot a lot in Spanish The church where there's a lot of white folks there. That's a white you all know what I mean So again, let's we're gonna be big boys and big girls today But a lot of times in the predominantly black church where there's a black pastor And there's black elders and there's black deaconesses. They used to have black mothers. We still have church mothers We should bring back church mothers that part. I'm cool with the church mothers You know the one that will come to you you ladies and your skirt is a little too short and she said baby Aren't you cold and you say no ma'am and she said yes, you are yes, you are she'd make you Baby Are you can you breathe in that? Yeah, that church mother that church mother if your kid is out there doing cartwheels in the hallway She's gonna get on you and bring it. Yeah that that church mother I had to get on I had to get a little Johnny And she didn't have a problem with it all matter of fact if you get on her for getting a little Johnny She's gonna get on you. So maybe we can we can keep that part But in the typical black church What we don't often see is what's called expository preaching We see a lot of topical sermons And there's nothing wrong with topical sermons. Nothing wrong with them all as a matter of fact though There are times where you need to have a topical sermon It's in the bible But what you want to do the difference between topical and expository is the expository portion comes in where you actually break it down And look at the different parts You turn over this thing you look under that you remove that you delve into that And the whole goal isn't to get a shout That's the issue a lot of times we're looking for a shout We're looking for a good clap and as a matter of fact we'll do cheap things to get that but before we get to that There's a passage a couple passages that we need to look at one because even if we're talking about something topical like this We still want to be expository in nature. For example, we're going to go to 2nd Thessalonians 2 1 And we're going to expound on the scriptures. How about that? And so in 2nd Thessalonians 2 1 says now we request you Brethren with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ And our gathering together to him that you not be quickly shaken from your composure Or be disturbed either by spirit or a or a message or a letter As if from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has come Stop being bothered you soft extra soft christians Okay, yeah, that was me giving some interpretive license to that but that's that's his point That's his point the time of his coming is drawing near be tough buttercup. That's that's his point You haven't been left behind be tough. But look what he says While you're waiting though, let no one to see let no one in any way deceive you for it will not come Unless the apostasy comes first and the men of lawlessness is revealed to some destruction So before we get to that great and terrible day, what's going to happen? There is going to be this apostasy the word in the greek word since we are being expositors Apostasy it means to it means to withdraw Now and this requires this refers to an intentional moving back Well, what does that mean? Does that mean that a person can lose their salvation? Stop believing no we're going to talk about that later as well. But that's not his point His point is as he said in other cases Leaving the belief The tenants what we believe The words maybe our our confession of faith and so forth. It matters This is what I believe. That's what I believe. I hold to this. I hold to that Okay, not to say that I am this I'm a I'm a card caring member of the dispensational party or the or the calvinist party or the armenian party or whatever I've made them all political parties because oftentimes Oftentimes our little clicks our little our little denominational doctrinal views become like political parties Hold another story hold another video for another day. So we'll deal with that some other time But that's what's going to happen So he's letting us know that these things are going to happen as a matter of fact Paul also tells timothy as he's planning churches and choosing elders. He says The spirit explicitly says that in latter times Some will fall away from the faith notice what he says though. It's taste pistols, which is the faith It's a noun not from believing but from having the faith. They're going to be a lot of people who will leave our Our beliefs what we hold to not believing But because there's no one ever in trips are ever left from believing But they're going to be people that you know what I don't believe that I don't I don't quite believe that even I used to believe this. I don't believe I don't hold that anymore Or why well because I just I think I've evolved in my if if I hear someone tell me I have evolved one more time If I hear it one more time I'm going back to jail. I'm going. No, I'm not I'm kidding. But it just evolved how It's almost like my teenagers. Well, I've only got one But my teenage daughter or my grandchildren Mainly the 12 year old who's about to turn 13 who obviously 12 and 13 year old girls know everything about everything almost as much as 17 year old girls But even so my my 20 year olds and my 30. What is she 31 30? Whatever how old she is They know everything And they've evolved they've seen everything because they know how to push a button to make something open up and turn on They know more about it than we do fine So all of a sudden now we're supposed to stop listening to how we were raised What the bible tells us because I've evolved I want to be on the right side of history Being on the right side of history will get you on the wrong side of hell I don't care how big your church is that's where you'll end up You want to be on the right side of heaven more than the right side of history He says so by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience As with the branding iron men who forbid marriage and advocate of staying for food For food which god has created to be grateful Grateful shared in by those who believe and know the truth All sorts of things will be brought up new things things that aren't in the bible Now why is that important? Why why why does it matter about things are not in the bible? Well, first of all, we want to make sure that we're good. We're good citizens Not good christians We want to be good citizens and so what you're seeing And it's not just the black church. This happens in the predominantly white church This happens in churches period where you where you're seeing even more of a How do I say this? Bending to make the people feel at home Not just in the church, but when they go home and what's happening in society because I want to give a In many cases a political response one of the problems that we have in church I'm gonna and now this isn't the biggest problem that is this is a problem in the church and that is Being persuaded politically There's a reason why there's a there's a large number of black folks who tend to vote One particular way and that one particular way tends to always show up in black churches Predominantly black churches, of course not that there's a black church again But tend to show up and hey vote for us because we are for you And so what ends up happening is we've got a whole lot of woke And I do mean woke a whole lot of liberal woke black churches Now this isn't a good buddy dr. Freddy Haynes who by the way, I don't think very highly of as a pastor Just because of of dealing with them in the past. Maybe he's changed, but I can't see it It's exactly the same but leaving that leaving that alone Should we think highly of israel not necessarily of the people not of the people itself because Whether you die in Gaza or whether you die in israel If you haven't placed your faith in christ, then you will go to hell. So that's not a big issue That's not a problem We don't have a problem with that but the bible says that those that bless him I'll bless you and those that curse you I'll curse you And so there is a part to where we have to at least have some intelligence to what god is going to do with that land. Amen Israel And i'm gonna call jimmy carter jimmy carter says that israel is engaging in a part aid with palestinians And so the palestinians who don't have the weaponry of israel the palestinians don't have the financial backing from the united states That israel has and so they throw their rocks and shoot their arrows I will say this though. Yeah, it's an unfair advantage, but I I can say this this is this is me saying this I would much rather have israel with the guns than the palestinians If the if the sides were reversed there would be no jews in israel That part I would say and so maybe you ought to come to the table and not let hamas be your leaders And so they don't have you out there throwing rocks and sticks and then going into the land And raping and murdering people and filming it on their own social media. Maybe if we did that maybe if we did that But again, that's just me and the israel is able to bomb them and kill them Watch in the news of disparity between palestinians being killed and israelis being killed It is totally unfair, but this country is going to stand on the side of a part aid because that's its track record It stood by a part aid in south africa because it created a part aid in this country Now this is the very same pastor Who at his church still has a black lives matter matter banner on the side of the church Yeah, the same black lives matter organization that now has several their chapters Who are saying I stand with israel and they're showing the little motorized hand gliders The ones that were used to come in and kill people that same passion that very same person who also Spoke about being caught up in our mother god's hand Despite of the suppression and we popped up into our mother god's hands Yeah, so I don't think we ought to listen But what's happening is we have in many cases folks have become too political and so well I'm not for a church that is political That's one of the reasons because you're leaving a taste in my mouth That I don't want to have there in the first place because that didn't feel me That does not feel me now. Can I say this? When I got home from prison, you know one of the first things that I wanted I wanted a decent meal now I also wanted to kind of snack on things because we don't have a lot of different delicacies in prison No, no, no, no. We'll say this though. I will say this prison rice is pretty good fried rice in prison is pretty good So to so to are the prison nachos pretty good pretty good But in terms of good food in terms of healthy food And in terms of food that might might even also be clean Let's listen prison food didn't always necessarily the cleanest or the healthiest So I wanted to eat something one. I wanted to snack on some things. I wanted some treats that we didn't have in prison I did. I wanted to eat some nice tasting things. I haven't had I haven't had this in a long time I haven't had a shake in a long time all those different things. Those are some things that I wanted. Well After a while though, I don't want those I want something that is meat And so one of the problems one of the big problems is is that in the black church We tend to treat people and it happens also in the predominantly white church and other churches as well Is that we tend especially but especially the black church We tend to treat the black parishioners like children Like all they should eat is just milk and candy That nothing of substance and so after a while when you get tired of eating on snickers And honey buns and crispy cakes or what have you After a while you want something to to nibble on to you want something to hold you down And so unfortunately, we got too many churches black and white, but let's just be honest a lot of black folks love a good show Yeah Yeah, divided restoration coming I'm trying to find somebody help me tonight I need five of them Bring me five Yeah Bring it bring it Bring it I don't care about that I care about none of that Time to suck on the hood Care about that tonight Are you always running from the knocking? Tell them I'm sure Nothing biblical about that but it's a good show. Yeah, David that organ is good. Well, I will give him credit I'll give him credit the guy on that organ is doing his thing because that's part of the show. Remember We're human beings We've got five senses and the best thing that we could possibly do is to Tickle our senses and there are churches that have also introduced Smell in their church. I don't have that clip But there are churches that have introduced as many of the senses engagement of the senses as possible Because that's what we want Especially in the black church, but let's kind of let's just be honest. Let's be clear It's not just the black church. Listen white churches even southern white churches like a show too Listen, they having fun in church. They are having fun at night. You don't have to be a big church You can be a small church and just do and say whatever but remember This is what peter says Peter says and I think we've got this. I think we have this passage mixed up I think we've misunderstood this passage the bible says like newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word so that by it You may grow in respect of salvation if you have tasted the kindness of the lord Amen. Now joining us now is the cat. He had to make it make an interest But even he understands there is a strong Lack of the word in the bible now. Let me know. I want you to notice something though. Notice what it didn't say Like newborn babes long for the pure milk of the word It's not saying the word is milk No, eat milk and then get off. I mean eat take in the word and get off milk Grow in the pure grow in a desire for something meaty You want something that's tantalum something that you can sink your sink your teeth into But no what we'd rather have is we'd rather have some good music Some good shouting some good dancing may not actually get delivered because no we can say we're getting delivered But we know that there's no deliverance in the church because each week the same folks are coming back needing deliverance needing this and that Well, why haven't you grown? Because I'd rather have this see I was taught a long time ago that when the bishop dances Everybody dance when we were when we were looking for musicians. This was some time ago uh The the the musicians at the church left and so The musicians at the church left and so Finding someone that could hold us down while another other musician kind of came back Uh different things were happening and just to get people to fill in. Do you know how much it costs? Okay, first of all, let me knock this cat over because he's gonna get there you go He's gonna get on the computer get in front of the camera because he's horrible. I just hope he leaves. I hope he leaves but It costs a lot to play in some of these churches These guys will come and say listen, it's gonna cost me Thousand a week 1500 a week. That's just the organ. So that's just the piano. That's just the bass Yeah, and so it's become a business. I understand Paying people I don't I don't have a problem with paying people and you want the best because If you're gonna have the best that I want I want the folks to feel at home I want them to hear the best music right because if they're happy people excited people They're giving money, right? Look at somebody say it's my season to rejoice Don't even ask them what they see it is It's not your business where they are but it is Your business to know where they're going when I count to three I just want you to give him some Give him all you can because he desires That's what that's what church has been reduced to So is there a wonder why a lot of folks are linked because I can tell you what I can tell you this Let me just tell you this. I think there's a lot of talented people In church a lot of talented musicians and singers. There's a lot of talent talent preachers and so forth But if we think that as Christians as a church and we're going to compete with the world in terms of entertaining We won't So why should I go to church and be entertained when I can just stay home and be entertained or not go to church at all Now, yeah, that was that was marvin sap The gospel single marvin sap who wants to become who wants many many singers nowadays want to become a preacher want to become a pastor Not to say that they can't but in many cases the only reason why they can Is because they have name recognition by my album here Oh, I get to go to church and and hear marvin sap sing. I get to go to church and hear this person preach That's what's happening. Now. This is the very same marvin sap who you all remember him He was the one he was that's whose church That jamal brine, you know jamal brine was that when he said that jesus was 85 percent of his life was out of order. Yeah, that that was marvin sap's church 85 percent of jesus's life He was out of order for 85 percent of his life. He was not flowing in his god given function Why would he say that? Why would why do because listen every Sunday you're going to find somebody that's going to say something outrageous or do something outrageous And what's sad is that people that hear that stuff, they don't get to move around Why did first thing marvin sap should have did was Cut his mic cut his mic and escort him out and then you get back on the mic and let everybody know that what he just said Was diabolical it was demonic. It was horrible. It was blasphemous. It was stupid and no no saved person No person who knows the lord would ever say that especially pastor That's what you should have did anything shorter than i'm doubting you I'm doubting you but yet but listen. This is the same jamal Bryant who after getting caught cheating a few times He preaches i'm still the man The same the same jamal Bryant who believes that we need a new gospel Me to tell 16 year olds to be celibate is one thing A 37 year old who's used to getting some i need a different kind of gospel Yeah, so the church ain't telling me nothing about sex toys No, the church isn't telling you anything about sex because see when you go there and you give them the wrong thing And when you don't keep giving them that then they are going to leave why in the world matter of fact Let me just say this. Let me say this for emphasis Let me say this for a dramatic effect. Let me say this to grab some attention Let me say this that hey in hopes maybe there'll be a sound bite make some bite listen Why inhale would somebody go back to his church? Yeah Because that's what said is church I use the word correctly There's nothing Nothing godly by the church what your church is literally set up is just a holding place for Hell, so why would I go back to hell when I can get a better version of hell outside of the church? I can talk about more about sex toys and sex this and sex that and so forth Outside of the church and get and get all sorts of things better than I came inside of the church I can talk about weed and so forth and marijuana everything else outside the church and I can Inside the church the church has become a joke in many cases A lot of what we're seeing in some of these churches are a joke It's just what it is And someone and some of these pastors can get upset if you gave them the word and the problem is the problem is Many of the pastors don't know how to give the word They don't know how to give the word and so what are the what do they resort to because if you are a pastor You should be able to hold someone's attention with the way you work through the word If you've got a good handle on the word You know it and the love and passion that you have about it should come out Now Someone should be the read have you ever wondered let me let me just help some of you guys out Homoletics is is kind of teaching how you should kind of preach right? And so a lot of seminaries would would have a class on homoletics And so in that or in public speaking you'll learn about voice inflection Pitching so forth how to be dynamic sometimes you're up sometimes you're down Sometimes you are loud and and warning people to hear you and then sometimes You go in a lower tone And speak slower Why because when I speak slower and when I speak lower, what do you do? You normally you have to lean in and so what I'll do is I'll lean into I'll squint my eyes and turn my head and do different things because I want you to do the same thing Now sometimes it's just normal. It's just natural to do those things because that's just normal conversation they do different things because My words aren't saying anything unless they're lies Unless there are words they want to hear Because what does the bible say and we'll go to this because we have to we have to The bible says that people will have itching ears And so it's natural to want to go and find someone to scratch my ears a tickle of Just like when we have the of course it's gone now because people didn't like the treatment of animal Okay, fine, but when we used to have the wringlin the wringlin brothers barman and bailey circus People would come in they would be in what a year of a year a week week and a half they would come in And they would have all these different rings set up the high wire acts and trapeze acts and so forth And they would have monkeys come out and do tricks and bears do all these different things But after a while wringlin brother barman bailey circus has to get up and leave why because after about a week People get tired of seeing monkeys do tricks and bears jumping through hoops and folks flying around folks get tired of that Let me go see something different All of these little events they only have a short amount of time. And so if your church is a show Then it doesn't have but this long to run its course for folks before people are tired of it That's why you see some of these preachers Changing what they're doing Always looking for new things new ways new acts to reinvent themselves to keep you coming What it really is is they want to do as much as they can to appease the world And so when you see them trying to appease the world You'll hear them speaking and saying and doing things that the world can do or say as or relate to just like this That's good dr. Pepper rice krispies Hostess. Yeah, put these over here The host lord of hostess. Okay, I'll hear in the D D D D D D I said I'm out here in the D D D D y'all help me say say I'm out here in the D wall D D Whoa, it's just me. I just can't hear. I don't know this to be the truth Don't know it, but I would just imagine That if you add if you just gave these folks just a basic bible study quiz Most of the folks in that church wouldn't pass. They don't they don't care Let me just also say this and pass out a few things I need to say a few things one If the preacher ever gets up and wants to drop it like that something's wrong We need to come look at you. We need to ask you some questions Sir a couple things is there is that the reason why you're wearing skinny jeans so you can drop it What's going on with you those skinny jeans those colorful glasses? What's happening and then to call Jesus a stripper? Yeah, that's the one that called Jesus a stripper and then yes He did say the hoes love the hoses or hoes whatever was he says Yeah, why because it appeals to his demographic. What demographic is that? You know the ones that are worldly the ones who don't aren't really into the work It appeared it appeals to them And then that I'm out here in the deep. Yeah, because he's feeling himself. They love it They love it. I don't have a problem with having a majority young audience But you want them to grow up and you don't want them to be worldly. Remember what James says You adulteresses. Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God? Therefore If you're a pastor or you're a church wishes to be friends of the world He makes himself an enemy of God All you got to do listen. You've got one tool One tool Not the lights. That's not the tool that God gave you Not the not the choir, which I'll have a problem with the choir Not the smoke machine not the coming in the line or coming in to preach on a zip line No, that's not the tool God gave you God gave you all of us the holy spirit But as a pastor as a preacher, he gave you the word of God That's it the basketball player has to become familiar with the basketball If he can't hold the basketball, he can't play basketball If he can't hold the baseball, he can't play baseball If he can't hold the football, he can't play football unless you're Dallas Cowboy If he if he can't hold the pin and move the pin, he can't be a writer Yes, I had to I had to get that in there. I'm sorry. I'm sorry But the pastor the preacher should have such passion About what he's saying that even when a muslim shows up in the chats He can tell him listen if you die today With Allah or Muhammad as who you look to you sir in the chats will go to hell If you were a good muslim you would read your you would read your Quran and know that in surah 10 it tells you that you must ask the people of the book. That's us What it says and do not doubt That came from Muhammad's words And so in doing so you would find yourself falling in love with the only one Who fell in love with you first The god who didn't ask you to die for him, but sent his son to die for you. That's what you that's what a good preacher would do But many of these preachers they would befriend them They would have these interfaith alliances and so forth. That's what they would do A good preacher is not ashamed of putting himself out there with the word But you've got other preachers who let me see if I can address this thing If I can fix it up a little bit That's what I wanted as a matter of fact. I want you to know I want you to know That my words are what you need to lean on not not the word of god Not the word of god and we'll get there in a second, but The problem that we have The problem that we have is that folks are just too much too much like the world And they don't put a strong emphasis on the word this foolishness only comes about because people don't have A love for the word Yeah, that only happens who you couldn't you couldn't stand there and do this in in well I was gonna say in most churches. Maybe now you can maybe maybe now you can maybe that's what's happening But you couldn't do that in front of people who love the word People who want to be entertained You can do that too people who want the word You can't Because what is fault this is why people have left the church. This is why black folks have been leaving the church This is why white folks. This is why his spending folks asian folks I don't know if there's a large pygmy church going population But they've been leaving church too if it is, you know why because the word is not front and center The word doesn't matter as a matter of fact We can kind of fudge and smudge the word of god a little bit because it's just not that important Amen, we're not when I say minimize the word stop that but haven't you noticed the one that said It's all about the word. It's all about the word. Don't know how to flow and navigate with the holy spirit They don't know how to do it says that they are called the gifts of the Not the gifts of scripture. Don't misunderstand what i'm about to say But when i'm really going through Please baby Sometimes don't give me a scripture. Just minister to me through the spirit Yeah, don't give me the word Don't know I don't need the word what I really need is you to make me feel good I need you to rub me and I need you to touch me. I need you to pat me on the back I need to be able to lay my head on your shoulders I need to be able to cry. I need when I do cry And I do mess up and things are wrong. I need you to tell me it's going to be all right because it's not my fault Matter of fact, I need you to tell me that I'm going to be all right as a matter of fact I'm not going to suffer I don't need the word now what pastor would say that well him but not just him many others whether they say it outwardly or inwardly That is one of the more unbiblical things that you could possibly state No, when I'm going through something, you know what I do want the word That that is what I you're right marshal Sounds bad because it is bad If that didn't sound bad what he said to you Stick around so we can pray We need to pray They'll be the ones that will tell you something that's not biblical to make you feel better about Yeah, you know what it is it's not you it's a demon you you've got a demon And folks buy it why because they don't lean on their word either as a matter of fact They also do not regard God as holy. We'll talk about that in just a little bit But I want to play some more of someone else who also diminishes the word. This is this is the problem Why people are leaving there's an epidemic of people who don't hold the word in high esteem. I need to help somebody today There are some christians who say things like if it ain't in the book. It ain't real. What are you talking about? You mean to tell me you got the audacity to think that everything god wants you to know can only be found in the bible So what are you saying pastor? We don't need the bible. I'm not saying that you don't need the bible I'm saying put it in his proper perspective You sitting up here talking about Abraham Isaac and jacob quote when Ezekiel malachi daniel Shadrach Meshach and Abednego you are talking we preach every week about folk who had no bible Now I want to show you so I want to cover this This is I was I would rather wait till the end, but I don't want to tell you exactly What the issue is right now This is the problem. This is why people leave the church. This is why they leave the church and don't come back notice Not leaving christianity Because biblically speaking again. I said before it's unbiblical to state that someone loses their salvation because we don't have One example in the bible and so by definition if it's not found in the bible It is by definition unbiblical But do you know what the problem is? The problem is Bad soil The problem is bad soil Because even in a church Where you're getting bad word you're getting bad sermons. You're getting this kind of foolishness that we're seeing Paul makes a statement. He says that I'm not ashamed of the gospel. Why? Because there's just something about that gospel the power of the gospel the power that it makes from it That it is it's what causes salvation It's the working of god in his word and so even just getting a little bit of the word How do I know what i'm saying is true because you've got people who have placed their faith in christ Even in blasphemous diabolical demonic Heretical places such as jahovah's witnesses or in a Mormon temple Why because they they'll tell you that Jesus died for their sins Now they're gonna they're gonna mix it up and so forth that that's gonna happen But they trust that Now what happens because they are true saints and the spirit is working in them They left that place and went and found a true church So the word is powerful The word is powerful. So even in one of these old mixed up church because guess what? Even satan knows I've got to have them dress this up a little bit to make it seem like Make it seem like I've got their best biblical spiritual interest at heart. So I'm gonna throw some Jesus in there I'm going to throw some and satan's gonna have him do so Now paul says though that I wish they would preach for the right reason But even if they do for the wrong reasons, nevertheless, at least christ be preached You know why you know why because his word takes over the spirit takes over and it does something It gets to cutting you he gets to working you right now The problem isn't so much them The problem is the heart The problem is the heart or should I say bad soil remember Jesus says Jesus says in luke chapter 8 12 And this is why I say the issue isn't so much the church. It's the people He says those beside the road he gives a parable of the seed and the sower and the soil He said those beside the word who have heard Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart so that they will not Believe and be saved. They won't be as we said before be believing And be saved Those on the rocky soil are those who when they hear they receive the word with joy and these have no firm They believe for a while. They believe momentarily and in time of temptation fall away The seed which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard and as they go on their way They are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit You know, did you just just describe He literally went over everything that the woman at the very beginning talked about all these different issues that are happening In people's life be they black church white church expanding church and again The aforementioned off the neglected pygmy church whatever's going on in the pygmy church We rebuke it in the name of Jesus But what's happening there is what jesus talking about they just aren't there It's the soil that the word is going into and all these different things that happened to them church heard Finances political all by the way, all these things were happening during jesus's day A lot of things were happening you could be killed and no one would come and call the police on you So different things would happen at that time. There was slavery. There were poor people And jesus said, you know, we need we need a revelation. I mean revolution There was there was no, uh, roman lives matter or palestinian lives matter or jewish lives matter There was none of that stuff none of that stuff just the word just the word But what did he say verse 15 but the seed which is the word In the good soil, that's your heart These are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart and hold it fast and bear fruit with the perseverance You know why folks leave churches because some of these churches are horrible You know why some of these churches are horrible because some of the members are horrible because they're not really good members They're not really members at all They are people that attend a building where someone opens a bible and there's a whole bunch of hocus pocus dancing and so forth That's what it is And what we have done is we have given legitimacy to churches that aren't really churches Because they have a steeple or in freddy freddy hangs's case. They have an onk an african onk in place of The cross Yeah, that that's true. I'm not making it up And so people misunderstand or mistake that to be a church because they meet on sunday morning Maybe have two or three services and got acquired and they got himinals and so forth and they've got whatever happening That's a church. Well, no, it's not What is the church? I understand the two words are ek and lacya Klesia, which is which people say is to call it out But you know what the church is it's the assembly of the body of christ The church is are those that have the spirit of god in them and if the spirit of god is in you It's going to cause you to reject this foolishness That's what it's going to do but know what we need we need more of someone Someone just giving us what we want to hear we need to feel good about ourselves And we don't want this word to get in the way just the word. I just want the word. I just want the word Amen, we're not when I say minimize the word stop. So when your pastor says that you should have a problem with that When someone says I like the word or something good about the word but We got a problem We we have a problem And you know sad part is is that enough folks won't call this foolishness out on the carpet? No, we Leave him alone live and let live no no no no no we are told to defend the faith And I'm gonna look at something just a little bit what paul says about about the faith About the faith the tenets of the faith not having faith not believing but the belief I'm looking at that in just a little bit, but you know we do We come to god in an irreverent fashion Yeah, because we don't see him like we like we I don't see uh god physically walking in front of me And you know the old saying out of sight out of mind and we're even more so with god and we treat him As somebody or something Yeah, I'll god. I'll deal with you when I feel like it. I'll talk to you when I feel like talking to you God how much I tell you what god I got a few minutes. Let me go ahead and pray Let me go ahead and pray And then when I'm down when I'm out when I'm going through something lord help me That's when I cry. Isn't it anyway? It should come as no surprise that if the only time that you talk to god Is when you're suffering and going through and he wants to talk to you But you don't want to talk to him unless you're suffering and going through well, then guess what might be coming your way Yeah, not the good times The suffering because being pressed Causes you to cry out Now you're gonna have preachers that are gonna tell you that no that's not what god wants for you god wants God wants you to have stuff God wants you to have a luxurious life I see that god came to you know, jesus died that we might live an abundant life and to be a blessing to others I can't be a big blessing to people if i'm poor and broke and depressed and I don't feel good about myself Now that's what we're being talked. So when you go to god and you've got all of this The wrong motives When you treat him Like he's some sort of cheap thing He's just there. You know what there's god. Let me pick him up and talk to him for a second God, I'll give you a few minutes. I'll give you just a I'll give you a half Just a half a second. I got stuff to do Stuff that god you need to be blessing but since you're not blessing I've got the power to name call those things that are not as they be I've got the same powers you because I was told by my pastor that i'm just like god I'm like a little god. I've got the spirit of god in me so I can do what you do Matter of fact, I can do greater Better things than you do Yes, if someone said I've done someone literally said I've done more more work than the son of god Even to the point where they said that the son of god You can't give him credit for nothing Literally said you can't give the son of god credit for nothing Okay In Leviticus In Leviticus chapter 10 Two boys I shouldn't say boys two men two grown men Two priests who have to be over 30. So they're over 30 two priests go before the lord In a wrong fashion in an irreverent fashion now We're talking about we are talking about the god who the bible says is the same today yesterday for everyone We're talking about the same god who didn't change And so when you when they approached him and knew better in an irreverent fashion What does the bible say now? Now they'd added to be who the sons of erin took their respective fire pads And after putting fire in them placed incense on it and offered strange fire for the lord And what happened fire came out of heaven and consumed burned them up Yeah, that would have been a good time to play the fire. Mm-hmm. Yep Good time because that's what they got they got fired literally But now look at the response that god tells moses to tell erin their father He says by those who come near me by anyone that approaches me god Anyone that approaches me that comes near me. I will be treated as holy. I will be regarded as holy. I'm not your friend I'm not your local neighborhood pastor or rabbi I'm god And you will treat me as holy and before all the people I will be honored And we don't even have pastors that are doing it now. We've got pastors who are not doing that We've got pastors who treat god like he's a piggy bank and the only reason why he can treat them He can treat god like a piggy bank is because the people want that as well Holy ghost train you to ask for the right thing Lord, I want a two story house. What is that my house almost 25,000s graphy You can get laws in there. I had to get some speakers there to start and find my wife You're saying release something but you have nothing in your hands to sacrifice So what are you going to sacrifice to god? I can't take you to god empty-handed I can't take you to god empty-handed. How in the world do you say that? Well, people are buying it up That's why she can say that that's why he can say that that god wants you to have a Rolls Royce and a Maybach and a Phantom and so forth whatever now. He's dead. He's dead. I know for a fact I know for a fact not a profit But I know for a fact that that may back that Rolls Royce and that phantom Didn't go with him and didn't help him before the lord Nope and then Missy pool here comes and says that you got to give me something I can't go to the lord on your behalf empty-handed And guess what she got she got some stuff You know why and I don't have listen, you know, I don't have I used to feel bad for those. I really did I used to feel bad for them It's it's it's accredited to PT Barnum But I'm not sure if it is but he says there's a full born every a sucker born every minute They say that's him, but it might not be him But even still it's a it's certainly a truthful state. I wish I would have come up with it There's a sucker born every minute and so I'm not bothered by some of the folks who are getting fleeced by these people I'm not I'm not bothered by them at all You know why? Because it's their own greed. It's their greed that takes them to these places It's yeah, Leroy Thompson's not dead. Uh, I believe he is I've been told that several times I haven't seen a new sermon from But it's their greed Is that now the Bible says in their greed they'll exploit you But the only way that you can be exploited by that is if you're also greedy too You want those things you want the money you'll keep sewing You haven't paid you haven't paid your rent in two months because you think if you keep sewing then God is going to bless you He's gonna he's going to give it to you press down shaking together running over Try me and see if I won't pour out a blessing and you lord I'm trying you I'm trying you because you don't have the scriptures. You don't understand the context. You think that's for you Fine, you know what? You know what give him some more Oh, he's not dead. Okay. Tiffany said he's not dead Well, he better get right before he dies. I thought he was dead. I thought I had a bunch of folks similar Uh, mr. Leroy Thompson. I'm sorry. I had you dead. I had you dead. I'm sorry about that You better get right before you die though but You think that God is going to do something for you and in your greed because you want to have things You want to have stuff fine Give to as they tell you give till it hurts keep giving Prove the word right You want to be rich you you want to have money fine those that want to be rich What does the bible say about you're gonna suffer you're gonna have some problems, but it's okay It's okay because hopefully when you lose all your money You'll have a testimony to share with someone else who might think of following some of these people Yeah, because I I I recall I seem to recall paul Or peter or james or john saying give me some money so I can take this this uh, this this wish So I can take what you want before the lord. Give me give me some money If I if I don't get any money. Yeah, you ain't getting the blessing Why are people leaving the church for that? Because what we have are people who aren't christians Seeing that The bible says that a person that desires to be a pastor That person desires a good thing But we go through the qualifications And one of the qualifications it seems a little bit odd in first Timothy 3 that he must have a good reputation Amongst the outsiders. Why is that seems kind of odd? Well, here's why because we want the outsiders to one day become on the inside We want them to place their faith in christ But you're giving them a reason To turn their nose up to the lord I don't want to be a part of that church. You guys are fleecing and you're not even calling them out You're not even checking your own people Because that's what's happening And so there's a good reason why blacks are leaving the church There's a good reason why why should leave the church matter of fact Let me put that let me go back and put this chart back up again. This is sad This is really sad the decline of weekly church attendance Versus the increase of people who have never attended Wow And we have nobody to blame but ourselves As a church Again, I'm not one that I want to just dump on the church. No, but I do I will say this about the church There are those that are goats in the church and there are actual sheep in the church The sheep this is the time where the sheep need to stand up and be be tough Go ahead and call this stuff out warn people let folks know And then make sure that you're not people are always asking Hey, should I leave my church if this and that? Well, yeah If your church has turned their back on the word of God And they're more interested in programs more interested in getting offerings And I told I'll never forget this people got upset with me or it looked to be kind of weird We were having a conversation because in the church Yeah, it does take money to run a church. It does You need money because because The city isn't taking a prayer For your water to stay on the electric company isn't taking a god bless you Praise god For their light bill. No, they want to get paid and then people that work for the church They need to eat too. They need to have they didn't pay their rent mortgages and so forth So I get that it does cost and we see the body in at the very beginning of the church Doing so but I I say this and I'll always hold this I think God is going to give you just about as much money as you need I think God has given us what is commiserate to what we're doing And so if you're if your church is struggling financially, maybe it needs to struggle Maybe he's trying to build something or maybe he's trying to close your doors Because every church that need to be open Nope Uh, also the church that are becoming Wealthy, I mean they got all kind of they got they got all the bells and whistles Yeah, I God wants to have that money too. He wants them. You know why? Because that money is going to stand in judgment against them And eventually Other folks I think people are going to learn their lesson from that from the transformation churches from the elevation churches from the Lakewood churches joe woasty from the all these other churches that are now, you know, it's about what we're doing I think they're gonna learn And I think what god is god is going to come back. I think that this is yeah Sometimes sometimes god is using these things to kind of thin the herd so to speak That more and more I should I say less and less people are going to be found to be true witnesses true believers of christ And it's going to become more and more evident now. Let me just say this guys Here's the bad news and kind of the good news There are going to be less and less True believers Compared to those that are bad believers paul says paul says I solemnly charge you in the presence of god and of christ jesus who is to judge the living and the dead He says to preach the word Be ready in in season out that means all the time He says to rebuke reprove that means they're wrong or prove it meaning you have to know your word, don't you rebuke Exort with great patience or all-long suffering and instructions for the time will come which is now Long past that they will not endure a sound doctor, which is now Now I want you to pay attention to what paul says I want you to pay attention to what paul says now paul this is uh paul is on his deathbed paul recognized that he is about to die Look what he says is for I'm already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come So paul knows what's happening. He gets it. He says though. I have fought the good fight I have finished the course and notice what he says. I have kept the faith I have kept the faith. Well, what does that mean kept the faith? This is the faith. This is a noun I have kept the faith Tain pissing, which is the faith not that I have kept believing we got we get that paul But he has kept the faith. What does he mean? He has kept the tenets of the faith things that we believe So if paul were not an apostle, but let's say A parishioner at some of these churches paul would leave. Well, first of all paul would call them out paul would call them out paul would rebuke them paul would say like he said to alexander or by like that He said beware of alexander. He's opposed our message and you can oppose the message either verbally or by promoting something else What does it mean to not endure a sound doctrine? That means that sound doctor is not nothing for them They have they have no interest whatsoever in sound doctrine. Let's put it back on the screen for the time I'll come if they will not endure sound doctrine And the word this that you matter of fact, look at the bottom of the screen You'll see the definitions of the word To hinder to stop to bear with they're not going to bear with they don't have the patience for sound doctrine No, no, no, no, they don't have the patience for sound doctrine. Now. They are not patient people They're not like our cowboy fans cowboy fans are patient people. I'm sorry what I said about the cowboy Listen, I apologize. Listen, I love cowboys. I love the cowboys and I love the cowboy fans I don't like these jokers here though. I really don't I don't like what they're doing how they are hurting the body because Being serious, we're talking about life and death and they're playing with it They are hiding They are hiding the fire extinguishers inside of the fire They put the fire extinguishers up They're telling you to pour water on a grease fire. That's what they're doing And we have a huge problem with that and Robert M said thank you. See this is what real believers apology accept it Robert M is a cowboys fan And you know what can't we enjoy ourselves and have fun While being serious with the word. I think we can I think we've done so for the last hour So if your church is more about um fluff than it is substance leave If you're if your church if your church Needs to have a program is concerned with how the people are moved You need a new church That's what you need a new church One second So am I wrong to leave a church where the pastor lets women yep And misuse tongues yep And everyone hasn't said anything. Yeah Yeah, because it's likely that you go to a church Or you go to a place that's full of people who think they are doing the Lord's will There's nothing wrong with I wouldn't want to be on a team that didn't know how to play the game I wouldn't I wouldn't want to be on a team that doesn't understand what you're supposed to do with the sport Can I can I give you an example and I'm not I'm not hating but I but I think I think this is Deacon christened. I'm with you. I think this is a good example Everyone is talking about what's happening with the the with the island sands and the Colorado buffalos But just this past week they were up 29 to nothing And the the the coach's son Puts out on instagram on social media. Hey come buy my merch at halftime of the game At halftime of the game Well, guess what happened you awesome, you know the story. They they they lost they were up 29 and 29 and nothing and then lost Why because the team doesn't understand what's important The team doesn't get it A lot of people that go to these churches don't get it and I don't want to be a part of that I don't want to be a part of somebody that is messing up. But it's not that difficult All you have to do open the word it literally speaks for itself So, yeah, manual, I would leave that sort of church I would if they don't have if they don't have a High value place on the word of God will then leave because that's what he gave us the time will come People will not endure sound doctor. That's happening. And if your church is that church It's not a church not to say that everyone in the church is not saved But if you can't if if the church won't change Then you leave and take as many people as possible Because we need people standing up for sound churches So that folks can see what a church is Why are people leaving the church because they have no idea what the church is supposed to be And what they thought was a church wasn't a church and why in the world when I go back to someplace that is playing with God