 Good afternoon, Pastor David. Hey John. Welcome everybody to a random moment with Pastor David unfiltered. You know a conversation that we had last Tuesday It's kind of direct in this conversation. I like to ask you about today and it's about pretty much the pulpit and The message that comes from the pulpit especially in these days where so many other things can Can occupy the pulpit instead of God's word and that there has been a fallout of many different things as a result of Not being faithful to God's word and using the pulpit as a As a platform for other things And I was reading some statistics that I wanted to share with you pastor Because the question I really want to get at if the truth in God's word is not being presented and preached and taught at the pulpit Are us Christians susceptible to deception especially in these last days. I read this comment I read this article and it said a hundred seventy six million Christians are currently in the United States 69% of these populations are United States adults US adults Not only 9% of this total 69% possess a biblical worldview With these statistics how susceptible is the Christian To deception especially when God's word may not be taught from the pulpit I'm not quite sure which Which survey perhaps was providing this statistical information 170 million plus Christians, but you and I we all anybody listening to this at the moment Knows that that's that's entirely not true There's no way that That over half of the population or close to half at least The American population is actually a Christian so we'll begin with that is really very few evangelical believers very few Who actually have a genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ a faith that has resulted in salvation? And so with that said I would cut that number from 170 plus million to Probably perhaps a quarter of that or so, but that's just that's just to say that I don't think that that number is Is accurate so if there really are a 170 plus million people who regularly attend church and and Survey after survey demonstrates that's not true, you know because churches are shrinking at this moment they're not growing and There wouldn't be enough churches with large enough sanctuaries To hold the amount of people who are actually going to church services We'd be building new barns, you know to bring in more more people and make seating a Possibility so there may be a good amount there are a good amount of people who are Going to church will say for special occasions or perhaps they go there for a wedding baptism They may show up For a an Easter service or a Christmas service or something of that nature so out of the number of people who are actually attending there's a smaller a fragment of those who are Genuinely converted who would generally have come and genuinely have come to faith in Christ who who see the value of Salvation who have received Christ's Savior and thus would find the word of God to be appealing and necessary in their lives Now out of those who are actually saved and read the scriptures You know on a regular basis or attend a church that teaches once again. That's probably a smaller amount Then what we would we would actually think so that makes the teaching of the word something that's that is obviously neglected in some in many churches to be honest with you and that is going to produce a a Church a congregation that lacks a Spiritual discernment because the word of God is intended to enlighten the eyes the word of God is intended to direct our paths you know, it's it's You know, there's a scripture that says we're with all shall the young man cleanses way by taking heed there too According to that word that would have a hidden mind heart that I might not sin against you So how can a man walk in a pure way before God by taking heed to his word? and so I Believe that what has happened in in modern times is we have substituted current events for an actual teaching of God's word and have created a very weak Sheep may very well. She may very well be genuinely saved, but they're not well fed so when we substitute Topical studies that are current event Oriented you're you're not getting in the full counsel of God and when you don't get the a to the z when you don't get the full counsel Then there are going to be blind spots and lacking within the way that you you think in the way that you live and so Because so many people are concerned about these last moments of these last days and because so many Americans have seen our nation Going in a different direction and literally down the tube spiritually There are pastors who see that and believe themselves to be called to warn The people and so they stand up and they give a warning cry, but sometimes they're lacking to equip them so They may be warning people and rightfully so But the people who are being warned very often John and you've seen this I have They actually become a bit arrogant and a bit angry So they'll say my pastor is the only brave pastor He tells us the truth and and all these other pastors are not teaching us because they're afraid The wokeness and this and that and so we hear that and I'm sure you know This goes out throughout other places other states and all I'm gonna suppose that no matter what state whether it's California or New York or anything in between That there are those who would who would feel that way because they're getting they're getting straight from you know the mouth of God those things that are pertaining to the last days and and the corruption of the political system so When you begin substituting current events for just a healthy teaching When you're incapable of actually giving illustrations from scripture to help us to see the current event as it is But we focus more on the event rather than the scripture and the answer We end up with angry sheep and the angry sheep and I've seen plenty of that angry sheep who who? Hate the president and they hate the nation and they hate the sinners and they don't Necessarily use those words, but some do you know Remember somebody leave in our fellowship. It was brought to me. She left church But she said this is first time I have left a church service not hating the president See if you if you're always preaching politics if you're always pointing people to those things Well, you make a bunch of angry people is what you end up with you have to you have to address those things But you have to bring the solution you have to address those things But you have to encourage the sheep listen these these things are true these things are happening But our God is able and and we can live at peace with all men to the best of our ability We can present the gospel of peace to people we can Encourage people to to find healing in Christ and a nation can be changed if we come to faith in Jesus because We we pray for a in America pray for a a godly president, but we worship We worship Jesus Christ, you know a king and so yeah John I think that you take the word you teach the word But if there's only a small percentage of people who actually believe it and do it And yet we have all these people claiming to be Christians who are not reading the word or being taught the word Well, what would we expect from our society other than what we already have? And so that's the reason why I believe that what we're called to do is to teach God's word book by book Chapter by chapter verse by verse. So we get the whole counsel of God Well, thank you pastor for that because you know my concern is we were talking about this last couple days is the deception that's going on and and I'm wondering you know with With this platform that pastors have that's not teaching the full counsel of God guide How susceptible one can believe to this I believe that when you don't have truth then you're susceptible to error So if you're not getting taught the word of God if you're not being taught the fundamentals and and given the ability to discern That ultimately you're gonna believe whatever your heart desires to believe And if you're not getting a rightly divided word where the scripture is made very clear This is what it means and and this is how it is is enacted Then you're gonna do things according to your own strength according to your own wisdom and and you're gonna end up messed up And so pastors are supposed to be teaching Teaching the people God's counsel. I'll give you Shepherds after my own heart who will feed you with with knowledge and understanding is how the Lord's book in Jeremiah 3 And then that's what he's intending to do that the shepherd is intended to have a personal knowledge and understanding So he can teach with knowledge and understanding, but he also Communicates knowledge and understanding and so that's that's how it works And so when the Lord says I will gift you with these these shepherds You know, this is Ephesians 4 11 and 12 he gave some to be apostles prophets Evangelist pastors and teachers Our job then is to feed the sheep when Jesus was speaking to to Peter He said tend my lambs and feed my sheep feed my lambs and so what were to do is feed them What do we feed them the word of God not the newspaper or our opinion? And so if you're not if you're not giving them the The whole council John that's where the lack of discernment comes in and that's what again We spoke about earlier the equipping of the saints, which actually means the mending and the building up and which comes through God's work Pastor, thank you so much for your time and thank you guys for tuning in We do want to invite you to our Sunday morning services at 8 30 and 10 45 We have a guest coming out Bob Lapine and he's an author and a speaker and he's going to be speaking at our At our couples conference here next month. So want to invite you guys out to Join us invite your friends and family and to keep you and Marie in prayer as you guys head out to New Mexico New Mexico you guys gonna be you're gonna be actually speaking at a pastors pastors conference and on Wednesday night Seeing that we're brought we're taping this early. This is actually Tuesday. So tomorrow Wednesday night. I'll be teaching at Calvary Chapel New Harvest in Los Lunes But yeah, I'll be I'll be teaching pastors and leaders in a conference in the Ruedos on New Mexico We'll make sure we keep our pastor Marie in prayer and Holland Davidson. Holland will be going with Roxy Yeah, so let's keep our pastor prayer and pastor again. Thank you so much for your time Thank you guys for tuning in and God bless you amen