 Thank you so much. I got to play this game There it is. Here we go. There we go. Here we go guys. Come on Come on Probably say Church ain't church when you say church ain't church Doesn't mean that church isn't church It's just when you go to church a lot of times you're gonna find what doesn't look like church at all As a matter of fact, you're gonna find what looks like pure entertainment now Should church should a gathering the word The music should it be entertaining in the sense that it holds your attention? That's fine But if the goal is to entertain rather than to give the word we got a problem And that's what we're seeing nowadays We're seeing more and more people who are more concerned with making people feel good Feel at home feel comfortable feel entertained almost like the guy in the movie. Are you not entertained? That's the goal. It seems the goal is to entertain people now It's not just one church or just two churches, but recently There was one matter of fact one of the largest churches in America and certainly one of the largest church system or multi-church Systems that is life that church, you know Craig Groeschel They church had their church had this Life that church at the movies. Hey like church family I am so excited at the movie starts this weekend and we have transformed our lobby into all things Mario come on in you want to spread the word about what's happening because check out this lobby when you come in It's like you have been Now could you imagine what it took to actually do this and now this isn't just at one church But at different churches, that's a lot of that's a lot of Work it's a lot of money. So certainly transported into the Mario game and movie And what an incredible opportunity we have to invite people to share this video 8 30 10 11 30 on Sunday We have a 6 30 on Monday night and it's going to be an incredible month of us diving in that the movies It's pastor Craig takes movies and uses them to illustrate spiritual truth Why do you have to take movies to illustrate spiritual truth? Why couldn't you just use I don't know the Bible to illustrate spiritual truth And if you want to use an analogy no problem Listen, I don't I like using stories and analogies to get a point across just as much the next person But sometimes you might go a little bit too far now In this case, maybe the the clip that i'm going to show you maybe that's Okay, maybe that's pushing the line too much Okay, that's that's the that's the children that that's the children's church and so Maybe somebody said, you know, okay, okay fine with the children But let's just make sure the children are getting something out of it Because obviously if you have an hour-long service and it's just the word A lot of children going to lose They're going to lose focus children don't by nature by definition Children are not as mature and they have less self-control. So I can I could probably Get by with that with this children And and who who is who's this creature? You guys said he says his name is bowser whoever his name I think I saw someone in the chat says his name is bowser. That's what the children It'd be one thing and you could probably get a pass if it's just with the children What if it's not just with the children? What if it's also with the adults? And no your eyes are not playing tricks on you that is a grown man in this little Bowser Bowser outfit playing the piano He's in the middle of the church playing the piano and then of course he's going to go on stage a little bit, but Maybe maybe that's just a little too much. Don't you think? Oh Now I gotta ask a question though before we continue What is this? I think I heard my grandchildren with that song this peaches peaches peaches peaches peaches Okay, fine. I guess it's a cute song for the kids But at church But that's not enough what he's doing. We got to amp it up a little bit That little somber mood right there. No, let's let's make it more concert-like So Nobody said and thought hey, you know what? This is probably not a good idea. This might not go well. I understand. I understand we want to We want to use what we've have we want to Bring people in I get that as a matter of fact I can even see where you might have a passage now you take the passage out of context But I can see maybe you use this passage here that paul brings up in first prince 19 He says so for though. I am free from all I have made myself a servant To all that I might win more to them to the jews. I become as a jew In order to win the jews to those under the law I've become as one under the law looks 21 to those outside the law I became as one outside the law that I might win those outside the law 22 to the week I became weak that I might win the week I become all things to all people that I might by all means I might save some But does that open us up to do what he says by all means to use everything at our disposal? Think about it taking to his logical conclusion. Does that mean if well, you know what? I want to bring the drug addict in then I start doing drugs Because how well will that go over me? Literally doing drugs on stage because I want to appeal to the drug user or the drug dealer. They have money too So I might want to use everything in my disposal to bring them in What about the person that's struggling with other addictions? There's a lot of dictionaries we can think of if you did those on stage Is that what we're supposed to do? That is not what paul meant paul meant. I'm not going to use elements That is not unknown to them I'll use I'll speak in their lingo so to speak It's never ever ever to be taken that I'll compromise the gospel compromise the word and there becomes a line that you cross where you one compromise the gospel But two also that you make it an affront to god Because you make it out to be a spectacle more than something having to do with salvation And again, this isn't just Life.church. Oh, no, there's a lot of small churches and there are a lot of large churches recall Saddleback church they had something similar to this with with toy store You remember when when both the pastors the man and woman they've got co pastors out there now when both of them Bring out this little the stages decked out in the whole toy story set up and they come out as toy story characters Well Hi Bo Peep Good to see you Are you at church? Yes, we are. Welcome to Saddleback everybody So it's and what was funny is if you look at the bottom right below their names It said the teaching pastor and lead pastors Well, which one of them is a teaching pastor because I'm sorry you don't need to do this to be If this is what you need In order to get your point across you're not good at getting your point across If you don't have the ability to preach the word Then you shouldn't be up preaching the word. That's just a fact. This is just not you This is not show and tell this is not dress up. This is and listen I don't mind you having a costume a costume party Just don't do it at the church because it sends the wrong impression You could literally offend people who aren't on board with this. Let's just even let's just even say Let's just even say hold on guys. Hold on. Let's just say This isn't sin Even if it weren't sin, it would still cause others to stumble because they were looking to think what in the world is going on Because you're walking into a place that is assumed to be holy Or at least have the appearance of holiness Now it's gotten to the point though that it's really all about who can outdo the next person Who is the best at who who is the best putting on? uh Different theatrical performances and so forth and if we got to bring some folks in it doesn't really matter if we got lights Um smokes matter of fact, let's just think back earlier this year a few months ago We saw somebody outdo everybody when it came to Easter They thought it was sweet and started celebrating That's a problem that is a problem and I don't I don't know many folks I thought that that was going to be the last of that kind of stuff that we would see Churches large and small and those in between are doing it all over the place and it's becoming a problem You all have noticed how When just to take it shift shift uh different arenas in the political arena When americans send men Dressed up as women over to other countries And these other countries the dignitaries there are looking at our dignitaries. They look at this grown man With harry legs and who was grown up born a male who's dressed as a woman who's representing the united states Forget what they're even talking about forget what they're representing that foreign dignitary That foreigner will look at us as though these people have lost their mind This is who you send to me when I have when I want to get an impression of your country This is what I get the same thing with someone coming to the church You mean to tell me when I come to your church, this is the impression that you want to give me Because you want to reach some people Well james says this and we've covered this before let's go ahead. Let's cover it again James 4 4 you adulteresses. Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility towards god You're doing your best to be friends with the world and make friends with the people of the world Rather than your first mission. You got one job. You got one job only church One job. What is it to take the people that are in the world who love being a part of the world to make them Hate the world and to cause them to love the lord so they can go to a different world It's really that simple The world is going to hell You don't want to make friends with this world You don't want to be attached to this very same world that's going to hell. You want to leave this world Hopefully you are and you want to bring as many people as possible Don't love the world or the things of the world. Now mike Todd says something He says something that has some Makes sense a little bit. I understand. I understand the point that he's trying to make Poor execution though mike poor execution and what he's going to say and what he's going to actually do I want the person who feels lonely and isolated and like god doesn't care. I want them to see How amazing Jesus actually is and what god now, okay You want the person that seems that feels isolated and lonely and and let's add more to it That's going through some things that's addicted that's struggling that doesn't know anything about the world Or or nor thing about god and there's nothing nor you want them to see how utterly and awesome How amazing god is well, there's nothing wrong with that There is nothing wrong with that But you would think that a pastor would understand how to do so paul You know, you know what's funny? It's as though paul or Other than the bible didn't lay out a blueprint a blueprint They literally let out a blueprint So if you want people to see how amazing god is If you want them to fall in love with if you want them to see his his his how wonderful he is Well, then do what paul said to do paul says he says he's like this I'm not a saint of the gospel for it is the power of god for salvation or to salvation to everyone who believes How about Mike Todd If you want them to see how amazing god is how about you just do what paul did Give them the gospel I think that would work out. Well, I think that would work out. Well, you know why Because if you give them the gospel you would ignite something in them You would ignite something in them Even if they're young in christ now you can tell some here's how you can tell somebody who's a baby in christ They're in christ and what do babies want babies want milk? So like paul said i'm sorry like peter says like newborn babes long for the pure milk of the word so that By it you may grow in respect to salvation. That is that is If indeed if you have tasted the kindness of the lord Is really not that difficult. I think some of these people who may not be saying to themselves I don't know they may be may not be they may just be very immature I hold out hope for some of these people that they are saved Just Functioning out of order should not be pastors. They may be very good at communicating Good when it comes to music good when it comes to theatrics and the arts They might be very well skilled at that but just not Just not in the right position. They're in the wrong position. They should not be pastors Because simply having people able to follow you does not mean that you're necessarily a good leader or at least a leader in that regard You can be a good leader, but you're the wrong kind of leader for this position It'd be like having the greatest quarterback ever in the history of mankind playing point guard for a basketball team You're great with the ball in your hands if it's a different ball different court different arena But over here you're out of you're out of order you're out of line You're out of function This is not where you ought to be and what you're going to end up doing is one causing us to lose But two getting a lot of people hurt And so I understand what what Mike Todd is attempting or I understand what he's saying What are you saying? Okay, I get that we all we all want people who are hurting Who are lonely? We want all of them to come and know the goodness of the lord But you think that's the way to do it and then listen to how he says we are they are at least they should How they ought to go about doing it he It's he's not saying that there's no limits But dang near god actually did for all of us So I said we're gonna go to the edge on this and they said pastor how far on the edge are we gonna go? I said we're gonna do everything short of sin That's not that's in the mind of your mouth That shouldn't come out of your mouth. We're going to do everything short of sin No, let's not do everything short of sin How about we do everything that calls out sin everything that differentiates us from sin Maybe Mike Todd and life dot church and saddleback and some of these other places that want to put on these theatrical performances Maybe they don't they maybe they've never had fun as christians Maybe being christian for them is not that fun Maybe they have more fun. Maybe they enjoy their lives When they were in the world Maybe the pleasures of this world Leaves a lasting memory more so than their life with god Maybe they actually haven't had an encounter have Have have any other thought about that Maybe some of these people who are actually leading people or trying to lead people christ haven't met christ himself Maybe they have not had an encounter recall when jesus after his death bearing resurrection On the road with those men They had an actual encounter They heard about and talked about jesus for the first time in their life They had a true encounter and when they encountered him did our hearts not burn The more this man spoke i'm convinced that a true encounter With jesus changes I'm i'm thoroughly convinced so much so that even if i don't listen i don't care if you're a drug dealer Or drug user i don't care if you are a sex addict I don't care if you've got all sorts of evil and violent thoughts in you. I don't care if you're suicidal I don't care if your sexuality is in question I don't care I am thoroughly convinced that an encounter with jesus changes everything But the problem is you're not allowing people to encounter jesus You are you're causing causing them to encounter a christ that really isn't christ You're causing an encounter something that's not like god And that's the problem so much so that you've got people that do that they just don't care They will do anything to bring the world into what they're doing If the world comes in fine. Let's let's use vestiges of the world To make them feel okay at home But we got a problem if you want the person who's in the world to feel at home and comfortable within You're literally fighting against the holy spirit who is going to bring about conviction so when the holy spirit brings about conviction and Literally trying to work in this person's life That they shouldn't be engaged in this activity Saying certain things going certain places doing certain things But then you come back and say that's okay, though. That's fine. Listen. It's a listen. I get it. I understand that that that You are struggling with your sexuality. Listen. God is not going to judge you. God's not going to condemn you The holy spirit is telling you something different But these pastors Are going against that That's a problem, especially when you see how they introduce they're putting they're putting the world on stage And it would be one thing if you took the words of certain songs and kind of changed them I've seen people do that take a song That maybe it reminds you of a song a secular song But then you change the words Okay, fine But what about when you take that secular song Put it on the stage and you don't change the words and you keep it secular on the stage Now I didn't want to go too long because I know already some of you guys were starting to dance and move and so forth I get it. I get it. But that was literally at at a church That was literally at a church and Who thought it makes you wonder when you have these meetings who's thinking this stuff up Who who's in the process you all don't have a committee to vet this stuff You don't run up the chain and maybe the at least at least see listen. I've I've been at church And things were brought up said hey, let's do this. Let's do that. I've had the occasion to say no We're not doing that. Nope. Sorry. Yeah, but Cory this and that. Yeah, no, we're not gonna know we're not gonna do that Well, what about that? No, we're not gonna do that. But why? Well, the fact that you have to ask why I'm not gonna tell you yet I'll just I'll tell you what how about we let someone else start working with with the people other than you And by the way, let me just say this too. Let me just say this too for some reason We seem to want to try and do certain things in the youth department first That's not what you ought to do One of my pet peeves and it still is Is to experiment on the youth Let's try it with the youth. Matter of fact, what do we do? We take the the pastor or the or the pastor and waiting the one that wants to become a pastor We take this person Who we think might Become a pastor or an elder or what have you Well, let's let him cut his teeth on the children. Why they're not experiments That's let me just stop for a second and get him a soapbox and rant for a little bit They're not for you to experiment with You do not send an inexperienced man Or whomever to go in there with the kids to experiment. Let's see if he can learn how to preach on them Let's see if he can learn how to teach with them. No, why though the people that need the best teaching Are those kids the people that need the most maturity are those kids Don't send some some 21 year old himself who doesn't know much to go and experiment on the kids and they're trying all sorts of things That's why we've got problems in a lot of these youth ministries today That's why we've got 22 year olds. Um getting involved with the 17 year old kids in there That's why because you didn't regard the kids as important enough to send your best I would rather you switch it around Put your best with the youth and your least best not a word, but your least best with the adults who are who have to be more discerning Don't treat treating like there's some cheap throwaway. That's the problem. We have with the side of today Our society treats kids as though. Ah, they got time to get it right. No, no, no, no They don't have time to get it right They don't have time to get it right They can do and they can commit some life altering decisions right now That will change their life and others right now for the rest of their lives So, no, we don't we don't play with them And so when you give them this impression this idea that it's okay to do church this way It's not Because what we're seeing here is not that's not church That's that's a gathering Called a church but what you're doing just getting together And in the meantime while we're here, let's go ahead and open the bible to make it seem like It's church because we're supposed to at least give some semblance of church And so what ends up happening is as you diminish the view of church As you diminish the view of god his holiness because remember guys Let's just let me just ring my coffin for a second. I got it. I must say this not just to the youth But to the adults as well I think what we do sometimes guys is We forget that we serve a holy god We forget that we serve a holy god. He's god He's not kurt He's not jeremy He's not marcus. He's not nadine He's not herman. He's not millie. He's not trisha. He's not frank He's not albert No, he's not he's not carol He's not james. He's not bonnie. He's not william. He's not cori. He's god And we forget that We forget that he's god And we should be honored To come before him But it's gotten to the point the more that we have dumbed this thing down and made it so casual That people can feel like they can just come as they are stay as they are Be they are and remain that way for the rest of life and then go to hell as they are Find themselves surprised at being held How how surprised was I to even find this particular clip Of a person In church, maybe you all seen it a person in church Smoking so they do have a smoking section in churches now How comfortable and you know what I don't even blame her I don't even blame her Nope because something was there to give her the impression That yeah, I can go to church and light up or vape or smoke. I don't I guess she was vaping I hope she was vaping Because it takes a little bit of effort to light a cigarette up, you know, you're putting your mouth and Maybe that's what it was maybe she was vaping But even do that To feel so comfortable to do something so disrespectful But cori smoking is not a sin. It is in church It is it is in church Yeah, it is It is in this holy sanctified supposedly environment But that church has given her the impression that it is okay. It's okay to but listen Let me just bow down some lanes for a second. Y'all forgive me and somebody said strange fire. That's what that was Let me just bow down some lanes. I'm I'm pretty sure I'm pretty sure that I'm going to lose some subscribers I'm pretty sure I'm going to make some viewers upset But dawg going out on care Just because you're we're not into wearing our sunday best Just because we don't you know, I get it. I don't I don't wear suits to church like I used to But that don't mean that my reverence for the for the service and for god is is less And I'm not going to treat it that way Maybe we need to start making a mandatory to bring your hard bible It's church not your phone not your phone Put an announcement up turn your turn all devices off Turn all your devices up return your cc to the upright lock positions and then turn your devices off That's what you ought to do Because let's be honest You can be on this phone pretending like You're reading the scriptures right along with them But then you're smiling. What's what'd you smile at? What you saw we're in the book of numbers. What are you smiling at? Oh, you're watching something on tv Oh, you're checking some messages and we've seen them people have their phones out and they got everything else going on And the pastor is trying to preach We come there with our slippers on Our house shoes on Sometimes we just come looking like any old thing We wouldn't go to work or we wouldn't go to the grocery stores Looking sometimes the way that we look in church Why what's the problem? We have lost our respect and our reverence for the word Let me go back to it again. And I think this is important guys We've changed god had god is the one that said this now Maybe having to be who the sons of erin took their respective fire pants and after putting fire in them Place incense on an offered strange fire to what the person said earlier is to offer strange fire But when they were consumed notice what moses tells erin that god said Then verse three moses said to erin it is what the lord spoke saying those who come near to me I will be treated as holy. Let me say it again. I will be treated as holy guys. That's a warning You're gonna treat me as holy And if you get away once or twice or five times or ten times with not treating like i'm holy Don't think i haven't noticed this is god speaking Don't think i haven't noticed you're going to treat me as holy And if you don't i'll remind you I'll remind you. I know just how much pressure to put on you I put my thumb on you. I know just how much pressure exert on you to make you call out to me And remember. Oh, he's god I will be treated as holy and before all people I will be honored You shall fear the lord That's what you're supposed to do That's what you're supposed to do And even recognizing the fear of the lord We warn people but we don't do that We don't warn people we just hey listen come on be comfortable. We're gonna have some fun We're gonna have and I don't have a problem having fun in church, but can't you have fun in church with the word Can't you have fun in church with the word now paul gives a warning he says I'm afraid that as a serpent deceived e by his craftiness your minds will also will be led away from The simplicity and purity of devotion to christ you want to add some more on top of this stuff And I think you guys since you want more you think you need more You think you're gonna get more what you're gonna get is more than what you're bargained for Do not walk away the simplicity. He calls it the simplicity the simplicity And purity of devotion to christ He didn't make it that hard guys He literally god did not make it hard for us intentionally You know why he didn't make it hard for us because we're dumb you get mad at me if you want to Let me let me just roll. Let me roll down the the the list of adjectives that's going to upset you But every last one of these adjectives that might upset you are true dumb stupid hard-headed moronic idiotic You name it. That's us That's us think i'm wrong fine. Go ask god consult the bible because he those are the words he uses Us that's how we are We literally do some of the dumbest most I shouldn't say most stupid stupidest things ever known to man as believers And he's laid it out in a simple fashion and we want to look for difficult ways to go about doing things You look for more because he's not enough If the word of god is not enough Then you don't know him If the word of god is not enough That's only because you don't know him if the word Doesn't deliver you Then you haven't met him If after being a christian you still need deliverance Because you were never delivered in the first place We're in the we're in the bible. Do we have multiple multiple deliverances on one person? No Whom the sun sets free that person has been set untoes indeed completely thoroughly fully That person is set free But we want to keep playing with with people and giving them some dumb down version of jesus You will give an account And just because your church serves that seeded means you have to eat it you can go and find another church Yeah, Cory, but the the church down the street. They're boring. Yeah, but they're going to heaven Yeah, but this church this church is what's the word lit that that the word young folks That this this church is lit man. We have fun at this church And oh, okay, this is for you single people. Oh the girls there are fine Or they got some nice some nice single men in there too All you want to you can go keep going there Keep going there Keep going into this pagan temple Because they got a crunk. Is crunk still a word? Monkey moves that crunk. I didn't know is it wait a second crunk that was in the Early two thousand and nineties. Okay fine crunk It's bad there, but it's bad Fine, we'll go back even further. This is out of sight Honk, Carol. This is out of sight groovy Man, it was happening All of that But this pagan temple with all those lights and smokes and so forth that will get you to hell That party bust is going to hell. It's gonna be fun It's gonna be fun a lot of drinking a lot of Corousing a lot of consuming a whole lot of intermingling It's gonna be wonderful. It's gonna feel good. It's gonna feel great You will have the time of your life but your life will end just like that because you desire to be had at your ears tickled You desire to to find joy and comfort in something other than god But had you simply just taste it and see How good the lord is You would have not wanted that stuff Is there a place for some tasteful lights? Sure. I don't have I don't I do not have a problem with lights I really don't I don't have a problem with with using the screens in an in a creative fashion And I really honestly don't have a problem with props every now and then I got a problem when props Lights stage performance is what you're known by You should be known. I'm speaking to the pastors the preachers the churches. You should be known by the word Let me go back to it again because I think this is very important Paul said I'm not ashamed of the gospel This is where we're here to preach You on the Leon the good news or what's the good news? The good news as I said before is not that salvation Has come to the jews It's not that salvation has come to the jew and the gentile. Nope. That's not the good news The good news that salvation has come to the world permanently And it's easy to have it happen. It really is it's it's let's it's one step faith, please There you go And then watch these other things just start working yourself out having faith Having faith cash me. Are you still with me? You said I'm still with you, brother Unfortunately, though, this is not going to reach the people that go to those kind of churches because I'm not doing what you're saying And I don't know if some of you guys go to those churches. I don't know if you do or don't Uh, I would say what I I recently attended a church where service was held in the dark Okay, the only thing uh lighting was the stage And I can't say this but that was a good or a bad thing because I don't know what was happening on stage I had I've been in service service where the light just kind of got darker But the attention was on the on the on the uh the stage But what they were saying was everything completely bibl. They weren't doing anything, you know Kind of weird or just because if I got to do some kind of tricks to get you to get you involved Then I don't know the word I should be able to Give the word in such a way That you if if you can't understand and feel the conviction that comes from me Then I'm not doing my job not not being a very good preacher And guess what services don't they don't have to be two hours long Let me give you all you guys who are prospective preachers Or if you want to go out and share the gospel, which is all of you guys Let me give you a tip This is a sales tip, but it's a gospel winning tip Give as much as it's required If it takes 10 minutes to give this message Give 10 don't give 11 If it takes 10 don't give five don't cut it off too short and don't go too long You're not that smart. You're not that profound. You're not that great. Let the lord work in you But don't go too don't overdo it Wow, that was fun. They were they enjoyed that. Let's do it again. What no No Let the word and let me just say this again and we'll go ahead and get out of here But you want to be at a church where every now and then the pastor actually opens a book and gives some sort of expository preaching Expository preaching versus topical doesn't matter In the topical he better be expounding and opening and breaking it down Because the problem is that we try to make the sermons relate too much to the people Versus getting the people to relate to the sermon to the word There is our problem, but I promise you I promise you guys I've seen this if you just open the word let them see it themselves People will start eating it up. Why because if they're actually in christ Even if they're babes in christ, they will desire that word like it is milk And they'll grow and want more and more and more and more and more And you don't have to sing songs as peaches peaches peaches peaches peaches whatever song is now I gotta go look that song up. I gotta look that song up because now it is literally in my head guys So I gotta go see what this song is about I think I've heard my grandchildren Singing that song or something like that. I think I think I heard my three-year-old grandson Singing that song. I hope it's I hope it's godly. I hope or at least not a bad song But if my grandson my if my three-year-old is singing it I'm gonna I'm gonna say it probably didn't belong in church And I'm gonna probably say that A 30 40 year old man ought not be pretending like he's playing mario brothers on stage and then become A cartoon version of the game and then start to rap it That's just me. Maybe I'm wrong But I think the simplicity of the gospel is more than enough. Amen