 Amen. Joshua chapter 22. So we're continuing through Joshua chapter 22. This will be the second sermon. We're going to end Joshua chapter 22 this evening. We talked about the first part of Joshua chapter 22 two weeks ago. We're going to continue through and start talking about Joshua chapter 22 in verse number 10 this evening. We talked about how Gad, Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh, they fulfilled their vow and they were going home back to the west side of the Jordan or the east side of the Jordan, I'm sorry, and to the land that they inherited right away and then they still went and they fulfilled their commitment to fight for the children of Israel. So let's start and see what happens in verse number 10. There's a very interesting thing that takes place and it's very applicable to us today what happened in the last part of Joshua chapter 22. So let's go ahead and look at it and we'll first go through it and then we'll apply it and see what we can learn from it. But let's see what's going on first. Look at Joshua chapter 22. Look at verse number 10. And when they came to the borders of Jordan that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great ulcer to see to. And the children of Israel heard say, behold the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan in the borders of Jordan at the passage of the children of Israel. So I mean lots of people build altars you know in the Bible you know whenever something important happened to Abraham you know he built an altar to the Lord you know he built you know they make a marker of something that happened there so they'll remember something at that time and the children of Gad the children of Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh they built an altar at Jordan when they went back to their land. Now look at verse number 12 and things get really interesting. And when the children of Israel heard of it the whole congregation of children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh to go up to war against them. You're like whoa what's the deal here? You know a bunch of crazy people they hear that they're building an altar and you know the the other temple is at the other altar is at Shiloh and they're like why you know is are they building this out there they're right away they're just like we're going to war right now. So they were offended right away is what the point is here look at verse 13. And the children of Israel sent under the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh into the land of Gilead, Phineas the son of the Eleazar the priest. So you don't want Phineas coming after you first of all in the Bible. Okay so Phineas is definitely going to be I don't want to you know blow the whole story of Phineas here but Phineas is definitely going to be one of the random characters in the Bible that I will preach at some point. Phineas is the guy that goes and makes things right. Phineas is the guy that you don't want coming to you to get you right because Phineas is a guy that gets things done and he knows how to correct wrongs all right in the Bible. And with him ten princes when each of the chief house of the prince throughout the tribes of Israel each one was ahead of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel. And they came under the children of Reuben and the children of Gad the half tribe of Manasseh under the land of Gilead and they spake with them saying thus say at the whole congregation of the Lord what trespass is it that you have committed against the God of Israel to turn away this day from following the Lord and that you have builded you an altar that you might rebel this day against the Lord. So now we see what they think that the altar meant they think that they were building their own altar their own religion they were going to start you know worshiping off by themselves and not with the nation of Israel. And then verse number 17 they bring up more concerns that they have they say is the iniquity of pure too little for us. From which we are not cleansed unto this day turn to numbers chapter 25 what is the iniquity of pure turn to numbers chapter 25 we just went through this in the Bible this was the story of Balaam this was the story of Balaam and the king of Moab who was trying to get Balaam to curse the children of Israel and he wouldn't do it. So we find out from the New Testament details that what Balaam actually did was between numbers 24 and numbers 25 verse number one he actually went back and he convinced the king of Moab to you know put just go and join yourself up amongst the children of Israel and this is what happened in numbers chapter 25. This is the iniquity of pure look at numbers 25 and verse number one. So Ilias are these 10 princes they come to the children of Israel and they come up to them and they say is this iniquity of pure too little haven't you learned your lesson is what they're saying. Now look at numbers chapter 25 verse number one to see what this lesson is. And Israel abode and shed them and the people began to commit hordom with the daughters of Moab. They were going into fornication with the children of Moab and they called the people unto the sacrifice of their gods and the people did eat and bowed down to their gods and Israel joined himself unto bale pure. That's the iniquity of pure is bale of pure. It's this God bale of pure and the God and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and the Lord said unto Moses take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the Lord against the son that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel and Moses said unto the judges of Israel slay everyone his men that were joined unto bale pure and behold one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brother and a Midianidish woman in the sight of Moses. So here's one of these people that's literally committing fornication at this time and he's just brazenly just not denying what he's doing in the sight of Moses in the sight of all the congregation of Israel who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So here's this guy. The Lord has found this out. The Lord is angry. The Lord is mad. The Lord is talking to Moses and this guy is just brazenly continuing in the sin. And he's just throwing it in the face of Moses. And look who we have in verse number seven. And when Phineas, the son of Eliezer. So this wasn't that long ago. This wasn't that long ago. Phineas is still around. This is why they said in Joshua 22. It's like hey, we're still not over this. We're still not past this whole thing. This curse, this thing that happened to us is still with us. And I'll show you what that means in a minute. Phineas, the son of Eliezer and the son of Aaron the priest, saw it. He rose up from among the congregation, took a javelin in his hand, and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through. The man of Israel and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. And those that died in the plague were 24,000. 24,000 people lost their lives. That's what they're talking about in Joshua 22 when they say, hey, this thing's still with us. Because look, they're all still suffering the loss of some of these 24,000 people. This was not even a generation ago. This is this generation that it happened. That's what they're talking about. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 10 in verse number 8. Let me show you a Bible error as we're going through this. There's a Bible error. This is really a gotcha. People really like this one. Really the scholars, they love this Bible error right here. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse number 8. So we see in Numbers chapter 25 and verse number 9 that those that died in the plague were 24,000. Let me just take a little sidetrack and show you an error in the Bible. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse number 8. Look what the Bible says. Neither let us commit fornication. Paul is talking about fornication in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse number 8. And some of them, as some of them committed and fell in one day, 3 and 23,000. Aha! We got it. So Paul says here, he's obviously referring to the situation at Moab and with the Midianite woman and with the Moabites and committing hordoms when God slew 24,000 people. And Paul here, he quotes it as 23,000 people. Now if you go and read like explanations of this, you will hear all kinds of people that have just like, well, we think that Paul was just, you know, he was just ballparking it. He was just shooting from the hip and he probably just misquoted this, is what he did. Right? And, you know, well, Paul maybe he just, maybe it was a rounding error that Paul had here, you know, in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. But here's the thing. Here's the thing. This is a really stupid one that people have a really hard time understanding and I'm not really sure why. Because when you read 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and you look at Numbers chapter 25 and verse number 9, Numbers chapter 25 and verse number 9 says, and those that died in the plague were 24,000. And 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse number 8 says, those that died in one day were 23,000. Now I probably don't have to explain any more to you but basically Paul was saying it was so bad that in the heat of it in one day 23,000 people died. He could have stated it like the total of people that died was 24,000 people. But here's the interesting thing. Here's the beauty of it and this shows you that people that think that there's errors in the Bible like Paul made a rounding error, like Paul meant to write a three or a four and he wrote a three instead or something stupid. Here's the beauty of it is when we read the Bible in the Old Testament, what do we know about the plague? We know that 24,000 people died. What does Paul know? Paul knows that 24,000 people died but he also knows that 23,000 people died in one day. This shows you the three years that Paul spent in Arabia with Jesus Christ. Paul knew more about the Bible than we do. Paul knew more about the Word of God than we do because he had more detail. That's what 1 Corinthians chapter 10 in verse number eight shows us. Paul knew more. Paul had more revelation than you and I. Look, that's an extra detail that you and I wouldn't have if it wasn't for Paul telling us in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 in verse number eight. So he knows the detail of how many each day. I mean in a plague, do people all die at the same time? Do people just drop dead like that? No, they got a plague, they got sick, it was a pestilence, whatever it was. But anyway, it just shows you what else Jesus must have taught Paul in those three years. Go back to Joshua chapter 22. So we see that these, that Phineas and these 10 princes, they're saying, hey look, you know, have you guys forgotten this already? This just happened a few years ago and you guys are, and you guys are going to pull this again? He's like, what are you guys thinking? Look at verse 19 of Joshua 22. Back to the story. Not withstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass you over into the land of the possession of the Lord. We're in the Lord's tabernacle dwelleth and take possession among us. But rebel not against the Lord nor rebel against us in the building and altar beside the Lord of our God. They're saying, look, if the land that you're in is wicked and you're being influenced by wicked people, just, just come back over. Just come back over with us. It's like, don't do this though. Don't do this. Why? Did not aching the son of Zarah commit a trespass and the accursed thing and wrath fell upon the congregation of Israel? They're kind of saying to them, they're like, look, if you're in it with a bunch of wicked people and you're going to start worshiping false gods, just move back over with the nation because guess what? We don't want to pay for it too, is what they're saying. They're saying, we don't want to pay for your stupidity and because the whole nation is going to suffer because they're saying, he says here he uses Achan who took the accursed thing. We won't look at that story again. But he's just saying he didn't perish alone in his iniquity. It's like, Achan took other people with him. Achan's whole family was killed with him and on top of that they lost a battle. Many men lost their lives because of what Achan did. So that is what the children of Israel are saying. That's what these 10 princes and Phineas are saying. They're like, look, don't rebel against the Lord because we're all going to pay. We're all going to pay for it. Then the children, now they respond. Then the children of Reuben, children of Gad, the half tribe of Manasseh answered and said into the heads of the thousands of Israel, the Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, he knoweth and Israel he shall know if it be in rebellion or if it be in transgression against the Lord, save us not this day. That we have built us an altar to turn from following the Lord or if to offer there on burnt offering or meat offering or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the Lord himself require it. They're saying, look, if we've done what you said, just we're guilty. And if we had rather not done it for fear of this thing saying in time to come your children might speak under our children saying, what have you to do with the God of Israel? Now they're explaining why they did it. For the Lord hath made Jordan a border between us and you. You children of Reuben and children of Gad and you have no part in the Lord. So your children shall make our children cease from fearing the Lord. Therefore we said, they said, because there's this river that's going to divide us and our kids are going to grow up over here and your kids are going to grow up over there close to Shiloh, close to everybody else, said let us build an altar, they said. So we'll build an offer not for burnt offering or for sacrifice that it may be a witness between us, that it may show our children something our children can look at and say we are part of the nation of Israel. It's a symbol. They're explaining that it's just symbolic connecting them to the nation. They explain that's what it was all about. Now you know if you look at the integrity of Gad of Manasseh and Reuben and what they did in the first part of Joshua chapter 22, you know you kind of believe them. You kind of believe them. You don't think that they're really trying to get out of it by just coming up with this story. You know it seems to be their real intention. Look at verse 28, therefore said we that it shall be when they should say to us for our generations in time to come that we may say again behold the pattern of the altar of the Lord which our fathers made not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices but as a witness between us and you God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord and turn this day from following the Lord to build an altar for burnt offerings for meat offerings or sacrifices because the altar of the Lord is our God that is before his tabernacle. So they're saying we agree with you. We agree with you. If we did that thing that would be wicked. God forbid that that's not what it is. Again they're saying that's not what it was. And Phineas, look at Phineas the priest and the prince of the congregation the heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him heard the words that the children of Israel and Gad and Manasseh spake and it pleased them. And Phineas the son of Eleazar. Phineas is he's the one that is leading this party. The son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Rubin and unto the children of Gad and unto the children of Manasseh. This day we perceive that the Lord is among us because you have not committed this trespass against the Lord. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord. And Phineas the son of Eleazar the priest and the princes returned from the children of Rubin and from the children of Gad and out of the land of Gilead and to the land of Canaan and to the children of Israel and brought them word again. That means they went and they told them what happened. And the thing pleased the children of Israel and the children of Israel blessed God and did not intend to go up against them in battle to destroy the land wherein the children of Rubin and Gad dwelt. And the children of Rubin and the children of Gad called the altar Ed for it shall be a witness between us that the Lord is God. So here we see the story. We see what happened. Okay. Israel, Israel was upset. Let's just break it down. Let's break it down. Israel was upset for two reasons. Number one, they were upset because they didn't want to be punished for the sins of other people. That was the first reason that they were upset. Look, that's another thing that we also need to realize. The whole nation pays together. Nations are punished together. Unfortunately, that is something, look, that is something that we need to keep in mind because when God's judgment comes on a nation and God's judgment will come on and we will be punished together. And that's what we need to do. And that's what we need to do. And that's what we need to do. And that's what we need to do. And that's what we need to do. And that will come on a nation. If we learn anything from the Old Testament, it is that God judges nations. Look, nations, nations don't go to heaven and nations don't go to hell. Nations are judged by God on this earth. And nations are judged together. And guess what? All the people suffer. That's something to think about in this country. That's something to think about. Now look, here's the thing. There is something happening in this nation right now. I mean there's some good news happening. There's a lot of good court decisions happening with, you know, the vaccine mandates. There's a lot of, there's a lot, once again, I mean it kind of backs up the sermon that I gave on Thanksgiving. Like, I know we're messed up, but at least we have the law. Other countries don't even have the law. At least we have this law that, you know, sometimes depending on who's a judge, it gets followed every now and then. Here we got maybe a landmark, a landmark decision coming up on abortion that, you know, people like me have waited for decades for. I'm sure you have waited for decades. Look, I'm not, I'm not like resting all my faith on these men. But look, this is a good thing that could happen, but the point still remains that judgment is still deserved for what has happened even to this point. And the whole nation will pay. So knowing this, that should always motivate us. That should always motivate us as Christians to never stop fighting for what's right. Because that's really what the children of Israel were doing here is they were coming and they were fighting for what was right to protect themselves, to protect their own part of the nation. Because when the nation turns from the Lord, everybody suffers. And they knew this. So the first thing that they did was it was kind of for self-preservation. So think about that. Think about that when it comes time for the...there should be no silent majority. Look, we're not the majority. We're never going to be the majority. But we shouldn't be silent. We should be always preaching the truth, talking about the truth, telling people the truth. We should always be look, for self-preservation, for the preservation of the nation, because everyone will suffer when judgment comes. That's the first reason. The whole nation was going to be judged and they knew it. They knew it, because it just happened just recently to them. Here's the second reason. Here's the second reason. Here's some interesting thoughts that I really want to just really push these forward for the rest of the sermon. But here's the thing. Israel, Israel, Phineas, the Ten Princes, and the nation of Israel that came over to talk to Gad, Reuben, and Half-Tribe of Manasseh, they were jealous for the Lord. They were jealous for the Lord. They referenced the sin of pure. And there's two thoughts here. There's two thoughts here. First of all, what happened in pure? They started, it says in the first verse, they started committing hordom. And then the second, third, and fourth verses after that, you see, they started committing hordom, and then what did they start doing? They started worshiping their gods too. It's literally called the sin, you know, the sin of their God. It wasn't just this carnal sin that they were doing, it was they literally started worshiping false gods. Now, think about this for a minute. Here's a couple thoughts on false gods, okay? What's the big deal? Turn to Habakkuk, Chapter 2. What's the big deal on false gods? I mean, think about it. They're not real, right? I mean, if I decide that, you know, this piece of plastic on my pulpit here is a God, it doesn't make it any worse. So, Habakkuk, Chapter 2, in verse number 18, Habakkuk, Chapter 2, in verse number 18, look what the Bible says. It says, What propheteth the graven image that the maker thereof have graven it? The molten image and teacher of lies that the maker of his work trusts therein to make dumb idols? It's like, what good does it do for you? If I make some carving times a day, it will do nothing for me. It's just a dumb idol, meaning it can't speak, it can't think, it can't do anything is what the Bible is saying. Look at verse 19. Wo unto him that saith to the wood, Awake to the dumb stone, arise, it shall teach, behold, it is laid over with gold and silver and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. So, actually, you know, being saved and being a Bible believing Christian literally this evening, it seems kind of silly that man would do this. Does it not? Does it not seem kind of silly that man would go out, especially, you know, the people from the nation of Israel, from God's people would go out and just start worshiping other gods. You say, but why is it a big deal? It's fake. It's fake. It's not real. It's just a waste of time, right? It's these people that are going and they're doing something that's just a complete thing, right? But no, it is a big deal and here's why it's a big deal. It has nothing to do with the idol. It has nothing to do with what the thing's made of or what it's not made of. It's a big deal because of the nature of God. That's why it's a big deal. Turn to Exodus chapter 34. It is not the chunk of wood or the stone or the gold plating or the silver. That has nothing to do with it. The problem with it, look, if it was just that and us, it would just be a huge waste of time. That's all it is. It would just be barking up the wrong tree is all that would be. Look at Exodus chapter 34. Exodus chapter 34. Look at verse 14. The Bible says, for thou shalt worship no other God. Small case G. You know, idol, fake God, whatever you want to call this. For the Lord, it's a why not? Why not? Does it say so you don't waste your time doing it? It says no. It says, for the Lord whose name is jealous is a jealous God. Okay, so the Bible here is saying, it's like, don't worship false gods because, not because it's a waste of time, but because God is jealous. Lower case J. How jealous is he? He's so jealous, it's literally one of his names. Capital J. Literally, God is so jealous that it's literally one of the names that he's called, that he calls himself in the Bible. God is jealous. So, first of all, we see that God is jealous, but here's another interesting point. I want to point out about, let me just take a sidetrack on this worshiping false gods and fornication thing. In 1 Corinthians 6, in verse number 18, the Bible says that fornication is sinning against your own body. And if you notice in the Bible, fornication or carnal or sexual sin as the Bible would call it, is really, it's really propped up as a really big deal. And it's many times it is attached to worshiping false gods. Have you noticed that? So the question is, turn to Exodus chapter 32. Since fornication, and we see it again in Numbers chapter 25, we see that they go out and they start committing whoredom, they start committing fornication with the daughters of Moab and then what's the very next thing that they do? They start worshiping what in the world? Those seem like two completely separate things. But no, they're not separate. And that's the thing that the Bible is trying to tell us. Look at Exodus chapter 32 in verse number 19. This is where Aaron makes the calves of gold for the children of Israel. And it came to pass as soon as he came nigh into the camp that he saw the calf. This is Moses coming down and he sees them worshiping the calf. And Moses's anger waxed hot and he cast the tables. He made commandments with him out of his hands and break them beneath the mount. And he took the calf what they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and strotted upon the water and made the children of Israel drink it, drink of it. And Moses said to Aaron, what are these people unto thee that thou has brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said, let not the anger of my Lord waxed hot. Thou knowest the people that they are set on mischief. He blames it on the people. For they said to me, make us gods, lowercase g, which shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man brought us up out of the land of Egypt. We want not what has become of him. He was gone not that long, 40 days. And they said unto him, whosoever hath any gold, let him break it off. So they gave it to me. I cast it into the fire and there came out this calf. He gives this lame excuse about how it became. He blames the people. He says that it was an accident that it looked like a calf. You know, it must not have been a very good, you know, carving or whatever, right? But anyway, and then Moses in verse 25, and Moses saw the people were naked, for Aaron had made them naked under their shame among their enemies. Now we don't actually know exactly what they were doing there, but look, this has something to do with carnal sin right here. Okay? So the point being is many times throughout the Bible turned to Deuteronomy chapter 17. Deuteronomy chapter 17 gives us the answer. Many times throughout the Bible, whenever we see fornication, we see this going into false gods, just worshiping false gods. Deuteronomy chapter 17 verse number 17. Here's the answer right here. Now it doesn't exactly explain why this happens, but it tells us that it's going to happen in Deuteronomy chapter 17 and verse number 17. Some things we just need to realize, this is how it works and this is why God is warning us this. Deuteronomy chapter 17 is giving kings some advice here in Deuteronomy chapter 17 verse 17. It says, neither shall he multiply wives to himself. Why? Because that's mean to his wife. It doesn't say that. It says, the biggest problem with multiplying wives to yourself that his heart turned not away. Neither shall he multiply himself silver and gold. Look, here's the bottom line that we learn from, I'll just say, carnal sin in the Bible, like fornication, like hordom, like these things. It will turn your heart from the Lord. That is what the Bible is teaching. And guess what? It works both ways. So just remember this in your life, that carnal sin, hordom, fornication, whatever other kind of adultery, you know, all these different things, all these carnal sins will turn your heart from the Lord and guess what? It works the other way too. If your heart turns from the Lord, it will lead to carnal sin like that. That's what the Bible is showing us here. That's what the Bible is showing us again and again and again. What happened to Solomon? He multiplied wives. He multiplied wives. Okay. What's the big deal? That was just his problem, right? That was just, no, the big deal is it turned his heart from the Lord. And he started building all these altars and all these idols to false gods because one thing leads to another and the other always leads to the other thing. So we must stay away from this thing. Look, they go hand in hand. It's not just a sin against your own body, as it says in 1 Corinthians. It will actually lead you will sin against the Lord. And that's where the real trouble comes in. You're like, oh man, the sin's against my own body. That sounds pretty bad. Look, you sin against the Lord, it's going to get worse. That's when the real trouble will set in in your life. Let's go back to jealousy. Back to jealousy. Look at Joel chapter 2. So God is jealous. He's so jealous that that's one of his names. You're like, God is jealous? That's over. We see that he doesn't want us going after false God. So he's jealous for our attention. He's jealous for our worship. That's the first thing. Joel chapter 2, look at verse number 18. Then the Lord will be jealous for what? For his land and pity his people. So the Bible says here, he's jealous for his land. He's jealous for his people. Look at Ezekiel chapter 39. Ezekiel chapter 39. Look at verse 25. So God is jealous over a lot of things. He's jealous over us. He's jealous over our worship. He's jealous over his land that he gave the people. He's jealous over, look at Ezekiel 39 and verse number 25. Therefore, thus say at the Lord God, now it will bring again the captivity of Jacob and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel and will be jealous for what? For my holy name. God is jealous over his name. He's jealous over his name. Now go to Elijah and go to 1 Kings chapter 19. And let's look at Elijah. Now we saw God is jealous over things. Let's look at Elijah. So we see that Phineas, the ten princes they were jealous over the Lord. They were jealous over the Lord. Elijah was also jealous over the Lord. Look at 1 Kings chapter 19 and verse number 10. 1 Kings chapter 19 and verse number 10. Look at Ezekiel chapter 19 and verse number 10. We read this on Sunday morning. This is where Elijah is running away from Jezebel. He's running for his life. He's all alone. He's at the literal low point of his life. We don't see a lower point in the Bible of Elijah's life than right here. 1 Kings chapter 19. Look at verse number 10. And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts. For the children of Israel have forsaken that covenant, thrown down nine altars, slain thy prophets with the sword. And even I, only I am left and they seek my life to take it away. Because like everybody's turned from you Lord, but I've been jealous over you. Here's what jealous means. Jealous, the true meaning of the word jealous, we've messed it all up today. It basically means protective. That's what it means. He's jealous for, and you'll notice, whenever the word jealous is used, you'll see this word his. He's jealous over his people, his worship, his name, his God. Jealous is to be protective over something that is yours. Something that belongs to you. Now the people, what people mess up today is they confuse jealousy with envy. Look at Proverbs chapter 14 and verse number 30. Because people will use those words in the English language today. They will use those words interchangeably, but that is not correct when you are reading the Bible. Proverbs 14, look at verse 30. Proverbs 14 and verse number 30. The Bible says, a sound heart is the life of the flesh. But envy, the rottenness of bones. So obviously, God doesn't have any rottenness in him. He's not envious, he's jealous. So it's different. The English language is being butchered today, by the way. Okay? So you need to stick. You should, as it changes, by the way, I should start writing them down because you hear them several times a week all these stupid new words that people use. I'm not even going to mention some of them, but look, you shouldn't be using these words because you don't adopt this. So basically, the Bible is telling us here that envy is bad and jealousy is good because God is jealous. It means protective. In Acts 13, verse 45, I'll just read it for you. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming. So the Jews, why were they, they were envious against Paul? Why? Because he had the multitudes. The multitudes were there and they were listening to Paul. They were Paul's multitudes and they were envious against that. They were envious that they didn't have the multitudes listening to them. They were envious against attention that Paul was getting and they were not. They were envious against something that wasn't theirs that they weren't getting. So, they coveted that is what they did and that became envy. So envy, the Bible calls envy, it goes hand in hand with lust. Like, I want something that somebody else is and I'm envious of that. So I want it and that's that's that lust sort of something that isn't mine. Covetousness, same thing. I covet something. I covet something that somebody else has in the church and I'm mad that I don't have it, that they have it and I don't and that's envy. That's bad. That's bad. Envy, covetousness, lust, they all go hand in hand. That is nothing to do with jealousy. Jealousy is being protective over something that is yours and there's nothing wrong with it. As a matter of fact it's one of the names of God in the Bible. So let me ask you this. Let me ask you this this evening. Are you jealous for the Lord? You say, you know, what do you mean? What do you mean? Are you jealous for the Lord? Think about what is the Lord? Are you jealous for His property? Are you jealous for His church? Are you jealous for, think about your life and everything that has to, especially you folks here, a bunch of weirdos, live in a life serving with your life, you know, living a separated life, we're all doing our best to try to not live the same life as everybody else in the world and everything around what we're doing that's different is of the Lord. Are you jealous? Are you jealous over that? Think about other things that are yours. Think about your material possessions. Think about your house. You know, think about your house. I mean, you know, what if the government came in tomorrow and said, we own your house now? I mean, what if the government came in tomorrow and said, you are no longer able to own property in the U.S.? It is all ours now. You say, well, that is ridiculous. But I mean, wouldn't that make you mad? The government came in and just confiscated everybody's property. You think, that's weird. No, that's happened many times throughout history. The theory of communism may be summed up in one sentence, abolish all private property. Karl Marx. Look, this has been done before. Governments have come in and they have taken over. There's been a coup and they just say, all private property is abolished. We now own all the farms. We all own all the factories. We now own all the property, the people, meaning the government. And this is where tens of millions of people starved throughout history. It's likely, it would likely cause a revolution here if that type of thing happened. Why? Because it's yours. That's why. Because it's your property and you have a right to be jealous over it. Your property. How about your family? What if, what if, I mean, what if somebody came in and wanted to take your family away from you? Wanted to take away your wife? Wanted to take away your children? Come in and just confiscate your family. Kidnap your family. Look, any man worth his salt would probably fight to the death or should fight to the death to stop such a thing. Why? Because they're yours. Because you have a right to be jealous over those things. But are we jealous over the Lord? Is the question. Do you allow people to trash the Lord around you? Are you jealous for the Lord's name? How many conversations are you in where you hear people just like blaspheming the Lord and you say nothing? Are you jealous for the Lord's name? Jealous is his name. How about not just the Lord but how about his church? Are you jealous for the Lord's church? This church doesn't belong to me. This church doesn't belong to you. This church belongs to Jesus Christ. Are you jealous over that? Would you allow people to feel comfortable trashing your God, trashing his church around you? I was talking with one of you the other night and we were talking about the Waco thing. How many of you remember Waco? You young people don't remember it. Waco was like in the 90s. And it was this cult and it was these people and they lived in this commune in Texas and there were a bunch of weirdos. Like the guy, the leader of the cult said he was Jesus and all that. I mean, look, it was a false prophet. It was a weird cult but one of the guys that I was talking to the other night, he was like, you know, I mean, what the government basically did is they came in and they murdered them all, which was not right because people, look, people probably look at us and our separated lives and going out soul winning, walking down the street with a Bible. People look at us, I mean, people look at that and they think that that's strange. And somebody said in this conversation, they said, you know, yeah, the branch of Indians, they were false prophets and they're all, but from the world's perspective, they probably look at us the same or similar, which is, you know, which is true because people look at us and they're like, this is odd, what we're trying to make is that this is how people see us, but understand that everything about your life that people don't understand, you should be jealous over. Everything's spiritual. Look, because guess what? It may seem strange to be in a church like this to people outside, but go to Romans chapter 12. It may seem strange to the outside world at, look, this world is changing every day. This country is changing every day in ways that I don't, I mean, I try to keep up with it all, but it's really changing very quickly. So, for the world to look at us and think that we're strange, I'm looking at them and saying, these are strange things that are happening. These are strange changes. This is strange that you are not recognizing how wrong that these things are, that the world is going towards. But look, here's all we're really doing from a biblical perspective. As we live this Christian life and try to raise our children in the proper way, try to keep them out of the wicked influences of the world around us, all we're doing is Romans 12-1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. I mean, that's what we're doing. As we live our life and serve the Lord and go out and try to bear fruits and go out and, you know, fulfill the Great Commission and teach all nations, baptizing them. I mean, as we do this, you know, all we're trying to do is have our bodies be a living sacrifice to God. Why? Because, you know, a living sacrifice that's wholly acceptable on to God, which is your exceptional, awesome thing, best thing ever you could do. No, which is your reasonable service. It's like, this is like, it's just, it's just, it's reasonable that you would do that. As a saved believer, it's reasonable. It's average. It's expected. It's, you know, it's not over the top. It's kind of like what you just should be doing. So other people look at it and they're like, that's really strange. That's really weird. Look, they're going to attack it. They're going to attack it. They're not going to understand it. They're like, well, 99% of all the other churches don't do all the things that you do. Why are you doing that? Why do you go to church there? They're attacking it. They're attacking something you should be jealous over it. Look, just because people think something is over the top and strange doesn't mean that that's how God sees it. God sees it as your reasonable service. Not something that's extreme and you're going way overboard. But why would we allow ourselves and ultimately our God that we represent be denigrated in our presence? Why? Everything in your life, spiritual, which if you're living a separated life is near everything. Everything that you do is different. Be jealous for your God is the lesson. Look, if more Christians stood up everywhere for everything that they should stand up for, I mean, we wouldn't be in the situation we're in today. It wouldn't seem so strange to people today. Think about this. It was just an altar. They hadn't even done anything yet. They hadn't even sacrificed anything yet. It was just perceived. Think about this, children of Israel, how jealous they were of their God. It was just perceived that they might, that they might do something. Look, if Christians would be more jealous over their God, his word, we wouldn't be where we are today. Seems simple. Turn to John chapter 10. Let me get really specific for you all now. Turn to John chapter 10. You say, well, you know what? I don't want to be. I just don't think I'm going to be jealous. I like to fit in with people. I like to go to church. I like to go soul-winning. I like to do my thing. And then I just kind of like to fit in with people. I kind of like to go to the events that I go to, go to the things that I go to. Yeah, people say stuff. People say things. I just, it's like water off a duck's back to me. Look at John 10, 28. Very well known verse in the Bible. Look what the Bible says here. And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Talking about eternal life, Jesus is saying this, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Jesus talking about the gift of eternal life that he gives us says no man will pluck them out of my hand, meaning this eternal life is held by me, Jesus says. So what does this have to do with being jealous? People say I just, I just don't want to cause waves. I don't want to be jealous. Look, the children of Israel cause some waves here. They literally came there and they were ready to go to war over this. Jesus here is saying your eternal life is held by me and no man will take it away from me. Yet, people that aren't jealous over the Lord, you know what they end up doing? They allow, they end up allowing man, a man to take away their spiritual life, to take it from them. Nobody can take your salvation. Jesus has that, but guess what? Somebody can take your spiritual life from you. They'll ought to just be taken from them. What kind of man? Look at John chapter 10 and verse number one. John chapter 10 coming through for us tonight. Look at John chapter 10 and verse number one. Verily, verily, who in the world would try to take away somebody's spiritual life? What kind of person would do that? And who, and how would they do it? How would they do it? Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door I can't even read. He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold but climeth up some other way the same as a thief and a robber. See, the people that try to take away someone's spiritual life, they never come in the front door. They never go through the proper methods. They never have a problem and want to take it head on with the pastor of the church. They never say, I've got a problem with this church and I want to get so and so and so and so out of the church. I'm going to go talk to the pastor about that. No, they climb in some other way. They climb in some other way and you say, yeah, but these people that would get their spiritual life stolen from them by somebody like this, they're simple. Romans 16 says that they're simple. They deceive the hearts of the simple. All the same, they're still deceived. All the same, they don't recognize the voice that they should recognize here. All the same, they think that this guy that crawls in the window is the shepherd. All the same yet, but here's another thing about people that will get their spiritual life stolen away. You wonder if you should be jealous over the Lord. Just follow me through on this. People that get their spiritual life stolen away, they're simple but they're also many times in sin. Many times they're in sin. You see, because faithful are the wounds of a friend is what the Bible says. But you know what? It says faithful are the wounds of a friend. So if brother so-and-so is doing something that, you know, brother so-and-so knows is wrong, maybe there's a time when brother so-and-so, I won't even use names. I don't want to make somebody a sinner here, but maybe they just say, you know what, brother, if you keep doing that and I'm not going to use anything on this guy as it sits right here, but you know, brother, you should stop doing that because the Bible says this and you should do this and this could end up doing this. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. But guess what? A friend in sin doesn't necessarily like. It doesn't say that the wounds will be good. The wounds will feel nice. So you know what people in sin do? People in sin, they want to be around other people that are in sin. See, in this church, I'll just give you an example. In this church, you're going to have a real hard time with the culture and you're going to have a real hard time being a man that doesn't work in this church. Like, it will be impossible for you to be in this church and be a man that doesn't work. It will be very, very difficult for you if you are a man that can't hold down a job. You just, maybe you work but you bounce from job to job to job. That will be very difficult for you to be in a church like this. Look, that's by design. You fathers with daughters can thank me later. But that's by design. But guess what? Faithful are the wounds of a friend. And people like that are the ones that are vulnerable when people will, because they'll go to friends that are also in that sin. That are also, you know, doing that type of thing because that makes them, that makes them feel better. That makes them feel better. So you say, why in the world? So I'm telling you tonight, I'm telling you tonight because this has been going on for three long months. Three long months. And it's been, look, it might be like some little blips come up for all of you, but it's been excruciating almost every single day for me to watch this because it's not just, oh, they're simple people and they're just in sin. Look, I'm watching people who are not jealous over their spiritual life get stolen away because somebody's popping up an altar and they're not saying, what are you doing over there with that? What are you popping up that altar for? And they're not being jealous over their spiritual life. And guess what? They're not the only ones that suffer. So watching this happen again and again and again. I mean, you say to yourself, it's literally maddening. It doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make any sense logically that somebody would follow a drunk. It doesn't make any sense logically that somebody would follow a drug addict. Does that make sense to anybody? This shows you the spiritual war that is going on. This is why. And you say, there's no danger for me. There's no danger for me. But let me tell you something. It may not be such a blatant, foolish thing that brings you down. Be jealous over your spiritual life. And you keep guard over your spiritual life because these dangers are very real. The spiritual war is very real. This is why pastors get up and call people out from the pulpit and dress people down from the pulpit. Because you know what? I sit there and as we prayed the prayer list tonight, I'm like, you know, we prayed. One of the prayers that somebody put on the list was, God grant us mercy. And I sit here and I go through this play book again and again into my head over the last three months. And I sit here and I say, I want to be merciful. I want to be merciful. I want to be merciful. But I'm like, was I too merciful? Was I too merciful? Should I come down harder, quicker? Why? Could I have saved some sheep? Could I have saved some of this from happening? Ultimately, I don't know. But I'm begging you tonight to be jealous over the Lord in your lives. When you have something in your life that you are doing for spiritual reasons, you're raising your kids in a definitely weird way according to the world for spiritual reasons. Are you not? Are we not trying to accomplish a goal? When somebody comes after you and even subtly says something against that, you'll be jealous for the Lord. Because there's consequences to not being jealous for the Lord. When you see people starting to build alters around you, you tear those things down. Or you call them out and you say, what is that? What are you doing? Don't you say those things? Don't you do those things? Don't you try to influence this? You'd be jealous over these spiritual things because these attacks are going to happen to every single one of you. Every single one of you. The spiritual war, look, if I've seen anything in the last three months, the spiritual war is real. It's real. And look, we're a small bunch but we're doing great things here. And that's why it's real. That's why it's real. Be jealous for the Lord. Let's bow our heads and have a word prayer.