 I'll turn to Joshua chapter 13 very quickly, keep a place in Numbers chapter 22 and turn to Joshua chapter 13 and I'll explain to you why we're in Numbers chapter 22. If you look at Joshua chapter 13 which I preached through last Wednesday night, I skipped over verse number 22 where the Bible says, Balaam the son of Beor the soothsayer did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain with them. So Balaam this guy as they come into the promised land and they conquer the promised land, this man they're kind of going through before they went over the Jordan River, they slayed this guy and it lists that out in Judges chapter 13. So let's look at the story of Balaam this evening and it's one of the, it's kind of a story that people are, a lot of people are confused about in the Bible, it's kind of a confusing story if you just read it for the first time and it can seem and there's a lot of detail that I'll kind of explain to you that people kind of get lost in the weeds on this story a little bit but I'll show you this evening that I mean it's a pretty basic, it's a pretty basic story if you don't get lost in all the weeds of things that could or couldn't be about the story and I'll explain that as we go through it but look at Numbers chapter 22 and let's start out looking through this story. So there's this guy, this is the history before, this is still Moses' time, this is before they've crossed the Jordan River so they are on the east side of Jordan right now, they're just on the other side of Jordan, right across from the Dead Sea, right across from Jericho basically and they come across the children of Moab and there's this guy that lives there, this prophet, this soothsayer, the Bible says and we'll get into what he's all about here in a little bit but look at verse number one of Numbers chapter 22, let's just read the first few verses here of Numbers chapter 22 and get the context of the story and the children of Israel set forward and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side of Jordan by Jericho, this side meeting the east side and Balaq the son of Zippor saw that Israel had done, saw what Israel had done to the Amorites so this guy was scared because they had already conquered these people and Moab was so afraid of the people so this is Balaq, he's the king of Moab and he was so afraid of the people because there were many and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel and Moab said under the elders of Midian, now shall this company lick up all that are around about us as the oxen licketh up the grass of the field and Balaq the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at the time, he sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor, this is the same guy that judges chapter 13 is talking about, to Pethor which is by the river of the land of the children of his people to call him saying behold there's people come out of Egypt behold they cover the face of the earth and they abide over against me come now therefore I pray thee curse me this people for they are too mighty for me, para-adventure I shall prevail that we may smite them and that I may drive them out of the land for I want that he whom thou blessed is blessed and that he whom thou cursed is cursed so I mean it's interesting to point out here and this is part of how we could get into the weeds but this guy has a reputation here of the people that he blesses are blessed and the people that he curse are cursed so there's a reason that the king of Moab goes to Balaam because he feels like that Balaam actually has a track record we can actually help him okay so that's interesting to point out there look at verse 7 and the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand and they came unto Balaam and spake unto him the words of Balaak so they came with stuff they came with rewards and we'll see that you know they came with riches and and things to offer Balaam so he could come and curse Israel and he sent it a hand unto them watch here this night I'll bring you word again as the Lord shall speak unto me so Balaam is speaking to the Lord okay Balaam is speaking to the Lord and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam and God came unto Balaam and said what men are these with thee and Balaam said unto God Balaak the son of Zippor king of Moab has sent unto me saying behold there's people come out of Egypt that cover at the face of the earth come now curse me them pair adventure I shall be able to overcome them and drive them out he's saying curse them and then I will be able to overcome them and drive them out and God said unto Balaam this is God this isn't Balaam's not praying to a false God here Balaam is actually talking to God and God is talking to Balaam and God said unto Balaam thou shalt not go with them thou shalt not curse the people for they are blessed verse 13 and Balaam rose up in the morning and said unto the princes of Balaak get you into your land for the Lord refuses to give me leave to go with you now the first point is this and the point if you take anything from the whole sermon and we're not going to drop into the weeds and in a lot of these these details about Balaam because this is the main point right here God does not want him doing this God does not want him going and he does not want him cursing the children of Israel so really like that the key verse of the whole thing is verse number 12 in Numbers chapter 22 where God just says I don't want you doing this he's like these people are blessed he's like don't go and don't curse them they're blessed look at Numbers chapter 22 in verse 14 and the princes of Moab rose up and they went unto Balaak and said Balaam refuses to come with us and Balaak sent yet again princes more and more honorable than they and they came to Balaam and said unto him thus sayeth Balaak the son of Zippor let nothing I pray thee hinder thee from coming unto me for I will promote thee unto very great honor and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me come therefore I pray thee curse me this people so you could infer some more things here you could infer that you know maybe Balaam has a why send him again the prophet of God has just said no God said no God said I'm not going to go and I'm not going to curse these people yet what does he do he sends even more important people he sends more higher ranking dignitaries to Balaam and he basically says he makes all these different promises that says you know I'm going to give you this great honor and I'm going to give you these great things you know he's trying to convince him with worldly things okay so I mean you could infer and people have inferred and you know it's a true inference as well will study that Balaam maybe had a reputation for being influenced by these types of things okay look at number 8 verse number 18 and Balaam said and Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balaak if Balaak would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do less or more so notice how Balaam says the word of the Lord my God so you know you could argue that Balaam is not a false prophet by by this right here that he's an actual prophet of God you look he's not a good prophet but he is at least a prophet of the true God okay so he says my God is not going to let me go and do this look at verse 19 now therefore I pray you Terry ye also hear this night that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more he basically says he basically says I can't go with you it's like even if you gave me all the silver and gold you know which is kind of like he's kind of projecting there right he's like maybe you should offer me all the silver and gold but I can't go with you but don't go back yet I'll ask him again it's basically what Balaam says here okay in verse 19 look at verse number 20 I mean look he wants to go Balaam you can already kind of tell just from this passage that Balaam he wants to go with them and it's God that is stopping him from going look at verse number 20 he's greedy he's greedy you can see that if you just read this story look there's some things in this story in numbers chapter 22 chapter 23 chapter 24 and chapter 25 there's some things in that story if you just read through that story you just could not understand the full story unless you read the New Testament I'll show you that in a little bit but you can infer that Balaam is worldly and he wants the worldly things and he wants these things and it's just God that's holding him back okay look at verse number 20 and God came unto Balaam at night and said unto him if the men come to thee come to call thee rise up and go with them but yet the word which I shall say unto you unto thee that shall thou do so God says look if they come to you again if they come to you again then you can go with them but you will only say my words that I say God says and I'll look at the very next verse Balaam just gets on his donkey and heads over there I mean it doesn't say that you know nobody came and got him you know it just he just heard what God said and he's just like I'm going he's like I've got permission I've got the keys to the car and he just goes in verse number 21 and Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his ass and went with the princes of Moab and God's anger was kindled because he went I think he was a little I think that my my interpretation of this is that God was angry because he went God said if they come and they beg you again just go with them but he just he just went anyway he was just a little too quick to just jump on his donkey and head over there okay so God was angry look back to verse 12 God didn't want him going in the first place and that's what you have to remember and that's the main point of the whole story that you know that's the whole point of the sermon I hate to give it away but it's like when God doesn't want you doing something that's it and he just kept trying and pushing and pushing and then he just he jumped at the chance of what he basically took what God said and you know ran with it when he shouldn't have it they didn't come and try to get him again so here he goes he's on his way he's on his way and the angel of the Lord is standing in the way and the donkey or the ass sees it and he doesn't and so he starts beating his animal he starts beating the donkey look at verse 23 and the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way and his sword drawn in his hand the ass turned aside out of the way and went into the field and Balaam smoked the ass to turn her into the way so here this donkey sees this and is trying not to go and he doesn't see it and he's just beating this animal look at verse number 27 and when the ass saw the angel of the Lord she fell down under Balaam and Balaam's anger was kindled and he smoked the ass with a staff and the Lord opened the mouth of the ass so now a miracle happens and she said unto Balaam what have I done unto thee that thou has smitten me these three times the donkey's like why are you beating me why are you beating me and Balaam said unto the ass because thou has mocked me I would there were a sword in my hand for I would now kill thee and the ass said unto Balaam I am not thine ass upon what am I not thine ass upon which thou has ridden ever since I was dying unto this day like you've owned me for forever and have I ever done anything like this to you and he said nay look at verse 31 then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the angel the Lord standing in the way and his sword drawn in his hand and he bowed down his head and fell flat on his face and the angel of the Lord said unto him wherefore if thou smitten thine ass these three times behold I went out to withstand thee because thy way is perverse before me look again God did not want him to go but again that God did not want him to go but at this point that is actually not why the angel is standing there and blocking his way okay look if God didn't want him to go and God sent an angel God would have just ended it right here so what does the angel do look down at verse number 33 and he asked saw me and turned for me these three times go to verse 34 and Balaam said unto the angel the Lord I have sinned for I knew not that thou stood us in the way against me now therefore if it displeased thee I will get me back again he's like I'll go back he's like I'll go back if you want me to go back I'll turn around and I'll go back and the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam he at this point God has changed his mind he just says just go just go with the man but only the word that I shall speak unto thee that shall that thou shall speak so the angel was sent there not to stop Balaam but to give him a second warning that when you do get there you will only say the words that I tell you to say only my words so Balaam went with the princes of Balaam and then Balaak heard that Balaam was come verse 36 he went out to meet him under the city of Moab and he asked him he's like he and Balaak said unto Balaam did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee well you know wherefore he's like what he basically is asking him why did I have to call you twice and verse 38 and Balaam said unto Balaak low I am come unto thee have I now any power to say anything the word that God put at him my mouth that shall I speak so Balaam right away just gives this guy a warning right away he's like look he's like I did come he's like but I can only say the words that God told me to say he tells him he's like he's already trying to like calm his his expectations of him at this point and then Balaam went with Balaak and they came unto Kirjath here here's off and Balaak offered oxen and sheep and sent to Balaam into the princes that were with him and it came to pass on the Marl that Balaak took Balaam and brought him under the high places of Balaam that then he might see the utmost part of the people so now he is there he is supposed to curse according to Balaak he wants him to curse the children of Israel now in Numbers chapter 23 they set up these altars they set up seven altars and they slay 14 animals on seven altars and then Balaam just says I basically I can't curse he just blesses them he blesses the children of Israel instead of cursing them he does that twice then they move to a different place and they set up seven more altars and Balaak says I want to show you another view of the people and Balaak again said Balaak again says now curse the people and he says I can only say what the word of the Lord is that was given to me and he basically blesses the people again now Balaak is just beside himself they've just you know set up all these altars in two different places and they have you know sacrificed 28 animals at this point and then Numbers 24 go to verse number 10 Numbers 24 they do it one more time they set up seven more altars and then Balaam blesses them once more because he can only say the words that God told him to say now look at verse number 20 verse number 10 of Numbers chapter 24 and Balaak's anger was kindled against Balaam and he smote his hands together and Balaak said unto Balaam I called thee to curse my enemies and behold thou hast altogether blessed them these three times now at this point in Numbers chapter 24 if you look at the end of Numbers chapter 24 Numbers chapter 24 basically it says basically Balaam it appears that Balaam goes on his way at Balaak and Balaam part ways if you're just reading Numbers chapter 24 but it's interesting because the story now takes an interesting turn because in verse number 25 of Numbers chapter 24 the Bible says in Balaam rose up and went and returned to his place in Balaak also went his way that appears that these two men just parted company and that was the end of it but now look at verse number one one verse later in the Bible of chapter 25 where the Bible says this it says in Israel abode and shit him now this was a city in Moab and the people began to commit Hortom with the daughters of Moab so in between Numbers chapter 24 the very last verse verse 25 and Numbers chapter 25 verse 1 all of a sudden we see all of a sudden we see like there's this all of a sudden Israel's living there with them I mean here Balaak wants Balaam to curse them so they can they can go to war and defeat these people and they can be cursed by God and he can defeat these people and all of a sudden in one verse later they are just living there and they are committing fornication and they're worshiping their gods as you see a couple verses down and you're just like what in the world what in the world is going on so the question is this the question is this what does this have to do with Balaam what is what happened in Numbers chapter 25 and verse 1 and the whole chapter in verse 25 what does that have to do with Balaam well now we have to go to the New Testament we wouldn't know we wouldn't know unless we had the verses in the New Testament to kind of decode this story for us go to 2 Peter chapter 2 look remember Balaam's motivation we know that from Numbers chapter 22 we could see that we could see that Balaam really wanted he wanted the worldly rewards he wanted you know the gold and the silver he was kind of you know but he just couldn't he couldn't do it I mean God you know wouldn't allow him you know we had a we had a kind of a debate a Bible debate in in my house a couple nights ago because you know I mean look I believe here's what I believe I believe that Balaam was you know I don't think he was a good prophet I think he was a bad prophet but I do think he was a prophet of God he wasn't a prophet of Baal or anything like that he was a prophet of God and he did have like some fear of God to the point where he wasn't going to go and speak against what the Lord said that he was supposed to do now that you know Garrett was like well I think that God actually gave him the words and would not allow him to curse the children of Israel and it's like you know I don't believe that he turned him into a robot or you know and just spoke for him but you know some people believe that but the point is either way either way you know all we see from Numbers chapter 22 is that Balaam didn't curse the children of Israel he didn't do it either because God just physically wouldn't let him do it or because he at least had that you know that primal fear of the Lord he was greedy he was carnal he at least had that that basic primal fear of the Lord being a prophet of God so we have to look at the New Testament to see but at the point of the story doesn't change this is what you have to look forward to by the way you know you raise these kids they're two three four years old and then all sudden they start getting their own ideas it's a great thing actually okay it's a great thing but it's it really sparks some great conversations in your house and just some really detailed biblical you know conversations in your house it's a great thing when your kids get older to see that alright look at 2 Peter chapter 2 and look at verse 15 2 Peter chapter 2 in verse number 15 the Bible says which have forsaken the right of way in Argonas Stray following the way of Balaam the son of Bowsar who love the wages of unrighteousness so here you know the Bible was saying first of all second Peter chapter 2 that's a can of worms right there okay that is a can of worms we're not going to open it tonight okay but second Peter chapter 2 has a lot of references towards you know the reprobate people being rejected by the Lord and all that but you know I don't necessarily think that it's talking about Balaam as it's just talking about Balaam in the sense that he loved the wages of unrighteousness now look he was greedy he was greedy he was rebuked for his iniquity but the dumb-ass speaking with the man's voice forbade the madness of the prophet now turn to Jude chapter 1 so we see in second Peter chapter 2 that there's some pretty good evidence that Balaam you know maybe was a bad bad guy okay and we'll get into that detail a little bit later but look at Jude chapter 1 Jude chapter 1 in verse number 11 Jude chapter 1 in verse number 11 the Bible says woe unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran here it is again and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for rewards what is what is the problem that the New Testament is having with Balaam right now he's greedy okay it's talking about just his incessant greed is what second Peter chapter 2 and Jude chapter 1 verse number 11 is talking about look at now look at Revelation chapter 2 now this is the real key that unlocks the whole thing for us right here look at Revelation chapter 2 and verse number 14 Revelation chapter 2 and verse number 14 so we still we still would not see any connection from numbers chapter 24 verse 25 and numbers chapter 25 verse 1 as far as Balaam goes we still wouldn't have any idea that you know the children of Israel staying in shittim and committing hordom and worshiping the gods of the Moabites we still wouldn't be able to pin that on Balaam but look at Revelation chapter 2 and verse 14 the Bible says this it says but I have a few things against thee now you know he's talking to the churches we talked about this a few a couple weeks ago what we have a few things against thee but thou has there that hold but thou has there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam now what is the doctrine of Balaam now look what it says who taught Balaak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication now we see what happened to the children of Israel Balaak or Balaam Balaam either went home and came back or he didn't go home he stayed and he went to Balaak and he said hey I can't curse these people but here's how you can get him and guess what he was a prophet of God and he knew he knew the consequences to the children of Israel if this stumbling block would be put in front of them and they trip over it or it would stop them he found a way to not curse Israel directly and instead encourage Moab to mix peacefully with the children of Israel and entice them into sin that's what Balaam did why did he do it because he's greedy because he's greedy look he was trying to find a way to get the reward he didn't just go home he had to have that reward that's what second Peter chapter 2 and that's what Jude 111 is talking about that was his motivation remember that was his motivation from the beginning otherwise the whole story would have ended in Numbers chapter 12 Numbers chapter 22 and verse number 12 the whole story would have been done because God said no don't go it's like don't go they're blessed and that should have been the end of it yet he kept asking he kept pushing why because he wanted the reward and he found a way to get it he found a way to get it he found a loophole so to speak he found a loophole or he thought he found a loophole and guess what if you continue reading if you continue reading through Numbers chapter 25 it cost the children of Israel 24,000 lives God judge them and then in judges chapter 13 God killed him for it it finally go back to verse number 22 of judges chapter 13 he thought he found a way around God but he got what was coming to him look at verse number 22 Balaam also the son of Beor the soothsayer did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them look he got what was coming to him so here's the summary of Balaam and here's some things that that people debate and argue about and have differing opinions on with the story of Balaam was he a false prophet some people say yes he was a reprobate false prophet and some people say he wasn't a false prophet he was just a bad prophet you know was he was he saved or not saved people will argue that did God for and then here's the third one did God force him and I already kind of mentioned this did God force him to say what he said at those three altar sites or did he just have that primal fear of the Lord and just listen to God on that one thing but here's my point here's my point I'm trying to make these answers don't really matter in the story these answers don't really matter he the point that matters in the point of this story is this look he knew God's will he clearly knew God's will he knew who God was he knew what God wanted and what God didn't want he had his own will that was I want to get the money I want to get the reward and look he found a way or he thought he found a way around God's will to satisfy his own will that is the story of Balaam and it cost many people many thousands of people's lives and it cost him his life that's the story of Balaam so what can we take from that I mean what can we take from this story go back to Revelation chapter 2 and verse number 14 look back at Revelation chapter 2 and verse number 14 I mean it's a pretty crazy story it's a pretty crazy story I mean there's a lot of there's a lot of detail you could get lost in the weeds but you kind of have to pull back and you know we're having this this debate in my house over what you think about this and what we think about these different details we're literally going into the words that the Lord says and the words that the angel says and you know at some point kind of got to pull back and you got to say well you know it could be one of it could be either one of those but the lesson is the same the story and the things that we take from the story in the Bible is the same so who's that to remember that we you know don't get lost in the weeds on the Bible is always you have to be able to pull back to and look at that whole story and say what why is this in the Bible why is God showing this to us in the Bible why did God put it there why is it in Judges 13 and we see the story in you know Judger numbers chapter 22 and then why do we see those verses explaining things in 2 Peter chapter 2 and Jude chapter 1 and Revelation chapter 2 look there's a there's a major major lesson here which is why God put it in the Bible and the first lesson is this beware of influence that it look that is a powerful thing look at verse 14 look at verse 14 look what the Bible says here the doctrine of Balaam it says you know what was the doctrine that he was teaching Balaam was teaching a doctrine to Balaak he says he taught Balaak to cast the stumbling block for the children of Israel to eat the things sacrifice unto idols and to commit fornication influence is a stumbling block influence Balaam and Balaak did not force the people to commit these sins they influence them to commit those sins and you know what that took it just it took just abiding amongst them you know it could have been as simple as this hey you want to just you want to just stay a while it could have just been like hey you know here's Balaak he wanted to go to war you know it could have been as simple as this just Balaak going up to at the recommendation of Balaam who knows the Lord and knows what the Lord will do to the children of Israel if they go down this road Balaam knows Balaam knows what the Lord will do it could have been as simple as Balaak just walking down to the children of Israel and saying hey you look hungry just why don't you just move in we got a bunch of extra space and shit them down there just come on down just stay amongst us that's all it could have taken and they just moved it in peace they say peace peace there was no peace in Numbers chapter 25 they just influence they just abode amongst them that's all they did so look the separation see the separation ended all they did was subtly end the separation that's all they did the lines got blurred I mean say what you want about Balaam but he knew enough about God to know how to get to the children of Israel he literally used God against the people if you want to think about it that way and what the influence caused God's people to air and look Satan uses the same tactics today he uses the same tactics today look that is what is happening today that's what's happening to the entire country the entire world today it's just this it's just this influence people are being influenced they're being influenced through media they're being influenced through TV they're being influenced through the internet and they're being influenced to it's it's the influence desensitizes us to every sin you think it's nothing it's no big deal it doesn't hurt to watch things on TV it's it's relaxing you think oh that's it's normal it becomes and but you know it it desensitizes you it desensitizes you they're controlling they're controlling the information that you see they're controlling the they're controlling all the data that everyone sees they're controlling what you see they're controlling what you don't see look when you only hear one opinion on something over a long period of time that's what I told you during the don't you remember my analogy analogy of the the carpet that's why it was so valuable that we were all together throughout the whole you know mess of last year that we all were together because look if you're staring at a at a white wall and there's 50 people around you that come in every day and say that wall is red that wall is red that wall is red you're looking at it and you're like man that's white you're like that's white but every single other person says it's red eventually you're gonna start saying like maybe something's wrong with my glasses it must be red everybody thinks it's red but here here we're all together and we can protect each other from that influence but that's what's happening to the rest that that's why that's why everybody else seems like they're crazy now after one year everybody else seems like they're just afraid of everything they're just like they don't they they it appears that they don't have the ability to think for themselves it's it's really weird but that's because we're around each other and we're shielding each other from that influence because look if everybody else around you has a different opinion your opinion is going to change that's how it works you know what that's called that's called social engineering it's done on purpose the definition of social engineering is this the use of centralized planning in an attempt to manage social change and regulate the future development and behavior of a society that's what they're doing that's what they're doing that they've been doing it for years they've been doing it for decades it's just gotten so bad in the last year that you have to be in a coma to not see it I mean look I mean a handful of companies control all the information right now I mean it used it's always been like that with the media it's like that now with the internet too remember the the remember the sermon I preached on convergence it's just convergence just sped up over the last year if you're not noticing it you better start noticing it look I mean and it's aligned with all these government interest centralized power defines the narrative that's it remember and you're psyched what's the motive I told you this at the beginning I told you this at the very beginning of the whole thing you know what the motive is it's very simple the motive is control that's it it's control over your behavior it's control over your income that's why remember when I said the comment I was like it's almost like they're trying to get everybody on welfare you know why you know why that is I mean that was a that was a comment it was like a rhetorical comment I knew the answer to it they're trying to get control over everybody they're trying to get control of your income then they can control you welfare equals control folks food stamps equal control unemployment equals control free rent equals control that's all it is is control they want control over your health government health care equals control they pay for your health care they can tell you what's healthy they can tell you what's not they can tell you what shop to get they can tell you what to not do they could say this is unsafe they can say that's not unsafe that's that's safe it's complete control that's all it is look that's what's that's what's been going on like at rapid hundred mile an hour pace for the last year and a half it's just the same thing that's always been going on except it's sped up it's centralized power season control and guess what guess what they rarely give it back and I would have said they never give it back but every now and then look when the government makes an agency it never goes away when the government makes a law to control your life it never goes away Roe v. Wade is what 50 years old now but guess what something actually did happen to kind of roll this back and the news article the funny thing is the news article actually said that I'd like to roll us back a few more decades if possible in Texas they actually passed a law now this is good news they actually passed a law that beyond six weeks it's illegal to do an abortion and the Supreme Court of the United States upheld it and then it's even greater that the law also says that anybody assisting anyone like if you drive somebody who's seven weeks pregnant to a Planned Parenthood clinic so they can get an abortion you can be sued for $10,000 by anybody by anybody that find look it's accessory to murder it's beautiful and the Supreme Court of the United States upheld it Mississippi's got one coming I I pray that that more states come and start rolling this stuff through but look that's and the art of the news article said we just took we just took 50 years a step 50 years backwards in Texas and said that said that president of Planned Parenthood it's like amen we just took a step 50 years back we need to take a step a hundred years back and then we put somebody like that in prison or they be executed for murder so but look this is the reason that I bring this up it's because it's super rare it's super rare I mean I've been waiting my whole life for a law like that to be passed and just I mean just like you know and look I don't put I don't put my my hopes and everything and I don't lean on the government and I don't lean on you know judges and things like that but but thank God that something positive happened here and it did matter it did matter and the Supreme Court upheld it so praise God for that but typically that is not the typical thing typically when they get control they keep it they keep it and any opposing views are silenced and let's say it works it works look there will tell me there will come a time and that time is coming soon I'm telling you where Christians will need to own and control their own content because they're being silenced I mean opposing views are being silenced but in the meantime in the meantime folks since there's all look that the the content is being filtered it's being filtered by the centralized powers we need to protect our homes we need to protect our families from this influence look the people involved in public school have no chance they have no chance think of the influence there there's no chance and here's the thing and we're gonna talk about this going forward with homeschooling you're just gonna hear homeschooling a lot here but here's the thing you should not have to do you have we should not have anything to do with that system there's a lot of you know homeschooling that can intertwine with the public school system and all this you should have nothing to do with it because it's wicked as literal hell that system but we're look we're gonna be education focused so you don't have to be entangled in that garbage but so that I mean look influence is a big deal that's the whole point that I kind of went off on there influence is a big deal Balan influence Balak to just peacefully influence the children there was no war there there was no war yet they were able to slaughter 24,000 of the of God's people here's a here's a lesser application and then we'll be done here's a lesser application just for us we know what God says verse number 12 of numbers chapter 22 we know what God says don't go finding loopholes in God's word Balam knew what God's word was and he did not deny it yet he kept pushing and he kept pushing and he kept pushing he wanted to go to Balak and take the reward and you know it's as if God was gonna say to Balam oh that's okay as long as you spoke what I told you to speak yeah I don't care if you go around no the whole point was verse number 12 of numbers 22 he didn't want his his people were blessed he didn't want him cursed that was the whole point and Balam you know he thought he found a loophole but yet we do the same thing folks we know what God word says we know what God's word says yet we try to justify our own will anyway I mean think of a time that you've done that in your life I'm sure you can think of one where you're like you really wanted to do something and you're like yeah I know that the I shouldn't really be wanting this and doing this but you're just like oh but here's some spiritual reasons why you know it kind of can make sense and then you convince yourself that it's really a spiritual thing that you're doing this is where your friends come in this is where your friends come in to sharpen you and hopefully you have the kind of friends you know that will wound you in situations like this because you can literally convince yourself you can literally deceive yourself you can start out saying yes not really what God thinks I shouldn't really do that and then you sit there and just come up with a bunch of spiritual reasons and then you can just tell yourself those spiritual reasons over and over again but then we tell a friend that and they're like yeah no God wouldn't want you doing that that's dumb that's where your friends sharpen you and wound you because here's the thing spiritualizing wrong decisions think about what Balam did did Balam get Balam anywhere Balam got Balam dead that's where Balam got Balam Balam got himself killed and a bunch of other people killed too his whole little you know trying to outsmart God just did nothing but damage to himself and everybody else so look the point is if you try to spiritualize stupid decisions in your life the consequences will still be there for you turn to Luke chapter 12 the consequences of not doing what God tells you to do will still be there go to Luke chapter 12 look at verse number 47 Luke chapter 12 in verse number 47 pretty simple verse here I'm just gonna read one verse of it that servant which knew his Lord's will that's really the key right there the servant that knew his Lord's will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes it doesn't matter it doesn't matter why you you know what spiritual reasons that you think that you came up with if you knew God's will and then you kept see Balam Balam you should never get to the point in your life where you start trying to spiritualize wrong decisions why because you should get to the point where you're at numbers chapter 22 and verse number what 12 verse number 12 will guide where God just says no that should have been the end of it there should have been no more ah let me go talk to God again okay okay I'll go there yep and okay if they come to get you all I'm going there should have been none of that and then he goes and he visits with Balak for I don't know days and days how long does it take to build an altar they built a bunch of altars spent probably a week or more with this guy spending all this time with this guy and he's thinking he's thinking and he's seeing all the gold and the silver that he could have in the crowns and the rewards that he could have all these worldly things he's just like all but I but I spoke the word of God I listened to God I really did what God told me to do God didn't tell me to not do this he should have never got to that point God said no it should have been the end of it this guy right here in Luke chapter 12 verse 47 he knew the Lord's will and he did not do according to his will see the longer you don't accept God's will it's really about accepting God's will the longer you don't accept it look if you know it look if you know it accept it if you know it accept it because otherwise you give Satan a door to walk in and play with you and change and make you think that you can you can have spiritual reasons for going against verse 12 where God just says no but here's the thing all the spiritualization that you do and you continue with and man you could really you could really twist yourself some spiritual pretzels I've seen some good ones I mean some of them are brought to me these spiritual pretzels they're like you know I would like to do this and and usually the spiritual pretzel is laid out before it's like well you know here's some spiritual pretzels and spiritual reasons spiritual reasons spiritual reason and here's what I want to do and I'm like no and then people eat the pretzel anyway but guess what the consequences are still there the consequences are still going to be there so you know God's will everybody here knows God's will for their life especially when it comes to big decisions in your life you know what you're supposed to do and if you don't know you should ask somebody you should ask a friend and even if he wounds you ask because don't start making spiritual pretzels because there's consequences to that and you know that's the story of Balon it doesn't matter how you think you can get around God verse number 12 that's it and if you don't follow verse number 12 the consequences are yours and the people around you but especially yours alright let's bow our head have a word of prayer