 As often as I can I try to go back and look at the comment section of the videos or Look at the chat section in the it's a live stream and just look at this What people are saying just in case I've missed something one thing that I tend to come across from time to time is People who happen to be in a church that they're concerned about They don't know if they should be there or how do they know if this is a good church if their pastor's right well There's no shortage of good churches But also there's no shortage of bad churches and I want to kind of highlight Two churches here here in Texas and I'm not necessarily just focusing on just these churches But really these two churches kind of they're emblematic of the types of churches that you really need to be aware of that You need to be on guard or look out for and avoid them Some signs of a bad church and a bad pastor some of those signs are obvious But if the church is really really good at being bad, you won't notice them right off You can get sucked in that there's a reason why a lot of these bad churches are at the size of they are And that doesn't mean that every bad church is large There's some bad churches that are small and there are some good churches that are large Good and bad comes in all shapes sizes and colors But these two churches here and they happen to be here in Texas But these two churches are also all over the country. They they have them in Florida. They have them in California They have them in Indiana. They have them in New York. They have them in in Colorado They're all over this country really all over the world when I happen to have some familiarity with though I have not spoken to the man in probably 20 years, maybe 15 20 years There's nothing really changed about him. He's still who he has always been even more so there's a pastor by the name of Freddie Haynes here in Dallas his church is friendship West Baptist Church and Maybe the title should have kind of gave it away the title of the church that they were the church friendship West This church tends to be more friendly with the world. They want to be more cultural Thing that people talk about a lot about about this particular church is it's more of a social club If you want to date you want to meet a mate go there you can find one now You won't find one that's oftentimes very godly because one thing that's kind of talked about amongst people outside of the church And probably inside of the church is all of the scandals that happen all of the the sexual scandals all the fights all the All the all the things that happen in this church and this just should not be and the leadership If it knows about it should be able to put a stop to this or kind of you know work on them Well, no because oftentimes or it has been that in the past that leadership has been involved in it I'll get to that in just a little bit, but Look at these videos and see if you can see what I'm getting at even though That's an older video of the church with the black lives matter Banner well it's still there which tells you really kind of what their focus is I said it's a social club just the even The overall theme of the church the structure of the architectural structure of it is has a it has an Egyptian theme And when you see some of the clips that I'm going to show you of him preaching You'll notice the African onk. That's a little the Christian cross But instead of having just one lineup top. It has a little little opening little needle He's got a lot of African imagery and that's kind of his focus He is into black liberation theology one of his mentors one of his idols Happens to be Jeremiah Wright who also is someone who he covered up or try to cover up And defend him when he had an affair with someone with some young lady You'll see why that's kind of keeping in with his nature as well but make no mistake about it he is the type of pastor who is a friend to this world and Pastors like that tend to agree Socially and politically with kind of a more progressive ideology For them abortion is not an issue for them Homosexuality is not an issue for them. What's really the issues issue of race Gender equality things like that things that we would ascribe to what we call social justice warriors and without question That's who he is. He is more of and the church is more along the lines of a political Entity than it is a spiritual entity You want to get a voting campaign going I get out the vote campaign going if you want to register some people Well, that's a place to go if you want to get folks vaccinated That's a place to go not there's anything wrong with people getting vaccinated or not I'm not saying that but anything that one side of the political aisle goes for a particular side That's who he seems that's who he seems to lean towards he has made Jesus and Everything about the church to be more political. What about those who say Jesus would not be involved in politics agree or disagree? I disagree totally because Jesus of course Jesus was very political, but again when you have a neo Deceptic view of Jesus that basically divorces him from the political realities of his day again You've taken Jesus out of context when Jesus went into the temple and tore the place up turning over the Tables of the money change that was a political act with without question He died on a cross only Rome could hand down a Sentence of execution by crucifixion because crucifixion was Rome's way of saying to any would be revolutionary This is an example of what will happen to you if you try to play that game with us and on Sunday When Jesus broke out of that tomb in a resurrection power and glory don't forget Jesus broke through a tomb that had been sealed by a Roman sealed stone That's political Jesus is political as a matter of fact check out his opening statement. Jesus said I'm anointed preach good news to the poor set the captives free heal the heart broken. He's political How does anybody get? When Jesus did as to be political It's mind boggling as a matter of fact every time that we've seen Jesus Try to try to get thrust into the whole political fray during his day Jesus shrink back as a matter of fact when Jesus was asked About should is it lost when pay taxes Jesus didn't take a political stance and say no We shouldn't or or the wealthy doesn't pay their fair share that was not Jesus's tax And remember many of the religious leaders of the day a lot of the Jews thought that Liberation for them would be a political Liberation that the Messiah would come and be a more or less a political liberator Well, that wasn't the case. And so Jesus's focus has never been on Politics are there some things that happen in in politics that that catch his eye Things that would cause Jesus to to have some concern in his day-to-day course of life as it should be in our Christian life Should we have some sort of concern for people who don't have what the next man had people who are poor? someone who is homeless someone who is Maybe divorced or anything like that sure that's part of of when Christ comes in us But to make that the singular focus To and even say that and even more than that none of the pre none of the members of the church really have a problem with that That kind of tells you what their focus is. And so what's the natural course to take for a church like that? to now start endorsing Things that we know are saying like same-sex marriage. Do you know the words of the Declaration of Independence? We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men all people are created equal I got to hang out there Notice it does not say that all straight men are created equal It does not say that all men are unless you are gay and lesbian are created equal and my brothers and sisters I salute the president for that now. I recognize there were those who were upset about this Well, but I got a question for you. Why are you so upset? Why did it bother you? So why were you so? Emotional that you had to clothe your anger with the Bible and justify your Bigotry with scripture. Why did you have to do it? I got to hang out here because you do know and I'm a looser me y'all right now We often major in what Jesus minored in and have you ever read the gospel and heard Jesus say anything About homosexuality. I'm with Kelly Brown Douglas black folk can't even deal with Homosexuality because we've got issues with sexuality and because we've got issues with sexuality We can't have a healthy discussion about homosexuality Why why do you get so upset? Why are you so mad at the president that you got to call conference calls? So you can organize the statement that you're going to make about what the president said Why are you so angry? Jesus never said a word about it But you want a major in what Jesus minored in? Well, maybe we need to talk about what issues you may have Because evidently you got some major issues or there is an ignorance that is rooted in fear Y'all not feeling this but I'm gonna preach the gospel anyhow because you do understand my brothers and sisters That the sad reality is we love to judge other folks since because it keeps it off of us as opposed to looking at us So two things one he said he talks about it I don't know why people do this that Jesus did not directly talk about homosexuality First of all, you're wrong. He did one. He's got he's been talking about homosexuality from beginning to end And so if you are a believer you believe that Jesus is God and so did God speak about homosexuality to condemn it Yes, he did and even in his earthly ministry when he spoke about marriage He spoke about it in the context of a man and a woman He's got he knows what's going to happen And so if he also meant it to be up between a man and a man and a woman and a woman He would have addressed that as well And so he understood and thought and knew that everyone else understood that marriage is to be between a man and a woman But just play along with you with with a little silly point that he makes that Jesus didn't speak about a homosexuality Well, you know what Jesus also didn't speak about verbally directly He didn't speak. I don't we don't have any passages of Jesus speaking about pedophilia. Is that to say it's okay? We don't have any passages of Jesus speaking about sex trafficking. Is that okay? We don't have any passages of Jesus speaking about drug use. Is that okay? Is crack alright? No, well, Jesus didn't speak about it. We don't have passages of Jesus speaking about racism. Is that okay? so It's a it's an ignorant statement for him to make but then he makes this statement Because we've got issues with sexuality and because we've got issues with sexuality We can't have a healthy discussion about homosexuality. Why are you so angry? Jesus never said a word about it But you want a major in what Jesus minored in well, maybe we need to talk about what issues you may have Sad reality is we love to judge other folks says because it keeps it off of us as opposed to looking at us When you start talking about The reason why he makes that statement you need to understand and it's clear For me and for other folks in this area who kind of know a little bit about him You're not going to focus so much on sin and if in particular Sexuality maybe because of your own sexual indiscretions I say indiscretions and I'm being nice, but your own affairs that that have allegedly produced another child And it's not so much the fact that he had these moral failings and these sin No, it's the fact that he's unrepentant about these moral failings and these sin I can relate I've spoken about this in the past about my own more failings But you know what I didn't do while I was dealing with it I was not trying to lead other people to Christ I focused on getting me right and Being where I could be better used by Christ where God could humble me and Then use me but no not him He's more and I know this for a fact because there was some time ago where he and I and some other people this way at The time when I was a when I had a when I was a Flames adviser And we were working on trying to do some economic development in a particular area of Dallas in the area that he's in And his focus and I remember a conference that he had with me was more about why we're gonna bring money down to this sector I need to also get paid and you also should get paid as well Well that let me know what his focus was and of course there was also some issues with the financing of his Church it got scaled back, but this is the kind of person who we're talking about He's a man who who at the time was more concerned about his frat and his frat colors more concerned about the women more Concerned about the offering in the church more concerned about the political View that he was looked at more concerned about the political life that he was viewed in more concerned about hobnobbing with certain people and being That the it man in this area of town that he was the souls of people He's the kind of person who's not after the the best interest of his own members He's after the best interest of himself his family enriching himself and lifting himself up He'd rather be someone that would be interviewed on a CNN than someone who could have a good interview with Christ What's gonna happen at some point in time? It's a point under man wants to die and then the judgment Then you look at someone like an IV Hillier and I remember seeing IV Hillier at some time ago and and I Kind of caught it in glancing in and I don't know why didn't pay too much attention to it at the time It took caught me off guard at the time, but I was so I was busy but this one he was talking about getting a helicopter and I want you to just listen to something that he says and I want you to see if you can see the tactic Now here's why I say that because you know you match my giving Then I'll talk to you. I'll listen to your argument Because the kingdom of God can do more if it's got more to work with and What God let me know it wasn't about me Put the third picture up there the picture of the red brick building because I'm in this little red brick building and that God tells me He says and I thought I'd made it right there. I'm telling you I thought I'd made it That look better than that first building doesn't it? And I thought I'd made it Man, I got a brick building. I got I got parking lot. I got pews I'm the stench of the of the church fighters off of me man Yes, indeed and God said no son. I got much more He said this is not about your comfort, but I want to bless you so you can be a conduit For me to pull blessings through Watch this now put the other picture up there of The collage of churches church buildings because as a result of obeying God We were able to do all this So you see what he did The way he framed it This is what I used to have these meager beginnings, but I was faithful and I kept sewing and the Lord told me no, I want The Lord kept telling me I want more for you so I can use you so I can present me I don't want you to be wealthy and prosperous for yourself I want you to be wealthy and prosperous for me so I can use you and so Anyone who who wants to be close to the Lord and wants the Lord to use him well and plus it benefits him That's a good message to the broadcasts. Who can't get on board with that? Obviously those who don't read their Bibles They're the ones who will get on board with that and in this church. These are type of churches that Promoting the a good healthy understanding of the Bible. That's not going to happen there And so what he does is he points out where he used to be and now where he is And if you notice in the picture, I put the picture back up again, but if you notice in the picture In the mid the top middle That's not a church. That's his house As a matter of fact, you look at the little little drone videos of his little of his compound Man's doing pretty well for himself. Would you say with his? What was I believe two airplanes a helicopter even? Asking people at his church to at some few years back to give $52 each so that each member Could help pay for his blades for his helicopter and in doing so you all get $52 then he declared that in either 52 days or 52 weeks the Lord will give you the mode of transportation of your choice Whatever it is that that you're warning father We thank you that this these funds will spend supernaturally in this house in Jesus Amen And amen So I need my 30 no matter where you are in the place I need you to stand and I need you to come forward Come on. Let's celebrate my 30 It's always amazing always come on. Come on. Come on Oh my God, oh my God, I'm waiting for you. Oh my God Oh my God Everybody say obey God. Come on shout it out. Oh my God. If you were seeing Supernatural miracles of healing. Oh, just thank you lord. If you were seeing that and You had a need for healing You say I got to stay You need a financial miracle in your life You need some favor to a bound toward you You need you need that favor for your promotion. I'm talking to somebody He wants to use flowery words and to even as this as you see here He wants to use people bring them all up who always want to give more than a thousand This person's given five thousand person given three thousand and make them look special even a person has a thousand Well, you can't do a thousand but you can do a hundred or two hundred Let's let's make them feel special because if I make you feel good about giving money to me Hey, man, if I make you feel as though God is going to bless you because you're blessing me Hey, man, it's this demonic manipulation of people who may legitimately Want to get close to the Lord but also in many cases. Let's just be honest You're playing on the on the on people's needs as well as people's greed People who are also greedy who want to get blessed like you There are some folks who go to churches like these because it's a status and when they can connect with people Business deals can get done things like that There are those that go to this church because they're hoping to get something out of it And maybe they legit they have a legitimate need but they're going about having their needs addressed Illegitimately and there's no one there to to correct them There's no one there to say listen You may or may not get the car that you want as a matter of fact You may not be able to move into the house that you want You may have to live in this apartment, but I'd rather you live in this apartment and grow closer to God They live in this mansion and be an inch from hell. You don't have this kind of teaching going on There's a matter of fact What is apparent in both of these churches and it is a key indicator in bad churches churches that you ought to avoid is There is no focus on true doctrine. Remember even in a church where that's not like that even if it's a church where they are overemphasizing the spirit remember it's the same holy spirit that gave us this Bible and It wasn't just dropped in our laps for no reason just to be a Coaster for our coffee or for our drinks or for something we hold in our hands when we go to the church But we don't actually open it up. No, it's his word for us to study and to grow from I said this before and I mean this And focus on the second part. I said we're not saved by what we know We're saved by who we know But it is what we know that gets us closer to who we know It's the what we know the studying the doctrinal issues that we tend to in many cases, especially churches like this This is neglected and so the people who don't focus on this on Sunday of all places If if you think of one place that the church should be opened up to the word of God It would at least be on Sunday Maybe folks will go back to living their regularly scheduled lives on Monday through Saturday But at least you would hope that you would get some doctrine on Sunday And so if you're not getting any real doctrine any real meat on Sunday. Well, my god, what do you think of these people are going to be getting? throughout the rest of the week so What do we say a miss in the pulpit creates a fog in the pews There is this blindness that's being perpetrated and pushed out and emphasized by these people and so what does Peter say? He says but false prophets But false prophets also arose among the people just as there will be false teachers among you Who will secretly bring in destructive heresies even denying the master who brought them? Bringing upon themselves swift destruction and many will follow their sensuality here that many will follow their sensuality and Because of them the way of truth will be blasting and in their greed in their greed They will exploit you with false words their condemnation from long ago is not idle and Their destruction is not is not asleep. So it's coming whatever's gonna happen to them is coming But they're gonna in the meantime, they're gonna have these sweet words. It's gonna just lead other folks To destruction they're gonna play on your greed or your need because of their greed and Paul said like this when he said preach the word He said because the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine, but they will have they will want to have for themselves teachers to tickle their ears and they will go to them they'll flock to them That's why you can go to a to a potter's house where TDJ says that's why you can have a Creflo dollar or Benny He's why you can have a Paula White. That's why you can have all these people who are talking about you getting things That's why it's also important even to the music we listen to go to these churches and listen to the kind of music That they talk about that they that they sing about it's not about a connection with God It's more about Lord what you're gonna do for me how you blessing me what you're gonna do for me what I need Lord And it's good that God has blessed us with things that we may need but it's better that he's blessed us with himself And so following what John says he says beloved test every spirit test every spirit test and see if a person says some That's fine Let's see if it is backed up by scripture with your pastor or your church wants to be more in the social arena Hey, listen, if you want to be a social activist if you want to be the next Martin Luther King, Jr Fine be that but don't call yourself a church at the same time Don't receive offering from the people who it's supposed to go to ministerial work But instead it's going for you to enrich your political campaign Don't be a church where the shepherd is praying on the sheep Asking them for as much money as possible and Making them feel good about giving and making them feel bad about not giving be at a place where you can receive from the ministry But also that you can put back into the ministry by your own service You want to be used God wants to use you as he's growing you he wants to take what you've gone through To help someone else God is not looking for a political action committee. He's not looking for an investment firm He's not looking for any of those things He's looking for someplace to where the sick can come in and receive his healing and if that's not the church that you belong to Your church looks similar to these churches Avoid them run away from them. Amen