 We're looking at a parable I'll give you some introductory comments and all but we're looking at a parable. It's called the parable of the wheat and tears So beginning at verse 24 reading to verse 32 I'm sorry verse 30 Another parable he put forth to them saying the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field But while men slept his enemy came and sowed tears among the wheat and went his way But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop then the tears also appeared So the servants of the owner came and said to him sir Did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tears? He said to them an enemy has done this The servant said to him do you want us then to go and gather them up? But he said no Less while you gather up the tears You also uproot the wheat with them that both grow together until the harvest and At the time of harvest I will say to the reapers First gather together the tears and bind them in bundles to burn them But gather the wheat into my barn. I'll pick up at verse 36 and read Jesus sent the multitudes away and it went into his house and his disciples came to him saying explain to us the parable of the tears of The field he answered and said to them he who sows the good seed is the son of man The field is the world the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom But the tears are the sons of the wicked one The enemy who sowed them is the devil the harvest is the end of the age and the reapers are the angels Therefore as the tears are gathered and burned in the fire So will be at the end of this age the son of man will send out his angels They will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and those who practice lawlessness and will cast them into the furnace of fire There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth Then the righteous will shine forth as the son in the kingdom of their father. He who has ears to hear let him hear Okay, let's let's lay a basic foundation. Then we're going to move into This particular parable that I wanted to share with you today Throughout the you rather I was going to say United States I don't know I was going to say that because I'm in America God bless America. No throughout the New Testament Jesus gave instructions to his disciples and he often would make use of what are called parables There are scholars who differ with the amount of parables that Jesus gave some say he gave 37 parables There are others who say no he gave 39 But the fact is Jesus gave a tremendous amount of teaching with the use of what is called parables now parables were used to share insights into the kingdom of God and And and parables when you look at the parables of Jesus Christ and there are other parables you find in Scripture But when you look at parables you'll discover that parables were intended to both conceal as well as to reveal They would conceal from those who had no spiritual interest in pursuing any depth So they would say this is a difficult saying who wants to hear it. It's just a waste of my time and so for some The heavenly truths that were couched in these stories Would be lost on them. They were not interested. They didn't want to pursue. They weren't interested at all Therefore truth would be concealed but to the ones who are hungry the ones who are seekers if you will using that phrase To those who wanted to know more more would be revealed to them So on the one hand a parable would conceal Truth from a person with no interest But a parable would also reveal truth to those who had a hunger in Proverbs 25 verse 2 We read it is the glory of God to conceal a matter But the glory of kings is to search out a matter And so when it came to spiritual truth when the Lord was communicating things concerning the kingdom very often He would use a parable You see the same message that awakens one person Actually will harden someone else a same message and I'll give a relevant illustration the same message that I gave on Sunday Where somebody walked away saying I don't get it at all and I'm not interested the same message Was used by God to reach somebody else for the kingdom of God same message One person doesn't have an interest the other person is touched by the Lord the same sun That hardens clay will melt wax The same word that goes forth will speak to one person's heart in such a way that that person says I need to know more and another person will say I have absolutely no interest at all same message And that's how it works. Now. What is a parable a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning That literally speaks of placing one thing By the side of another For comparison's sake Someone said a parable is a story in which the nature and history of God's kingdom is figuratively portrayed See God reveals truth to us and can use creation In order to illustrate spiritual insight it says in Psalm 19 verse 1 the heavens declare the glory of God the firmament shows his handiwork and So God can be seen in a sense in terms of a creator by simply looking at creation. God can use creation To give to us insight into who he is and Jesus would use parables for that purpose So God uses the familiar in order that he might communicate the unfamiliar They are like mirrors and windows. We see ourselves in them and they help us see life through them They reveal truth concerning his kingdom They illustrate doctrine and they also help to develop spiritual understanding When you look at Matthew 13 Matthew 13 records a series of eight parables that Jesus gave to the multitudes that were following him Matthew 13 if you look at it covers the church age as well as events occurring in what is called the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ So these parables Related to what Jesus called the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. You see that in verse 11 after the disciples in verse 10 had said Why do you speak to them in parables verse 11? He answered and said to them because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven And so these parables are intended to communicate what Jesus refers to as the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven and One of these mysteries relates to God creating what is called the church as well as what is called the church age We are New Testament believers and thus we have this tendency of thinking that Everybody knew about God's intent to create this new entity that was called the church But the Jews did not have a knowledge of the church That was actually a new work that God was intending to do and that didn't become a parent Until after the church had been birthed because remember with me that the nation of Israel being the covenant people of God Assumed that Messiah would come to them and they would be raised to a certain position of all the peoples on the face To the earth that never really understood until it was revealed Paul really speaks very highly about this and quite a bit about this in the book of Ephesians it was revealed that the church was a mystery the church age and That God would take the Jew and the Gentile and from the two would create the one new man called the believer in Christ That was a mystery and so one of the Mysteries related to God creating the church as well as the church age in Colossians 1 126 and 27 it says even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations But now is made manifest to his saints to whom God would make known What is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you? the hope of glory When you look in the first parables in chapter 13 the first parable the parable of the soil When you look at the first parable in verses 1 through 23 Jesus described four kinds of responses that people will have to the gospel Three of the responses if you look at that you'll discover are negative and only one was fruitful and It's the fruitful soil that does the work of evangelism throughout what is called the church age So the following parables that he gives there are actually three I'm only going to look at this one But the following three parables revealed the mystery of what has been presented as fruitful soil the ministry of fruitful soil So these parables are going to reveal the church age and the church is large at large But it's infected and that's what I'm going to look at with you tonight. It's infected with unbelievers We're going to look tonight at the parable of the wheat and the terrors The other two that would give the similar meaning are the parable of the mustard seed in the parable of leaven We won't be looking at those two. We will be looking at the parable of the wheat and the tears So again verse 24 and 25 Another parable he put forth to them saying the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field But while men slept his enemy came and sowed tears among the wheat and went his way a man sows good seed in his field But an enemy came in and sowed what is called tears The word is Darnell that is translated tears Darnell Darnell is a weed it looks like wheat until it comes to full maturity When it comes to full maturity, then it's revealed as being actually a weed and So Jesus is speaking concerning this and what takes place Now when you look at this Jesus is portrayed as sowing good seed in his field over a long period of time And how is it that he does that he commissions evangelists who are going to go out and preach the gospel That's how he sows good seed in his field And so when he speaks concerning the sowing of good seed in his field and though that good seed had been sowed That there are there's Darnell what he's speaking about is the commission of the church I don't want to look at this with you because this is where my my heart has been for a while And I just want to share some things about this We have been given what Jesus would refer to or has been referred to as the Great Commission We all know the Great Commission go out into all the world and preach the gospel make disciples Baptize them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you Lying with you always even into the end of the age We know the Great Commission which is to go out and make disciples and that's what the church has been called to do In this parable the church is faithful to the commission, but something begins to occur and What it is is that the church ceases being vigilant He says while men slept his enemy came and so tears among the wheat and went his way So during its sleep an enemy slips in and unbelievers are sewn in amongst the genuine wheat There is genuine wheat, but amongst the true genuine Believers in Christ there are those who look just like Christians Darnel You don't even know it's wheat It's a wheat until It comes to full maturity Seeds the wheat will produce wheat it has heads of wheat grain Darnel never does It only looks like that, but when the fruit is brought to maturity the genuine is there That's how you know that this is genuine wheat because it produces the fruit of wheat Whereas our down Darnel is growing up right next to it and can do so as long as the wheat is going But at the very end that's when you discover which is a is a weed and which is really the wheat So in this in this parable and this is what I wanted to spend time talking to you about How is it possible that an enemy can slip in? How is it possible that a non-believer a non-Christian could ever feel comfortable in a church? How can sons of the wicked one ever pass as sons of the kingdom? How is that possible? Here's a question for you. Is that happening in our day the answer is absolutely Absolutely, I don't know how far to go with this Yeah, it's easy for you to say Because it's so heavy on my heart. I don't want it to come off wrong. I I'm I'll put it this way. I am blessed absolutely blessed That we're able to reach so many people on Services like Christmas and Easter. Bless God for that. There is nothing but praise to the Lord that we're able to do that I want that to be very clear The sad reality is many who show up on those two service days are not believers who think that they are That's the sad reality and some of you are related to them because you invited them to church Am I wrong? No, that's true. Isn't it? And they will tell you oh, I'm a believer. I'm just what I'm not practicing my faith or whatever I've heard so many different reasons for living carnal lives For not living for Christ for not caring about the word of God for not ever praying unless I'm in some kind of need For never sharing faith with anybody else For not having a hunger to have Christian fellowship There are so many people who say oh, I'm too busy or got other things to do and or I don't want to be a fanatic Or I don't want to become like that. There's so many people in reality What it is is they think themselves to be Christians because somewhere along the line. They thought they were saved But the fact is Gee, we'll see this in Matthew 7 when we get to it on our Sunday mornings. Jesus says depart from me I never knew you But we we preached in your name we cast out demons in your name We did works in your name. We had care charismatic Manifestations of your presence and Jesus says no, I never know you How is that possible? But it's it is isn't it it is It is no condemnation Just a fact It is I Was that way I Was before I got saved so I'm not judging anyone If you spoke to me and some did and told me about Christ and and heaven and I would I agreed I Didn't argue. You're right The Bible. Yes, it's the word of God. I don't understand it. I got in my weird phase I started thinking that it was written by some guys on acid Especially revelation must have been on acid But I would have agreed at everything you said and I did that's what made it so difficult to witness to someone like me Because in my mind I agreed with you. I was Darnell I Could be there in a church service and I I could look like a Real believer when I wanted to And Darnell can do that How is it? How is it that the church has become infected With so much counterfeit faith Cuz and I'm again, please understand I Am not condemning anybody. I know I don't have to tell you that But maybe you're a visitor here and you're coming and saying oh that guy's a hellfire brimstone preacher No, I'm I believe in hellfire But that's not my style I'm speaking to you a fact That's a fact That it's easy to come to sit amongst people to learn the songs to Say amen at the right moment laugh at the right moment Agree at all these things and to leave here go to the bar Tip a few go sleep with your girlfriend No sense that this is wrong No sense that it's sinful and even when presented that it is I don't judge me man Jesus didn't judge anybody because they don't know their Bibles at all They don't know their Bibles at all. They never read it and so I want to talk to you about that I want to share some things with you the question again. How does the church get infiltrated by? the enemy Scripture reveals that the church becomes impure and tainted Now we need to remember there's a difference between what is called the visible and the invisible church The visible church is the external members of any congregation It just is people gathering together like we are right now or whenever churches gather from Bible studies and services So it's referred to theologically as the visible church But the visible church is when people gather together, but within that visible church You can have those who are unsaved. We do all the time You see every church congregation has a mixture of saved and unsaved individuals present at any moment Now the invisible church is made up of actual believers who are known to God And these are the ones who have been born again. This makes up what is called the body of Christ These are the ones who understand the value of the gospel These are the ones who understand it to the point where they've they've embraced the message and have been saved They understand acts 412 where it says nor is there salvation in any other for there's no other name under heaven given among men Whereby we must be saved That's you if you're born again That's you. You're the one who is a hater In our society you are Join join me. I'm a hater too If you read the Chino champion, I'm a hater. I am a hater. I hate Satan. I Hate sin I Hate what it does to people. I hate the destruction and the pain that people go through because of it So I am a hater But I also love I love the Lord. I love his word. I love his truth. It sets free And so we make choices and the choice that I've made is to hate sin and love my God to love the Lord Jesus Christ and To be so narrow minded as to actually believe that Jesus's words when he said narrow is the way is true How narrow minded? How narrow minded? Because there is but one way to the Lord and that's to Jesus Christ. That's the gospel. That's what transforms people's lives. You see That's the message of salvation and Christians are prepared to defend it The gospel is understood to be the only message that is to be received for salvation in First Corinthians 1 18 Paul's that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing But to that to us who are being saved. It's the power of God Because the believer understands and and knows this believer never minimizes the importance of the gospel you see You we we believers have been entrusted with a message and Did did you know that I'm sure you did but in case you didn't did you know that you have been? entrusted with God's word he trust you with it think about that for a moment Some of us grew up in households that we weren't trusted with anything Can he use the car today dad? Are you kidding me? I don't trust you Even the keys to his car. I wasn't trusted with But Jesus gave me the keys to the kingdom And that's a whole lot more important isn't it? Then somebody's car and Paul speaks about that in Philippians 1 17 He said I am set for the defense of the gospel in 1st Timothy chapter 6 verse 20. He said Timothy guard that which is committed to your trust guard it whole fast to it Defend it That's what we're called to do in 2nd Timothy 1 13 and 14 hold fast the pattern of sound words Which you have heard for me in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus that good thing which was committed to you Keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us Guard it So God has given us his word. We don't play lightly with it a true believer understands that So how is it that the enemy actually enters in and so is his seed in the church Jesus said it while men slept The church over time ceases being on guard the church ceases defending the gospel Early in church history Attacks came through religion and pagan philosophy Jewish Religious Jews argued that Christianity was a heretical form of the Jewish faith Religious Jews argued that Jesus did not fit the Old Testament prophetic picture of the coming Messiah They argued that Jesus could not be God in the flesh because they said that Contradicts what is called the unity of God? Now pagans pagans argued that Christianity was intellectually inferior and shallow The pagans said it's absurd absurd to believe in resurrection They said the scriptures contradict themselves They they said Christians practice incest and cannibalism. Did you know that? I'm sure you did Romans and Roman historians actually said that these people are incestuous because they call each other brother and sister and yet they marry So you were incestuous Christians are cannibals Where did they get that from because they eat the body and blood of their master Now that's what that was said They argued that Christianity taught hatred towards people We were actually referred to as haters of man. Did you know that read your scriptures Paul speaks about it He says we are haters of mankind Where'd that come from Nero used that the emperor because We did not as as a group of people from very early except the sinfulness of humanity We we actually spoke out against it and because we said no, this is wrong. We were haters So if you're called a hater now It's been 2,000 years that you've been called a hater You're just joining in the tradition of the world not appreciating you telling them the truth And so that was what we were called we they said we we teach hatred towards people and that we actually lack patriotism and If people became Christian it will lead to the destruction of society Now you have the religious Jews who think were heretical you have the pagans who believe were intellectually inferior and Then you have from within the church Heretics who began to mount attacks on the nature of God in the person of Jesus Christ Heretics people who are teaching error began to infiltrate the church and they began to teach that Jesus is the first creation of God They taught that Jesus became the Christ at his baptism They taught that Jesus was adopted by the father after his death They taught that God himself that God reveals himself in three different modes at different times And they taught that the Holy Spirit is a created being that began to be accepted in the church very early When you read the Gospel of John when you read 1st and 2nd 3rd John, but especially 1st John Even allusions to his writings in the book of Revelation You will see that John is actually debating and presenting in his writings the the reality of the Christian faith in Contradistinction to the Gnostic heresies that were entering in to the church at that time saying that saying these things that I just read To you and as you read 1st John, you'll see it very clearly It's interesting and I didn't prepare this. I'll say this briefly It's interesting how when you look at the other Gospels how they have their introductions But John doesn't begin with an introduction like the other three He simply says in the beginning was the word the word was with God The word was God the word became flesh dwelt amongst us We be held as glory the glory the only gotten son of God full of grace and truth. What are you talking about John? I'm saying the Gnostics are coming in saying that Jesus Christ is a created being and from the beginning You need to know that he's God in the flesh and That's what you see this took place in the early church Continuing to this day by the way During the same period Imperial Rome launched a massive persecution against believers over the first three centuries of church history a series of Persecutions erupted against Christians from Nero in the first century to Diocletian Galerius in the fourth Christians were forced to sacrifice to pagan gods burned alive had their pastors martyred and their bibles burned Their property was confiscated Conversion to faith in Christ was outlawed Public assembly was suspended did that happen just then it's happening now Saudi Arabia Pakistan Those things still take place Over time the visible church began persecuting believers who disagreed with their teachings in 1415 John Hus was burned at the stake for opposing the sale of indulgences the veneration of saints and Attacking from his pulpit the moral failings of the priests up to and including the Pope himself so he was burned in 1536 William Tyndale was tried and convicted of heresy for printing and distributing copies of the Bible in English He was tied to the stake strangled by the hangman afterwards consumed with fire in the town of Philford Belgium While tied to the stake he cried with a loud voice Lord open the king of England's eyes is Dying requested find his fulfillment two years later with King Henry's authorization of the great Bible for the Church of England Which was largely Tyndale's own work This Bible that you have right now that I have right now. They gave their lives up for it They gave their lives up for it because they knew boy They knew this is the word of God. They knew it They gave their lives up for it Do you think that the church? Loves the word the way the reformers and the early believers did we have to come back to that. How? Did the church fall asleep? How? Did the enemy so? His Darnell amongst the wheat Because that's what Jesus said it's going to take place Throughout our history the churches withstood various attacks It continues to this very day But the attacks cannot overthrow what God began Jesus said in Matthew 16 18 upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of Haiti shall not prevail against it listen The greatest threat in the greatest threat some people will say today the greatest threat is social They'll say the great threat is alcohol or drug abuse The greatest threat is the destruction of the family or or gun violence. The greatest threat is bullying We'll say well the greatest is the moral acceptance of of homosexuality or gender confusion the greatest threat is our economy our government to be honest Though all of this is significant None none is truly the greatest threat in our nation. I Believe the greatest threat to our nation is more basic than that What is the greatest threat to our nation? The greatest threat to our nation is the carnal Christian who thinks that grace is permission to sin It is lukewarm professing believers who are Indistinguishable from outright pagans Somebody said the reason the church has so little influence on the world is because the world has such great influence on the church And that's true We have watered down the message of the gospel by not teaching it and By not following the whole counsel of God The Bible gives us insight into how such a time can come into existence There are various prophecies in scripture that outline how this happens the church is asleep a Sleep in the light the enemy infiltrates. So what are the conditions that will make it possible? What would make it possible for the enemy to get a toehold in the church one there will be a lack of solid Bible teaching The Bible will cease being important and will cease being trusted as God's word to man There are Christians today who profess to be what are called evangelical Which means that they believe in conversion that somebody has to be born again to enter into the kingdom of heaven Who will argue with you that the Bible can't be trusted? there are seminaries that built their reputation on being the the Protectors of the faith and the purveyors of the faith that long ago left their evangelical mournings And now aren't even known for belief in the word of God being the word of God That fits into what Paul said in 2nd Timothy 4 3 and 4 when he said the time will come when men will not put up With sound doctrine instead to suit their own desires. They will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears Want to hear they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths Over the years I I have and I say this with a certain just as a fact, you know No, no emotionality related to it and no intent to stir you to anything other than just to understand Over the years I have been regarded as a great enemy to many people many people don't like because I'm outspoken They just don't like me and that's understandable But the bottom line is it's because I'm concerned It's because I have a concern for the church I see I have a responsibility that God gave to me as a pastor and that is to teach the whole counsel of God and Not to avoid the difficult subjects and to say it clearly and plainly and And some people appreciate that some of you do some of you won't be back next Wednesday because you don't and I understand that And I understand that it's just a fact we know that and it's true But the bottom line is As a pastor teacher, I have the responsibility of sharing with you what is true because truth sets you free That's what I do Some appreciate it some don't and So what we do well Paul said in the last days they will heap unto themselves teachers will tell them what they're itching to hear That is taking place What happens though is? Carnality exists into rejection of the truth becomes normal You see when the word of God is actually rightly divided and faithfully taught sound doctrine Will be presented but when it's not Being faithfully taught and divided it will be rejected a second thing because Conviction is rejected as being harsh and unlovingly critical It allows people to no longer have a servant's heart or even to know that we ought to serve and love God and one Another and they become self-centered Everybody here knows the term narcissism self-love It is rampant in the United States. It's all about me It's all about me You know, I'm asking you for forgiveness. I just had this happen recently because it'll make me feel better when I ask you That's narcissism You're saying forgive you because it'll make you feel better. How's that work? But that's how people think That's how people think and that's what's going on notice what Paul said in 2 Timothy 3 verse 1 following mark this there will be terrible times in the last days People will be lovers of themselves Lovers of money boastful proud abusive disobedient to their parents ungrateful unholy without love unforgiving slanderous without self-control brutal not lovers of the good treacherous rash conceded lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God Having a form of godliness but denying its power have nothing to do with them So they're going to have outward appearance of religious devotion, but are unsaved third false teachers infiltrate the church They are not only welcomed as they introduce error. They are honored Is that happening today? Absolutely absolutely teaching error and again I try to be nice I really do And I am most of the time But when I watch people on TV telling me that worship is about me and Ungod and then people cheer about that because yeah, that's what it's all about worship is about me How I feel because God wants me happy That's called error when preachers Okay, here we go. Forgive me. I'm going to mention a name are asking their congregants to give them $65 million so they can buy an airplane to preach the gospel And it's a used airplane. I Don't know if you read that or not But there was a fellow who's asking his congregation and others to give them $65 million so we can buy an airplane So I can fly around telling people about Jesus Christ because God knows we need him more than the 500,000 other pastors in the nation. It's crazy It's crazy, but you know what happens people give him money Well, he needs to go But have you ever heard what he teaches? It's error It's error It's error Yeah, but are you judging a brother? I don't even know if he's a brother But I am judging fact of the things that he says What gives you the right to do that? Jesus said judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment John 7 24 I have the responsibility to discern and Not to be taken in because in the last days That happens. How did the church get infiltrated with error? While men slept They no longer were aware of what was going on. We're seeing that today in 2nd Peter 2 1 through 3 there were also false prophets among the people Even as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies Even denying the Lord who bought them and bring on themselves swift destruction Many will follow their destructive ways because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed By covetousness. They will exploit you with deceptive words for a long time Their judgment has not been idle and their destruction does not slumber this phrase I want you to hear this because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed When a false teacher is preaching a false gospel people blaspheme the truth I Have a friend of mine Calvary pastor for many years who shared that before he got saved he would smoke pot He'd get high and he'd watch Christian TV Because he said it just tripped me out to watch how freaky those people were and The goofy things they would say The way of truth blaspheme does that happen? Is it still happening? Absolutely Absolutely. Oh, I could go on about that. I won't I'll stop right there with that What will be the result the result will be the visible church infiltrated by evil First Timothy 4 1 and 2 the spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons Such teachings come through hypocritical liars whose consciences have been seared as with a hot-ired No doubt about that Well as all of this is taking place when men slept the servants as it says in verses 27 and 28 say Did you not so good seed? In your field how then does it have tears? He said to them an enemy. He's done this The servant said do you want us then to go and gather them out? He said no That's why you gather up the tears you also uproot the wheat with them Let both grow together until the harvest and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers first gather together the tears of bind them in bundles to burn them But gather the wheat into my barn What is the temptation to use our own efforts to clean up the church? Some will establish man-made regulations intending to keep the appearance of the church holy What's the real answer? Teach the word of God simply teach God's word simply Just present it in such a way that people will hear it and Embrace it and be transformed by it I I'm not here as a pastor to try and force anybody to agree with my opinions You shouldn't Unless they're rightly divided and found scripturally then we all would agree with them because that's what God's word says That's what we do But the thing is an enemy has done this. I know that I know that I'm growing older. I Actually enjoy it. I have no fear Of growing old. I'm grateful that God is allowing me to But I haven't lost the fire God gave to me when I was 20 years old. I still have a passion For truth a Great passion for truth and I know that The way that I speak in the way that I teach is offensive. I know that I hear that quite often But I'm not going to change the way that I speak I'm a voice in the wilderness sometimes and I realize it But I would rather I really believe this I'm opening my heart to you forgive me for a minute I want to stand before God and hear him say well done You said the truth Never get caught up wanting to be popular. That's a trap There's only one person that you should ever want to hear well done from and that's Jesus himself Have that I I'm not a new believer I've been at it for quite some time What I'm doing on Wednesday nights right now is sharing my heart. This is the passion God's given to me I hope it is understandable. I Know that the younger generation those who are younger in many ways Think that people like me just don't understand. We're not in step. We don't get it It has for me nothing to do with cultural differences. I have no longing to be 20 years old again That was a that was a bad year. That's why I got saved You know saying and I don't want to be mr. Cool You're not gonna see me come in with my hair swept all cool with skinny jeans ain't gonna happen. I don't care if I'm cool. I really don't What I care about is Speak in the truth and loving you That's what I care about. I Want you to be equipped with God's word and a passion in your heart Don't sleep Stay awake. You are living in the last days The enemy is infiltrating. I'm not a paranoid. It's a fact We had a pastor's conference and some of the younger pastors made mention of the older pastors and Those of us who are the older pastoral generation were referred to as dinosaurs In essence, they're saying get out of the way so we can lead I'm more than willing to follow a man who follows Christ If that man loves Jesus and I want to learn from him But I certainly don't want to say can you show me how to be cool to preach cool? Can you teach me how to have a beer and still be an anointed man? To use profanity from the pulpit and be looked at as relevant and cool Because my brothers and my sisters if you're not aware of that, that's what's going on right now To make worship services into concerts where people show up to see the smoke and you know the lights and But Jesus is hidden somewhere in that Where'd he go? The church got caught up trying to be more like the world and to outworld the world You don't come to this church. I would assume to see some old man try to be young I would hope you come to this church to get taught About how to live for Christ. I can talk to you about that. I've been doing it for a long time Gone through ups and gone through downs gone through joys and an awful lot of pain Led my family to Christ and buried my mom and my dad. I can tell you things about Jesus I've been following him for 44 years. I Can help you and I don't want you to go to sleep at the wheel I want you to be awake and as long as I have breath in my body and people are willing to listen My solemn promise to you. I will not lie to you. I will tell you the truth Like it or not. It is the truth. We will live