Just as a reminder, nobody should ever, ever, ever be offended in anything I say because I'll just tell you, you know, just be honest. I don't study for you, I study for me. And basically what that means is when I'm preaching, I'm really more times than not preaching to myself, not to you. And I think I mentioned in here before, I would have no issue if you set up a big mirror right there and just let me point my finger at myself. That wouldn't be a problem, because that's what I do. And that's especially the case tonight. You know, there's so much happening in the world today And so many things happening within churches and within so-called churches and doctrine and teachings and waywardness and getting totally away from the gospel and getting away from the call of God upon a person's life that I don't have any doubts. When the Bible said an apostasy would come, I don't have any doubts that that apostasy is here. And we need to grab hold of the truth and never let go. Now Paul, Paul stated in Galatians 2.20, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me in the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I am crucified with Christ. Strong says this. To crucify the flesh, destroy its power utterly, the nature of the figure implying that the destruction is attended with intense pain. Galatians 5 24 says this, and they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lust. Romans 6, 6, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. And then Galatians 6, 14, which Mark just read, but God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world. There's Greek lexicon says this, I have been crucified to something and it has been crucified to me so that we are dead to each other, all fellowship and contact between us has ceased. These are very explicit and very hard verses. The world would look at these verses as foolishly insane. Most denominations relegate these verses to some kind of excessive zeal or temporary madness overtaking Paul in his persecutions. But what do you say? I say we better take heed as we try and grasp an understanding of what is Christianity. Not long ago, I came across a book, you know, that's definitely a book guy. And this is from an old Puritan who was dead by 1681. And the title just grabbed me and wouldn't let go. And the title of the book is, The World Conquered by the Faithful Christian. Let me just give you a statement on the back that's in the book. It says, a true Christian then is a conqueror, more heroic, more noble, more exalted than the greatest of all earthly conquerors, for he has conquered that which has conquered them, the world. A brief excerpt, I just actually read this Friday night as I was reading the book. He says, it is a sufficient proof that you are worldlings still if you are not converts to Christ. He who has come to Christ is come out from the world, and he who is still under the yoke of the world is not come to Christ. when the heart is convinced that there is no compounding between Christ and the world, and hereupon yields itself to Christ, saying, Lord, I am thy servant and will follow thee whatsoever becomes of me, whether I want or abound, prosper or suffer, whatever my condition is here, thine I am, and thee will I love and serve, when the heart has come to this. There is conversion. And there the great design of the world is broken. This book is available actually on heritagebooks.com for under $9. If you get 10, it's free shipping. I would highly suggest that every family take a look at this. It is meat, meat from the word of God. While so-called churches all across America today are teaching odd, strange, and foreign gospels not found in the scriptures, had not we better make sure our foundation is on the solid rock. Matthew 7, 24 through 26 says this. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house. upon the sand. Folks, there are no do-overs to this life. For each of us, it is one and done. Paul is the only man I'm aware of allowed to write the following words in the Scriptures. First Corinthians 4.6, therefore I urge you, imitate me. First Corinthians 11.1, imitate me just as I also imitate Christ. Philippians 3.17, brethren, join in following my example and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern. A pattern of what? A pattern of the Christian life. We are to be crucified to the world, and the world is to be crucified to us. If we all took a sheet of paper tonight, eight and a half by 11 piece of paper, and a pencil, and I said, okay, let's each of us sit down and write down the things that we want. I doubt if anybody in here could make a longer list than I could. I would have to print so small, if you only gave me an eight and a half by 11 sheet of paper, that we wouldn't even be able to read all the things that I see that I want. But let's say we took the pencils and papers and went down to the nearest cemetery. And we laid a piece of paper and a pencil upon each and every grave and said, okay folks, we'll be back in an hour. Write down everything you want from this world. I don't know about you, but if I saw one thing written down, I would be running home. But why? What's the difference? The difference is they are dead to this world. Isn't that what Paul was talking about? If Paul was in here with us tonight and in the flesh, even back from his day, and you handed him that piece of paper, it would simply be returned blank. Do you ever see yourself, especially this time of year, with the stores completely full of stuff, do you ever see yourselves looking around to try and find something you just can't live without? You don't know what it is, but you know what it, once you see it, and you just can't live without it. Oh, what power the world holds over us. Isn't the very substance of the prosperity gospel propagated across this land isn't the very substance of that teaching to feed the lust of the flesh. Years ago, gosh, I'm giving away my age. I sure don't feel like it, but I am. Well, some days I do. I'll be 70 in two months. Back around 1980, I had a job that placed me on the other side of Nashville many times on Saturday nights. And I would drive home all the way back to Sumner County. Sometimes I'd leave at 11 or midnight. It was a late night drive home. And I'd turn on the radio and I got in the habit of listening to this man in New York City called Reverend Ike. Anybody heard of Reverend Ike? I would listen to him on the radio on Saturday nights driving home. And that man, every week it was the same thing. His ministry, at least at that time in his life, was about Cadillacs. And he would open up the microphone, you could hear all the people in the background, and people would walk up one at a time talking about the blessing God had given them in the form of a Cadillac. And I remember one evening I was driving home, this lady went up to the microphone, she said, oh, Reverend Ike, God did not bless me with a Cadillac. He goes, oh, like, oh, my dear. She said, he blessed me with two Cadillacs, and the whole place went up in an uproar. Well, Reverend Ike died several years ago, and I was reading an article about him. And in that article, an epitaph, they gave one of apparently his most famous quotes in the epitaph. I want you to listen to this. If it is hard for a rich man to get into heaven, how much harder must it be for a poor man who doesn't have a bribe for the gatekeeper? Yet Paul says in Philippians 3, yay, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. Doesn't sound like Paul was worried about saving up a bribe for the gatekeeper. When you add Paul's writings on being crucified to the words of Jesus in Luke 14, if any man come to me and hate not his father and his mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple and whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. These verses take us To even another level, these are so hard that there are two well-respected pastors I know of from the last century that had convinced themselves that it was possible to be a Christian and not be a disciple. Otherwise, how few are there that are saved? I was researching this conclusion, that there must be a separation, a difference, that you could be a Christian and not be a disciple. And I was researching this to try to see what I could find that others may have written. And as I was researching it, I came across an article regarding this on the C.S. Lewis Institute website. I must say the article was well written and the conclusion was that a Christian and a disciple were one and the same and could not be separated. Add to these verses, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. For if any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Sounds like to me, crucifixion to the world. John 15, 19 says this, if you were of the world, the world would love his own, but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. The history of Christianity is a history of persecution, imprisonment, martyrdom, suffering, and rejection by both religion and the world. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 4.13, being defamed, we entreat, we are made as the filth of the world and are the offscouring of all things. unto this day. Do you know what all scouring means? You know what it means? It is the stuff you scrape off the plates after a meal. This is how much esteem the Apostle Paul held in the world's eyes. How can we have such affection for that which hates so much the righteousness of God. Yet this suffering and battle is all for a purpose. Paul left us with Romans 8.18, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. That is the goal achieved, the suffering and sacrifice rewarded. Oh, the glories of a heavenly eternity. I am thankful for the results of the recent election, yet my faith is not in any political person or party, and the church better take this to heart. Just look at some of the cabinet nominees, and these are no list of heroes of the faith. This world system hated Christianity before the election, the day of the election, and every day since the election. And while we are to obey the powers that be and pray for our officials in charge, our allegiance is to our one and only King. The summation of this message is Matthew 7, 13, and 14. Enter by the narrow gate, For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way, difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it. Lord, I thank you for this opportunity this evening Lord, we are so thankful as a fellowship that we have the truth of your Holy Word, Lord. We just have to pick it up. Let your Holy Spirit reveal to us, Lord, the truth of Christianity, the truth of suffering, the truth of dying to this world system, Lord, that is so against anything and everything good. Help us, O Lord, in these days. To be a light in the midst of the darkness. To be a place, Lord, where people in the community can come and find and hear truth. Bless the leadership of this fellowship. Bless our pastor. And help us, oh Lord, to wake up each morning in a desire to serve thee. In Christ's name I pray, amen.