So I want to thank everyone again today for worshiping with us and God bless everyone. at the New Jerusalem Fellowship Baptist Church in Coney Island. Great to see everyone. Great to see everyone looking well this morning. I like the ties that everyone is wearing. It's looking good. And praise God that through this unprecedented time of pandemics and political turmoil, Our God is faithful and we trust in him and our ministry is doing well, praise God, in the most powerful city and also at times the most corrupt city in the world, which is not Christian friendly anymore, New York City. We're only a block away from the boardwalk, but God keeps us alive and well. A ministry that started over 40 years ago still takes a licking and keeps on ticking like the old Timex commercial used to say. So we're very grateful for those who are worshiping with us. We're also very grateful for those who are tuning in via the phone. for our congregation as well as online. Right now we use Facebook for our streams. If somehow we get banned because of an algorithm or something like that, we'll adjust. But for now we use Facebook because the service works pretty well and it gives us a chance to reach the sick, the shut-in, and also friends and families involved with the ministry around the country and even now around the world with the internet. But of course we always focus on the local church. We're grateful for our people. The ministry is doing well. We are staying traditional and Christian and orthodox. We have not changed any of our positions even with the social pressure that all churches are experiencing. Now is the time to be mature in the faith and stand up for God's word. While times are easy and your nation or state or city are Christian friendly, then it's easy to say the right thing. When you have what we have now, a nation like America, not all the people, But the government, the national government, state government, city governments are anti-Christian, openly demonic, many of them, communistic, atheistic. I mean that goes with communism, not believing in God. And also our capitalist friends. The reason why, quote, capitalist nations go communistic is because whether you are a capitalist or a communist, If you have no belief in God and you have no values in your society and you break natural law or properly called God's law. and you are a thief, and a handshake in a free market no longer means anything, or contracts, or when you gain a certain amount of wealth. Remember the rich man with his company used to live in the town with everyone else, go to the same church, his children went to the same schools. When we have morals, a capitalistic system can work, and that's why Christian nations generally are more wealthy than nations that are Muslim or Buddhist or atheistic or any of that stuff. That's what it used to be. But America has become godless. So if you're a capitalist and only believe in material wealth, or you are a communist who pushes equality, but doesn't believe in God and only believes in material wealth, you have the same views. And what we have are crony capitalists, these fake capitalists, that once you have a corporation like a Facebook or Walmart or Amazon, many of them built with the help of the government or former CIA people. then they become greedy and they don't want competition. And that's why, not your rich friend, someone who has $10 million, $20 million, they're a nobody. As President Trump is finding out, a couple billion dollars means nothing if you're not in the club. So they're just as vulnerable as we are. We're talking about the elites who have decided to abandon the Christian faith, attack the Christian faith. They don't want competition. So they don't want regular people building their own Facebook or building their own Amazon. They don't want competition. Because many people wonder, why do the super-rich love communism when they gain their wealth in capitalism? Because they want to shut you out from having that opportunity to compete. As Rockefeller the father said, competition is the devil. So they don't want competition. That's the situation we are in in the country. They want to be the new royalty. The politicians that are there, they and their families want to be there forever as well as these companies. Now as Christians, this doesn't intimidate us or scare us and we don't sell out Christ because if we know one thing from history, whether it was in ancient times with the Babylonian Empire, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, whether it was in more modern times with the great success of Napoleon, Adolf Hitler, or even worse, Joseph Stalin, These empires fall. They collapse under their own weight. God gives them a little smack and they fall into the dustbin of history. And that's why as Christians, as students of history, don't be intimidated by this fake New World Empire. Jesus Christ has established the New World Order and that's the only one that's going to stand. Truth will exist. no matter what Christ's truth and his commands his word will exist no matter what you can kill every Christian on the planet that still will not eliminate truth and we are people that live a certain way and speak a certain way because Christians we have a monopoly on truth and that's the word of God so we're going to continue today in 1st Peter chapter 5 And this sermon series, as you know, it's grownups in the room. We need to push Christians to be mature. Now, last week, Peter instructed and really gave it to the elders in the congregation, those who are ministers, those who had different gifts. And he told them to stay away from the pitfalls that all leaders attempted by. It doesn't matter if you are a pastor or a leader of a clan or a politician or a warlord somewhere in a third world country. When you're given a position of power, the way you glorify God is to not use that position. One, to gain money and material possessions. It doesn't mean if you've worked hard and you've built a company or an organization that you can't have some wealth, but that's not your main focus. Now if those are the rules for someone outside the church, even more so for a pastor, your material needs God will meet. Maybe not in the way that you want all the time, but he will meet them. As David said in Psalm 37, he's never seen the righteous begging for bread. So we don't sell out for the money. And then the second thing, you don't treat people like slaves. In the church, if you are an elder or a pastor, we all belong to God. This goes for anyone in a leadership position. So Peter was instructing the elders as the Holy Spirit guided him last week. Now he's getting into those who are younger and then he gets into the elders who are not necessarily pastors. So let's read Peter to get context. Now last week, if you remember, we went over verses one through four. This was the warning against the pastors. Pastors themselves should be reminded not only do we have to warn our flock about the reality of hell, you need to be reminded about the reality of hell. That if you sell out your congregation to act like a rock star or a movie star, someone in the world, to have money and wealth and fame, and abuse the position that God has given you, you will be nice and crispy, burning in hell forever. And Jesus spoke about hell more than he did heaven. So myself included, all of those in a leadership position, make sure you're faithful in your preaching. Don't make stuff up. Don't get soft in your preaching because of what the government tells you or the culture tells you. You will pay for it. And that's what Peter warned about. In the beginning of 1 Peter chapter 5, the elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed, feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, the money, but of a ready mind, neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherds shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. The sacrifices that we make as pastors, as elders, as well as our families, right? No minister is alone. Most of us are married or we should be married to one wife, the wife of our youth. Our wife also partakes in that ministry, even if they are a silent partner. We will both receive rewards together for the sacrifice that we made as a couple trying to glorify God. as well as our children who want to partake in that endeavor. So as leaders, that's what we do. So Peter was warning about this last week. We discussed it. Now this week, we're going to get into these verses that speak about the young generation. And that's why the title of today's sermon, Always Delicate and Seeker Friendly, the title of today's sermon is Shut Up and Learn Something. We have a very tough younger generation. Television, movies, cable TV, social media has told young people from ages 18 years old and down that they are the boss, They know everything. All the programming from the TV shows and from the music tells them. MTV, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Channel 13, The Godless Programming, Sesame Street. All the children are told that you are smarter than your parents. Your parents are stupid. They're old-fashioned. Listen to the government. Listen to media. We're telling you the truth. If your parents tell you not to have sexual relations before marriage, they're stupid. They're old-fashioned. They're backwards. Listen to us. Have sexual relations with as many people as you can, regardless of the diseases you might get. We have medications for that. Even if you're a female and you get pregnant, don't worry, we'll kill your baby for you up until the ninth month. Don't worry, we know what's good for you, not your parents. And especially if your parents are Christian, then they're complete morons and idiots. They don't know what they're talking about. So when your parents instruct you in not selling your soul for money, they don't know what they're talking about. Don't you want the nice car like we have? Don't you want the nice home and the clothes like we have? Sell your soul, sign that contract, give your soul to the devil, enjoy the things you need to enjoy in life. And that's what godless capitalism now. is teaching them also. So remember that. So these are instructions to the young. Now there are many young people that are humble, they can be taught, but parents and elders in the congregation need to be firm with those who refuse to be humble. And myself included, we have all needed to shut up and learn something at times. And you can only learn by listening. Listening to people that have seen more life than you and especially those who know their word better than you. So that's what we're going to focus on this week. So let's pray and then we'll jump right into the scriptures. Lord Jesus, we thank you that we can worship you today. We thank you, Lord, for the way you spoil us in this nation, that we can worship in relative peace. And we thank you, Lord, for what you've given us in your word. We pray, dear God, that our words today will glorify you and you only. And we pray, Lord, that the words that are heard today would be applied. We pray, Lord, that all of us, myself included, would read the Word of God, the Bible, even the parts we don't like, and be humble enough to accept it. And then, of course, be a witness and teach others. So we thank you, Lord, that you would open our hearts today to receive this Word and accept it. And we thank you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. So let's look at this text today. Peter starts in verse 5. And this is instruction to the younger Christian, the younger person in the congregation. Likewise ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility, for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. Now we need to notice something here. It's the same word for Elder Presbyteros. uh... as we saw in the previous verses but there's a transition now last week we were talking about the elder in the church or congregation now peter is talking about elders in general so this is your mother father grandmother grandfather just another elder the young ought to respect those who are older than themselves it's the only way to have good order in the church and we've seen this breakdown now. We see the generational split. And the young generation, this new group, they are angry with the elders, those who don't know the word, those who haven't given them proper direction. Children know, the young know, when you are a Christian in name only, when you really don't know the word, when you don't love them enough to correct them, but you let them live like zoo animals and do whatever they want. And I'm not talking about children outside the church, I mean children in the church. Children know if you love them, you will correct them. Just like we know that God loves us because he gives us instructions and he corrects us and reestablishes us on the right path. So, The first point we make in our sermon, Peter exhorts young believers to obey and listen to their elders in the Lord. Okay? And this is for everybody. This has nothing to do with pastors, elders. This is for Christians with age. Moreover, everyone in the covenant community is to fulfill their calling in the Lord. Those in leadership roles are to communicate Christian teaching worth listening to. So many of us will give our children the music we used to listen to in the world, the movies we used to watch, the culture of the world we used to have, but we really haven't changed since we've become Christians. We haven't given them a heritage of faith. We haven't given them instruction in the word. And that's what we need to do. And especially the men who are supposed to be leaders in their families. I don't care how much of a train wreck your life has been up to this point. as a Christian, you can change this day. You can be 50, 60, 70, 80 years old. You can change this day and say from now on, I might have made mistakes with my children, with my grandchildren. But I'm going to change. I'm going to study the laws of Jesus Christ. I'm going to study his commands, the Ten Commandments. I'm going to give my family real knowledge now. I'm going to study Proverbs. It's never too late. to love somebody and give them God's word. So even if you haven't been living responsibly as a Christian, it is no excuse. Things can be made right today. Come to the cross, repent to the Lord Jesus Christ, change your life today, change your habits today. Now what do I mean by Young believers are to listen to their elders in the Lord, and we are to fulfill our calling. Not only is the young generation supposed to listen to us, but we have to speak and give them something worth listening to. We have to give them real knowledge, that when they see the results in their life, because of the instruction we're giving them, it builds credibility. Children and young people know phonies. They know when you're not committed. So we have to make sure that we're learning the word. This was instructed not beginning in the New Testament. This goes back to the Old Testament. This goes back to Adam and Eve. We have a law and commands to have a fruitful life and to multiply that God gave to Adam and Eve. So we find these teachings In the Old Testament, Jesus Christ did not invent something new. He was fulfilling the law in the Old Testament. Let's go to Deuteronomy chapter 6. We'll read verses 1-9 and then verses 20-26. And you're going to hear some things that sound familiar. This is what Peter wanted us to do. So first verses 1-9. This is Moses in Deuteronomy, Deuteronomos, the second law, the repeating of the law. He's telling the people what they need to do to keep their marriage, their family, their church, their nation of faith strong. This is what Moses instructs. Now these are the commandments, the statutes and the judgments which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither you go to possess it, that thou mightest fear the Lord thy God to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou and thy son, and thy son's son all the days of thy life. So these commands are for the mother and the father, and then they are for your children and they are for the grandchildren that you're going to have. So God is linking three generations. It's an eternal covenant, the blessing for you and your children. We don't remember what we read in the newspaper or saw on the news last week. We don't even remember much of the work that we did in college or high school or elementary school. So obviously lessons need to be repeated. You need to constantly Read the Word of God yourself and teach it to your children. And why do we do this? And that thy days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it, that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee in the land that floweth with milk and honey. And here's the Hebrew Shema that our Jewish friends recite. Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. So we are to constantly be giving our children a worldview. Whether you listen to a song or watch a movie, you filter it through the Bible. You show them the good, the bad, and the ugly. Not all of your entertainment has to be strictly Christian. It shouldn't be filthy or perverted. And even, as I've said before, we'll watch debates between atheists and Christians. I like to watch testimonies of former Christians who have now become atheists to get some insight on what happened. And we don't need to protect our children from everything, but we need to give them the weapons to defend themselves with. So if I were to send my child out to the store, I need to give them instructions on how to be safe, and it's the same way in the world. We can't pull our children out of the world, but we can give them the knowledge where they don't become part of the world. And this is what Paul instructed believers in, is that we might be in the world, we have to be around wicked people, it's our job to give witness to them, but we're not to be of the world. We don't become a part of the world system. How are your children? supposed to know that and respect you if you don't even read the Ten Commandments to them? If they don't know what Christ commanded, if you don't instruct them on how to look for a godly spouse, how to raise their children, how to manage their money, that's involved with the Christian faith. Your child inherits $50,000. Should they go to Las Vegas or Atlantic City and gamble with the money? Or should they invest it? Should they first give at least 10% to God and to his church and to his cause or something that is doing the Lord's work? They need instructions and we need to learn it ourselves as parents and as grandparents. So we're constantly speaking about this. and thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house and on thy gates and our Jewish friends took this so seriously that we have the mezuzah on many homes Jewish homes because the point was you would constantly be reminded of God's commands and his laws and then we skip down and remember our children They are young. They haven't seen history. They don't know history. They don't know biblical history. It's your job to teach it to them. So we're also instructed, this is God's word through Moses, what Moses was commanded to write down. And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt, And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the Lord showed signs and wonders great and sore upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household before our eyes. And he brought us out from thence that he might bring us in to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes to fear the Lord our God, for our good always that he might preserve us alive as it is at this day and it shall be our righteousness if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God as he hath commanded us. One of the things that my wife does, which I appreciate, is always speaking about Christian history. People, the saints of the past. We need to know our history. Christians act like the Christian faith just began with the fundamentalist movement in the 1920s. or those who are reformed Christians, they act like Christianity only began with Luther and Calvin. Christianity began as soon as Christ started his ministry and started training his disciples in roughly 30 AD. That's when instruction and the faith began. As soon as Christ started his ministry, the march to extend his kingdom started. And we have a rich history. Christianity ended pedophilia. Christianity ended human sacrifice in all these lands. Read about these native peoples, these indigenous peoples that cry about what evil was done to them when Christianity came. They were eating their own children. They were sacrificing their children in many of these cultures. All cultures had slavery. All cultures had human sacrifice. So we, Christianity, marched through the world and the reason why slavery and human sacrifice has been ended in many places is because of the Christian faith. Check out the history of any culture. I don't care if it's the indigenous Indians here. I don't care if it's the indigenous people of who now live in Sweden. All of these cultures, the Scots, the Italian Peninsula, savages, all of them, even the righteous Caesars, who we like to brag about, the Stoics, even Marcus Aurelius engaged in human sacrifice from time to time. You won't learn that in college, so do your own research and you'll learn about it. So we have a proud heritage, a heritage in God. We could be not proud of ourselves, but proud of God. Let us be humble and latch on to the history and what God has done in history. We need to teach our children this. All of the messaging that our children get is that we are stupid and they know better. As they destroy their lives, as they're addicted to drugs and pornography and pedophilia and bestiality on their phones, as young people can't even figure out if they're actually a boy or a girl now, They want to tell us that they know better. People in the world want to tell us that they know better. Complete joke. But we need to learn the words of Christ and of our word to give them. They can't just listen to us and we know nothing. So this is the mature faith. Those in leadership roles ought to communicate Christian teaching worth listening to. Groups called, quote, churches must navigate it to people's pride. The message from God to his people is shut up and learn something. How many times does God tell us in the word, be silent, be silent, accept his word, accept his correction, his rebuke. We need this again. We've been seeker friendly for so long. We've changed the message for so long. To be an evangelical, to be a Christian, in name only, it means nothing. We have become an embarrassment and we need to recover the historic Christian faith. The one that shook the world and changed nations. And like I said, for those of you in worship right now, including myself. None of us have been perfect in doing this, but you can change today. Learn the Word. Care enough to learn God's commands and instructions and give it to your children and your grandchildren. Maybe you screwed up with your own children. Give it to your grandchildren. There's always a chance. Now Peter continues. So he warns the young, shut up and learn something. And he tells us that we all need to be subject one to another, clothed with humility. If you look at your outline, I gave you the Greek word for humility. This is a noun. Remember from school, a noun is a person, place or thing. This humility, this word here for humility means it's a thing. It's something that we strive for. We should embody this thing. this idea of humility. Tapino, tapino, tapino frosunai. Lowliness of mind, humility. And it's used to mean humility, lowliness of mind, modesty. We have to embody this. This is something we strive for. Not to be proud the way the world is teaching us. Everyone's proud of something. And most of the things they're proud in is nonsense. It's not profitable at all. But we search for humility to be humble enough to learn from God and then teach those lessons. And now Peter continues and he tells us Why should we humble ourselves? He tells us, humble yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. So we need to be humble, we need to trust in Christ and his commands. So for all Christians, you feel like your life is out of control? Things are out of whack. You have a faith that's dying, that's weak, like James says, faith without works is dead. He didn't say you have no faith. He didn't say there aren't miserable Christians that will still be saved, because we're not the ones to do the saving. Our faith is on an object, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He has saved us by grace through faith. We're saved by Christ. So you can be a miserable Christian and be going through a horrible time and die, pass away, and still enter the kingdom of heaven. That's not what he's saying. But we want to be profitable. We want to have a living act of faith. And Peter is reminding us here, humility is the best medicine for a Christian who needs their faith refreshed. You're discouraged. You don't like the way things are going in your faith life, in your family? Your family's out of control? Get humble. Clothe yourself with humility. Learn from the Word of God again. Bring that attitude into your life, into your home. Play hymns, spiritual songs in your house. Do some Bible reading. Could be five minutes before or after dinner. Bring the word of God into your house. Build a worldview. Learn how to do combat with the wicked world to keep wickedness outside your home and not in your home. So humility is the best medicine for a Christian who needs their faith refreshed. Let God know in your prayers you trust in the sovereign hand. Let God know. When we pray, it can't always be to ask for something. It could be a simple prayer, Lord, I'm discouraged. Things are a mess in my spiritual life, but I trust in your sovereign hand. Give me a humble heart. Instruct me in your word. God asks us to be spiritually mature so he can promote and use us when needed. How is God going to use you in a critical situation when you are an immature Christian who can't get off the milk? And this is the problem we have in a lot of the churches today. They're completely feminized. They are infantile, they've made everyone infants. Many men won't even attend the church. I don't even blame them, some of these churches. They become like an Oprah Winfrey episode, where everyone's just gushing and loving on one another. It's a disgrace. We have a masculine faith. It's Father God, not Mama God. We have a masculine faith. We have marching orders from our God, especially those men in the military, former law enforcement, you know, guys like that who know how to take orders. Be that way with God. Okay? If your church is feminine, bring a masculine attitude there until they throw you out. Bring the Word of God. Learn the Word for yourself. We need to do that again. Men need to lead homes again based on the word of God. You haven't done it before? Repent. And there's no shame in that. Repent and move on now. Become a man of the faith. Lead your home. It's never too late. We need real leadership again. We have been destroyed. And let me tell you, with the financial and political trouble and the struggle that we will all be going through, to put enough food on the table. Coming late this January, when all the benefits run out, men will be needed again for their leadership. This Disneyland world that's been created in this nation, where people can destroy their marriages, have children, whoever they want, kids everywhere. Don't worry, they'll be paid for. The government will pay for your children. That gravy train is over. And by the way, if you think I'm being insensitive, no child is a mistake. So you might have children all around you from different husbands, different mothers, wives, whatever, take care of them, lead them in the word, that's the future. Those little faces that you're looking at, If they have the Spirit of God, they'll make better choices than their parents and grandparents made, and they will lead us out of this calamity. God can use them. You think I'm lying? Read the story of the Hebrew people that were faithless in the desert. What did God say? He let everyone without faith, all the adults die and he worked with the generation of the children. Those are the ones that made it into the promised land except for Joshua and Caleb and the other faithful witnesses. Everyone else wandered in the desert for 40 years to kill them because they were never going to change. They were Hebrew in name only and we have a lot of Christians that are Christians in name only, no matter what grace God gives them, they refuse to learn. They refuse to change. So He will work with your children or your grandchildren, if that's you. No one is bigger than God. So we need to do that. Let's go back to Proverbs 3, which I love to use. What are we told? Beautiful part of Scripture. My son forget not my law. This is how we teach our children But let thine heart keep my commandments for length of days and long life and peace shall they add to thee This is what God tells people during every epoch every time in history Where he renews the covenant he told Noah this He told Moses this, he told David this, these commands are always about being fruitful and multiplying. How can you do that if you're lawless, you don't even know how to live? my son forget not my law but let thine heart keep my commandments for length of days and long life and peace shall they add to thee let not mercy and truth forsake thee bind them about thy neck write them upon the table of thine heart so thou shall find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man trust in the Lord with all thine heart this is what Peter is saying And lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes, fear the Lord, and depart from evil. This is the instruction that we give young people. This is the instruction that we should all be ready to take. And again, I'm not preaching at you. I'm preaching to you. I am offended when I open up the Word of God. There are things that I don't do properly in my life. But if I'm willing to be a true shepherd and save you from death through the Gospel, the Gospel isn't only for the by and by. It's for the here and now. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So we follow these commands now. We're being trained in righteousness. Don't be offended to the point where you don't listen. But all of us should be shaken up on Sunday by the words that we read from God's Word. You don't like it? You're proud? Too bad. So am I. There's things that I read that I don't like. But I've learned to shut up and learn something from God's Word. We need commands. We need real teaching to relay to our children. So Peter is, again, taking everyone to task. And then he continues. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom resists steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. This is our last point in the sermon, but perhaps the most important. Christians must be pushed to maturity in the faith. We must live a spiritually productive life, safe in the arms of God. God loves you, you can trust Him, but you need to follow Him. You need to obey His commands. The devil here is spoken of like a lion. Now if you ever watch those nature shows, the nature documentaries, look at the way a lion hunts. Now remember, we learned in school, you can't take the whole Bible literally. You need to learn what it meant at the time. Okay, not everyone can be a pastor and pull a verse out and be an expert on a part of scripture. So we have many unqualified pastors. Everyone thinks they're a minister today. No one has studied the word. No one even knows the different elements of speech and language. But this is a simile. Not only is it figurative language or figurative speech, it's a simile. We learned in school a simile you will use like or as to compare something so the devil accurately is compared to a lion he's like a roaring lion seeking to devour now when you watch these shows these nature shows we have an advantage over when this book was written we can see how lions hunted they always pick the weak link the lion will eat the sick of a flock, whether it's a water buffalo or an antelope, whatever it is, they will get the weak. They'll get the small, the young one in the flock that is not following the flock, that has wandered away, that thinks they're so smart. That's who becomes the lion's lunch. That's who becomes the devil's lunch. So, we push our children, we push all Christians to be mature in the faith, so they don't wind up dead, or destroyed. They don't wind up overdosed on methamphetamines, or Xanax, or Percocet, or Oxycontin, or with a heroin needle in their arm. They don't wind up dead. with a syphilis that can't be cured or AIDS because they spent all their time with hookers and at strip clubs. We give them exact advice how to be close to God, how to be sober and vigilant, and I'm not talking about people who don't call themselves Christians. I'm speaking about people who call themselves Christians who have serious sin in their lives. You need to be sober. The devil is going to eat you. He's already eating people. Turn on your news. Look at your Hollywood stars that you worship. Look at your sports athletes that you worship. How many musicians, great musicians, have to coincidentally die at the age of 27? Check that out. People are eaten and devoured. They rise really fast, following the devil's ways and crash and burn. And as Christians, we don't want to be like that. We want to be mature. We want to live a fruitful life for the Lord. So, the devil like a lion only attempts to feed on the weak link in the flock. Don't be the weak link. Those of us with a military background, paramilitary, law enforcement, we know you did not want to be that guy who was the weak link and got everyone killed or got people hurt because you were the one who didn't want to know your directives, who didn't read the manual that you were supposed to read who didn't perform that extraction the way you were supposed to perform it and now you've had your comrades die because you did not want to follow the commands that your sovereign gave you it's the same thing with the Lord we have a masculine God who gives us commands to follow and mothers and grandmothers You do the same thing with the children. You are called to give the children instructions and when you need to be, to be tough with them. All this babying, all this lack of instruction, wanting to be friends with our children and our grandchildren and not make them mad. Our country and the church is collapsing. It doesn't work. Don't be the weak link. in your family or congregation. Don't destroy your family, don't destroy your church family, because you're the one who wants to get soft on perversion. And I told you, it would start with adultery in the marriage, then it went to sodomy, the homosexuality, the lesbianism, now we're down to pedophilia. Now people are flirting with children. They think it's cool. Women, we have these cases of teachers. are sleeping with boys 10, 11, 12 years old. We have men doing that, grown men in their 40s wanting to get a girlfriend, 10 years old, sleeping with their students. So it's going to progress all the way down to cannibalism. So we said having sex before marriage was okay, then we said having sexual relations Outside of your marriage was okay. Adultery is great. The whole 1960s and 70s was built on that. Hugh Hefner is a star. Women like to call men dogs, but then they admire the men that have all these women. This is who they watch on TV and in movies. Right, the player, the playboy, not the guy who works himself to death 10 to 12 hour days to feed his wife and his kids. The new hero is the man with no responsibilities. He's not married or he's divorced eight or nine times. He's the player, the smooth player, right? That's what we admire, lowlifes and gangsters. And then it continues down. So we open the door to that. We didn't correct the sodomites. Many of us with, quote, you know, gay friends and family, suffering horribly with diseases, with insane lives. Drug addiction and alcoholism has always been a part of the gay lifestyle. For those of us who grew up in New York, we had sodomites as teachers and family members. I'm not homophobic. Why would I be afraid of fags? Why? If you care about them, you'll be tough with them, and you'll want them to change their lifestyles before they destroy themselves. Same thing with lesbianism, now it's the pedophilia, it's all going to be normalized. How many stupid, corrupt, filthy people watch the Cuties series on Netflix? They think it's cute to dress up little girls as women so they look like sexual objects. So let's be careful. Don't be the weak link. Obey and teach the laws of Jesus Christ. No matter what the cost. No matter what the cost. Let your family disown you and hate the Christian teaching you're giving them. But when they wind up diseased and insane and on all types of pills with destroyed lives, they won't be able to point the finger at you. because you are the one that loved them enough to be honest with them. So let people not talk to me, right? And this should be the attitude for the congregation. Fellowship Baptist Church, let your family disown you, let your own children disown you for giving them the Word of God. You won't be guilty in that day when destruction comes upon them. And this is why I will always preach faithfully When the judgment comes, no one's going to be pointing the finger at me. Pastor, I'm on my way to hell now. Why were you so worried about me liking you and being so nice instead of giving me the truth? I'm going to burn now eternally and be separated from my friends and family. Thank you so much, Pastor Rubino. And you don't want to be that believer that was a liar that made like sin was okay. This doesn't mean people are going to behave perfectly. We're not talking about being all over people like a control freak, watching everything they do. That has nothing to do with the biblical faith. But we give people instruction on these major perversions. These major perversions. So, we don't want to be the weak link. Now I want you to see something. Pay attention. The person who wrote this epistle is Peter. I want to show you that we can all change. Don't be discouraged by what you're hearing. Everyone can be a more mature Christian. Look at the words that Peter is writing to us, how mature and serious it is. Do you want to see what a mess Peter was? Jesus was upset with him. Turn to Mark chapter 14. We're going to read verses 32, to 42. Mark chapter 14. Look at what a mess Peter was, but he accepted instruction and look at what a lion of the faith he turned into. Where he was immature, he was not dependable, he became dependable, he became mature through the power of the Holy Spirit, And Peter became a wonderful teacher and defender of the faith. But it wasn't always like that. He was like you and me. Jesus knows we're a complete mess at times. And if you think Jesus is just a sweet nice guy that never corrects anyone, read this with me. This is before Jesus is going to go to the cross. The whole weight of the universe, the world. He knows he's going to have to drink this poisonous cup of sin. to save us, and he's discouraged. So he takes his inner group, Peter, James, and John. He brings that inner circle with him. Surely Jesus thinks he could depend on these three, the most faithful of the apostles, right? Let's read the story. And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane. And he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here while I shall pray. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John. and began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy, the weight of what he was going to have to do on the cross, he was facing it. And Jesus Christ being the God-man, both God and man, was feeling it in his humanity. And he could not believe what he was feeling. It says to be sore amazed, to be very heavy, the weight of what he was going to have to do was starting to take its toll. And he saith unto them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful unto death, tarry ye here and watch. So Jesus, who has always been the rock on his time on earth, is now being tempted. He's being heavy laden. He is so sorrowful for what he's going to have to go through that he feels like he's dying. And he thinks he could lean on these three men that he is trained in the faith to at least at this time, the one time he really needs them to be mature. And let's see what happens. Terry, you hear and watch. And he went forward a little and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, All things are possible unto thee. Take away this cup from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt. And he cometh, and he findeth them sleeping. And said unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? Couldst thou not thou watch one hour? So Jesus is disappointed. He was training them for a time like this. the most important time. He's preparing to be crucified. And they fall asleep. It's so disinteresting to them. They can't stay awake, they can't be there for him for an hour. And then he tells them, Couldst thou not watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. So Peter is teaching us what Christ taught him. You have to be vigilant. Be sober. You got to be awake in your faith that the devil doesn't eat you. And he tells them one of the most beautiful parts of scripture. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again, he went away and prayed and spake the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again. They do it again. He yells at them, he commands them, please stay awake, I need you now. And you need it, you need to be awakened in the Spirit. They fall asleep a second time. For their eyes were heavy. Neither was they what to answer him. They didn't know what to say to him. Because they screwed up not once, but twice. And he come at the third time and sayeth unto them, sleep on now. and take your rest. It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up. Let us go. Lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand. And who is the weak link? Who is the one amongst the apostles that did not exercise a true faith that the Holy Spirit never lived inside of? Who is the one? Who is the weak link? It was Judas. So here we have Jesus reprimanding the apostles. And the reason why I wanted you to read this, I want you to see how Peter changed. So Peter, who was not a mature man in the faith, grew up. He matured in the faith. So if you are Peter, like I was Peter, there's a chance to mature. All hope is not lost, regardless of what age you are. There's always hope. And then the last part of scripture that we'll read. How do we defend ourselves? Well, the shield of faith is your ultimate defense. This is what Peter tells us. Peter tells us, be sober, be vigilant. And he says, whom resist steadfast in the faith. So Peter is telling you, when you have nothing to fall back on, fall back on your faith. And God will deliver you. And he echoes Paul. You know that famous verse in Ephesians? Ephesians chapter 6. The children's Bible studies and all these groups like to make the armor of God. And then the kids grow up and forget what it was about. Well, let's go through it. We're told this is how we fight for God. Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10 through 17. If you're not gonna remember it, buy it, frame it, get a frame from the dollar store, make a copy of it, put it up in your house. This is how we battle the devil. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, having your lawns girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. And above all, so when all else fails, above all taking the shield of faith, Wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The shield of faith in a warrior's arsenal, no matter how powerful you were, If you couldn't make it to the enemy to strike him and arrows or other types of projectiles were being fired at you, you needed a shield to block that assault until you made it to the enemy. And many powerful men and women in the faith have been taken out this way. Before they even got close to the enemy, they were killed because their faith was removed from them. They didn't know how to raise the shield of faith. Now the only offensive weapon we have is the Word of God, that's the sword. So your faith, and the Gospel, and all these things, and the breastplate of righteousness, the way we live, these are defensive things that keep the devil away from us and keep the world out. But the Word of God, when we attack with the Gospel, that's why we need to know the Word of God. That's the only thing that can change people and this world, and you, or your family, or like Fellowship Baptist Church, that can keep our church faithful. It's the Word of God. It is an offensive weapon. It is not defensive. We go on the attack when we know the Word of God. So remember that. Be encouraged today. Don't be discouraged. Take the correction from the Lord with good cheer. God does love you. He wants you to be mature in the faith. It's not something to be discouraged about. Let's learn our word. If Peter can turn from a man who couldn't even stay awake for one hour in prayer before our Lord was going to the cross, to be someone who can write a letter like this to us in the churches. And remember, this letter is written for us. This was not written to mostly Jews. This was written to Gentile believers, those who are not Hebrews, ethnically. Remember that. So let's be encouraged. And let's shut up and learn something. And let's command our children, if they're proud when it comes to the Lord, shut up and learn from the Lord. Okay, be slow to speak and quick to listen. Amen. Almighty God, we ask that you would bless us as we leave the church, that we would be faithful, that we would love you and apply our word. We want to pray especially today, Lord, for Christians who might be weak in their faith, who might be feeling down right now because of the situation in their life. We pray, Lord, that through your spirit, you would let them know it's never too late. Peter was a mess at times. But we know, Lord, when we humble ourselves, when we're able to shut our mouths and learn from you, it could stir up our faith and stir up the Holy Ghost within us, that faith that you've blessed us with. And we can be a better Christian tomorrow than we've been today. We pray, Lord, that you protect us as we leave the building today. And we pray that you protect those who will watch this sermon or listen to it over the phone. And you would keep your mighty hand upon us. And we always thank you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Thank you so much for worshiping with us this week and listening to the sermon. And God bless you.