Chapter 4, we're going to go back to 1 Thessalonians. And just tap, tap your ear if I get too low. Like I got to raise it up or you want me to turn that off. Is that okay? You like the water? All right. The bathroom's right there. All right. So 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, down by verse, uh, we're going to read just verse 1. All right. Paul writes, furthermore then we beseech you brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as he have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God so you would abound more and more. And he's just talked about at the end of chapter three. To the end he may establish your hearts on blamable and holiness before God, even our father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. So then he kind of throws this this thing at us, like furthermore then, like because of this happening, you should learn how to walk. You know, brethren, it exhorts you by the Lord Jesus that as ye have received of us, how ye ought to walk. And I was thinking about walking. You know, if you develop what's called a walking abnormality, like your gait's off or you're leaning the wrong way, I was reading about how there could be long-term problems in your life. A walking abnormality can affect the muscles, the bones, and even the nerves in your legs. And the problems a walking abnormality may create require usually continuous physical therapy and medical care, sometimes for the rest of your life. Now, let me read that verse again, because in the verse we just read, Paul is very interested in the Thessalonians learning to walk right for Jesus Christ. Let me read it again. Furthermore, then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as he have received of us, how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. He was really interested in their walk. how they ought to walk. And think about it. You guys got our parents. Isn't every parent interested in seeing his child walk? I mean, especially in the beginning, right? Parents pay attention to every step. And as their parent in the faith, Paul had taught these young believers how to walk. Now before you were saved right you can say amen before you were saved you couldn't stand let alone walk Before you were saved you had no standing, but when we talk about our walk and the Bible speaks about the walk It's referring to the steps you take the life you live now that you've been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and the Lord and the Holy Spirit is very interested in your walk and how you ought to walk, knowing how you walk right for the Lord Jesus, so you don't develop those walking abnormalities that might affect you down the road as you grow in grace. So my question, this is gonna turn into probably several weeks. I thought it would be one week, and then I started peeling the onion, and I was like, what am I thinking? But do you know how you ought to walk? Like, how is a believer supposed to walk? You know, we say, like, oh, walk with God, but how are you supposed to walk? I mean, apparently, Paul told them, you know how you ought to walk, and I'm gonna tell you again how you ought to walk, because repetition is the price of learning, and I'm an English nerd, like, you know that, so when you ask the question how, you're talking about adverbs. Those are words that describe how you do something. Those words that end in L-Y, usually quickly, softly, strongly. Well, I started to look at those words that Paul uses that describe action. I started looking at those words that describe action, and I found five of them, five words that the Apostle Paul uses to describe our walk. L-Y words that describe our walk. So I'm gonna spend a few weeks thinking about how ye ought to walk. I think the words were honestly, charitably, uprightly, orderly, and there was one other one I'm forgetting. Honestly. All right, so I probably forgot one of them, but we'll get into those words. We're going to deal with the word honestly tonight. Walking honestly. How you ought to walk as a Christian. The first one is walk honestly. So I'm going to word a prayer and we'll jump in. Am I good back there? You still hear me good? Good. Hello, guy. You heard me in the front? A little bit? All right. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for your mercy. Thank you for this beautiful night. Thank you for your Lord Jesus, Father. Thank you for saving our souls, Lord. Thank you for this book. Thank you for the truth. Thank you for just being with us, Lord. I pray you put your hand upon our time now, Lord. I pray you'd strengthen the saints that are here and the saints that are watching at home. And if anybody's lost, I pray they'd be saved. But I pray mostly for your Christians, Lord, for your children. I pray you'd show us again, Lord, how we ought to walk and please you. In Jesus' name, amen. All right, go to Romans chapter 13. We're probably just gonna deal with this one word. It's the first adverb that the Apostle Paul uses to describe how ye ought to walk. And the first thing he says is, walk honestly. Walk honestly. Romans chapter 13, verse number 11. Some familiar ground, right? And that knowing the time. That now it is high time, right? That lady told us yesterday we were standing on Lloyd Road. I guess this is the beginning of the end, huh? I was kind of like, I don't know. You better be safe. I didn't know what to say to her. I don't know. I'm not going to prophesy, but if it is, so much the more should we walk right and if it's not so much the more should we walk right and that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed the night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day. Somebody should tell MSNBC, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fill the lusts thereof. We always talk about the number 13 being the number of what? Rebellion. Well, in Romans chapter 13, verse number 13, you want to be a good rebel for God? There's a good rebellion. You want to be a good rebel for God as you walk with Jesus Christ in a world of liars? The world is full of liars, man. It's like no holds barred now, right? They're not even pulling punches anymore. It's just in your face. I say to my wife sometimes, I don't know how some of these talking heads look at themselves in the mirror at night. They've got to have seared their conscience, but they've become reprobate. They're going so far that God can't even talk to them anymore. They just reprobate minds. And the Bible says, Romans 3, 4, you know the verse, let God be true, but every man a liar. And brethren, we live in a world where truth is falling in the street. where everything is spun to prove your point and make you look like you're right, where evil is now called good. I saw these cops on Brooklyn Bridge yesterday who got cracked with a cane, and I read some dude tweeted, oh, they shoulda hit him harder. And like, Jack Dorsey on Twitter didn't censor that post for hate speech. You know, it's like evil is being called good. And in Romans chapter 13, 13, how is a believer supposed to respond? by being a rebel and walking honestly. Honestly, it's a good rebellion. We need some honest believers in a world full of liars. What does honestly mean? With frank sincerity. Without fraud or disguise. According to truth. That's what honestly means. I'll go to Ephesians chapter four, Ephesians four. Ephesians 4, backyard Bible study. We're going to have a few more backyards that we can use real soon, amen? Ephesians 4, verse number 15, look at what the Bible says. Speaking about the church, speaking about the body of Christ, look what it says, but speaking the truth in love may grow up, well, 14 is what I want, 14, I want that. That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie and wait to deceive. That's what's all around us, folks. But here's what we're supposed to be. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things. which is the head, even Christ. The church is supposed to speak the truth in a world of lies. That's our job. We're supposed to be holding forth the truth, not MSNBC, not the talking heads, not the mainstream media. They're not telling people the truth. Both sides of the aisle, I don't know who's telling the truth anymore. I know God's telling the truth, and we've got the truth, and we're supposed to hold forth the truth in a world full of lies, walking honestly. Go to John chapter 17. John 17. I don't know how to open this Bible and not get excited, so I don't, you know, I... Sometimes I look at guys and I'm like, wow, they look so distinguished and calm and neat. And I'll walk all like Danielle. I was like a raving lunatic again. But it's like you woke the dungeon flamed with light. And I get so vexed by what's going on because you see people just with the blinders on and people just to just like walking off a cliff. And it's like you want to you want to shake people. I want to shake myself, you know. In John 17, verse 17, Jesus Christ is speaking to His Father in that high priestly prayer. In John 17, verse 17, He says, "...sanctify them through Thy truth." Thy Word is truth. Not a truth. But this book in your hands is truth. This is the truth. God's word is truth. Not anybody else's word is truth. Now we should speak it because we've got it. We've got, in a world full of lies, we've got. Truth. You ever get like a greasy pan, and you put like a drop of dish detergent on it, and just, boom, like all the dirt and the grime just goes away? You know, we just gotta take this truth and drop it in a world full of muck and mire, and just see if we can separate some people from that stuff. Go to John chapter 14, your very familiar verse. You could all quote this with me, but I'm gonna show your eyeballs anyway, so it goes in your eye gate and down into your heart. John 14, six. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth. The truth. That means he's the only truth out there. Now think about this. If Jesus Christ is the truth, shouldn't we walk honestly if we're walking in fellowship with the truth? That's his name. So, remember some things about God. Titus 1-2. God cannot lie. Aren't you glad? Hebrews 6.18, it was impossible for God to lie. So you get these skeptics, they say, can God do anything? And the Christian goes, oh yeah, can he build, can he make a rock so heavy he cannot lift it? No stupid, but he can make a rock heavy enough that you can't lift it, right? God cannot do anything. God cannot age, God cannot learn, God cannot sin, and God cannot lie, among other things. So he can't lie. But do I lie? Am I dishonest? But he's supposed to be living inside of me. Go to John chapter 14, verse two. You're in the same area. 14.2, right? I love this verse. In my father's house. or many mansions. That's a great part, but that's not even the part that gets me excited. It's this part right here. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. Think about that, guys. Your Savior is always honest with you. He's always forthright with you. He says, I'm not spoken in secret in a dark place. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, seeking me in vain. I, the Lord, speak righteousness. I declare the things that are right. He puts it right there for us to find and know the truth. Are you walking honestly with Him? He's honest with you. Go to John chapter 14, look at verse number 16, right in the neighborhood. Look at this. And I will pray the Father and He shall give you another comforter that He may abide with you forever. Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, Old Testament, and shall be in you, New Testament. Go to verse number, chapter 15, look at verse number 26. 15, 26. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world which proceeded from the Father, he shall testify of me." John chapter 16. Verse 13, how be it when he, because he's a person, not a force, the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. The Holy Spirit living inside you right now is called the spirit of truth. He wants to help you walk honestly, to walk in the truth. But there is another spirit, John chapter 8, there is another spirit in the world, another spirit from the God of this world working in all his children. You've got the Holy Spirit working in you, and the devil has his spirit, and that spirit of the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, that's a different spirit that is not predicated on truth. That's all about lies, right? John chapter 8 verse 44, he says it right there, right? Ye are of your father, the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth. Because there is no truth in Him. 1 John 2.21, no lie is of the truth. Right? Eastern philosophy gives you that yin yang, right? A little bit of white, a lot of white, a little speck of black. And a little bit of black and a little speck of white. And when you spin it, it's supposed to become this mush of grey. That's how that yin-yang symbol's supposed to be. And Eastern philosophy is just one big pile of marshmallow fluff, and it's just a little gray, you know, it's like there's no, no, God divided the light from the darkness. God says, here's light, here's dark, and never the twain shall meet. Right, you have a dark room, and you let a little crack of light in there, guess what? That light is separate from the dark. It's different. It's divided from it. And John 8, 44, you'll see right there, that's not what I want. Oh, let me finish reading. Because there is no truth in him, Eli wanted the expensive seats. When he speaketh a lie, when he speaketh a lie, I don't blame you. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it. So think about the contrast. If walking honestly is about being without fraud, then Satan is all about disguise and deception. And if the Godhead is predicated on truth, then the devil has an unholy trinity built on lies. Think about the trinity, right? We just read some of the verses. John 17, 17, the Father's word is truth. John 14.6, the Word, the Son, the Word made flesh is the truth. The Holy Spirit, John 16.13, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. You see, the whole Godhead is about truth. Well, that means that everything about the devil and his ways are about insincerity, fraud, lies. His Trinity is not truth. His Trinity is subtle. S-U-B-T-I-L. It's a King James Bible word. Subtle. It means sly. cunning, crafty, deceitful, treacherous. It's the opposite of honest. In fact, by no mistake, the word subtle, S-U-B-T-I-L, only appears three times in the King James Bible, and each time points to a different member of Satan's unholy trinity. Let me just show you in Genesis chapter three. I'll show you the first one. Let me show you the father. Let me show you the father first. Genesis 3, verse 1. Genesis 3, 1. Ready? I'll take you down a little bit. You came out. I got to give you a little something to justify the price of admission, especially the expensive seats. Genesis 3, 1. Now the serpent was more, see that word, subtle, sly, deceitful, not honest. He was a murderer from the beginning, but he came across like a friend, more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, yea, hath God said, positive, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden. There is the father of lies, the devil himself seducing Eve in the garden. You want to see the son? We'll see the next one, it's like ducks in a row. 2 Samuel chapter 13. 2 Samuel chapter 13. This is type here. 2 Samuel 13. Look at verse 1. There are some bottles of water there, too. If anybody needs a bottle of water, they're on that table. There's also some, the orphan stuff over there, it's deed-free. I want to protect everybody. All right, 2 Samuel chapter 13, verse 1. And it came to pass after this that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister whose name was Tamar. And Amnon the son of David loved her. And Amnon was so vexed that he fell sick for his sister Tamar. This is some perverted stuff here. For she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her. He wanted to get with his half-sister. But Amnon had a friend. And don't we all. But Abnin had a friend. I heard a message many years ago called Abnin had a friend about how you always got that one friend that's going to tempt you to do wrong. But Abnin had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother. And Jonadab was a very, there's that word again, subtle man. And he said unto him, Why art thou being the king's son? Lean from day to day, wilt thou not tell me? And so he comes as his friend, and he helps Amnon devise a plan to rape his half-sister. And there you see Jonadab who pictures the Son, the friend who seduces you to sin. You say, why do I think that pictures the Son? Because don't you know the Antichrist is called a friend in the Word of God? A traitor you would not expect. Don't believe me? Look at, you don't have to look there, but Psalm 41 verse 9, if you're taking notes like Kim, Psalm 41 verse 9, quote, Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me." The Old Testament, that's a prophecy of the Antichrist's betrayal in the Old Testament. And don't you know, in Matthew 26, have you not read when Jesus was confronted by the traitor himself, Judas? It's like Jesus looked right at the camera and looked right at us, and He said of Judas, Wherefore art thou come? Because Judas was fulfilling what was read right there in the Old Testament. Judas was that friend who was a traitor. Jonadab was that friend who was a traitor. And the Antichrist is going to come across as a friend, very subtle, who's a traitor. That's the middle one, right? So who's left? The Spirit. Go to Proverbs chapter 7. Let me show you the Spirit. the father of lies, Genesis 3, the friend, 2 Samuel 13, that traitor, that betrayer, and Proverbs chapter 7, you know what you get in Proverbs chapter 7? The last mention of subtle, the third one of subtle, it's the unholy spirit of a whore seducing the simple to come into her house. Like the Holy Spirit invites you into God's house, this unholy spirit invites you into the wrong house. Bible's an amazing book, isn't it? It's like God wrote it. If you and I would just really believe that God wrote this Bible, it would change my life. Proverbs 7, verse 6. Ready? And I, for at the window of my house, this is like God the Father looking over the bowels of heaven, I looked through my casement and beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding passing through the street near her corner. Remember, the Holy Spirit is typified by a female in the book of Psalms, right? Like the woman guides the house, the Holy Spirit is typified by a female. And here is another female voice, but it's not holy. passing through the street near her corner, and he went the way to her house in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night. And behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and s-u-b-t-i-l, subtle of heart, She is loud and stubborn, not meek and quiet like a virtuous woman. Her feet abide not in her house, now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner, masquerading the Holy Spirit of God that goes out and tries to bring people to God. This spirit is out there now, that spirit of Jezebel, that spirit's out there now, trying to bring people to the wrong house. And each of these frauds, the serpent in the garden, Jonadab with the king's son, and this spirit in the street, each of these frauds is only out for destruction. But their approach is benign. They're a fraud. They're not honest. The devil doesn't come with a pitchfork and say, I want to spoil your soul. He comes as a friend. He comes positively. He comes with loves. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel, an appearance of light. That's how he comes, like an appearance of light, not an angel. That's what an angel is, an appearance, not real, in disguise. Don't be deceived and seduced by a subtle enemy, subtle friends, subtle lovers. Go to Ephesians chapter 4. Can I keep going? May I? You all live in Jersey now, so you got nowhere to be. Ephesians chapter 4, all right. I remember those days, man, it was like a year or two of just always running back over that bridge and that feeling when I was like, I live here now. It was like, oh, it was nice. Ephesians 4 verse number 17. Hey, if that's the way the world is going, then we ought to go the opposite direction. We ought to walk honestly. We ought to rebel against that trend and go the other direction. Ephesians 4.17, this I say therefore and testify in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind. having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart, who, being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness, but ye have not so learned Christ. Dr. Jenkins, but ye have not so learned Christ. We're in Ephesians 4, verse number 19, brother, Ephesians 4, 19. If so be that ye have heard him, verse 21, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, wherefore, because of all that. Here's the punchline, saints. You listening at home? You listening here? Here's the punchline. Because of that. Putting away lying. Speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. The world is going this way. The Lord says, I changed you. Walk honestly. Walk in the light. Walk in truth. Speak the truth. Be a light in a world full of lies. Don't lies bother you. Lies are like... I got to turn it off, man. I got to turn it all off. Ask my wife, because I obsess over it. Because I obsess, because it's like watching the train accident in slow motion. And you have no voice. You don't have a platform. That's why I want to get on the street and scream. And you hear people like Alyssa Milano get up there and say, we need to shut the whole country down, and F this, and F that, and this is wrong. And I want to get there and say, hey, Alyssa Milano, who's the boss called? You're not it, right? You're not the boss. And nobody cares what you think, Ms. Milano. Nobody cares. Go back to doing pretend on TV. That's what you were good at. When it comes to truth, Jesus Christ is the truth. This is the truth. So we got to get out there, man, because we're competing with people that got a big net. And we got to try to get out there and make a lot of noise and spread a lot of truth and get a lot of light on there. The Bible says, let thy fountains be dispersed abroad and rivers of waters in the streets. Get yourself a big bucket full and just start throwing to put the fire out because the world is burning. The world is on fire. Why? First Thessalonians chapter four. I knew I wasn't going to get through that without mentioning that thing about I know, when I watch the news, that stuff just sits like a burr in my saddle. I don't apologize, but... So I guess that's why we gotta just... There should be a love of the truth. Didn't David say, I hate every false way? Christians are not supposed to be this accepting little loafer, you know, like everything's great, you're great. No, we're supposed to say some things in love. That's not right. I don't have to grimace and grit my teeth and spit when I say it, but I could speak the truth in love. Spurgeon talked about telling people they were going to hell with tears in their eyes and a shake in their voice, and if he can't do it, don't tell them. That's the type of spirit we should be of. But speak every man the truth with his neighbor. That's what we gotta do. 1 Thessalonians 4.12, why? that ye may walk honestly. He's talking about studying verse 11. Why? That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without. You see, the world needs to see a Christian walking honestly. The world needs to see a Christian who's not a fraud, who is who he says he is, and does what he's supposed to do, and isn't like messing around or pretending. So I'm gonna finish this point with a couple of questions. Don't answer out loud, because they convict me. But are you walking honestly? Are you walking uprightly, justly, with integrity, with sincerity, with fidelity? All those things mean honestly. For example, Does the time card at work really reflect the work you're getting paid for? That's easy to do, right? It's easy to be honest in that. It's also easy to be dishonest. Do you say what you mean and mean what you say in all of your relationships? I know if grandma shows up with a disgusting dress and she says, what do you think? That's some dress. I'm not saying don't have tact. But I think it means this, honestly. Do you walk the talk in your Christian life? Am I faithful to the Lord? Or am I a fraud for the Lord? Oh, I love God, I believe that Bible's the word of God from cover to cover, even the cover. Roar, King James, roar! Plug in all the epithets that we Bible believers throw around. Roar! And then I'm not in works, I deny it. You know what that is to me? That's not honest. I'm saying one thing and I'm doing something else. So go back to Romans 13, second and final point, and not as long as the first. Unless you guys have sin in your heart, then the Holy Spirit will provoke me to preach harder. All right, Romans 13, I'm only serious. Romans 13, that was for everybody at home. No, I'm only kidding. Romans 13, 13. You know what should provoke us to walk honestly? It's right in the passage. Romans 13, 13, we ought to walk honestly as in the day, like we really believe that Jesus Christ is watching, like we really believe that one day all we've done will be declared and there'll be no darkness nor shadow of turning. If we really believe that and walk as in the day, you know what that'll do? That'll straighten you up. That'll fix your gait and make you walk honestly if you're starting to stray to the left or to the right. Romans 13, 13, he says it. Let us walk honestly as in the day. In the same way you can't hide in the day, we should walk honestly in our lives. Is that foreign? It's sad that that's gotten so foreign to the body of Christ. Just telling the truth is like a novel message to some Christians. I'm not saying us, but it's like we've been swimming in the cesspool for so long. We've been cutting the corners and dipping the colors and being such a fraud in every aspect of our life. We think it's, we get surprised that someone tells us not to be a fraud to God. Like we should be the most stand up people that people in our lives know. We should do our best to be as honest and genuine and sincere with this book before God and with this book before others as anybody knows. And if we can't do something, that's why I don't make promises anymore. Because if I make a promise, I'm probably not going to keep it, and they're going to call me a liar. I mean, Josh did it when I was in Sunday school. I used to say, no, I used to bust my chops, say, last verse, and I'd get another verse. They'd say, you're lying. I never, I try never to say last verse anymore. because Matt Manella and Josh Adler messed me up. You know, they used to call me out. They used to call me out. At 11 or 12 years old, they used to call me out and be like, you're a liar. And I'd be like, you know, when a bunch of Sunday school kids and you're wearing your suit and tie say, you lied to us, you deceived us. So I'm not going to say last verse. But here's one way I mean walking as in the day. I don't know where he gets that buster cat thing from. I guess it's from Eli. Walking, I was trying to be nice and not be so obvious. Walking as in the day could mean walking in the light, right? When there's nothing to hide. What does 1 John 1 say? If we walk in the light as He is in the light. And 1 John 1.5 says, God is light. So if you're walking close to Him, it's going to keep you honest. Right? Here's one we've heard a hundred times. Sin will keep you from that book or that book will keep you from sin. I mean, if you're in fellowship with God and you're walking in the light of God's Word, it's going to be hard to be dishonest. You're going to be getting checked every second. The Holy Ghost is going to be talking with you. The Book of Proverbs is going to be sticking you. You'll go, oh, that ain't true. I remember one time, my old boss, When you're a teacher, you gotta fill out, I don't know if they do this in college, Charlie, but you gotta fill out these preference sheets to indicate what courses you wanna teach, and they're like union-binding stuff. They're like a legal document. I'll never forget, a supervisor told me, I just need you to change something on that. And it was like, you know when something just doesn't sit right? It could have just been a flick of the pen, but it just didn't sit right. I was up all night. I was a young believer, so I wrote out this whole thing. I'm a Christian. I'm not supposed to lie. I can't do this. I got called into the principal's office the next day, and it was like, you going to teach the class or not? I was like, I'll teach the class. But you know, even those, the Holy Spirit will just, if you get, I'm not trying to make myself an example. You're all better people than I am, I mean that. But there's things in there, man. If you're walking in that book, even the little things, like the things you say to your kids that you don't follow up on, the Holy Spirit's gonna mm, mm, mm. And sometimes your kids will add in the mm, mm, mm. But honestly, transparently, truly, it's a lot easier to hide things in the dark. And it gets darker the further you get from the light. So if you're not walking in the light and you get further away from that, it's going to be easy to get dishonest. It's going to be easy to say, ah, it's just a little, ah, I know I said, but go to Psalm 89. You want a sweater, Danny? Want a jacket? Do you? Oh, I thought you were getting cold. Psalm 89. Psalm 89. I'm stepping on my own toes. Does anybody need a blanket? Because I have one right here. I'll throw it on that chair. I'll be right back. Psalm 89. Psalm 89. Ready? Psalm 89, 15. This is about us. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound. We have heard the joyful sound. Jesus. Anybody saved here today? Amen. That makes six of you, right? No, that really makes six of you, right? Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance, your face. That's it. God expects His people to walk in the light of His wonderful face. How do you see His face? You open up this book and you behold with open face. Look at Psalm 119, verse 130. This is a great verse. You probably have it highlighted. If not, I'll give you a highlighter. Psalm 119, verse 130. Psalm 130. Ready? Ah, Brian's got it. You win the door prize. You get the shawl. Psalm 119, verse 130. The entrance of thy words giveth light. It giveth understanding to the simple. Thank God he put that in for me. To the simple. Unto the simple. When you open this book with an open heart, you know what you get? You get light. You get light to keep you honest. I know Kevin Andino used to always say, locks keep honest men honest. And that's true. I mean, this book, you just open it up, it keeps you honest because without it, you're going to get dishonest. You're going to gravitate towards the current of the world, which is to lying and dishonesty. Now go to John chapter 3. Let's spend some time in John. John chapter 3, look at verse number 19. This is an amazing passage right here. I think John 319, barring Dr. Jenkins, might define every professor out there and every heady, high-minded knucklehead of which I have to rub shoulders with and work with, right? This is it. And this is the condemnation. that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. There's no reason, there is no intellectual reason not to believe the Bible. There's no intellectual reason not to believe in God, but you'll invent these things and you'll actually start to believe them because you know you're wicked and you know you're accountable and so You make up stories. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deed should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be manifest, that they are wrought in God. You know, cockroaches scatter when the lights come on. But we should come to the light. Lord, am I doing this right? Am I a good husband? Am I a good wife? Am I thinking right in this area? Should I buy this house? Should I make this job change? Should I go on this mission field? Should I take this course of action in my life? We should be coming to the light to see if our deeds are wrought in God. But when you know you're doing something wrong, you split for the, you run under the oven like a cockroach. Because you don't want anything to do with this book. You want to get as far away from it as possible. And it becomes that vicious cycle, doesn't it? Well, I don't want to be around that book because I haven't been around that book. And the longer you stay away, that inertia moves you in the opposite direction. It's harder to change course. And all it takes is a little bit of impulse to get you back moving in the right direction. But sometimes it's hard to get that impulse. Sometimes God has to really kick your butt to get you moving in the right direction. John 8, verse 12. John 8, 12. John 8-12. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Are you following the Lord, or are you fleeing the light? How else are you gonna walk honestly? How could you walk honestly if you're not saturating your mind in the word of God? This is the light. You gotta come to it to keep yourself straight. Go to John 11. Just keep going through John. John 11, look at verse nine. John 11, verse nine. Remember to walk honestly as in the day, John 11, 9. Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. Guys, if you fail to walk in the light, as in the day, you're gonna stumble in your walk. Jesus said it, there's no way around that. And I know I'm preaching to the choir, but you might have to tell somebody else, hey guys, you stay in the dark, man, you're gonna stumble. You may make a lot of money, you may be successful in the world, but one day there's gonna be payday someday, and you're gonna be sorry, and you're gonna stumble. Go to John chapter 12, verse 35. Look what Jesus says again. I think Jesus was trying to get something across to us, don't you? John 12, 35. Then Jesus said unto them, yet a little while is the light with you, speaking of himself. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you. For he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things faced Jesus and departed, and did hide himself from them. I like how Jesus just kind of did a mic drop. and like walks away, do with it. He's given you the light. He says walk in the light, believe in the light, that you might be a child of the light. If not, you're gonna be in the darkness and you're not gonna know where you're going. Do you know where you're going, Christian? Think about that. This book shows you where you're going. Without this book, you don't know where you're going. You're just like a mouse on a wheel. Get up, make the money, get the vacation, go to bed, get up, make the money. You know, that's all it is. If you don't have something else, if you don't have the light of God's word, all it is, it's like time to make the donuts, right? That old commercial. It just becomes, and you see people, that's why they're so miserable. They got nothing else but time to make the donuts. That's all they got. And maybe I'll get that two-week vacation. And oh man, I'm gonna live it up for those two weeks. And then time to make the donuts again. They don't know where they're going. That's why I work in a school with some of the brightest kids out there in New York State, and we have suicidal ideation. We have people hurting themselves. We have all this stuff. They got everything going for them. I got a girl, everything going for her. Bright, smart, articulate, brilliant artist. I have her paintings and her sketches she's given me upstairs, and she's been institutionalized several times before she was 16. Why is all that? all just the wrong concoction? Or is there just something, a symptom of just something aching and missing and they don't know where they're going? And if you follow it through, if you're a smart kid and you look up and say, to hell with this, there is no God, some kids are smart enough to follow those presuppositions to their inevitable end. And if you really believe those things, that there is no God, I'm just an animal, and it is survival of the fittest, and what the hell, live and let live, and just eat, drink, and be merry, you'd be surprised at stuff that comes out. And I can't even blame them, because they're more faithful to their lie than we are to the truth. Ephesians, I'm sorry. It's hard to be without disguise when you're in the dark. Ephesians chapter five, a few verses left. I won't tell you how many, because then you'll call me a liar. Ephesians five. But you know, man, I feel... Like the Bible is opening up like the Lord is like screaming like it's fourth and inches it's fourth and inches get your nose down and now you got to push and Redeem the time because the days are evil because it might not be 50 years or 10 years and you'll just sit out on the pasture somewhere and just it might be a Year or a week or who knows how long I don't know but preach like dying men to dying men never sure to preach again Ephesians chapter 5 verse 8 Man, this gets me excited. For you were sometimes darkness. Remember when you were in the dark? I remember not knowing why I got up every day. I thank God for being saved, but you know what I know I thank Him for? I thank Him that He gave me light, because I was going to everybody for light. I went to Tony Robbins seminars for light. I went to the dean of my school at NYU. I had a fight with the dean of my school, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at NYU. This is a big wig, and I'm sitting there going, I'd rather be a squirrel. because at least a squirrel doesn't have metaphysical torment. I was saying things like that, because I just wanted to know what the truth was, and when nobody could give it to me, I got so angry at the world, I went to monks and Buddhist guys, those guys that hand you the book, right on Washington Square, I'd walk by, they hand you the book, I walked away with it, they made me want to pay for it, you know, these Buddhist monks and stuff. I read that, I went to the old Monsignority, I said, what's the truth? He laughed at me. And then Jesus gave me the truth. And I woke the dungeon, flamed with light. And I'm so thankful that He gave us the truth and made us free with it. And then He says, you were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. That's the only place you're light. Walk as children of light. Go to 2 Corinthians 4. 2 Corinthians 4. Oh yeah, 2 Corinthians 4, we're doing good. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, look at verse 1. You know what walking in the light and walking in the day means? It means you're gonna have to renounce some things of darkness. You're gonna have to disown some things, you're gonna have to step away from things, you're gonna have to step out of the darkness and into the light. That means you gotta disown the darkness, Christians, we want it both ways. But you can't, no man can serve two masters, right? God divided the light from the darkness. Walk as children of light. Disown some things. For one, therefore, seeing we have this ministry as we have received mercy, amen, we faint not. but have renounced the hidden things." That would be like the opposite of honest. The hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. He says, I got saved. Paul's like, I got saved. God gave me a job to do. I'm letting the baggage go and I'm just gonna keep myself in the light and not be a liar, a sneaker, a faker, a fraud. I'm gonna try to commend myself to your conscience by walking honestly. Now let's go to Romans 13. I'll finish with this little thought here. Here's a more, that was like a more of a devotional thought about walking honestly as in the day, but I don't think that's the primary application of it. The primary application of walking as in the day is right in the context of Romans 13. Because in Romans 13, the day spoken of in this context is the return of Jesus Christ and the review of His church. Walk as in that day. In Romans 13 verse 12, the night is far spent, the day is at hand. And when Paul talks about the day to the body of Christ, there's only one day he's talking about, the day of Christ, which involves us getting caught away and being reviewed before the judgment seat of Christ. Walk honestly as in that day. Because brother, that day is the scariest day of our life. It scares me. I'm excited about the rapture, but that comes in like the top of a roller coaster and makes my stomach kind of spin a little bit. Paul called it a terror, and it is a scary thought to think that every thought will be revealed. So we better walk honestly, because that day is coming. Go to 1 Corinthians 3, the next book over, 1 Corinthians 3. You know what's sad? So much of the body of Christ, they don't even know what you're talking about. Judgment seat of Christ. Rewards. What is that? I thought it was just like relevance and love your neighbor and, you know, get saved. Yeah, yeah, do those things. But the judgment seat of Christ, Pastor Mel used to say that. Pastor Mel used to say the judgment seat of Christ is one of the most forgotten, unpreached doctrines in the body of Christ today. Why? Because it rubs me the wrong way. It chaps my hide, and it scares me, and I'd rather pretend like it wasn't there. And in 1 Corinthians 3, verse number 13, he says, every man's work, the context is the body of Christ, every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day, the day, the day shall declare it. because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. Man, when that day comes, my work, your work, will be declared. No hiding in that day. All that unhidden things of dishonesty will all be aired out. You know, I don't know if they do this anymore, but you go through customs, right? And they ask you, do you have anything to declare? Sometimes probably might try to hide something. I got a bar of soap or I stole this little person You know, whatever you got, you know hidden in your in your suitcase, you know a midget a plant You know bottle of sauce or as in our friend Stefano jar, you know bottles of olive oil, you know Whatever it is you take away, but you know what you might sneak it past the customs guy, but you're not sneaking by God That day's gonna show up. Got anything to declare? Oh wait, let my spirit do it for you. And he'll declare everything. He'll tell about the whole journey, Genesis 24. People tend to be honest when they do their taxes. They tend to be honest when they do their, I think the average Joe tends to be honest when he does his taxes. Why? Because they're afraid of being audited, right? Gotta save your receipts, make sure you got all your I's dotted, your T's crossed. But are you as honest and are Christians as honest in their walk? You may never get audited by the IRS, but the eyes of fire audit of Jesus Christ is a guarantee for our future. It's happening. It's not like it might happen. This is absolutely happening. The day shall declare it. It shall be revealed by fire. Those eyes of fire are gonna try every work of what sort it is. Chapter four, verse five. Therefore, Judge nothing before the time until the Lord come, that's the time he's talking about, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have praise of God. If you and I have been hiding something and not living an honest Christian life, nobody's gonna be able to hide anything in that day. You can have a home inspection, Eli knows this, and people try to hide things from the home inspector, right? Some flood stuff, we'll just paint the wall. Some of this stuff, we'll just cover it up. I knew somebody that hid bricks in the walls, you know, when they did work in the house and they hid all the garbage in the walls. And when they went to redo the walls, all the garbage came out of the walls. You can hide things from people, but man, you're not hiding anything from God. Romans 13, 13 said, let us walk honestly as in the day. You get ready for that day by walking as if you're in that day. Walk as if you really believe that Jesus Christ is looking at everything you're doing and paying attention. The Bible says because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Just because God hasn't dropped a smack down, doesn't mean he's not watching and making a list, checking it twice. Whether you've been naughty or nice. But if we walk as in that day, it'll keep us honest. I'll do test prep. I'll teach kids how to take a test, especially kids taking the test to get into my school. You know the best way to get ready for a big exam like the SAT, the GMAT, the GRE, something like that, the LSAT, something like that, you know the best way to get ready for the test is to take the same exam and the same conditions, to kind of practice it, to go through the same process of it, to kind of take it as if it were the real test. The best way to get ready for that day is to live as if you're already in that day, to be ready for that test every moment. Chapter 11, verse 31. I got two verses left, all right? And I won't go over that. Chapter 11, verse 31. Am I making sense? I really appreciate you guys coming. Let me keep going here. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged, right? If we would judge ourselves now, according to that book, the judgment we get later on would be a lot better if we walk in that day. So, are you walking honestly? If you're walking honestly, you'll do well at that judgment seat. If you're not walking honestly now, and you can't at least judge yourself by walking honestly before God, you're gonna not have a fun time there. Somebody said one time, an honest heart seeks to please God in all things and offend Him in none. Is that you? Is that me? If that's my modus operandi, judgment seat of Christ, I might have some gold, silver, precious stones up there waiting for me. If I judge myself, I won't be judged. Last verse, Zechariah 8. I'll say it, it's the last verse. Last verse, we'll turn to Zechariah 8. And you know what? When that day comes, not just the judgment seat of Christ, but when the day of the Lord comes, And that day is His kingdom, right? When that day, when that 1,000 year day of the Lord comes and His kingdom comes to earth, you know what you're gonna be in that day? You're gonna be honest, your neighbor's gonna be honest, everybody on the face of the earth is gonna be honest. Because that's what God says He wants in His millennium. That's what He wants in His eternal day. He wants some honesty and some people speaking the truth. Don't believe me? Zechariah 8 is a description of the millennium. And in Zechariah 8, down there by verse 16, the Lord Almighty says, these are the things that ye shall do in his millennium, in his kingdom, in that day when he comes to rule and to reign. Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor. How about that? Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates, and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor. And love no false oath, for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord." God says, I'm going to make the world honest one day. So man, if that day is coming when you know you're gonna walk honestly, why not walk honestly right now? Why not endeavor with the Lord? Say, Lord, keep me from false oaths, help me to speak the truth, I wanna walk honestly. George Washington, we can still quote him, right? George Washington, who was a great man, George Washington said, I hope, he sounds like a really humble man too, if you've read his writings, I hope I shall possess, Tim, firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man. He said, I just hope one day somebody will look at me and say, Georgie, you're an honest man. That's the one that said, I cannot tell a lie, cut down the tree, right? I just hope I'm known as an honest man. And wouldn't that be your testimony? Don't you want to be known as, there's an honest man, there's an honest woman, there's an honest person, there's an honest worker, there's an honest Christian. You want to be an honest man, are you an honest Christian? Are you walking honestly? I'll speak to the members at home. It's the first adverb that Paul uses to describe how the church ought to walk. It's paramount. It's primary. Think about it from child-rearing. Most of you are parents. If your child is not honest with you, It's hard to have a meaningful relationship with him, isn't it? When that honesty is broken and that trust is broken, that shatters everything else. When you've got to look over your shoulder and watch over your shoulder when they're in your house or doing things around you, that changes the dynamic. You know, sometimes your kids will sneak, and that's how I put it on them. I heard somebody, I took an apple one time, I ripped their illustration, I took an apple, and one side was all banged and rotted, and I said, look at the front, oh, it looks so good, and then I turned the other side, and it was rotted and gross. I said, that's what it's like when you're not honest with me. It looks like something we could enjoy, but it's really kind of rotten. And when your child's not honest with you, it's hard to have a good relationship. So if you're not honest with God, your Heavenly Father, you're not truthful, I'm not genuine, I'm not sincere, it's really hard to build that relationship with Him. Because I'm not really being straight with Him. And if you're not walking honestly, you're not walking normally as a Christian. Because the normal Christian life should start with walking honestly before God and before men. And if your walk develops an abnormality, like we said at the beginning, guess what? You'll face long-term problems the rest of your Christian life. So first and foremost, how you ought to walk honestly. Lord willing, next week we'll look at charitably and uprightly. And some of those other words, I'm missing one that I can't remember. It's driving me crazy, but we'll get to them. So thank you for being here, folks. I'll have a word of prayer. And I think Brian brought some stuff and you can hang out as long as you want. You can feed the fish if you want. I'll take a donation later and we'll be on. Let's have a word of prayer. Father, thank you for your mercy. Thank you for your goodness. Thank you for your kindness. Thank you for your love, Lord. Thank you for your provoking Holy Spirit. Thank you for the power of your word. It's so plain and so clear, Lord. You don't pull any punches with us. I pray, starting with me, Lord, I'd walk more honestly. That's how we ought to walk. That you might get the glory, you might be pleased, and somebody else might see Jesus Christ. We pray these things now in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. So don't forget, tomorrow night, you can shut us down, Danielle. Tomorrow night, men's meeting, and all that other good stuff.