Welcome everyone today to the sermon that we have online for those who can't make it to the physical church location. Obviously being located in New York, virtually every state, there's a problem with gathering right now with the restrictions that have been, of course, placed upon us. But we want to, of course, stay up with our worship. Our New York location is open earlier in the day. And that's always an option. But if it's not, we'll continue to have our call-in, which we do all the time. And we'll also have our sermon every week. The most that'll happen, it might change from one o'clock to 12 o'clock some weeks, depending if my preaching is has a conflict with fellowship. But other than that, we'll be continuing our service and want to welcome everyone. Thank you for worshiping with us today. And we want to encourage everyone. And that's why we're working through First Peter chapter two. This is not the apocalypse. Please, as I told my congregation, do not buy any of the prophecy books that are declaring that this is absolutely, definitely, positively the end. Once again, that's not what we're going to be experiencing right now. If the Lord Jesus comes back, amen, praise God, we don't shy away from it. But it's not something that we should be focused on. We should be focused on uh, taking care of the job that we have in hand. And the main thing we need to do is stay focused on the Lord, stay focused on being faithful Christians and continue to be the grownups in the room. We have a very immature society. I've been talking about this. We have a very immature church. And that's just the situation that we're in. So there's nothing we can do about that. But with God's help, we can. And we need to be faithful. And we need to continue to preach to the people, teach the people. It's not just me, it's also you. That's why you do your training with the Bible, with the word. So let's pray and we will begin our sermon. Almighty God, we ask you, Lord, to please be with us today. We ask, Lord, that the real Holy Spirit would help us and protect us and settle us down, settle our minds, our hearts. Give us, Lord, a heart that can accept your word and, of course, ears that can hear it. We pray, Lord, for your church, your visible church. We know, Lord, that there are times in church history where there is a large falling away. But we also know that Jesus Christ is still King and that he will always support his church and he will always support the remnant of those that not only say they believe but obey him. So we pray, dear God, that your Holy Spirit would be poured out upon the land and that it would have people obey your word. we know Lord from what you tell us in scripture that the fancy signs and wonders and miracles and people that focus on that you told them when it was time to be judged verily you know I say I never knew you even though they called you Lord and then those who didn't have the ability to perform the signs and wonders but did the simple things like loving their neighbor loving you feeding the hungry, giving someone who was thirsty a drink, helping clothe someone who had no clothes, taking care of the sick, the messy, simple things that people don't see, and they're not flashy signs, but obeying your word, those are the believers that you are pleased with. So, Lord, we're going to pray every week for a spirit of obedience We know, Lord, that our land is saturated with Bibles and books about the Bible and commentaries on commentaries about the Bible. But what we're missing, Lord, we know is obedience. And every time you've judged your people, it was because of disobedience, gross disobedience. So we pray, Lord, that our sermon today would please you, that it would strengthen the flock, I pray, Lord, that you help me to just glorify you and your son and your spirit today. And we always thank you, Lord, for the privilege to worship you in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen. So as we begin our sermon today, you should have the outline. We've posted it through Messenger, through Facebook. I would like you to follow along. And I'm going to be continuing our sermon series, Grownups in the Room. And once again, we have Peter exhorting believers to not just be believers in name only, but to behave accordingly. The world is watching us. And that's why the title of today's sermon in our series is called, Behave with Royal dignity, behave with royal dignity, carry yourself like a Christian to the best of your ability. And when you feel you can't do that, that's what prayer is for. There is a real Holy Ghost, a real Holy Spirit, and he's not just about signs and wonders. It's about giving you the power through your heart, through a changed heart, to be able to follow him and glorify God. And that's what we want to do. Because one thing that unbelievers understand is hypocrisy. That they understand. And they might not have read the Bible much, but we've discussed it before. They'll speak about how, well, you claim to be a Christian. Why are you behaving that way? So we all fall short at times with this, but we should be focused on it. There's no excuse. Your prayer life should be focused on you, speaking to the Lord and asking Him to give you the strength to obey Him. In this country, we've heard, we hear a million times a week, we're taught about grace, which is very important. Grace meaning freely God saves you because of the work of Jesus on the cross. But we're not taught about how to honor him, how we need to honor the son and focus on pleasing him. So we have plenty of teachings on grace. We need a spirit of obedience back. That's what we need. So as we continue in 1 Peter, we're only handling two verses today. And that's because I want everyone to be able to digest what I'm saying. I don't want to preach to myself. I want you to learn the word and then aggressively go out there with your family, with your friends. And when the opportunity arises, be able to speak about these things. I want you to have, like God wants us to have, a living faith, a faith that is working. Like James says, faith without works is dead. So we want a living faith. And Peter continues in his letter and again warns us, he tells us in verses 11 and 12, 1 Peter chapter 2, Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Now we have to remember who Peter is speaking to. One of the great lies that especially modern preaching portrays is somehow Jesus came and was completely rejected by all Jews. That is not true. The whole nucleus of the first century church, they were Jewish people. Many of the Pharisees also believed. Many Jews understood he was the promised Messiah. especially after the resurrection and up to 500 people at one time saw him walking through the streets. So they believed and they saw that the prophecy Jesus gave that because they didn't come to him when they had the chance that just like in Old Testament times Jesus was not anti-semitic, he was king of the Jews. He said that Jerusalem would be judged again. This happened before there was anything called Christianity. Jews, the Hebrew people, were judged at times because of disobedience with God, to God, towards God. So Jesus made a prediction that one stone upon the temple would not be standing, that the buildings would be torn down. And he died in 33 AD. By 69, 70 AD, within a generation, like he said, Vespasian sent his son Titus to get the job done. And the rebellion, the Jews that followed false messiahs, these antichrists, that said they had the power to deliver them from the Romans, were destroyed. And the temple was never built again. And he also talked about the shaking of nations, Rome, also tasted the wrath of God because within 15 years later, 10 years later actually, Pompeii, the pleasure center, which is now near modern-day Naples, around the Bay of Naples in Italy, was destroyed. So those people are forever preserved in stone because of the volcanic eruption, some of them in very compromising, perverted positions, some with children, animals. So all the perversion that we see is preserved in Pompeii. That was the pleasure center for the Roman politicians. They had relations with children. They had all types of perversion going on in Pompeii. and God destroyed them in a day also. So Jesus Christ is King. You might not think he's in control until that volcano erupts, that accident happens worldwide, or he allows the elite to do something like they're doing now, have us locked in our house. Having us scared to death, putting on face masks for something that doesn't even have a comparable death rate as the regular flu. It's not a conspiracy, this COVID-19, it is a real virus. It can kill people, it can hurt people. But boy, I wish they reacted like this for the regular flu. How many of us have been so sick, or our children, or have had family members die because people were so careless? when they had the flu and just spread it everywhere. So obviously this is an overreaction. But God is in control. He's on the throne. And Peter here in verse 11 tells them that he wants them to live like strangers in the world. Don't jump on every perverted trend. that the world throws at you. If divorce becomes normal like it's become, Christians shouldn't behave that way. If men are taught to hate their wives or to treat women like trash, Christian men shouldn't do that. And vice versa with Christian women. If the modern media is telling you to behave like a whore and hate your husband and abort all your potential children, don't follow along with the wisdom of this world. Follow the Bible. and you'll have a life filled with life, and your inheritance will come later on through your children and your grandchildren. We all make mistakes. We all fall short. Myself included. I'm not preaching at you. These words are for me also. But we can always come back to Christ and remember our first love. So we are strangers in pilgrims. Once we're taken into God's kingdom, We no longer belong to the world. So there are some good things that might line up with the Bible that the world doesn't. Of course, we support that as far as feeding people or helping the homeless or rescuing children that are lost. There are things we support. But there's so much that we cannot support, and we must not get involved in. We need to remember that. So we are strangers in pilgrims. You've been brought into a new kingdom. You are no longer in the kingdom of darkness. You might have come to Christ at 80 years old. That's fine. Congratulations and welcome to the new kingdom. And God bless you. You have a king that cares about you now, that doesn't want to use and exploit you. So Peter's message to the Jews was to come out of the culture, the evil things in the culture. And then he goes on in verse 12, of course, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Now, if you look at your outline, which we've posted, Point number one in the sermon, believers in the living God must reject the morals and customs of the world. We must look at the world system like a foreign culture we do not wish to adopt. So as we were speaking about things that are evil that the world pushes you to, or your children, or your grandchildren, be proactive. Show them in the word. Show them through the law. that these are things that are not profitable. We cannot partake in every trend. Isn't it sick how every trend in the world, whether it's trashy music or a horrible way of dressing, anything that's sensual, sexual, over-the-top that we see in Hollywood or in modern music, all of a sudden it makes it into worship. And a lot of people have criticized the regular principle of worship, trying to protect the worship service, but I don't know if there's such strong critics now. I mean, look at what the church claims is worship that pleases God. Many churches look like a nightclub, even the lighting and the way they have their worship service. So we're not to adopt that. Let's turn to 1st John chapter 2. Let's compare scripture with scripture. That's the only way we know that we're saying something accurate. So let's turn to 1st John chapter 2. We're going to read verses 15 through 17. And John warns us about this very famous chapter in the Bible. And for good reason. John tells us, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Now remember, this John, who's speaking to us like a loving father, Someone who seems to be level-headed John changed in time. This is the same John that Jesus called He called him in his his cohort of the sons of thunder Boadgett ease and that's because John actually said hey Lord people were actually making fun of the Lord and blaspheming and he said why don't we call down fire from heaven upon them and So John completely changed in his attitude once the Holy Spirit touched him. And now he warns us like a loving father. Now the world means the world system. It doesn't mean you can't enjoy nature. It doesn't mean you can't enjoy a good meal. And it doesn't mean you have to hide in a mountain somewhere. You are allowed to enjoy the good gifts of the world that God has given. He's talking about the world system, the things that he always needs to smash from time to time. And look at America. Our greatest export now is defending sodomite marriage in the Middle East, in Africa, trying to blackmail these people who have better sense than we do into allowing open homosexuality sodomy. We export Disney uh... pornography these are our main exports now we import a lot but we really don't export what we should uh... we're known for exporting weapons uh... so this is not the type of thing that God wants us getting involved with with the world system and he tells us the things that affect the man the uh... all the things that uh... the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. These three destroy us. We know we all have fleshly lusts, things that are in us. Even Christians, they are a remnant of our sinful nature. We don't pursue that. When you lust for something, take a break. and think about what that is and what that means. As Christians, we are the grown-ups in the room. We don't just follow our passions and because it feels good in our belly and in some other areas, we think that it's vindicated to not do that. And also, not just the lust of the flesh, but the lust of the eyes. Our whole modern media system is built on two principles, two phrases, I want, I need. Every commercial, whether it's food, a car, whatever it is, alcohol, it's all linked to these two messages, I want, I need. And they will even link these images with other lustful images. So you're looking to drink a certain soft drink, and they'll show women in bikinis. What do women in bikinis have to do with the refreshing drink? They want to link the lust of women in bikinis, that lustful feeling for men with their drink and vice versa for the women. Why do you need a handsome actor to advertise a household product? Because they are linking the lust of the eyes with their product. Most people, when they are impulsive buyers, They see something on the internet, they see something on television, and they know that other people are going to have it. And even though they can't afford it, they'll run out and buy it anyway. And this goes for the rich also. There are plenty of rich people that they are blowing their nest egg because they can't stop buying things. So you don't have to work on impulse or the lust of the eyes. And same thing with the pride of life. People get caught up in the pride of life, even Christians. Don't be that pastor that's in love with yourself. You're just so wonderful. Same thing with an elder or a member of the church. Don't think that, you know, as they used to say, you're all that and a bag of chips, right? You're not. And don't think that because you have a good job or a good salary that you no longer have to be moral. that you no longer have to depend on the Lord, you do. And I think we're all being taught that right now as we're locked in our homes and everything is being taken away from us. So the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life, they're not from God. God wants us to be grown up, focused, mature. He doesn't want us being led by every trend in the culture or even in the church that's not godly. So let's remember that. And that's why we brought that out today in the sermon, in the outline. So the world system, it's a foreign culture. It's like you moving to another country, and it's a wicked country, and you want to keep your customs and your culture. Christians need to do that. And the world will challenge us on that. And don't be surprised when they do. That's what they're supposed to do. The devil is the tempter, and so are his people. So point number two in our sermon, Christians are to assimilate their beliefs and behaviors in accordance with God's kingdom. When unbelievers observe our behavior, especially with one another, their evil accusations will carry no weight. Christians today are hated just like Jews were in Peter's time. They were strange people. They were weird people, right? They taught that you should only have one wife. They taught that you should eat a certain way and behave a certain way. They were hypocrites. The law that they were given was not bad. They were hypocrites in that they didn't keep the law. So they taught the good game and then they behaved very much like Gentiles. But the law that they had was strange. A man is supposed to marry one wife, stay with the wife of his youth? Polygamy! was so far spread in the ancient world. Rome was actually an exception. They observed God's law, that natural law, where it's one man and one woman and God was able to use them in many ways, their empire. Same thing with pedophilia. Having sexual relations with children, that's as old as time itself. That's a perversion that has always been with us. Christianity stamped that out. So even though we have wicked church leaders that are pedophiles themselves, They cannot justify that from the Bible. Same thing with slavery. People brag about Western culture. I love Western culture. There are a lot of good things in Western culture, European culture, that there are to brag about. And then there are some things that are extremely embarrassing. And that's why we worship God and study our Bible, and we don't worship our culture. As I mentioned before, you've always had slaves in the West. And we're also the only culture, because of Christianity, that has corrected it. We're the only group that banned slavery. You still have it in China, in the Middle East, in Africa. It's alive and well. But in most European countries, virtually all, it's been banned. If it does take place, It's undercover. But slavery is something that's not accepted anymore. But that is something that held back Europe for a long time. The reason why we didn't have an industrial revolution and all these inventions sooner is because it was cheap and convenient. There were so many slaves available. Even poor families might have two or three slaves. So people like to brag about the wisdom of the Greeks What they don't tell you, at one time in the city of Athens, if there was 100,000 people, 60,000 to 70,000 people were slaves. Same thing, same situation in Rome. the slaves. And there was even a series out, horrible, completely inaccurate, historically filthy, but there was a Vikings series, a TV series, and people watching it and getting excited, oh the Viking culture, and they completely ignored all the slavery that even the series showed. How Vikings would raid a place, And it was a free-for-all when it came to the people that they captured. So we don't want to copy the culture. And again, we want to assimilate with God's kingdom. Last week's sermon talking about how cultural assimilation is good. That's what I meant. It's good when you change your life and your culture and your practices to fit the Bible. Now, how do we do that? Well, it's not complicated. The first thing you should do, get a copy of the Ten Commandments and post it in your home. Speak about the Ten Commandments. Make sure your children know about it. Talk about the Ten Commandments. Talk about the concept of natural law and the law of man written. on our hearts. These laws, these Ten Commandments, and I've been getting questions from people talking about do these commandments still stand today? Read your Bible. Most of the Ten Commandments came from Genesis. They're there in the beginning. Men were always supposed to acknowledge God, not make idols, not worship other gods. Before anyone was ever called a Hebrew, a Jew, a Christian, these laws are for all mankind. You're going to go to hell without repenting and having Jesus Christ cover your sins and bring you to the Father because you broke these commands. Even if you don't claim to not believe in God, He's still going to hold you responsible. When you walk into the court of law, you'll hear a famous expression in law. It's called ignorance of the law is no defense. So you can't come here and kidnap a woman and keep her in your closet or chained in your home and have her cook and clean for you for 10 years and say, I didn't see that law written anywhere in America. I didn't know they're going to throw you in jail anyway. And you can't say, well, I was never taught that. We should only have one God and we should respect his name and we shouldn't steal. God held me accountable for these things, you're going to be cast into hell anyway. Because in your heart you know it's wrong. You have a conscience. And everyone that thinks the law of God isn't written on our hearts, the next time you go for a doctor's visit, or a dental visit, or you're in a public area, when someone gets up from their chair, steal their seat. And see how they react. Everyone knows there are laws there are things that we shouldn't do that are not polite that are unlawful So let's stop playing this game and just live godly lives now. I'd like you to turn with me to exodus 20 And we'll read through the 10 commandments and how beautiful they are, why they are so important. We are in Exodus chapter 20. We're going to read verses 1 through 17. This is what made the Hebrews known. It wasn't the Hebrews themselves. Just like this is what makes Christians known and respected when we are serious. It's the wisdom that God's given us in the Word. So God, in starting a new nation with the Hebrews, told them, this is the way you ought to behave. So Moses. In getting the law for the people, God speaks to them. He speaks to the people directly and he tells them. And God spoke all these words saying, I am the Lord thy God, which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. That's commandment one. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is a heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them, for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. That's commandment number two, no idols. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. A lot of sickness in your family. Things aren't going very well. Watch how you treat in God's name. If you hate God, you will not have a hedge of protection. So if you're one of these family groups that are constantly sick, cancer, different maladies, now sometimes in God's providence, of course, that happens. But we have a culture with all of our technology that is extremely sick and damaged. And just watch the TV newscast on who's rioting and protesting. Many of them are extremely mentally ill. They blaspheme God, they curse His name. God will not hold you guiltless. So we don't take the name of the Lord God in vain. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger. that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord God made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is. And rest of the seventh day whereof the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." Crazy ministers and Christians that are deeply deceived or don't understand the word still think this is some type of ceremonial law to keep the Sabbath. This commandment is in Genesis. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. This has nothing to do with Judaism or Christianity. This was for all men to observe. Remember what Jesus said. The Sabbath wasn't, man wasn't made for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man. It was a gift to man to rest. and to spend the day focusing on God and worship and resting from your labors. That's why in this commandment everyone is told to rest, even the servants, even the strangers in the land. should have a one day and seven rest. Now we don't have that anymore in our modern culture. And you wonder why you are on pills for depression, schizophrenia, burnout, your body's breaking down. Our minds are never at rest. 24 seven, seven days a week focused on getting stuff and burning out. The family never takes a break. Sunday is just like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and you wonder why your family's falling apart. And this applies to Christians also. You should not be at the mall on Sunday. You should not be at a sporting event on Sunday. Honor God and he'll honor you. And that's also one of the reasons why God is allowing our elite friends to do what he's doing to us. He has killed sports ball all in one shot. Now you can't watch anything, right? So, one day in seven rest. Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. If you have parents, even if they are not Christian and they're giving you advice that lines up with the Bible, you honor your parents, you honor them as much as you can. Now, if they tell you to do something that's against the word of God, like sell drugs or sell your body to feed your family, don't do it. then of course you disobey your parents. But parents that are telling you things that are godly or through the law of God written on their hearts, even if they're not Christians, they're correcting you and guiding you in life, your mind, your manners, you respect your parents. No matter what age they are, you give them a break. Even if you have an argument, something happens. Honor them. It's good for you. Those who hate their father and mother, we see this in the jail system. 95% of all men in the jail system have had serious problems with their mother or father and over 90% did not have a father in the home. They never learned how to be men, how to control their emotions, how to lead a family. So this is very important. Doubt shall not kill. And in context, if you were to read the Hebrew, you would see this means murder. This doesn't mean that in defending your home, if you have a weapon and some type of dirtbag is, that's a theological term, dirtbag is coming into your home to hurt your wife or your family and you shoot that person or kill that person in defense. That's not what this means. This means that we don't murder people. We don't take a life lightly. Thou shalt not commit adultery. That would fix so many of our nation's problems. Most of our problems are from dishonoring God. And then of course, once we throw God to the side, hey, old bets are off. Hugh Hefner, the man who developed Playboy, should have been given the death penalty. He was basically a pimp. And you have to understand about pornography, How inconsistent we are. If I opened a brothel tomorrow and lined up girls to partake in that type of business, I would be arrested. But if we show people doing that on film, that's not prostitution. That's not perversion. This new generation, these children that we like to pick on, ages 18 and under, they are being destroyed because of pornography. It is everywhere. Any type of perversion they have on tap with their phones, on their computers, they are not like many of their parents and grandparents that have no problem with perversion and are perverted themselves. This younger generation that we pick on, they are so saturated with this filth, I guarantee they'll be more conservative when it comes to pornography and these other things than unfortunately many of us who are older that were programmed to accept this stuff, even those of us that call ourselves Christians. So adultery has to do with everything. Whether you're a man or a woman, whether it's whatever, they have these categories, hard porn, soft porn, this porn, it's all pornography. You shouldn't be watching it and you are committing adultery and you are disgracing God. So if you have that problem, we all have sins that we struggle with. Go to the cross, ask God to help you and he will. Doubt shall not steal. This goes for the government also. You should not go into people's checks when they've worked hard all week. and take their money and then spend it on things that you want. Most people in this country are against abortion. Why are we funding Planned Parenthood? And this is why I am not a Republican. I am not a Democrat. I vote on issues. They all lie. We had Republican majorities at times. There were times we controlled the Office of President and the Congress, the Senate, We had the trifecta. We had a majority of Supreme Court justices. They always vote liberal. They always vote for perversion. It's all a lie to get your votes. Why do we still have abortion on the books? All these supposed conservative Supreme Court justices that President Trump appointed are all voting, making liberal decisions. The one consistent man we have, and he should be the most honored black American in America, not Jay-Z or Kanye West or some other lowlife, but Clarence Thomas, for his decisions, he has been the most consistent vote. He lost his partner, Judge Antonin Scalia, but Clarence Thomas has consistently voted conservative, no matter what you say to the man. He's unwavering. He votes against sodomite marriage. He votes against abortion. What happened to Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, who we were all supposed to jump for joy. We were going to have a conservative Supreme Court. It's a lie. We are the people. We the people need to end our perversion and then the perversion will end in our government. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. You go to the supermarket, you try and buy some food for the family. There are gossip magazines everywhere. Our whole world is built on lies. This whole problem we're having with the media not telling us the truth. This is a command from God. Now you know why ancient cultures admired the Hebrew scriptures God's Word these were Groundbreaking we're reading commands that were written down 3,500 years ago at least and they still apply today Do not lie about your neighbor and even as a Christian don't lie to win arguments If you don't know something say you don't know don't make up stories. Don't give unbelievers fuel You know to burn us with So don't bear false witness. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's. Now, in modern terms, I am not wealthy myself. I have many wealthy friends, even some wealthy family members. That's their money. When I go to their house, I want to visit them. I am not lusting after their car, or their home, or jewelry, or whatever. I don't care. And you need to insulate yourself from that. That's why many of us are in debt. Covetousness, wanting something badly, burning for a car you can't afford, or for clothing you cannot afford, to prove something to who? For what? Most people will care about you, they will respect you when you have integrity. When they know that you're reaching out to them, you have a friendship with them, and it really is because you want to have a godly relationship with them. You actually care. They are billionaires, millionaires, middle class, it doesn't matter. Do not lust for things. Our whole culture is built on covetousness. Wall Street is built on covetousness. The whole banking system we're constantly buying things on credit things we have no right buying because we see someone else with it and we want it and this also includes cursing our neighbor if they happen to be a little more successful than we are following the joneses keeping up with the joneses as they used to call it Don't do it. So these commands still apply today. So follow these basic commands and you will be a mature and faithful Christian. It's not complicated. You don't need to pray in a fancy way. That doesn't impress God. You don't need to do a special penance. I'm going to do this or I'm going to do this special tithe. They have these tithing drives and God doesn't care about that. He wants obedience. You want to please your Father in Heaven? You want to impress Him? Have a relationship with the Holy Ghost? Let the Holy Spirit empower you and obey Him. Don't give extra money on Sunday and then your family sees you lusting over things all during the week. That doesn't show anything. That doesn't prove anything to anyone. And that's not the way we're supposed to behave. So let's remember that. And now our last point. in the sermon, we want to remember Christians today, just like the Jews of Peter's time, are naturally hated by the world at large. And we'll turn to John chapter 15, verses 18 through 27. Jesus spoke about this. You're having a tough time as a Christian right now. You're feeling oppressed. Great. That's what our Lord felt. Our Lord was not treated well when he was here. So let me just get this scripture up here for myself so I can read along with you. So this is John. We're looking at chapter 15. We'll be reading verses 18 through 27, and this is the warning that Jesus gave us. He said, the student is not greater than the master. So what are we told? This is the hatred of the world. Some of you might even have that caption in your Bible. Jesus warns us, if the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not Him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, They had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, then they had not sinned. But now they have both seen and hated both me and my father. But this cometh to pass, that the world might be fulfilled, that the word might be fulfilled, that it is written in their law, they hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, that's the Holy Ghost, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which proceeded from the Father, he shall testify of me, and ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning. The world will hate you when you are not pro-pedophilia, when you are not pro-adultery, when you are not pro-stealing. Take the Ten Commandments, reverse them, live that way, hate God, believe in other gods, blaspheme God's name, cheat on your wife or cheat on your husband, don't honor your father and mother, beat them up nowadays like other people do, and the world will respect you. That's who makes it into the magazines, that's who makes it in the entertainment industry, that's who makes it in the financial sector, thugs, thieves, and perverts. Now, not all, not all. There are always exceptions. But those who are not persecuted, the world wants you to behave like them. Look at the protests we're having. Look at these riots. If you don't join in with them, they beat you up. If you get caught in your car in the middle of one of these protests and you don't say the slogan that they want you to say, you might get shot or beat. So don't follow the trends of the world. They will hate you for being righteous. People will find you weird. There are people, I like them, very personable. I can't go out with them when they invite me out. I'm not going to disgrace myself. I don't like bimbos. I don't like people that are completely drunk. I'm not going to a bar with someone. I'll go have dinner, right? We all like to eat. It has to be a certain type of environment. I'm not going to a place that looks like a Hollywood after party. I'm not going to do it. And I protect myself that way. Why open myself up to that hatred? I'm not going to behave the way they want me to. And this even goes for family. As long as you're doing the right thing and you're hated, fine. People are watching. Be a strong witness. And Jesus said, these people have no excuse. I performed miracles in front of them that no one else could do. I did signs and wonders. Jesus didn't just expect us to believe in him without any signs to prove he was the Mashiach, the Christ. Of course he did things. that we could see. They have no excuse. They are evil because they love their sin. And it's not us versus them. It's God versus them. We were just like them. I'm not saying this in the spirit of arrogance, but when we read these scriptures, let us not be arrogant. He who has no sin, let him cast the first stone. So we've all gone through this. But we're warning these people in love, you're going to destroy yourself, your family, and eventually burn in hell. So let us not be hypocrites, let us not be overly righteous, but let's continue to understand that we need to be brave. We will be persecuted for doing the right thing. We will. This has always happened. Now, there's an interesting thing. I always tell you that the real Holy Ghost, the real Holy Spirit, You don't need to pray to spirit guides or angels or any of that. We have the greatest power in creation. Uncreated but it's the greatest power. That's God's power is Holy Spirit There is no demon you can pray to that has the power of the Holy Ghost and you know that you have the Holy Spirit in you when you do lust for things and you want to go against God's law and the Holy Spirit hits you right in your chest in your heart and he stops you in your tracks and you just can't do it and And He guides you and He gives you strength. This is the parakletos in the Greek, the comforter. When you see Spirit, at least in your King James Version, when you see Spirit with a capital S, that always means the Holy Spirit. Those who translated the Bible, the way they translated it, when you see a little s, There's always the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit will give you power to accept persecution. The Holy Spirit will keep you in your home at night instead of going out and partying. The Holy Spirit will give you the power to say no to dirty money even though you really need that money. That's the real Holy Ghost. Not the shambala, the bambala and all the tongues and the signs and wonders and The apostles did those things. We don't have the power to do those things. Miracles still happen, but they're from the Lord's hand. You can't command a miracle to happen. There are no longer any apostles like there were in the first century. So remember that. Stay focused on these things. Be the grown-up in the room. Learn your theology. If you're naturally hated, some of you might be new Christians. Maybe you really got serious about Christianity through some of these sermons. And your family's looking at you like you're weird. Fine. Be patient with them. Because you were just like them. I was just like them. A God-hater. A rebel. Give people a chance to change. Accept the persecution. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, we thank you that, again, we have these words of wisdom. We pray, Lord, that those who are able to hear the word of God would be blessed by it. We only pray, Lord, that we glorify the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost in our preaching, that we preach the cross, as we should every time, that those who do not have the Lord Jesus Christ in their lives as their King or those who have neglected their relationship with Christ can come back to the cross, repent, and be in a right relationship with God. We thank you, Lord, that you are merciful. We also want to thank you for the way you've blessed us and taken care of us this week. We pray, Lord, for peace in our minds, in our hearts, in our homes, in our extended family. We pray, Lord, that you would give us an opportunity to give witness during this horrible situation that our country is suffering under. And we always thank you, Lord, in the name of our King, Jesus Christ. Amen. Thank you so much for being with us today as the family of God for the sermon. And we ask that you would tune in next week again at one o'clock. If you don't have access to Facebook, we do a phone call in. Sometimes the audio is good, sometimes it's not so good. We apologize, but via phone, Facebook, tune in. And we also physically worship at Fellowship Baptist Church now on Sundays. God bless you all. Stay strong and be brave in the Lord. Thank you.