We're going to read several verses here in the book of Romans to exegete all of them. I'm sure would be impossible to do because every time you read a passage of scripture, it seems like that, uh, and you find out new information about what the Lord's desires are for your life. and we have read from this text for years, and we've preached some of these thoughts in years gone by, but I feel like the Lord has just governed my thoughts this morning to slow down just a little bit and look at some things that I feel like, amen, are very relevant and very important for each one of us, our families, our young families, and our young people as well, amen. So we'll begin reading this morning in verse number one, If you've obeyed the Lord, Romans chapter number eight, and trust the Lord will help us this morning, amen. There's therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do and that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law. And that is a very interesting phrase we have. We've talked about it, we've expounded upon that phrase, and that is a very important thing to consider in your own life. What is the righteousness of the law? What does that mean? How is it relevant in your life? We know the law is righteous within itself, but in your life, what is the righteousness of the law? That is a very unique phrase. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death. But to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God. Neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God for you're not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, We are debtors, not to the flesh to live after the flesh. For if you live after the flesh, you shall die. But if you, through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live for as many as are led by the spirit of God. They are the sons of God. So we're gonna leave off our reading in verse number 14. Again, we will probably move toward these verses tonight in way of giving you some thoughts drawn from these verses and probably we'll only look at the introduction to the message this morning. And so that's kind of odd for me to try to do that and try to find a place to stop. that would actually conclude a collective thought, but we'll try our best to do that this morning and try to find the Lord's will and the Lord's mind throughout the day. I want to address this morning as well as tonight with the Lord's help, the biggest threat that the church faces in this generation. The biggest thing that is an obstacle for the church in accomplishing the will of God, in fact, it has been the biggest detriment and the root of every problem that the church has faced for its entire earthly existence. And so I think it's very important that we all pay attention, wouldn't you? If there's no question about the reality of this threat or this problem or this issue being the very root of everything that we deal with and every problem that we face in the spiritual realm as a church, and I think that it would do everyone, both young and old, and it would do all of us good to consider and think through what we're gonna try to look at with the Lord's help. Now we could talk about the devil this morning. We know that the devil is the prince and the power of the air. He is a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour. And we know that everything that the devil does, he does to try to hinder the people of God and obstruct the church from fulfilling the great commission. But that's not the biggest threat that we face in the world that we live in. We can talk about deception and how that is widespread in religion and how there's false doctrines prevailing all across our nation and all across the world. That's the biggest problem that missionaries face when they get to the foreign field and try to deal with the subject of the gospel and reach the lost that they're surrounded by. And that is deception, religious deception. and spiritual with a small S deception in our society, men bowing down to false gods and demonic worship, not only around the world, but right here in the homeland of America. We know that deception is no doubt a threat and no doubt an enemy to the progress of the church of the Lord Jesus. But the devil nor deception is the root cause of the problem that the church, and I'm talking about the church this morning, amen, that we face. I could talk about delusion and we know that that is relevant in our day. We know that there will be strong delusion that will exist in the last days that will cause men to believe a lie and be damned. They will be convinced that they're okay in their mind. They will think, that they know the Lord and that they are saved and that there is a place in heaven reserved for them. But they have refused the love of the truth, is what the Bible said. In other words, they have rejected the gospel of the Lord Jesus. What have they rejected about the gospel? They have rejected a gospel that deals with sin. And that's just as simple as you can make it, amen. That's why sodomites can think they're going to heaven. Amen, sodomites and drunkards and wicked people can go to church on a Sunday ever so often and even some of them stand in the pulpit and claim the call of God to preach and open up a Bible that condemns everything they're doing and everything that they are about and still, amen, go home and never think one moment Amen, that they're lost and on their way to hell without God. That is delusion beyond my imagination. I can't fathom that in my mind, but it exists in our generation today. But that is not the threat that is keeping the church from moving forward and fulfilling the commission that the Lord Jesus has given us to fulfill. I could talk about degradation in our society. But we know that sin has always abounded and waxed worse and worse. In every civilization, we know that sensual and perverted sins have prevailed. And you don't have to read much about history past to discover that. You can read about the Babylonian empire, that Daniel chapter number five, when Belshazzar had made a feast to a thousands of his lords, that was not just a party. It was very sensual, perverted and wicked. And you can look at the Grecian empire and without question, the Roman empire. And when you look at those empires and what it seemed like dominated their lifestyle, ungodly and very wicked. Amen. Pornographic things and sodomy and all kinds of sensual sins was going on in that period of time. You know, and we are looking at it today. We deal with it today in our society with all that is going on. It seems like We are intoxicated, as the book of Romans says, on the subject of fornication. It seems like our world and our society is governed by that, amen, mindset of perverted wickedness, but that's not. the threat that keeps the church. It's not the LGBTQIA world or community or mindset that is, even though they hate the church, and even though they are attacking the church, and even though they're trying to destroy the children's minds and the future of the church, that is not the main threat of the church that we face. But the main threat that the church of the Lord Jesus deals with is simply found in these verses and many other verses as well that I need you to keep your Bible open and attend to this morning. And that is the failure of so-called Christians, and without doubt, I'm sure Christians alike, in dealing with the flesh. Everybody in this building this morning represents a dire threat to the purpose and the commission of the Pleasant View Baptist Church, from the pulpit to the sound booth. and everybody in between. And we need to take that very personal this morning. For every individual in this building poses a dire threat to everything that is compared or that is a part of the will of God for the church of the Lord Jesus. the church in a universal setting, but this local church, amen, the church that we are sitting in this morning and trying to understand, amen, what our purpose and our goals are spiritually. So everything the church has been commissioned to fulfill is affected by the condition that your flesh is in this morning, whether or not you will accept the Word of God, whether or not you will be able to receive the truth that's being preached or that was taught in the Sunday school department this morning is regulated by the condition that you've allowed your flesh to get in. whether or not you can honestly stand up in this building before this congregation and before God and say, I have worshiped God this morning. I have come to the house of God and I can leave with a clear conscience. I can leave, amen, with a pure heart and with an honest mind saying, I came to church this morning to worship God and I am confident in my soul that my soul is right in the sight of God and I have worshiped the Lord at the Pleasant View Baptist Church assembly this August morning. Amen. And if you haven't, if you couldn't do that before God, this congregation this morning, it's because of the condition your flesh is in. No one else's fault. No one else's fault if the Word of God's not having a holy and pure effect on your heart, your life, your mind this morning. That's the condition that you've allowed your flesh to get in personally. Amen, the witness of the church is affected, amen, by your flesh. Now, we try to do things collectively as a body with the various ministries that we are involved in for the purpose of propagating the gospel and telling the world, amen, around us, our community, our Jerusalem, if you will, according to Acts 1.8, It is our desire to see sinners saved. That's what we desire to see happen. But our desire beyond seeing sinners saved should be being what God wants us to be as a witness. Sinners may not get saved. They did not get saved in the days of Noah. And they were very limited in the days of Jeremiah and many of the prophets. but they were more interested and more desirous of being the witness that they were supposed to be. And the testimony of God's commission, amen. Truly Noah didn't preach with no desire to see someone, amen, believe his message and get on the ark with his family. Truly he had a desire to see that happen. as we have a desire to see young folks saved and people in the jail saved and people that watch online and listen to the radio ministry. Truly, we desire to see them saved. But our most intense and fervent desire should be that we are doing exactly what God has called us to do and the way in which God has called us to do it and the prosperity of that and the fulfillment of that when we face God is going to be determined by the condition our flesh is in. You see in the judgment seat of Christ, there will be many that will stand before him and they will have a lot of things that they have done. There will be a lot of baggage there of different accomplishments, but there's going to be a pile of ashes at the feet of many, because what they have done, even though it was good, what they have done, even though it was right, they could have been right beside somebody that done the same thing, that passed out the same track, that said the same words about God, that sang the same songs, blended with the same harmony, hit the same notes on the instrument, amen, that exalted the Lord, but one in a pile of ashes, and one, amen, will receive a reward, and all that is a result of the condition that their flesh was in. You see, the witness of the church is affected this morning by the condition that your flesh is in compared to your spirit. That is a threat. And you know, we seem to sometimes analyze what is bad and what is not so bad. But it can be not so bad And you couldn't stand up this morning and say, I worship God this morning. I worshiped in the song service. I worshiped during the preaching. I let the Word of God have a positive moving forward effect on my life. Amen. I thought about the warfare of the church. We know that we are in a fight and we are to endure hardness as good soldiers of the Lord Jesus. And we are on a battlefield and we understand that we have the commission of God to war in this battlefield, equip ourselves with the whole armor of God and stand and take a stand. Churches are falling apart all across our nation and not just liberal churches that, don't even have the right Bible or have the right message, but independent, premillennial, fundamental, so-called Baptist churches have put praise teams on their platform and it went a total different direction when it comes, amen, to what Bible they're using and preaching the Word of God and the prevailing attitudes of men and the sin in our society has taken root in the lives of their parishioners and their people, and they have no testimony and no ability to stand against the wiles of the devil. They have caved in to the pressure. They've caved in to the pressure of the world. I was shooting with an older man yesterday in Alabama, and he had an Alabama College Roll Tide golf shirt on. I said, so are you an Alabama fan? That was kind of a stupid question, I guess. And he said, well, Pretty much, so my wife graduated from Alabama, my children graduated from Alabama, and he said, and I worked for the athletic team at Alabama, and I have five championship rings at home. So I guess if you worked on the athletic team, when they won a championship, you got a ring. Amen, or he bought them all on eBay, I don't know which. And he said, so you could say that I am an Alabama fan. And so there was someone that came up to him and talked to him, a young lady who had progressed in the finals of the archery tournament. And she was from Alabama and they were sitting there talking and she said, I'm afraid that I will cave in to the pressure. I'm afraid that I'll just get the shakes or get nervous and not be able to perform my best because of the nerves. And here's what he said. He said, well, remember what Coach Saban said. Don't cave in to the pressure. Just continue in the process. That's a good thought to consider. Don't allow yourself to be affected by the surrounding pressure that you face. but stay focused on the process in which God has given us to govern and guide our life as his people. And there is a process. And we will look at some of that maybe later on tonight. But the failure of so-called Christians dealing with the flesh has created a problem for the church and its purpose, both the effect of the Word of God, the activity of true biblical worship, being a solid witness and standing in the warfare and fighting this battle. I remember and I said this when the gentleman called me the week prior a number of years ago here at the church. I had a preacher call me some time ago and he said, pray for me. He said, my flesh is weak. Pray for me, my flesh is weak. And I thought about that request. I called him the next day and I asked him this question. So if your flesh is not weak, what is the other alternative? If your flesh is not weak, and I know that that can be looked at two different ways in regard to what it's willing to do, in regard to what it's willing to do, two different acts of the will. Pray that you enter not in temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. So that's willing to do. But we understand that the will of the flesh yields to its own desires and its own ungodliness. And so it is very important to understand that we can perform on the other side of that statement about the flesh being weak and serve and honor God spiritually. So it appears that we often are processing things that are crucial to walking with God, but we're not processing them in the right frame of mind, like godliness, holiness, walking with God, spirituality, virtue, sanctification, consecration, dedication, summed up in one big word, Christianity. That's what Christianity is all about. With the emphasis of the word Christ in the word Christianity, godliness and holiness and walking with God and spirituality, virtue, sanctification, consecration, and dedication are very important. We understand this morning, and I know I'm going slow, but I'll just quit when we get to that time. I feel like it's time to quit. But the flesh could be simply defined as the human nature of man apart from divine influence. And because of that, therefore it is prone to sin and it is opposed to God. I'll say that again. The flesh could simply be defined as the human nature of man apart from divine influence and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God. So if I were to ask you this question this morning, what is the opposite of flesh from a biblical perspective? Spiritually speaking, from a biblical perspective, salvation Christianity definition or statement. What is the opposite of the flesh? What are you thinking right now? What would you say? What would you pin down? The biblical answer is simply this, the spirit. The opposite of the flesh is what? The spirit. Therefore, it is important to remember that if you're going to deal with the flesh, the very enemy that threatens your spiritual life and your success as a Christian, and the very enemy that is the arch enemy of the commission and the will of the church in the will of God, if that is the flesh, and I believe without question it is the flesh, then the only way you can deal with that is how? Through the Spirit. So it's very important that if we're going to deal with the flesh and all the problems and issues, the Spirit or spiritual has to be the solution. And we're gonna look at that tonight with the emphasis on spiritual. Amen. So as we progress with this message, keep these words in your thoughts, spiritual and spirit. The word flesh is used 420 times in the Bible. And a lot of times it's talking about the flesh of an animal or whatever it may be. And the word spirit or spiritual is used 582 times. What relevance that is, is just to let you know that they are dominant themes in the scripture. And I want us to notice about six things about the flesh this morning by way of introduction. And I don't know that I'll get done with this tonight if I do, or this morning, fine. If not, amen, we will try to move forward as God directs us. When we are consciously aware of something, unless you're just a complete idiot, it should help you to deal with that something. So if you are conscious of an opposing factor, if you are conscious of danger or an enemy, if you are aware that he is there or that something that could be a means of harming you or hurtful to your family, then that should, the consciousness of that, should enable you to deal with it to some degree. And so I wanna look at that this morning so that you're conscious of some things that you may be already aware of, but you have forgotten. So when we are conscious and we are aware of the enemy, which is the flesh, that's our folks, not the devil. The devil knows that this is the arch enemy. That's why his influence is as it is, and that's why he is governing the things that he influences with the way he does, because he is appealing to your flesh. So notice verse two in this verse, we'll get to these verses more in depth, maybe tonight the Lord will help us. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. So there are two laws here. We could say the law of the Spirit, the law of the flesh. And so we need to understand that the word law, I mean, sometimes we define things in such a way that we really don't get the gist of what that word really means. But the word law in this context basically is letting us know that there is a governing force here. We need to look at the word law with that in mind. There's a speed limit sign somewhere on this highway, and that speed limit sign is a governing force. There are laws on the books of the state of Kentucky, and those laws are to govern us. Amen. So let me give you some things with that in mind. You keep that in mind, that there is the law of the spirit, which brings life, but there is the law of sin and death, which involves the flesh. And you need to understand that your flesh has a power to govern when you are yielded and submitted to it. So let's go to a few things. Let's look in 2 Peter 2 and verse number 10. I wanna give you some verses and I may not get done with this introduction today. I don't know if I will or not, we'll try. 2 Peter 2 and verse number 10. In 2 Peter 2 and verse 10, Peter says this, but chiefly them, and I don't have time to put all of this in context with the passage, I'm just trying to bring out some things about the flesh. He said, but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government, presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. So the first thing I need you to understand about the flesh this morning is the flesh walks. It says these people walk after the flesh. Amen. And they walk dirty. They're unclean. That means they're defiled and they're unfit. Are you listening to me? So as the flesh walks, it walks in filth. It walks in defilement. Oh, they may have their clothes ironed and every crease, amen, sharp as a razor. Their hair may be combed good and everything may look well, but they are unfit. They are defiled. Why, preacher? Because they are dirty. because they are walking in the flesh. Their movements are fleshly. Not only are they dirty, and you could preach this, they are despised. Amen, they despise government. Now, that's not talking about the White House or law enforcement, that's talking about governing bodies. They despise authority. They despise rule. And so they walk in a way in which they cannot handle, amen, authority and rule. Are you listening? It's very important. You need to determine whether or not you're walking after the flesh or after the spirit. And if you're unfit this morning and you're defiled, then you are dirty, you are unclean. because your direction and the path of your flesh is wicked. It's filthy. And then he says that they despise authority. They can't handle anybody telling them anything about life and about virtue and about purity. You come to church every Sunday when the preacher preaches. And he deals with things that is a detriment to you. And you go out with your buddies and you say things about it in a cynical manner. Or you make light of it. And you go against it and you prove it to your buddies, your friends. You are despising authority and rule, governance. You can't handle it. And what you're doing, amen, is you're walking in the flesh. And the wind blows in my direction. I've preached against a lot of things that some of you have done that toward, whether it be social media, video games. I've had kids, I've heard kids say, well, so-and-so said that, you know, my daddy said that it's all right for me to play this or play that, you know, and still do whatever. And, you know, pretty much just cutting the legs out from under the preacher and his message. But you let your kids be involved with things that revolve around murder and pornographic filth and anger and all of that kind of junk that's anti-God, anti-Bible. Amen, I don't care if it's a video game or a movie or whatever the case may be, if that, amen, is allowed and the man of God or a Sunday school teacher says, this is a detriment, this is going to set a mind in your child's life that's gonna be a hindrance and a hurt to them, and you saw the legs out from under that, you are in the flesh. I don't care how much you give to the church. I don't care how dedicated you are to work. I don't care how faithful you are to the services. If the man of God says you're a foolish parent to let your son or daughter have a smartphone, and I didn't have no intentions of going this route, but if you allow your son or daughter to have things like that without major accountability, I mean major accountability and a perpetual checking of that, then you say, well, you know, I trust my son. I don't trust the flesh. My wife don't trust my flesh. You listening? She'll grab my phone, start looking at my text. Is anybody listening? She's more concerned, amen, about the pastor and her husband than some of you are about your children, which is the future of this ministry. And I'm telling you, amen, when you despise what I'm saying this morning, you are living and you are governed as a parent by the flesh. You let them have free glance with the internet without any accountability, whether it be going to the library or sneaking back in the back room with the door closed. I don't understand that at all. Let them stay up half the night playing games and playing while you're laying in the bed and they got five or six guys in a room closed up and you don't have a clue really what they're doing. That is not very, very smart at all. Not only does the flesh walk dirty and the flesh walk despising, but the flesh walks daring. Presumptuous are they. They are brazen. That means they're unfeeling with no concept of how others will be affected or how much their actions are going to hurt others. They are just consumed about fulfilling the lust of their mind and the lust of their flesh, and they have no thoughts whatsoever of the damage it's going to do to others. I'm gonna do what I want to. Nobody's gonna tell me what to do. We see that in a visible way when we walk into our communities and in our stores and see men dressed up like women. and women dressed in very clad, provocative clothing. They are daring. I mean, they are revealing. And the reason they are is because they are living and walking and moving and in a direction that is governed and guided by the flesh. And then their desires are mentioned. They won't rule by their desires, they're self-willed. In other words, everything that they do is about them. And they may show some sort of concern or care for others, but in reality, amen, none of that is relevant. They are consumed with what they want, when they want it, And it makes no difference how much hurt or damage they cause to others because they are governed by self-will, nothing else. And they are disforaging. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Now don't misread that. That's not talking about not saying anything negative about the governor or the congressman or the president. That's not what that says. It doesn't say they're not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries. That's a dignitary. There's a big difference between a dignitary and a dignity. Marriage is a dignity. Worship is a dignity. Morality is a dignity. Amen. Being virtuous, being a virgin and being someone, amen, that lives for God in a holy way and keeping yourself pure, that is dignity. And they're not afraid to speak evil of it. Y'all are old fogies. So what I'm telling you this morning is the flesh walks. And that's the way you determine if this person is walking in the flesh. The fact that they're dirty, they're unfit. The fact that they walk despising things and daring and through desires of just fulfilling their own desires and disparaging. They'll say things about people in this church that wanna live for God. a young lady in this church or a young man in this church that's trying to serve God, trying to be faithful to the Lord. We've seen that years ago with some of the generation that's now adults and families and serving God in this church. Brother Josh was a young man, Brother Kevin was a young man, and others in this church, time to mention everybody, but these men served this church, not because they were just friends of mine or close to mine, but because they have a walk with God. and they were spoke evil of when they were young because they wanted to be around me and around the church and a part of what's going on. And the crowd that spoke evil of them are not in church or if they are, they're sitting on the stool of do nothing and they have a bitter spirit and a hateful attitude and do nothing for God. That crowd walks in the flesh and they speak evil of people, amen, that simply wanna serve God. I'm gonna tell you something. You may have convictions that I don't have, or preferences. I think a conviction has to be substantiated by the scripture, and I think you gotta be willing to die for it, for it to be a conviction. But I think everybody has various preferences. And I think those preferences should be relevant. And I think they should be respected. I may not abide by them and I may not, amen, be governed by them, but I try my best to respect them. And I'm not going to make fun of you unless you make an issue of it with me. Now, if you have a godly preference or a godly conviction that you have established in your mind by the Spirit of God dealing with your heart and the scripture, amen, substantiating that conviction. Or if it's simply just a preference that you don't feel is healthy for you, or you just don't want to expose your family to something because you think it's a detriment, but there's really no biblical verse that would clear cut give a thou shalt not to it. If you don't try to impose that on somebody that don't see it your way, that's not a conviction. That's just a religious rule that you have exalted yourself above someone else through. Tried to make yourself to be more spiritual than someone else. But if it's simply just a, I have preferences. I'm preaching in a long sleeve white shirt this morning. and you will rarely see me in this pulpit otherwise, unless I'm not preaching or unless something happens. My pastor preached in a long sleeve white shirt and there's nothing spiritual about it. There's nothing super godly about it. But I realized why he did. And I don't impose that on anybody that's preaching in this church. But that's just my preference. And I don't think you're less of a preacher if you preach in a different color shirt, or if it maybe has short sleeves. Now if it was sleeveless, I'd probably think you're weird. But that's just my preference. And I do that because I don't want anything to be distracting. I want the focus to be on the scripture. Amen. So when those convictions and those dignities are implemented in your life and they're implemented in the life of someone else, you should respect them. And when you boys and you girls, there's somebody in this church and they don't get to do what your mom and dad let you do because their mom and dad think that it's a detriment to them spiritually, you better be very careful making fun of them or saying disparaging things about them because when you do, you are governed and you are guided by the flesh. So that's an exposition of 2 Peter 2.10, a message without question. Go to the book of Ephesians. Looks like we're only gonna get one of these six this morning of the introduction. We may just need to spend a lot of time right here. In Ephesians chapter number two, familiar verses as well. I really wanted to get through these this morning and get to the thought. of the spiritual aspect of what we wanna try to address in dealing with the flesh. But in Ephesians 2 verse 1, and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past you walked. I hope it was past and not present. In time past, she walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. So what am I saying? I'm saying the flesh walks. They walk after the flesh. They walk according to the course of this world. So the flesh walks and it walks a course. It's the direction of the world. If that's what governs you, whether it be the brand of clothing you wear, the hairstyle you sport, or the wheels on your car or truck. If that controls you, you got a problem. Here's what we call it. I was riding, we were riding through Alabama around the, we were shooting at an Abbey preparatory school for Catholics. It's a big, massive campus there in Coleman. And so this lady was busing me back to get the truck and she was going back through some side roads and there was some old houses there. And they were built just like what you want to build today. All the porch columns, what they call that, coffer post, is that what they call it? block at the bottom, tapered at the top. They were cut up, they wasn't the ranch style, they were cut up in very old houses. Current to what everybody wants now, but old. So it's just a revolving door, isn't it? Amen. In the course of the world, you know, so those houses, we would say, that house, I like that house, but that house is dated. But those houses would fit right in. Those were old houses, but they were fixed up nice, and you wouldn't know them from what's current, but they were probably 60, 70 years old. So if you'll hang on a while to that tie and to those shoes, they won't be dated. But if you'll just wear boots, you ain't gotta worry about it one way or the other. One less thing you have to keep up with. But the course of the world is a direction that the world's going. So he says, I walked according to the course of the world, according to the prince of the power of the air. Not only it is a course, but it's controlled. There is a controlling factor here, and it is the prince of the power of the air. The devil is in charge of the person that is walking in the energy of the flesh. You're not in control of your actions. You are not ruling your own life. If you are being governed by the flesh, that flesh is being influenced by the prince of the power of the air. You are being directed and guided by Satan. And he says that, We have our conversation in times past in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. And we're by nature the children of wrath, even as others. And so there is a course, the direction of the world. There is control. There is a prince that is in charge, that is influencing your movements. your walk, your path, your actions, everything about you. And then there is the conversation that you display. That's not words that you speak, but that is the behavior of your life. And the life that you live is being governed by the flesh. Your actions, your appearance, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind, your attitude, your associations, and we're by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Somebody gets up in here, a different kind of clothing, a different kind of look, a different kind of whatever, and all of a sudden you want the same. and you're knocking on daddy's billfold or mama's credit card so that you can keep up with the buddy you sit with or the crowd you hang around with. And your conversation is governed by the flesh, your actions, your appearance and your attitude and your associations. You see the flesh walks, it moves, it proceeds down a direction and it is down. That means your flesh will take you down a path, head you down a road, send you in a direction, and all of it, no matter what road or what course it appears to be, lands at the same destination, destruction and judgment. So let me hurry, the flesh, I don't have outlines of these verses, amen, but the flesh walks. Secondly, the flesh works. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envies, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like. Anything that's comparable to anything I just read. Of the which I tell you before is also I've told you in time past and I've done the same. that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. You see, good understanding giveth favor, but the way of the transgressor is hard. You see, the flesh works and it's manifested. You don't have to make a whole lot of plans. You don't have to set a lot of things in place for the flesh to work. It manifests its works. It is just gonna happen when you allow yourself to give in to it. As a young man, a young lady, a mom, or a dad, you get yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the flesh is gonna manifest itself, and you have got to be spiritual, and I don't wanna get ahead of myself to defeat it. It labors intensely. It does things very, very vigorously to fulfill its lust and its desire. And if you know that, and you know it's your enemy, you're aware that he walks, you are aware that he works, and you know, amen, how powerful it is and how it's wanting to take you down a path. I remember Jesse Norris, testifying at a camp meeting at Mayfield Creek a number of years ago before he was ever married as a young man, he stood up and here's what he said. He said, I remember looking in the mirror and thinking about spiking my hair. Now I know he probably wouldn't do it aggressively, but thinking about going that direction with his hair. And then he calmed it the way he always calms it and forgot about it. And you've done the same thing. You've went to the barbershop. You've went to the mirror. You've seen the magazines or the guys at the mall or wherever it is you've seen it. And you face that same temptation, the course of the world. And I'm not trying to exalt someone over someone else. I'm just telling you, there's a perfect example of the course of this world, the walk and the works of the flesh that are manifest. And someone that says, no, that's not what I'm gonna do, even though face the same thing you faced. But then you go in and detail, tell the barber how to cut it. And look online or on YouTube on how to comb it. And how you gonna look. Amen. You see, you gotta understand, if you're gonna deal with this, this enemy that's going to destroy the church, his purpose, now the church is gonna remain. We understand that until Jesus calls it home. The gates of hell are not gonna prevail against the church, amen, collectively. But every local assembly faces constant perpetual defeat, and that defeat, amen, is accomplished by yielding to the flesh. That's why I preach what I preach. That's why we teach what we teach. That's why we get upset and aggravated when carnality creeps in and when you allow yourself to start going down the course of the world because we know the effects it has on the church that Jesus loved and gave himself for. The flesh works, the flesh walks, The flesh wars. For the flesh, in Galatians 5, 17, lusteth against the spirit. And the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary, the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. So what would you do if the flesh was not in the picture? Would you be a witness? Would you worship? Would the word of God have a positive progressive effect on your life? Would you, amen, be able to enter in the spiritual warfare that the people of God are engaged in against the strongholds of Satan? You see the flesh lusteth against the spirit and you see it's fighting against the spiritual man. Now listen, if there's not a struggle going on, if there is not the look in the mirror and the look at the magazine or whatever it is, and that contemplation of looking like the world, being like the world, going down the course of the world. If that's not something that is contemplated in your mind, and there is something inside of you that says, no, that's worldly, that's wrong, that's not, then you got a real, real problem. Because there's no war going on in your heart. And if there is no war going on, if there is no battle going on, then you are none of his. And I'm not talking about your conscience bothering you. Everybody got a conscience. And your conscience, if it's not seared, amen, will put up a red flag when something's not right. I'm talking about conviction, not a conscience. I'm talking about the Holy Ghost, amen. Dealing with your heart about the condition that you are in spiritually and the direction that you're going. and bringing condemnation to your soul. Because there is a battle. And since I've been saved, there's not been one thing that I've touched, one thing that I've listened to, one thing, amen, that I have looked at, that if it's not been nurturing to my spiritual life or godly, that the Spirit of God has not, I mean, not necessarily something that's sinful. Something that can control me, something that can take possession of my heart and mind. And the Spirit of God would say, you better be careful. Warn me and say, hey, you better hold off. You better watch it, that can take away, amen, what I intend for you to do with your life. I can't imagine going down the path some of you went down with your looks and everything else. What it must have been like if you're really saved. You see, the flesh wars. In 1 Peter 2, verse 11, dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lust. which war against the soul. You see, fleshly lust fight a battle against your purpose and your design, sovereign plan in which God has laid out for your life as an individual. Amen. I'm gonna quit right there. And I am not through, so we'll finish tonight, try to get further. So I'm trying to tell you this morning, the flesh and your ignorance of what it's about and what it has the potential to do is no excuse for your actions, not in this church. If you've been here a month, you have no excuse. Amen. But if you're not right with God, and you're governed and controlled by the flesh, and there's nothing that brings deep sorrow, conviction, I'm telling you, you better check up quick. But you need to be aware, Ellison, you need to be aware, Jake, Trey, y'all need to be aware of what the flesh does. It walks, it works, it wars against you. And so when that Bible rises up, then you can say, that's the flesh. That's the flesh fighting with me. You start taking the step, that's down the road to the world, that's the flesh. Amen. You're aware of that, you can live for God. if you act accordingly. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. So what you have to do is allow the willingness of the spirit to exceed the strength of the flesh. And you need to make sure the flesh stays weak and weaken it every day of your life.