It's been a great pleasure for me to be here and to be with you this weekend. I love your pastor and love Brother Leroy too. And it's a special joy to get to have him to come all the way down here to be with us this weekend. It's been a good meeting. We had good fellowship yesterday. This is a new day. We need the Lord with us right now. He's blessed us already to be here. You've heard a lot of God's truth, which is the truth. We refer to it sometimes as God's truth. God's truth is the truth. And we've heard some wonderful truths this morning. And I hope and trust that we'll continue to look into God's Word and hear more truth this morning. Wonderful. The assurance, the security that we have in Christ is what Brother Leroy brought to us this morning. What wonders that God has done that. When, you know, he started out with Isaiah chapter 40 verse 1, you know, comfort ye, comfort ye my people, sayeth your God. Tell them the war's over. The war's over. And it is. And yet, there's still a battle. What did he tell Timothy? He told Timothy, he said, thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. He said, there's still a warfare. We're fighting against principalities and powers in high places. Brother Abraha talked about that too. He talked about the state of our nation right now. They're terrible. It's awful. That's the way the world is. And it's not gonna change until Jesus comes back and straightens everything out. It's already secure. He's taking care of that. It's just as sure, it's more sure than the fact that I'm standing here right now, okay? But God says, God does. No ifs, ands, buts, no maybes. But we are to continue on. We are to endure ourselves as good and faithful soldiers in this warfare. We're fighting the kind of warfare, though, that the Israelites fought when God took them into Canaan's land. How did that work? God went before them. He went before them. And many of the time, they never shot an arrow, never swung a sword, but they got the victory. Because God was with them. They were kept by the power of God. We have that security. But God says, stand up and go. David, when he went against Goliath, he went out there, went to the battlefield. And he looked out there and his older brothers were already there. They were bigger than David. They were stronger than David. But they were cowering under the words of that giant, weren't they? David walked out there, he heard the giant, who is this uncircumcised Philistine? How dare he defy the army of God? David went out and slew the giant, didn't he? God sent a stone from David's sling. David stood up, but it was God that slung the stone. It was God that knocked the giant down. What a wonderful, wonderful God we have. I want to draw your attention to the 22nd chapter of the book of Matthew. In that chapter, I want to tell y'all, I had a message on my mind for this morning before I left home. Last night, about getting close to 10.30, I opened up my Bible and started looking at those scriptures. There wasn't a thing in there I could talk about. So I turned to some other scriptures. There wasn't nothing there. I pray that what the Lord has put on my heart, though, last night is what I need to talk about this morning. I trust that the Lord will bless. We've got a saying in Texas. You go different places and a lot of states and cities and things like that have sayings that they put on signs around stuff like that. We've got one down in Texas. They put up signs along the roadways that says, don't mess with Texas. Don't mess with Texas. What they're referring to is don't be literate. Don't be throwing out trash in Texas. We like our state, we like to keep it clean. Now, I guarantee you, we could take some lessons from the state of Kentucky. The roadsides in Kentucky are cleaner than any other state I think I've ever been in, but we don't like trash on the roads, so don't mess with Texas. I thought about these scriptures last night, That may not seem like an appropriate title for a sermon, but don't mess with God. Don't mess with God. He doesn't want your trash. He wants your service. He wants your worship. We don't need to mess with him. We need to listen to it as Brother Leroy was brought to us. We need to listen to his word, read his word, and believe his word and follow him. Brother Hassell-Wallace put it better. I say, don't mess with God. Brother Hassell-Wallace said, you can't play house for God, okay? This is serious business, and we need to pay attention. We need to stay steadfast. The Lord will help us to do that, and you won't do it without him. in the 22nd chapter of the book of Matthew, from verse 23 all the way down to verse 41, Jesus had endured the Pharisees, the Herodians, the Sadducees, and lawyers, all of them trying to discredit and to trip up Jesus. They tried and they tried and they tried. 25 verses, they did that. Every time, every time they tried, Jesus used scripture to expose them and trip them up. You know, I've always loved verse 29. Jesus answered and said to them, ye do err not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God. They didn't know either one. They were supposed to. They were supposed to be the religious elite of the day. They were supposed to know the word of God, trust the word of God, and follow the word of God. They didn't do it. Jesus went on to say, for in the resurrection, they neither married nor given in marriage, but are the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying, I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. If you read that, understand that, yes, the mortal body of Abraham, the body of Isaac, the body of Jacob, quit breathing. They put them in the ground. But Jesus said, they're alive. They're alive. Do you believe that this morning? You better, because it's truth. It's God's truth. Go all the way down to verse 41. Jesus refuted those people every time with the scriptures. In verse 41, He says, while the Pharisees were gathered together, I guess some of those, the lawyers and the Herodians and the Sadducees, they got enough and they backed off. But the Pharisees were still gathered together there. And while they were gathered together, Jesus turned the tables on them. They'd been asking Jesus questions. He said, you know, what about this? they trick you. You don't play with God." So they said unto him, or Jesus, he turned the tables and he asked them, saying, what think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? Well, they didn't hesitate. They had read a lot of the scriptures. And that was one thing they really paid attention to. And they immediately answered, he's David's son. But they didn't understand the ramifications of that, did they? No, they just, in other words, Messiah is going to be a descendant of David. Okay. Period. As far as it went, their answer was right. They just didn't go far enough with it. They didn't see far enough into it. Jesus, he's exposing them and at the same time, entreating them to pay attention to the word of God. And verse, Verse 42, Jesus, after they make this statement that he's the son of David, they're stating facts, but they don't understand it. You know, Jesus didn't ask them, who am I? No, because they would have said something entirely different. He didn't ask them whose son am I? Because they thought he was the son of Joseph. You know, even today, there are few people in the world that have any education much, any reading much behind them that will deny that there was a man whose name was Jesus that lived a little over 2,000 years ago. That's just common knowledge. And yet, there are people in the world today who haven't heard those things, never even heard Jesus. We'll find people in the world today that never heard the name Jesus. Yet, then and now, many, many, many people will deny him one way or another. In Luke chapter 11, verse 15, they accused Jesus of being a devil. In John 8, 48, they accused him of being a Samaritan. The religion of Islam says that, oh, he was a prophet. but he was inferior to Muhammad. Some people will tell you, well, he was a good man. Others will say he was a good teacher. Some have actually said that he was a created God, liturgy God. Or some will say that he was God by appointment. Not that he was eternal, but he was appointed as God and didn't exist even before his natural birth here on earth. I mean, these ideas are out there. People come up with these things, mainly because they hadn't read the Bible. The list goes on and on. you know, that Jesus didn't even exist before he was born in the earth, that kind of thing. But these Jews, they did understand the question, what think ye of Christ? You know, the word Christ literally means Messiah. It's a Greek word for the word Messiah. they understood that and without hesitation they answered it's the son of David and that was right as far as as far as their answer went. He did descend from David. In Psalm 89 verses 35 and 36 David said there He said, once I have sworn by my, God said there actually, David, I think put it down, but once I have sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David, his seed shall endure forever and his throne as the son before me. Jesus was the, correct that, Jesus is the Messiah, then and now, then and now. It's wrong to say he was the Messiah because he still is the Messiah. Scripture are replete with prophecies about the promises that were made to David. This was one of them there in Psalm 89. In Isaiah chapter nine, verse seven, of the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even forever. I mean, we're not talking about somebody who was just the son of David, just a descendant from David. There were lots of descendants from David. Isaiah continues on in that, he says, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. He said, the zeal of Jehovah will perform this. It's gonna happen, God said it, it's going to be. Isaiah chapter 11, verse one, and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots. Jesus Christ, He is the root of Jesse. He is the stem, He's the trunk of the tree. And He's got branches coming out of Him. Those branches were given to Him by the Father before the foundation of the world. Verse 43, He saith unto them, They answered the question. He's the son of David. He says unto them, how then does David in spirit call him Lord? He's a descendant of David. How could David then call him Lord? How does that work? Second Samuel, Second Samuel 20, 23 verses one and two. David is about to speak there. Samuel says that these be the last words of David. They're the last words of David. David, the son of Jesse said, And the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel said, the spirit of the Lord spake by me. That's a strong statement, isn't it? But he said, the spirit of the Lord, the spirit of Jehovah spake by me and his word was in my tongue. His word was in my tongue. So David, see Jesus, Jesus then in verse 44, he says, David in spirit called him Lord. And he refers us back to Psalm 110. Yeah. And he said, he said, you know, how did, how does, how did David call Jesus? called the Messiah, called Messiah his Lord. Well, that's exactly what David did back in Psalm 110. Of course, the whole Psalm is a prophecy of Jesus Christ, but Psalm 110 verse one says, the Lord said unto my Lord, the Lord said unto my Lord, Jehovah said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool." The Lord there, David speaks. He says, they were talking about Jesus Christ. He said, the Lord spoke, put words in my mouth. And he said, he's gonna make you enemies, you footstool. The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. He's talking about Jesus Christ. He's talking about the Messiah. He's talking about how he came into the world and he did what God the Father sent him to do. He came, he lived, he lived perfectly, he did not sin, he died on the cross, he shed his blood for a purpose and then took That death took the penalty of your sins upon himself, died on the cross, buried in the ground, and said he'd be there three days and three nights. How long was he there? Three days and three nights. And the same power, the same power, he rose himself up. How can he do that? He's God. He is God. The same spirit, his spirit, his Holy Spirit, that unity between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, you won't understand it in this lifetime. But there's such a unity there that one is the same as the other. And that Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit, that makes you alive spiritually, spiritually, that gives you understanding, that allows you to see that Jesus is the Messiah, not just the son of David, but he is the Messiah, the one true and living God. And he rose from the dead to prove it, not only to prove that he was God, but to prove that everything he said and everything he did and everything he said he would do was done. To prove he was God. David clearly declared the deity of the Messiah, but also his finished work as a risen and glorified Savior. Hebrews chapter one, verse 13. Paul writes there, he says, but under which of the angels said he at any time, sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy foes too? He didn't say that to any angel, did he? No. He didn't say that to David, did he? No. He only said it to one. He said it to the blessed son of God. Amen. Sit thou on my right hand. till I make thine enemies thy footstool." Ephesians chapter 1 verse 20 and 21. Paul again talking, he says the things that he did, he said, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in the world to come." Did he leave anything out? No. He didn't leave nothing out. So, We've got this dilemma here for the Jews. They failed every way from verse 23 on down. They failed every way. They gave part of the answer when Jesus asked them a question, but they couldn't answer the whole question. They couldn't tell what the truth was. So in verse 45, Jesus asked them another question to clarify the situation. If David then called him Lord, how is he his son? That doesn't work, does it? We're talking about God on one hand, but we're talking about a son on the other hand. How can that be? It's the dilemma for them either acknowledge the deity of the Messiah. They believed the Messiah was gonna come, but they didn't believe that Messiah was gonna be God. They were looking for Alexander the Great to come. They were looking for some king to come in and conquer the world and take them along with him, to put them in the highest seats in the kingdom. That wasn't the plan. That wasn't God's plan. That wasn't God's design. But they got a dilemma. They either acknowledge the deity of Christ or confess the ignorance that they had. They wouldn't do either one. They were just stopping the crash. They wouldn't admit that. As God, he was David's Lord, his creator, his king. As man, he was David's offspring. They could not deny what was brought before them there and in the confusion it put them to, put them to silence. They couldn't respond. They couldn't say one way or the other. So Jesus asked him, said, how is he his son? How does that work? How's that possible? For God, if you're saying he's God, how can that be? If you're saying that he's just David's offspring, we can buy that, we can go with he descended from him, naturally, but how could we? Well, it's real simple. If you pay attention to the word of God. Luke chapter one, verse 35. Luke chapter one, verse 35. And the angel answered and said, the angel came down and the angel spoke to a little girl by the name of Mary. Angel spoke to her. Cause she was wondering the same thing basically. And the angel came down and he spoke. The angel answered and said, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore, that thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God. How was it possible that the Messiah was the son of David By virgin birth and by virgin birth alone. The Holy Spirit overshadowed her. By God. God the Holy Spirit. And she bore a son. And by the commandment of the angel, she called his name Jesus. for he shall save his people from their sin. Amen. That's who he is and what he is. So, verse 46. and no man was able to answer him a word. Neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions." They finally got the idea. You don't mess with God. There was no way to confute or confuse What tool do you have? What tool do you have? But Leroy told you, part of the toolbox that you've got, you've got Jesus. You've got him inside you. And he's keeping you. You're kept by the power of God. You've got his word. Did you read it? You need to study it. You need to have it on the tip of your tongue. It's the best defense you've got. It's the best tool you've got to fight against the world. It's the best tool you've got to give you strength, to give you courage, to give you encouragement, to live in this world. Because the world will not give up until Jesus comes back. until Jesus comes back. Stand as a good soul. Stand fast in the Lord. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith he hath made you free. First Corinthians chapter 12. Let's go to first John first. No, back. Back up again. Let's go to Matthew chapter 16. I want to contrast here for you the difference between what we just looked at in Matthew 22 and what we see in Matthew 16. Let's go down to verse 13. Here's another question for you, very similar to the question that we just read in chapter 22, isn't it? When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples saying, whom do men say that I the son of man am? And they said, well, some say that John the Baptist, some Elias and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets, there was all kinds of ideas. Just like today, isn't it? There's all kinds of ideas about who Jesus Christ was or is. And you know, that way it was then, that's the way it is now. But Jesus looked to his disciples and he said to them, but whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter, thank God for Simon Peter. Simon Peter, a lot of times opened his mouth and said things wrong, but thank God for him. He was a spokesman and he stood up and he answered and he said to Jesus, He answered and said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. He said, thou art the Messiah. You are the one. You're the Lord. You are the one that was to come. You have come and you're with us here now. He said, you're the one. And Jesus answered and said unto him, "'Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh.'" You're Simon, son of Jonah, that's all that means. He said, "'For flesh and blood have not revealed unto thee, "'but my Father which is in heaven. "'And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter, "'and upon this rock I will build my church, "'and the gates of hell shall not reveal against it.'" That rock that he talking about, he's not talking about Peter, because the name Peter meant a little pebble. Just a little pebble, but the rock was Jesus Christ. He is the rock He's the rock that guided Israel through the wilderness. He is the rock that we're founded on today He is the rock of our salvation. He is the Lord God Almighty First John chapter 4 verse 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is that spirit of Antichrist. Wherever you have heard that it should come, and even now, already, is it in the world. It was in the world then. It's in the world now. and it wants to trick you. But if you've got the word of God in your heart and in your mind and on your tongue, you can fight against it and you can win. 1 Corinthians 12, verse 3, Paul says, wherefore I give you to understand. Paul says, understand this. I'm telling you how it is. Understand it. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed." Amen. Ain't gonna happen. Excuse my bad English. It ain't gonna happen. And that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. The words may come out of their mouth, but it's not coming out of their heart. They're not believing it unless it's by the Holy Ghost. If that Holy Ghost is in you, you can say it and you better confess it and you better live it. One more verse, one more verse, I'll close. Revelation 22, verse 16. I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am, I am, he says. Don't you love when you read? Jesus and God saying, I am, I am. All the way back to the writings of Moses. When Moses went to the burning bush, who did God say he was? He said, I am, I am, I am the I am. And Jesus repeated that in the New Testament, didn't he? Several times. He says, I am the root and the offspring of David. He's the root of David. How's he the root? He created David. He made David and he made David who he was. We read that earlier. I'm the root and the offspring. I'm not only the root of David, I'm not only made David, I'm the offspring of David by the virgin birth. And I am the bright and morning star. the morning star. When you wake up in it, if you're blessed to rise before sunrise and see that sun come up over the morning, and it brings somehow, somehow, it brings the world around you to life. Oh, just before sunrise, You hear the birds, the birds know it's coming. And they'll sing a little song, just a little bit. And then that sun peaks up over the horizon and lights the world around you. And the world comes to life again. In all of its glory. What's its glory? What is the glory of that morning? What is the glory? It's the power of God. It is God saying, world, wake up. It's time. And you can rise up and see that. And that is just, it lifts your spirits to see that in the morning and to feel that morning. Jesus is the bright and morning star. If you got him in your heart, you can face the world and the world can't stand up against you. What a glorious, glorious God we have and what wonderful, wonderful words he has given us. And the gates of hell shall prevail against it, neither his word, nor his church, nor him. May God bless you. I thank you for your good attention and a joy to be with you.