Now I am climbing higher. Each day darkness of
night has drifted away. My feet are planted on
higher ground and glory to God. I'm onward bound.
He set me free. He set me free. Hallelujah. The
bonds of prison. My Jesus to see. Glory to God.
He set me free. Hallelujah. Well, hallelujah.
How many is free in the house today? There's
an old song that said, like a bird out of prison.
I wish I knew all the words to that. That's it.
That I found out he would bring me out and show
me the way. Thank God I am free, free, free from
this world of sin. Oh, yeah. Washed in the blood
of Jesus. And I've been born. Hey. I'm saved,
saved, saved. His wonderful grace. I'm so glad.
Found out he would bring me out and show me the
way. I'm glad I'm free this morning. I'm excited.
I'm about to preach a little something to you
that I've never preached before. I'm talking
about fresh bread. Yeah, it's so fresh it burnt
my fingers. I'm talking about this morning fresh.
If you have your Bibles, go ahead and be turning
with me to 2 Corinthians 2. We're going to pick
out. One passage of Scripture. It's verse 11.
Brother Hunter, go ahead and throw that whatever
you've got fixed up. I'm excited to see it. Look
at here. Advancing beyond the limits of ignorance.
I'm excited this morning. One of my pastor friends,
I was talking to him on the way into church this
morning. He said, what are you preaching today?
I said, are you ready? He said, yeah, what are
you preaching? And I told him that title. He
said, uh -oh. Then he begins to admonish me to
take it easy on you. Yeah, you're going to hammer
him. I said, no, I'm not. I don't ever hammer
him. Do I ever hammer you? No, I instruct you
pretty strongly sometimes. But you want to go
to heaven, right? Who wants to go? Okay. So we're
doing good. You like the way you get it? Kindly
firm and energetic, loud. I like it loud. Somebody
said, amen, you do. It's loud in here. Don't
complain about it. You could be somewhere it's
like death warmed over. Wishing that the preacher
would at least get excited about what he's saying.
I'm excited about what I say, mainly because
I want you to go to heaven with me. I've done
made up my mind. I'm going. Anybody else, you've
made your mind. And I want you to go with me.
So you need to know some things. I hate the devil.
Well, that's a strong word. Well, I do. If there
was one stronger that I could use, I would. I
hate the devil. I do. I hate what he tries to
do to us as children of God. And that's what
this is all about today. Advancing beyond the
limits of ignorance. 2 Corinthians 2 verse 11
reads, Lest Satan should get an advantage of
us, for we are not ignorant of his devices. So
you see, you thought we were going one way and
that kind of... That's the reason I read the
title before I did the text, because you're thinking,
oh, no, what's he going to do? Knowing who our
enemy is, but greater still, knowing who God
is. Amen? Knowing who God is. I'll pray for you.
If you pray for me, we have some urgent requests.
Sister Dana, Sister Daisy, she has a niece that's
been in a terrible accident. And we have others.
How many of you got some physical ailments that
you need the Lord to touch and move? And I know
Sister Dean needs a healing. We're going to pray
again later, but we're just going to set the
parameters and go ahead and pray now. Amen. Because
sometimes my mind doesn't. Once I get going where
we're headed, it'll tell me what I'll remember
or forget. So let's pray together. Father, we
love you. So thankful today. Lord, I get chatty
when I feel your anointing as strongly as I do
this morning. I feel your presence today. Lord,
we just come before you that you would touch
each of us, touch our hearing, that we may hear
what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the
church today. But also, Lord, that we may be
obedient to speak what it is you would have us
to say. No more, no less. So help me, Father,
just to be your mouthpiece. A mouthpiece of love
and care and concern to your people. Now, Lord,
the petitions that have been brought before us
today, you know where they are. You know the
hospital rooms that they are in. You know, oh
God, what they must have in their heart and in
their life today. Healing in their bodies, Lord.
Mind, soul, and spirit need encouraged and need
touched, Lord, with that salve and that balm
of Gilead. I ask, Lord, that you would apply
it richly and deeply to the healing of your people.
And those who are lost and undone concerning
these petitions, I pray, God, that you save their
soul as you heal their body. And, Lord, we'll
be quick to praise you for it all in Christ's
lovely name. The church said? Amen. Tell your
neighbor, don't be ignorant. Talking with a dear
friend of mine one day. He's done going on to
be with the Lord, Pastor Ernie Varner. He and
I were discussing our children. And he asked
me about my son. He said, where's Gerald? I said,
well, he said, well, what's going on with him?
I said, well, he's ignorant, looking for a place
to manifest. Sister Kathy, I surprised her this
morning with this title. I have low tolerance
for ignorance, especially if knowledge has been
made available. So I'm going to tiptoe until
I get started good, and then we'll get going,
all right? Believe it or not, the Bible has a
lot to say about... being ignorant and ignorance.
I mean, you look it up, it's like, whoa, the
Lord knows these people. When you think about
ignorance, ignorance is a hard road to travel.
There are many troubling lessons that are learned
on the pathway of ignorance. At its simplest
definition, it just simply means to unknow or
to not know. It's basically a lack of knowledge.
In Hosea 4 and 6, through the prophet, if you
know much about Hosea, the prophet is one of
the minor letters, one of the minor prophets,
but he had a major message. He was instructed
to... marry a woman of ill repute and her to
leave him time and time again but yet he to go
purchase her back not just go get her but to
purchase to pay to ransom to get her back over
and over and over and the Lord trying to make
a point to his people to let them know that I'm
coming for you and I'm paying the ransom every
time but you know sometimes the Lord can get
a little frustrated with us when we just keep
messing up and keep falling back. And he said
through the prophet there in the sixth verse
of the fourth chapter, he said, my people are
destroyed for the lack of knowledge. And then
he goes on to say, I'll try to tell you, but
you just never get it. You know, I'm trying to
relay and you haven't picked up on it. And then
he goes through a litany and he lists of their
ignorance and what they're doing and the iniquities
and the sins that they're committing. And the
Lord's trying to let them know, I still love
you, but I can't tolerate that. And so you are
destroyed. You perish because of ignorance. Because
they refuse to accept the knowledge that the
Lord is giving them. There's destruction in the
pathway of those who refuse knowledge. Amen?
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Paul would say this in 1 Thessalonians 4 .13.
He said, I would not have you to be ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that
you sorrow not, even as others which have no
hope. going to go on that discourse of the rapture
and the end result of those who die in Christ.
And he considers to be asleep in Christ that
there's an awakening coming. Amen. And he said,
I don't want you to be suffering from the lack
of knowledge concerning this and your loved ones.
I don't want you to be over sorrowed because
you don't know about the end and what the result
of our hope is. Hallelujah. My buddies are waving
at me. Come on. Hey, buddy. I love it when the
babies are paying attention. And then the little
ones too. He said, I don't want you to be over
sorrowed because of... The end and what's going
to take place at the end and that your faith
is not in vain and the hope that you have in
Christ is not in vain. Brethren, I want you to
have this knowledge, and I'm going to pass this
knowledge on to you, this understanding, and
here's what's going to happen. There's an angel
going to shout. There's a trumpet going to blast.
There's a Jesus going to step out in the clouds.
The dead are going to come to life. You which
are alive and remain, if you happen to be blessed
enough, you're going to be changed. Together
with them, we're all going to meet him in the
middle of the air. So don't be so sorrowful about
your lost loved ones who have already died, who
are asleep in Christ. I don't want your hearts
to be so... I want you to understand something,
that there is hope in this life that you're living
out. There's a future in this life that you're
living out. Don't be... ignorant concerning these
things and here I'm going to give you the knowledge
to keep you from being ignorant. You're not ignorant
if you have the knowledge and then you begin
to put faith in that knowledge and a plethora
of knowledge equals out wisdom because you apply
the knowledge that you gain and it works the
same way in our faith and the walk that we have
with God. You know sometimes the enemy can come
against me and if there's a portion of the text
that I don't know and I don't understand he may
get the upper hand over me because I'm ignorant
concerning a a particular fact. Amen? But not
after I get the knowledge. He doesn't have the
upper hand on me then. When I gain the knowledge
and that knowledge compiles, it turns to wisdom
as I put it into application into my life. And
put this into the application of your life. For
those of you who are yearning to see already
deceased and gone on loved ones, let me re -encourage
you again with the words and the hope that Paul
gave the people in Thessalonica. Hold on. The
trumpet will sound. Hold on. He's coming again.
Hold on. The clouds will open, and he will step
out, and he will receive you and them, and together
we will meet them in the air. So let your heart
take encouragement this morning. Yes, you get
weary. Yes, you get heavy. Yes, you get sorrowful.
But let the joy of the Lord well up inside of
you. Don't be ignorant concerning this thing.
Honey, this ain't it. This isn't over. There's
a hope and a future awaiting you. We're going
to be reunited. One of these days, don't let
the enemy get the upper hand over you and cause
grief to set on you like a heavy weight. Well,
hallelujah. 1 Corinthians 12 and 1. Look over
there real quick. That's some good stuff. Let's
see what he says here in his first letter to
the Corinthians. He says, now concerning spiritual
gifts, brethren. I would not have you ignorant.
Paul says, I'm going to prepare you for the spiritual
warfare that is ahead of you. Amen? He said,
I don't want you to be concerned with these things.
And then I love how he kind of explains to them,
you know that you were Gentiles carried away
under these dumb idols even as you were led.
He said, now you know what shape you were in
when Christ found you and he redeemed you. You
know the condition of your heart. You know the
gods that you served were dumb. They couldn't
speak. They were idols. They were stone. They
were carved out wood. They were shaped copper
and silver. They had no voice. And you know that
you've come out of that. And he said, wherefore
I give you to understand. He said, I'm going
to give you some knowledge right now that no
man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus
accursed and that no man can say that Jesus is
the Lord but by the Holy Ghost. And then he begins
to say, now there are diversities of gifts but
the same Spirit. And he gives them a wonderful.
discourse on the working of the Spirit in their
life. What you were serving is dumb, but what
you are serving is life and knowledge, and I
want you to understand that it is He who gives
out the spiritual gifts. I want you to know that
you can have those. I want you to know that you
can function in those as you seek God and pray
and gain knowledge of His wonderful grace and
the amazing power and the inward working of the
Holy Ghost. I want you to know. I don't want
you to be ignorant, but I want you to you to
understand that it is the Spirit who gives unto
all men as he wills, and you are subject to the
giftings of the Spirit. He said, I don't want
you to be ignorant of that. I don't want you
to be ignorant concerning those which are asleep.
It's understanding the fundamental doctrinal
statements of our faith. You need to know that
God desires to use you. God desires to empower
you. You need to know that you don't have to
be, can I do that? Can he use? Yes, he can. He's
called you out of darkness into his marvelous,
wonderful light. You know what you were. You
know what you served. But now know who you serve.
Now know who you are and know what you are and
exercise the wonderful gift that he desires to
pour out. Don't be ignorant. Well, hallelujah.
I'm doing okay, baby. I didn't go over there.
I could have went different ways, but she was
worried when I told her the title. Understand
the goodness and the faithfulness of God. Can't
be ignorant. Be informed. See, I could have been
more polite going beyond the limits of the uninformed.
I could have been politically correct. I could
have been easy on your feelings. But that would
not have challenged you like me calling you half
ignorant. Huh? Right. What's he talking to me?
He's saying I'm ignorant. Well, if you don't
know, yes. Hello? Amen. Aren't we? Stop being
so snowflakey and being so offended. If you don't
know, then yes, you're ignorant. And like Paul
said, brethren, I don't want you to be ignorant,
so I'm going to pass on some understanding to
you so that you can gain that knowledge and know
that the power and the gifts of the Spirit are
able to work in your life. I want you to know
that you don't have to let grief strangle the
very life out of you, that there's a day coming
when a trumpet is going to sound and an angel
is going to shout. You don't have to be ignorant.
I want you full of faith and full of power and
full of... the Spirit. I might preach this again.
Matter of fact, I got an appointment coming up.
I better keep my mind on what I'm going to do
instead of where I'm going. Who your enemy is.
Our text. We've done all that work to this one
verse. Lest Satan should get an advantage of
us. Paul is writing to the Corinthians. In this
second letter. There's one in between. Some call
it the lost letter of Paul. He on his first visit.
Ran into some. Ignorant people. See how that
just segued right in. I didn't even write that
down. That just come to me. Thank you, Lord.
And confrontation arose out of that. And an offense
transpired. And a brother was out of line. And
he told them what to do with him and how to punish
the situation. Then he told them that I'm coming
back to see you. And then he didn't come. And
so they were doubting his word and his sincerity
toward them. And then this letter comes in and
he tells them the reason I didn't come, I didn't
know if I could come in the spirit and not in
the flesh. He said, I wasn't prayed up just right
yet. That's what he's telling them. I wasn't
in the right state of mind to come in. If you
read it, you'll see a waters parallel paraphrase.
He said, you don't want me to come there right
now. That's what he's telling them. Y 'all can't
handle me if I come in there because I'm coming.
I'm going to lower the blade. And I'm going to
clean this up. So you need to get this stuff
under control before I get back. And so now he's
telling them about all that correction and that
punishment. And he's letting them know that he's
forgiven the brother. You'll have to read. I'm
trying, instead of just picking one verse out,
I'm letting you know the context a little bit
of why we hear these words in our text this morning.
And he's saying you guys need to forgive him.
Church at Corinth, you need to let up because
lest Satan takes advantage of us. We need to
work and operate in forgiveness. And we need
to allow the grace of God to have his perfect
work in the church. I've forgiven him. You need
to forgive him. Because we know how the devil
does. You know how the enemy works. You know
how he can take hold of this and he can run with
it and really wreak havoc in the church. And
we don't want that because you are not ignorant
of his devices. You are not ignorant of his schemes.
You are not ignorant of his tactics and his plan.
It's what he's telling the church at Corinth.
He had preached to them enough. He had been there
long enough to let them know the plan and the
tactic and the schemes of the devil to destroy
them. put them back in that darkness that they
were called out of, to put them back bowing down
before dumb idols is what he called them. You
know where you came from. You know who you were.
You know the gods that you served were dumb and
could not speak and had no power. And now here
where we are, you understand and allowing the
grace of God. We've got to allow grace to have
its perfect work. You can't be ignorant concerning
these things because we know how the devil works
in our life. Knowing your enemy matters. This
morning, church of God, knowing that the devil
has devices, schemes, tactics, and plans set
out to destroy your very life. So how do we know
who he is? I don't want you to be ignorant concerning
the devil. I want you to have clear, good knowledge
of who the enemy is. He's not some little red,
pointy ear, long tail, and a pitchfork type of
creature. He will transform himself into the
beauty of even light. He can transform himself
and present himself, though he would look and
glow like an angel. But he is the most deceptive,
despicable. My God, my hackles are standing up
now because he plays on every emotion of the
believer. He'll play on your grief to drown your
faith. Are you hearing me? He'll play on your
grief to drown your joy and to rob you of the
faith and the hope just because of a loved one.
No wonder Paul said, I don't want you to be ignorant.
You don't have to be overwhelmed with sorrow
because there's a hope for them and a hope for
us, and we're going to be together. Let the joy
of the Lord, let the joy of the Lord well up
inside of your soul. Let him get you down. Lest
he take advantage of us. He's looking to take
an advantage over you. Why do you think he messes
with you the way he does? His schemes. He knows,
brethren, which one of us have lustful eyes.
I almost said, why do you think? Oh, Lord, help
me. I'm just going there. Why do you think, even
in our woke culture, why do you think they still
put 510, 119, 120s? Why do you think they put
them in swimsuits to tempt you at a beer commercial?
Instead of 5 '2", 220. No offense. I'm pleading
the fifth under the anointing. Because I was
5 '10", 267. Hello? No stone to cast. They don't
put this over there either in a Speedo. Some
of you mediums might clarify and might qualify,
but some of the rest of us, brethren, we need
to sue Budweiser because they don't put us equally.
All my fat brethren said, amen. All right, where
are you 5 '2", 220s? Ladies, I need amen. I ain't
going to get one there, am I? Why do you think?
The devil's not stupid, nor is he ignorant. I'll
have to go back and listen to what I've had to
say today. He knows. How to destroy our flesh
and destroy our soul in the process. Why do you
think Paul is telling them, unless the devil
takes advantage of us? Now, this was an offense
in the church, not even outside. He's talking
about a brother who offended within the church
and the punishment that took place. You know
why we have so many church problems a lot of
times? We ain't got no pastor with a backbone
to say, sit down, shut your mouth. I rebuke you
through the word, and in the name of Jesus Christ,
you are out of line. Paul would even go to far
and say, turn them over to the devil if they
ain't going to straighten up. Put them out and
turn them over. Oh, you can't do that. Well,
that's the problem with so many churches and
so many church problems and squabbles and fights.
Nobody got a backbone to say, sit down, shut
up, and get in line. Thus saith the Lord and
the preacher. Unless the devil takes advantage
of us. We're not going to give him any place.
Isn't there a scripture that says that? Give
no place to the devil. Resist him and what happens?
He flees from you when we submit ourselves under
the mighty hand of God. When you understand and
ignorance is washed away with the knowledge.
If I bow my knee to God, put my face and nose
in his word. resist the devil. He must obey the
word of God and flee from me. So understanding
our enemy. Peter says your adversary the devil
is as a roaring lion. Not he is a lion but he
is a roaring lion. What's that mean? You've been
on safari, did you hear a lion roar? Actually,
you did. It's piercing in. Every other animal
lower than the lion on the food chain trembles
when the lion roars. I think elephants are probably
safe, but there are not many others that are
safe from the lion. I almost got as big as a
baby elephant, but I'm not an elephant, so that
means I'm lower on the food chain, and I'm no
match for the roaring lion. Because it intimidates
the roar. Intimidates. The roar strikes fear.
The gazelles lift up their head. The willow beast
and everything else are drawn to attention. When
the lion, where's he at? And they're not so much
worried about where he's at as the ones that
does the damage. That be the lioness. Oh. Could
we not priest on the diminished powers of the
enemy? Could we not declare the work of demonic
forces? Could we not just say and talk about
demonic forces and demons that are at work in
various places? You do understand that the devil
is not omnipresent. My God in heaven. do know
he's not omnipresent. You do know he's not everywhere
at all times. He has his minions diminished.
He has them disputed. He has them dispersed throughout
the world. It's not the devil coming against
you. So if it ain't he and he has to flee when
you resist him, the demons are no match for the
power of Christ that is in you. We think more
highly of ourselves than we ought to sometimes.
Well, the devil was on me yesterday. No, he wasn't.
He sent one of his imp wimps. That wasn't a devil.
He's in one place, and I'm sure that there are
other preachers doing more for the kingdom than
what I'm doing, and I'm doing all I can. But
there are others. That would draw his attention
besides me. The Franklin Grahams of this world
were umpteen thousands. Ronnie Howard Browns
are preaching conferences in remote places with
150 ,000 showing up and 50 ,000 giving their
hearts to the Lord. Definitely ain't got time
to waste on me. He's got another higher priority.
So what's he do? He's sending one of his wimp
imps to come and pester me. Aggravate the very
life out of me. Huh? That's what he does. That's
what's bothering you. It's not the devil. Get
a little backbone about you. It ain't old Lucifer,
old sleuth. It ain't the dragon, the old serpent.
He's not showed up. It's one of those fallen
spirits. Well, as a roaring lion goeth about
seeking whom he may devour. John 8, 44 gives
you another insight of who he is. He says, you
are your father, the devil. Then he goes on down
saying, and your father is a lie. And the father
of all liars. It's not that he's a liar. He's
a lie. Huh? Let that sink in a minute. He is
a lie. Everything that comes out of his mouth
is a lie. He couldn't even tempt Eve with the
whole scripture. He had to distort. and lie to
deceive her into taking the fruit. Yeah. Revelations
12 and 10. Let me read a little part of that.
Thank you, Lord. There was a loud, I heard a
loud voice in heaven saying, and that loud voice
makes a declaration. Then he says, the accuser
of the brethren. Which accused them day and night.
That's all he does. Is accuses. Lies. John 10
and 10. Know your enemy. He's a thief. Who cometh
not but to steal, kill, and destroy. Now, I don't
want you to be ignorant of all that, so I've
told you, well, I've heard that. Well, are you
fully understanding that? Hearing it and understanding
it is two different things. Do you understand
what the devil's plan for your life is? He wants
your future wrapped within his future. He knows.
If I was in a black church this morning, I'd
say, he know what's coming his way. And then
about 50 would get up, wow. Because they know
what I'm saying to you. He know what's coming
his way. And he don't want to go alone. That
third of heaven's angels that fell with him,
they don't want to go alone. So they do his bidding.
Why? Because they fell to the lie. They fell
into the deception. The deceiver, the accuser
tricked them and they fell with him. And they
know that somewhere in heaven there's an angel
polishing a chain. And the master of their future
is going to be chained and bound for a thousand
years. But then after he's loosed, they know
they're condemned. They know their future is
doomed. They know that that eternal lake of fire
was for them. Lucifer fell before Adam was created.
Hell wasn't prepared for you and I, for humanity,
but hell enlarges herself every day according
to the word of God. Why? pastor to accommodate
the occupancy that's headed its way. What I don't
want is your name on the reservation with him
and them. So why do I preach the way I do? So
that you'll cancel your reservation. That's why.
Because there's nothing but hell, fire, and brimstone.
Jesus said it like this. It's a place where the
worm dieth not. Your body is consumed in a torrential
torment of flame where there is weeping and wailing
and gnashing of teeth where you see. and recognize
those who have backslid but could have told you
a different way. They gnash and they lash at
each other and they destroy. And it isn't over
today. It isn't over tonight. It isn't over tomorrow.
Honey, it's never over. Know your enemy. The
thief cometh not but to steal, kill, and to destroy.
Jesus said, but I've come that they. Who's they?
Them. Might have life. And have it more abundantly.
So it's important we know who our enemy is. But
I think it's far greater to know who your God
is. What time is it, my Lord? Oh, I preach too
long about the devil. Because some folks act
like they're ignorant that he's even out there.
Is that you? I hope not. I hope you know that
hell's real. And the deception that he comes
against your flesh with in this walk of life
isn't going to be worth the payment that it's
going to extract from you. Hell ain't worth just
living right, I'm telling you. The exchange for
living in sin. That's the reason the Bible, let
me give you some more knowledge, the Bible says
that the pleasure of sin lasts for a season.
It's temporary. It's fun getting drunk till your
liver's killing you. It's fun getting drunk till
you get behind the wheel and hit some poor innocent
family head on. And take out three, four, five,
six, seven, eight -year -olds. Oh, pastor, you're
real today. Well, hell's real. Why not get real
here? Because I can preach heaven just as sweet
as I can hell hot, and I'm about to in just a
minute. I'm not going to leave you feeling the
flames of hell lapping at the bottom of your
feet. I don't want you to feel that. Neither
did the God of glory. How do you know? For God
so loved the world. Let me give you some more
knowledge. For God so loved the world that he
gave his only begotten son that should what?
Should what not? Not perish. Not burn. Not gnash.
Not maggots crawl over our skin eating us as
we are very standing. If you're visiting today,
am I always this graphic? Not always, but come
back next week. Knowing your enemy. Knowing he's
out there to lie every time you turn around.
And so when you take into consideration what
he's trying to do when he gets others to hurt
your little feelings, and you get all bent out
of shape and tore up, Because somebody said something
hurt your feelings. Do you know what the first
trigger to every church attender is when that
happens? Well, I just ain't going back. Well,
okay. Forfeit a hurt feeling for hell then. See,
the transformation when sin took place in the
garden, it didn't just cause death to come on
our life, but what it did is it... transformed
our very nature. You see, in the garden, Adam
had a tender heart and a tough skin. Brars and
all that stuff, they put him there. And he had
a very tender heart, and he walked with God in
the cool of the day every day. Talked with him.
He didn't get bent out of shape and nervous and
scared about God until he sinned. Then his heart
got hard. And his skin got soft. Now he gets...
Pricked by the briars that he has to go out and
clear the field just to survive. When all he
used to have to do is walk around and eat everything
but one item. See how the devil does? See how,
you've got it all. You're in a garden. It's all
there. He said, you can eat everything. Grab
a maple limb. I don't care. No way. I don't know
how it was. Everything's here. You can eat it
all. But I've got one little bush in the middle
that I've preserved for myself. Don't eat it.
And the day that you eat of it, you shall surely
die. See, that's when man and the devil, the
devil thought he knew God's plan. Oh, he don't
want you to eat that because you'll be like him.
You'll know right from wrong, good and evil.
No, that ain't what you get. All we got out of
that deal was the evil. That's it. That's it.
Left unlearned, uneducated, you do not have to
educate evil actions. You have to educate right
actions. You have to smack the hand of your young
'un and go grab the sucker out of his sister
or brother's mouth. Not their hand, they'd about
pull teeth. Man! You don't have to teach that.
It's the innate character of the fallen soul
of humanity. Sin. No, you have to tear that hind
end up a few times and say, no, it's not yours.
And if you were like me growing up, it took more
than a few times. As you grew, so did the limbs
Mother chose to emphasize her point. Knowing
who your enemy is and what his end goal for your
life is also means you've got to know who your
God is and his end goal for your life. You've
still got a few minutes. It'd be all right if
I preach past the Baptist at the restaurant and
you can just walk right in. You have to know
that God is on your side. You have to know that
God is ever for you and not against you. He don't
have to be against you. We get against ourself.
But one day without getting in right alignment
with him, you will stand on the wrong side of
God. You'll stand on the side of his judgment
and his wrath against sin. You need to know something.
Let me educate you this morning. I don't want
you to be ignorant about this. It isn't that
God despises you. When we stand before him at
that great white throne judgment, it's not that
he's against you. You need to know that today.
God is for you and not against you. But God is
against sin. He judges the sin in our life and
pronounces judgment upon it. Depart from me,
thou worker of iniquity, for I never knew you.
Enter into darkness. Cast them out. Throw them
out. But then our woke culture says, well, He's
not like that. Well, I'm sorry, but he is. You
have to know that the God who loves you is not
willing that any should perish, but that all
should come into repentance and eternal life.
That's his goal for your life and mine. Eternal
life with him in heaven where we walk down the
river of life. The trees that are along its bank,
you can just eat again. God loves us, cares for
us. He's not against us. And so when we understand
that, for though we walk in the flesh, we don't
war after the flesh. And so we understand that
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but
they are mighty through God to the pulling down
of strongholds, right? And casting down every
imagination that what? Exalts itself against
the knowledge of God. Everything that the enemy
is trying to pull down and to tear you down with
is contrary to the knowledge of the goodness
and the grace of God. But what God desires to
do with the weapons of your warfare. That helmet
of salvation, that breastplate of righteousness.
Have your feet sharp with the preparation of
the gospel. Have your belt of truth around you,
your sword in your hand, your helmet on, your
shield of faith, the word of God. He wants you
to know that you are able to overcome every wild,
deceit, trick, tactic, plan of the devil. He
don't want him to have advantage over you, so
he gives you everything that you would need in
your arsenal to overcome him. He is for you and
not against you. God is never silent. When we
get frustrated, when we're praying for a week
or a day or two or a month or two or a year or
two or a decade or so, when we pray about something
and we do not see the result that we are desiring
to see, In our humanity, we need action and movement
to maintain and to resolve our faith and to keep
us praying. We need to see something. How many
times in projects and different things you just
need to see something happen? Right? Just any
little thing. Ladies on that honeydew list, I
mean, just pick one, honey. Let me know that
you're hearing me. It doesn't have to be one
of the big ones. Just... Let me see some movement
out of you. My dad used to always tell my mom,
I'm getting ready. It got to be where it was
a joke around the house. I actually referred
to it the other day. Pop's 85. He can't hardly
get in and out of the house after that four bypass.
Mom's still got a list. I said, well, I guess
he's still getting ready. I think that was his
answer. My dad's name is Winfred. From the south,
it's Winford. For mother, it's Wint. Wint! I'm
getting ready. I never told him to do anything.
Oh, that's the reason I was trimming these peach
trees yesterday. Dad worked hard. All my life,
all I've ever, my dad worked for a hobby. He'd
work construction. He's a carpenter. Worked at
all these nuclear plants everywhere. All he did
was work. And you'd think on the weekend he'd
like to go fishing. No. No. We put in septic
tanks and fill lines and driveways. And we paved
driveways. That was his hobby. In his 60s and
70s, he picked up a new hobby. After he retired,
he picked up a new hobby. He liked getting out
there on the side of the mountain, this quarry
stone. You see those brown and pink looking sandstones?
My dad, by himself, 60s and 70s, would get out
there by himself. 20 pound sledge and wedges
and pop that stuff up in three and four fifths
sheets. Stand them up and walk them end by end
and put them on a pallet. By himself. I said,
Pop, what are you doing? You're retired. Why
you got to do something, son? I said, in my mind,
I'm like, he just don't want to go do that honey
-do list. But I think all that stuff kept him
so that he had this massive heart attack, and
he's just worked all his life, and he's still
kicking. I told him, I said, you're going to
get 15 more years out of this, Pop. You'll be
a 100 -year -old, cane -tankerous old man. God
is on your side. Stand with me. I'm going to
quit. I'm babbling now. He's never silent. Long
-term faith in a seemingly silent God is a spiritual
struggle. I want you to hear this this morning.
Long -term faith in a seemingly silent God is
a struggle. It's a struggle for me sometimes
because... I'm impatient. But I have learned
something. My impatience does not move God. But
it also doesn't mean that whatever happens, He's
always there. He's busy working on our behalf
while we slumber. He's on the job while we're
in our dreams. He's fully engaged when we have
unplugged. The psalmist said in 22 and 2, Oh
my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest
not. And in the night season, I'm not silent.
121, 3 through 5 says in the Psalms, He will
not suffer thy foot to be moved, and he that
keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that
keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper. The Lord is your shade
upon your right hand. He's the God who moves
outside of our vision. And he occupies himself
with tasks beyond our comprehension. I want you
to hear this this morning. His eyes peer into
what we can't see and his hands work skillfully
where we can only fumble. This is a God who reaches
and thinks and plans and shapes and watches,
controls, protects, provides and feels and he
acts while we are unconscious in the nighttime
hours. I don't want you to be ignorant this morning.
Ignorance limits us in our faith. Ignorance limits
the miraculous power of God from working in our
life. Because we don't know that it's available.
But it's available. He's available. And I know
life gets very frustrating, doesn't it? Anybody
ever get frustrated besides your pastor? I do.
I get frustrated. You don't think we're happy
about where we're at right now, do you? No. No,
it's very frustrating. But I have learned. over
nearly 59 years, that God's in all things. He's
right in the middle of this with Sister Kathy
and I. When we're frustrated, He's not. You need
to know that. When you're scattered and scrambled,
He's got it all together. He's got it all together.
When old Slootfoot comes up, when the serpent
enters in, He can't deceive him. You remember
he tried in the wilderness. Well, if you be the
son of God, I know you're hungry. It's been 40
days since you've eaten. There's some rocks.
Turn them into bread. He had to do a little better
than that. A man should not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of the Father. Well, let's go up to this
high place. Jump off from here. You know what
the word says. He'll not dash your foot. He'll
send angels charging. No, you should not tempt
the Lord thy God. Come on, devil. You know who
I am. It's because I've fasted a few days. I'm
not that weak. He tried it all. And so God is
unmoved. By the devices, the schemes, the tactics,
and the plan of the devil. Because he's already
got his end written out. He'll be cast into a
pit forever. Now that gives me great joy. No
more lies. No more accusations. Can't offend
anymore. Right? No deception anymore. Because
we know that the God we serve declares over our
lives even today, no weapon formed against you
shall prosper. You need to know that. No weapon
formed against you. What is a weapon? Anything
that is used to harm you. In a classroom, teachers
know that a paper wad can be dangerous. Well,
it's just paper. No. Hit in the right place,
you could lose an eye with a paper wad. That's
the way it is in life. There's no such thing
as non -sequential weapons. Anything that devil
can use against you, he can destroy you with
it. But you have to know this, that those weapons
will not prosper. It didn't say they wouldn't
hurt. That it won't prosper. And every tongue.
Every voice that rises up against the what? The
knowledge of. Shall be cast down. It's good to
know that the Lord is your shepherd. You shall
not want brethren. I would not have you to be
ignorant concerning these things. If the Bible
says it, it's for you. Too many times we're destroyed
for lack of knowledge. I get you for about an
hour and a half on Sunday morning. If you attend
on Wednesday, there's another hour. And then
you're out there vulnerable the rest of the week.
And the enemy is out to kill you. But God is
out to preserve you. Isn't that good to know?
That he that watches over you never slumbers
nor sleeps. The eyes of the Lord go to and fro,
and the Bible says that his ear is ever turned
earthward. The psalmist in his distress said,
God, I pray all day, I cry all night, and you
just not listen to me. Yes, he is. He's heard
every word. Well, he sure ain't doing anything
about it. Anybody besides me ever say that one?
Well, if you're hearing me, just like when you
kid, I didn't answer everything my kid said to
me. That answer was always no. No. Everything.
No. That was my first response. No. Then you
had to explain to me why I should say yes. Well,
that's no way to be. Well, my children understand
what no means. We live in a culture today that
you tell people no, they just fall to pieces.
I didn't say I never gave them some of the things
they asked for. I did. Just the way he does us.
He didn't give me everything I asked for. But
he gives me enough. Father, I love you today.
Advancing beyond the limits of ignorance, I hope
I've helped some today. I know I've helped myself.
You've helped me, Lord. You've touched me. Father,
I pray over each today. If your neighbor don't
mind, let's just join hands. If your neighbor
don't mind, ask them if it's okay. If it's okay,
just take your neighbor's hand. We're going to
pray one for another. I started to get you all
the way down here, but I think this is a little
different. We don't do this. We've gotten all
skittish since COVID, and we don't even hardly
touch each other. Shake hand. But we link together
our faith. And the one on your right may be at
a weak moment and you may be at a strong moment.
And we're connected by our faith. Some of those
in your row and front and behind you are dealing
with some very serious issues in life. Some need
healing in their body. Some need peace in their
mind. Some need financial miracles. Anybody ever
needed one of those? So let's pray one for another.
Father, all across this room today, we're joining
our faith. Lord, if my brother and my sister
are on the right or left, if they're at a weak
moment, I pray right now that you strengthen
them. I pray you strengthen their faith. You
encourage their faith today. That they be encouraged
in knowing, yes, there's an enemy out to kill
me, but there's even greater a God out to save
me. God is out to save them. God is out to liberate
them and let them know that no weapon formed
against them shall prosper. You're on our side.
You're on their side. You're on our side this
morning. You know and you care today and you're
concerned about us this morning. You love us.
You don't want us in hell. That's why you sent
Jesus so that we don't have to go there. It's
not your desire that the enemy has power over
our life, but it's your desire that we live victorious.
Your word is you came that we might have life
and it more. abundantly, bountifully, blessed,
pleasurable. That's why you came. The enemy torments
our minds, but you come. Your word said this.
You've come that we might have peace. You said,
my peace give I unto you, not as the world gives,
but as I give unto you, that your joy may be
full. Fill up some joy cups in this house today,
Lord. May we be able to declare like the psalmist,
my cup runneth over. Fully blessed, full and
filled, and ever learning and growing in the
knowledge of the faith. Fathers, you watch over.
There are those who need healing in their bodies.
And according to your word, by your stripes,
we are healed. We are healed. We claim it because
of the work of Calvary. We claim healing. We
speak healing. Well, what if it doesn't happen?
I'll get up tomorrow and claim it again. I'll
get up the next day and proclaim it again. I'll
get up the next day after that and proclaim it
again. Well, what if he never does? One day I'm
going to receive the ultimate healing. One day
we'll receive the ultimate healing. This old
flesh is going to melt away. Hallelujah. We're
going to be transformed, transfigured, and receive
a new glory. So until then, I'll keep proclaiming
it, not knowing that the next day or the next
prayer or the next declaration, we may be healed
here. Hallelujah. Lord, watch over your people.
Protect your people. As we break down the limits.