Shenandoah Bible Baptist Church
Isaiah's Message to the Wordly Crowd
to God be the glory amen and amen Isaiah please chapter 14 Isaiah 14 thank you Jessica appreciate your help Isaiah 14 please this morning in this passage of scripture it's a little bit sometimes when I come to this passage a little bit of a eye-opener a little bit of a reminder and you might say well why are we going to Isaiah 14 today we're actually going to be we're going to stay in the book of Isaiah today I'm sure I will quote many different passages but we're going to stay in Isaiah I like Isaiah Isaiah is a great and powerful book and I know it's big and it's long and there's a lot of prophecy in there and there's some history as well but it's a great book it's a picture of the Bible did you know that? Isaiah is a picture of the Bible 66 chapters like 66 books of the Bible 39 of them warning of judgment to come and and getting people to turn back to the Lord and then of course like 39 books of the Old Testament and then the last 27 and after judgment had come and that the Lord would have mercy and they could still come back to him and as a picture of the Bible and Isaiah I believe inspired of courses from from the Holy Spirit of God using the man Isaiah to prophesy great book of the Bible but notice in chapter 14 he gives us a picture of somebody we ought to know about he gives us a look back at when sin originated look at chapter 14 verse 12 if you would please verse 12 the Bible says how art thou fallen from heaven o Lucifer son of the morning how art thou cut down to the ground which dits weaken the nations for thou has said in thine heart I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne above the stars of God I will sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I will be like the most high verse 15 yet thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit wow Lord help us now please as we look to your word and preach the message that you have prepared please for us today and we ask you now through the Holy Spirit God would you do some great things in Jesus name amen here we see this name Lucifer some of us may be understanding who that is some of us may not Lucifer means the day star in other words a star that shines bright in the daytime he was created to be a glorious being beautiful wonderful with with if you if you were read another passage in Ezekiel 28 it describes him how he was perfect in his creation a beautiful being with pipes created in him a master of music and able to to really just be a sight to be seen but he was created for the purpose to glorify the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ we know that the Bible talks about and calls Lucifer the seraphim angel a seraphim we see them around the throne of God in Isaiah chapter 6 and in Revelation chapter 4 and 5 they circle the throne of God and they're singing praise and they're crying out holy holy holy that aren't worthy and we see this praise coming out of these seraphim that's who he was created to be also is called he's called the cherub as well a cherub another type of angel one that would would actually guard the throne of God and with his wings if you remember when they built when Solomon built a temple there was cherubs built over the holy of holies where the wings would come together and they would they would connect over that and then on the ark of the covenant the cherub's wings over top that as well meaning to cover to guard he was one that had right close access to God we see three angels mentioned in scripture by name we assume those three to be archangels or meaning for high ranking angels we know one was Michael he's called the archangel but we see that we have Gabriel and Lucifer also in the scriptures and therefore we assume that those three would be the archangels Lucifer when he was removed from heaven the Bible says in Revelation took one third of the stars of heaven meaning one third of the angels God created with him when he was removed from heaven and Jesus Christ he acknowledged that and he confirmed that when in Luke chapter 10 he says this I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven Jesus he would have known he was there he was he's the creator he's the one that created Lucifer and he was the one that said you got to get out of here but here I want you to see that we know Lucifer obviously by another name Satan even by another name the devil the Bible calls him the serpent the dragon calls him Beelzebub many other forms and many other names and we see here in this text the origin of sin you notice it doesn't take place in some city that we have deemed a sinful city it doesn't take place on earth it takes place and have a here and it says it says that we see the Bible here describes his five eye wills did you see that look if you would in verse 13 it says for thou has said in nine heart I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne above the stars of God I will sit also upon the mound of the congregation in the sides of the north I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I will be like the most high that's his agenda to be like God he desires to be like God do you know many of us understand the trinity the holy trinity of the father of the son and the holy ghost the spirit with the Bible teaches us that many several several different times in first john chapter five it says there are three that bear record in heaven the father of the son or excuse me the father of the word and the holy ghost referring to the father son in the spirit but the devil has taken on that likeness and tried to be like God all right he's tried to be like and we see in Revelation that there's actually an evil trinity in the book of Revelation where the Satan himself and then he has what is called the beast which is the antichrist and then we have the false prophet which is the opposite of the holy spirit he wants to be like God and he would love to take your praise but he will settle with you just not given praise to God that's really the message today as we we focus in on what Isaiah is going to give us here today it's not necessarily that we'll be running around chanting that the devil was something great or that we'll join some demonic church or whatever the case is i don't know how you'd call that a church but but any case a group of people that worship the devil but if the devil can get us to turn our eyes from God and can turn our eyes from the throne where Jesus Christ will sit and you know and and and praising him if he can get us away from that and get us focused on something else then he's working his agenda he's working his agenda can i just remind his church i think we know this but we need to hear it he's not your friend he doesn't want what's best for you and he doesn't he's not worried about making you happy but listen here it seems that way it seems that way doesn't it George seems that way but you understand we can look in scripture and we can see it he's not worried about your happiness in the end in fact the bible teaches us when we're reading Hebrews chapter 11 how Moses had a choice Moses could have chosen Egypt in the world and all the pleasure and he said and God said but he chose not he said there he chose not to have pleasure in sin for the season there's sin comes for a little while that happiness of sin comes for a short while but in the end of there is is death actually the bible says in Proverbs 20 it says bread of deceit is sweet to a man bread gotten in sin but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel you won't like it eventually and it'll be a disgusting thing to you and when you're always looking over your shoulder and you're feeling unclean and God's convictions on you it was sweet in the beginning but you won't like it in the end you won't like it the truth is the devil is working his agenda trying to get you distracted with this world with temptation of sin and wherever everything else if he can get your eyes off of God it doesn't matter it doesn't matter if he needs to if he uses you if he abuses you however he does it he wants to he wants to get your eyes off of God the the bible warns us about it doesn't it this verse is quoted off and Peter warned us about it in first Peter five he says be sober I mean let's be in a right mind be vigilant right why because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion's walk of the bout seeking whom he may devour now you know that and I know that we've read those scriptures many of us have but oftentimes we forget we forget that Lucifer whom we call the devil Satan is a liar Jesus calls him that he's a deceiver he's convinced this world to chase after their own wants their own wishes their own agendas and do what they think feels good what they think is best right every man does that which is right in his own eyes Proverbs says many times tries to get you to chase after something like that such after your will but can I tell you if he can do that he's he's won with his agenda for you you say what do you mean by that I mean the fact that the devil controls this world don't you remember in Job beginning of Job that was way back but in the early days I mean Job was one of the we believe one of the oldest books of pen of scripture there's no mention of the law of the Old Testament of Abraham and Moses in there we believe it's one of the oldest sections of scripture and in Job when God comes along with the sons of God came to present themselves before before him the devil came along and he says what do you even up to he says walking to and fro in the earth God knows or excuse me the devil knows this world and he has great control over it wasn't planning to say this but there's a passage in Daniel where one was was an angel was supposed to come to Daniel and he was withheld by a higher angel that and there was there's there's powers and there's there's evil spirits that are put in this world to control men of this world and nations and all kinds of things the devil has great control over this world and what he wants to do is agenda is to get you focused on the world and focused on what you think you want and what will bring pleasure to you and take your eyes off of God and then his agenda is working can I remind you that he's real good at deception second Corinthians chapter 11 says for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light I know that Hollywood has given us the picture of a little red guy with a pitchfork you know a little horns or whatever on the tail my friend that's not true he was an angel created with great glory and beauty and wisdom beyond our comprehension Ezekiel 28 describes him like that you know what he does he makes evil look good turns things all around and he gets our eyes on that which is wrong and we love it and we enjoy it right up into the point when it destroys us listen to what Jesus said Jesus was speaking of him in John chapter eight and I just want to read this to you you don't have to turn there we're gonna stay in Isaiah says this ye are of your father the devil and the lust of your father ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him when he speak of the lie he speak of his own for he is a liar and the father of it and because I tell you the truth you believe me not knows the first part of that that I read it says ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do now just like Satan and his eye wills here just like he had a will and he had a way and he tried to work his way do you know he wants us to do the same exact thing not what God wants not what brings God glory not necessarily what's best for our family or or whatever the case was spiritually beneficial for our family for our for my wife for my children he wants me to work my will on what I think is going to bring me pleasure and happiness because he knows it's going to destroy me the bible says very clearly in Romans chapter 12 verse 2 to not be conformed to this world that's his playground what's that word world mean it means this present age it means the day that we're living in it's controlled by the devil it's like man that's pretty negative message it's pretty harsh well we need it we need this warning we got to know our enemy it's wise when when the united states is is about to face an enemy that we got some intelligence on them that we got some some counsel on them God gives us these warnings in his scripture but I want you to see in Isaiah some other things that he lays out here for us understanding that the devil has a a purpose has an agenda and he wants us to to think that we're working our own purpose in creating what we think is best in our own will but he's a manipulator and he can make it to be his way bible gives us evidence of that we've seen it notice over in Isaiah 29 would you would you flip over to 29 please Isaiah chapter 29 please before you get saved the bible describes you as a child of the devil but even after you get saved though he can't possess you though he can't control you he can still put things in your way to distract you to get you off course and to bring shame upon your life into the name of Christ he can do that he's done it many times he's done it in your life and he's done it in my life already notice if you would in Isaiah 29 verse 13 please God gives Isaiah this message and we need to hear it he says wherefore the Lord said for as much as this people draw near me with their mouth and with their lips do honor me let's pause there in other words they look like they're doing right well they're putting on a good show right they're in church they're singing the songs they're doing what they need to do but watch the rest of the verse but have removed their heart far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the precept of men in other words the fear of God the respect the reverence towards God the way that we act towards God and treat him as such is taught not of scripture not of the way the Holy Spirit leads but of what men of this world are teaching us precept of men be cautious what we're learning in the world and bringing in the church amen that's just a side note for us but we can see that in the scripture look at verse 14 therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people even a marvelous work and a wonder for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid looking for 15 please well unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord and their works are in the dark and they say who seeeth us and who knoweth us isn't it amazing that mankind can think we can hide what we're doing from God sometimes we think well nobody's going to find out well God knows he knows my mind he knows my thoughts he knows the intentions he knows it all the Bible teaches me that excuse me he says in verse 16 surely you're turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay doesn't it seem like we live in a world where everything's upside down let me read that again surely you're turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay for shall the work say of him that made it he made me not or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it he had no understanding can you imagine that I mean consider a potter right he's got the clay in his hand and he's it's on that wheel and whether it's electronic or mechanical and he's spinning that wheel and he's shaping that clay to be what he wants it to be maybe some kind of a vessel for holding a drink or a bowl or or something for flowers or whatever it might be but he's creating something in his hands of that clay and then the clay takes form and turns around and looks at him says who are you what are you doing get out of here I don't need you that's exactly what Isaiah is preaching here that men have done to God it sounds just like a Romans chapter one Romans chapter one says who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator who is blessed forever we're good at that are we not worshiping men that's right and the things that man has done the modern day religions coming away from the truth and and all these things and and these philosophies and all these things humanism and oh well man's generally good and a man would just be left to be he would be okay and all this nonsense is garbage is out there you know the Bible says I'm a sinner and if I'm left to myself in my sin I'm going to die and go to hell that's what the Bible says because I'm contrary to the law of God and I can't do anything on my own that's why I needed Jesus Christ to intervene and pay for the sin debt that I had in my life praise God his blood was shed and paid for my sin that when I realized when I knew from the scripture I was a sinner I could cry out to him and say Lord because not only you died but you rose from the dead and because of that I can call on you and I can be saved and I pray and ask you to save me today I remember when I did that September 18th 1989 a little while ago I remember that praise God for it let's go to chapter 30 here look at verse one I say a 30 verse one the Bible says woe to the rebellious children saith the Lord notice that rebellious children that take counsel but not of me and that cover with a covering but not of my spirit that they may add sin to sin they walk to go down into Egypt okay when we read Egypt in the scripture it's always a picture of the world okay remember when when Israel got saved out of Egypt remember Moses and the coming out the Ten Commandments all of that right so if you remember the night before they left God said take a lamb right perfect spotless lamb right you take that lamb right and you take the blood and you put it on your door posts and when I see the blood I will pass over you and the first born of the of the house would not be killed and they came out that next very next morning came out and they were saved by that blood and they became out of Egypt and they left the world behind that is a picture of what God wants for us today Jesus Christ died on the cross is perfect sinless lamb that died on the cross shed his blood and when we get saved when we acknowledge that he's our Savior and ask him to save us he desires us to come out of the world that old life come out of that and be different be separate saith the Lord amen now here in verse two it says that walk to go down into Egypt returning to the old life and have not asked of my mouth to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and to trust in the shadow of Egypt can you imagine that us that are saved we come out of a lifestyle a life of sin and we get saved and we trust in the Lord for salvation but we can't trust in him when we're having a little trouble with our finances we can't trust in him when we're having a little addiction to something or we're having a little pull or temptation something and we go to the world for help all the time that's what it's saying here verse three therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your what church shame and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion wow look at verse seven would you please for the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose therefore have I cried concerning this their strength is to sit still in other words israel if you would have just stayed put when you were having that bad day when you're in the middle of that storm if you would have stayed put and you would have trusted in me that would have been your strength but instead you ran to the world you ran to the world verse eight now go write it before them in a table and noted in a book that it may be for the time to come forever and ever that this is a rebellious people lying children children that will not hear the law of the Lord wow let's go to chapter 31 please you're doing well class thank you for staying with me Isaiah 31 look at verse one woe to them that go down to Egypt for help and stay on horses and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong that israel understands this because god right before they came into the promised land he said if you if when you get a king don't let him multiply horses to himself don't let him multiply gold to himself and don't let him multiply women to himself he said that very distinctly three things you know solemn and broke all three of those things and then the kingdom was divided and they went downhill from there right and he said he's talking about going back to egypt as egypt had a lot of horses they had they were a place that people would go for horses he says but the end of the verse here verse one but they look not unto the holy one of israel neither seek the lord yet he also is wise and will bring evil and will not call back his words but will arise against the house of the evil doers and against the help of them that work iniquity now watch verse three if you haven't seen any other verse watch this now look at israel 31 3 now the Egyptians are men and not god there is only one god his name is Jehovah and his son the lord jesus christ who are and the holy spirit three and one there is one god there is none else he says that multitudes of time in this book right here israel but yet we look to the world like there's saviors out here in the world and we worship all kinds of different people and figures who've got money and who've got who've got a name for themselves and all these other things and we put sports figures and and movie stars on the walls and we worship people and he's saying they're men they're not god now the Egyptians are men and not god in their horses flesh and not spirit when the lord shall stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is hopan shall fall down in other words the one looking for help and the one the given the help they're going to fail and they shall fail together it says wow now remember please what do we what do we understood at this point the devil's got an agenda he's got a will the origin of sin with him was i will we know he's got a way we know he controls this world we have evidence of that multiple times in this scripture and we know that oftentimes he uses this world to distract us can i remind you that he's also a liar and he's been lying to us and we hear these lies and sometimes we're buying into them it doesn't matter for saved or unsaved we buy into them can i can i give you one of them one of these lies that we're hearing in the world today follow your heart that is a lie of Satan it is not biblical it is not right it is not of the lord follow your heart you know what does that mean that means what what what's on the inside what i feel what i want what i desire wait a minute you and i were so fickle back and forth we desire so many different things all the time amen you men know right well you've been married a long long time decades even and you love the woman you're with and she's been a great help meet to you and the devil can put one little thing in front of you and catch your eye for a minute and all of a sudden you've got a feeling that's never been there before and it's wrong and it ain't right we can't chase our feelings we can't chase our heart no get to the truth and understand what's righteous and what's right and will help us to stay on the straight and narrow to help us keep what we want don't sacrifice what you want the most for what you want at the moment amen we need to hear that whether we're young people or whether we're adults or whether we're in our young adulthood or we're later stages or somewhere in the middle we need to hear that truth don't follow your heart you know the god says opposite of it he says in Jeremiah we know this the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it you don't know what you're going to feel tomorrow you have an idea but you don't know that you know real well that well you know that I'm a diabetic but generally I mean according to my doctor I'm doing okay all right but I have this thing I like called coke I love me a sweet drink okay coca-cola all right Pepsi Cola whatever Cola all right I like it put a little cherry in there cherry coke all right that's good I like it but now listen to me I don't go all out all out to lunch I mean everything with that I I do all right I do just a little you got to do it in moderation all right I try to teach jethro that all right we can we can enjoy some things but we got to do it in moderation we can't just we'll blow it all out of here okay anyways moving on so what I'm saying is sometimes I have a great desire for that but can I tell you that when my sugar is high and I got a weird taste in my mouth I don't have a desire for that all sudden that desire goes out the window and all of a sudden I'm craving ice cold water and I can't get enough of it and I keep drinking and I keep drinking it right why because our desires change our tastes change our our we're human flesh and we're fickle who are back and forth sometimes when you get a little sick or you get a little upset your tastes change and you want this or you want that or maybe you're with child and all of a sudden you're crazy there's some people in here maybe could tell us some recent stories okay craziness Miss Heidi I don't know what it was here recently what you were desiring the last nine months or so whatever but uh I don't know you think brother kid well had to go in the middle of night and find like asparagus and and uh potatoes with barbecue sauce on them or what I don't know it's weird we know that we change right now listen let's get back on track here for a minute there's lies of the devil that he's trying to feed to you and he's trying to feed to me and we know their lies you know what another one is you know another one is be true to yourself now I tried to wrap my head around that going what does that even mean I mean true to myself uh I think it means somewhere along the line similar to follow your heart because it's you know me what I want true to myself what I feel I don't need to listen everybody else I'll just do what I want and what's best for me right but anyways the scripture tells us opposite we know that's a lie bible says if any man will come after me let him deny himself that's what that's what Jesus said let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me you know what that means take up your cross that means die to yourself mortify the flesh that's what the bible teaches us because I desire something I want something that is not right God says mortify that flesh tell it know and die to your wants and your wishes and follow Jesus and what is right that's what the bible teaches us amen be true to yourself you know what another one is live your truth what live your truth well wait a minute if brother Kidwell is over here I'm sorry I'm picking on you today right but the Kidwell is over here he's living his truth and I'm over here living my truth and brother Jones is over here living his truth well which one's actually truth because there's only one truth and everything else is not truth so it's either truth or it's false so which one's truth none of them Jesus Christ is the truth how can I live my truth and well just because I want to think this and I want to believe this doesn't make it truth no it makes it a lie of the devil that he's put in my mind that I think is right amen and there's a lot can let's get some help today church come on because all of us are on this thing there's a lot of junk that is being taught by this world about righteous things that is not truth and that we're buying into as Christians that we're not getting from the word of God but we're getting off the something else internet and you tubes and and whatever you know all that stuff nowadays okay you can tick the talk and you could face the book and you can all that stuff right you can do all that stuff I'm having fun with you okay all right now watch this now and we're too busy watching these long things and these things just let's it used to be that just because somebody wrote a book didn't mean that they knew what they were talking about I've read books and I said what in the world is this toss that one out you know what I'm saying I have some books in my library that people gave me and I give other preachers have given me and I'm in there going and I'm like what and I literally right in front of the book I do not believe this in case somebody looks in my library but I'm trying to be kind to this guy I can tell you I have a book in there right now that I wrote that in there okay just in case I die and brother Jones goes in there so I want some books and pastor you know I don't want to get them off base okay anyways moving on praise God where was we going with that he meant live your truth don't live your truth live his truth praise God for that Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh under the Father but by me and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free raise God let me give you one more here here's a lie of the devil the world's feeding it to us as long as it as you're happy that's all that matters okay yeah we've seen that work out real well for people haven't we just think through history and then work out so great sin bring shame happiness is so fleeting it's not real joy and happiness and sin for a little while and then all of a sudden it's not you're not happy anymore the Bible says in Mark chapter 8 for whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake in the gospels the same shall save it for what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul don't believe these lies of the devil and these lies that the world are teaching us so where do we go from here where do we go from here would you go back to Isaiah 26 please Isaiah 26 friends I'm not giving you something that that today that I've made up the Lord gave me this and he gave me this very clearly and very strongly here from Isaiah and I'm telling you what it's not that that God wants us to not enjoy our life on earth he doesn't he says I want you to have the abundant life we can enjoy life but we don't need to be bound up with all the sin and junk and flesh of the world the pride of life the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh is first john describes it because it's going to bring us shame I didn't understand that as a younger man and just get this getting a part a bunch of junk and it was always looking over my shoulder and wondering who was watching and who's going to find out and all this junk until I realized that God wanted me to come away from that and be separate and when I was separate I realized that there's great joy in serving Jesus and being righteous I have the freedom to do as I please but I choose to live righteous to honor my God and I can live clear conscious before God now I do mess up I'm not perfect but regularly I come before God and I confess my sin and I get right with him and he already knows what I'm done but he wants me to be humble enough to confess it amen to confess it I believe in confession is a good thing and then him and I can be right and I can be cleansed from all unrighteousness first john one nine says I mean cleanse from that instead of living in that being filth where do we go from here look at Isaiah 26 please here's the opposite here this is what God wants for us look at verse three Isaiah 26 three thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on the amen because he trusted in the trust ye and the Lord forever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength here's the message that God was given to Isaiah instead of running after the world instead of getting part of all this garbage instead of allowing going to to the to Egypt and finding out how Egypt's going to fix all these things and all of this nonsense he says he says I'm going to give you a perfect peace if you just keep your mind stayed on me amen do you want peace I do now I can handle a lot of things and I understand that and we've got to handle the ups and downs of life and and and everything we understand that but if I can can can fight some battles during the day and come home to a peaceful home and I can I can make it I know that I got my safe haven to go home to perfect peace but there's a lot of homes that don't have that is our mind stayed on him do you want everlasting strength how how do we make that practical well john how do we how do we make that practical today in 2024 that my mind is stayed on the church it's really simple and you already know it and number one first of all how do we how do we make that practical how do I how do I keep my mind stayed on the Lord number one you got to be saved you must be born again the Bible says though though you're born physically and you're here in the flesh today the Bible says if you have not been saved you are dead spiritually that's why john chapter three Nicodemus hey Jesus told me you must be born again that was the message last week that was preaching I won't preach it again but that was the message of the hour though Nicodemus had his had his all the outside just right Jesus said you're dead inside you're spiritually not alive you need to be born again when you get born again when in other words of being saved the Bible talks about that uses those two terminologies of the same thing there when we get saved the Bible says he gives us his spirit and the Holy Spirit of God indwells us and he reminds us and convicts us of sin and how to live righteously and reminds us of what God's will is he keeps our mind on the Lord as long as as we're choosing to say no to sin and and yielding to the his spirit number two very simple very simplistic and a lot of warnings today but a very simplistic application here at the end how do I keep my mind state on thee right here the word of God this week was a little bit uh interesting of a week for me a little different than I had expected and I got to Saturday morning and and wasn't quite sure I had an idea but I wasn't exactly sure how God was going to bring about this message really didn't know and I just knelt before him and I said God I need your direction I need your wisdom and I just started reading I just don't I just got I'm literally for about two hours I was just reading through Isaiah just reading and God started pointing out different scriptures and began to stir the same message over and over in my heart and he's in these poking me here and he was poking me here and he was poking me there and I said whoa let me just start preaching right here in my office I said I probably should write something down so they know what I'm talking about but anyways and I got excited about it stay in the word of God now I've encouraged you church back at the beginning of the year I encourage you to be in in your bibles and be in in them daily and regularly and I gave out some Bible reading plans for some of you that like to go straight from Genesis to Revelation and some of you have done that and you've told me you've done that I gave some of you other ones where you could you know do the little thing and you could mark down or whatever you're reading as you're going along so you can see that you're completing the Bible some of you do it digitally that's wonderful we need to get in the word of God wherewithal saw a young man cleanse his way Psalm 119 by taking heed thereto according to thy word we need the word of God Psalm 119 also says this great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them powerful verse right there if I am rooted and grounded in this word right here I won't be tossed around like a sheet in the wind I'll be grounded like a big oak tree with big roots I can withstand a storm amen so the Bible teaches us thirdly here so first you get saved secondly stay in the word you're gonna you're gonna be amazed at this one so simple you're ready for it be faithful to church amen what we're in church preacher why you preaching about that because we need to hear it we need to stay faithful to church Jesus started the church he died for the church he rose for the church he gave his spirit to the church we see all of that in the New Testament and it was important to him why shouldn't it be important important to us amen Paul when he was writing to Timothy he says this but if I teary long the thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God in other words if I don't come for a while I want you just know how you ought to be doing some things in the house of God and then he says in the house of God which is the church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth wow then Paul filled with the Holy Spirit of God is calling the church that that means I can be influenced and greatly affected by the church and I need to get in the church where the Word of God is preached where the songs of praise are sung where the Holy Spirit is having conviction and where the altar call is still happening it affects me for righteousness sake amen now simple message get saved stay in the Word and be faithful to church that will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on the here it is church to wrap it up right here from the beginning to end this devil has an agenda and has a will and wants to get you distracted by this world say no to the world say no to his lies and to his deception stop listening to the world and let's start getting in this book right here amen and amen and I'm going to close it and give you hope there it is here we go church family if your if your mind is not stayed on the Lord I'm going to invite you this morning a couple minutes after 12 I'm going to invite you now this afternoon to use this altar if your mind is not stayed on the Lord come tell them about it talk to them say Lord my mind is not stayed on you I need some help I've been distracted Lord help me maybe you'd find a friend to pray with if you don't have anybody to pray with there's going to be assistant pastors up here in just a moment and some of their wives and some other ladies in the church with bibles and and be glad to help encourage you and pray with you maybe maybe you say Christian maybe say I've been distracted I've been distracted my eyes and my mind and things have been on other places and I've not had my mind stayed on God like it ought to be I don't have that I don't have that peace that I need again come tell them about it confess it to them and talk to the Lord ask for help it happens to all of us the question is or when when we get distracted are we going to get back up and return to the Lord are we just going to stay where we're at a just man fall a seven times and riseeth again amen sometimes when we're straying we find our heart has grown cold and distant we're fleshly carnally minded so far from God you know the Lord Jesus is standing with his arms wide open just waiting for you to come back home I said this recently I'll say it again I love it in Jonah when the Bible says the word of God came unto Jonah the second time God is a God of second chances and a third and fourth and fifth and sixth chances praise God I mean we're talking about a prophet that he was given direction to go reach a people and he went the opposite direction and about about gave killed himself and God saved him miraculously with that whale and then gave him a second chance many of you have been saved miraculously physically from some crazy things and God gave you another chance to do something for him amen if you don't know the Lord personally I mean you might know of God you might have heard me speak of God today but if you don't know him personally if you've never said Lord I'm a sinner and I don't really know you but I'd like to go to heaven I'd like to be saved I want to know more about these things I'm going to invite you to come during this invitation so let's do this please together let's bow our heads please and let's stand together I'm going to ask Miss Jessica to come to the piano in just a moment when she's coming now rather these altar these steps of this altar right here this is a place that is set apart sanctified for the master's use where sinners can come get right with a holy God and you can pray anywhere but this is set apart in this place for that purpose and when we make decisions in our heart we can then we can then seal it in our mind and in our heart by putting motion to the decisions that God is putting in our hearts and we can remember using the altar and making a decision for God let's bow together and let's have an invitation I invite you to meet with the Lord this morning father would you be glorified please as this invitation is now and now comes to this point Lord Lord Jesus would you draw sinners unto yourself there are some in here that are unsaved and Lord need to need to receive you as Savior and Lord they know about you but they don't know you and I pray that God you would save them Lord may they be humble enough and have the courage to just walk forward and say what must I do to be saved what must I do and Lord I remember when I did that many years ago I pray that God the Christians in here that have been distracting and been in all all kinds of different ways and different things that they've had their eyes and heart on Lord I pray that we would come home to the Lord I come home back home to you God you're patiently waiting and you're calling us back home would you help us now in this invitation please may you be glorified as we come to you when we ask this now please in your precious name the piano is playing would you come would you use this altar would you use this altar come on church we've been distracted we've let the devil