The Sermon Keep It Simple by Doe Rogers
Nov 25, 2012
Keep It Simple (25:19)
Referenced Scriptures: 2 Timothy 4
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2 Timothy 4
1) I charge you therefore before God and the Lord, Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2) preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching.
3) For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts;
4) and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside to fables.
5) But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.
6) For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure has come.
7) I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.
8) From now on, there is stored up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.
9) Be diligent to come to me soon,
10) for Demas left me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
11) Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministering.
12) But I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
13) Bring the cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when you come, and the books, especially the parchments.
14) Alexander, the coppersmith, did much evil to me. The Lord will repay him according to his works,
15) of whom you also must beware; for he greatly opposed our words.
16) At my first defense, no one took my part, but all left me. May it not be held against them.
17) But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
18) And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me to his heavenly kingdom; to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
19) Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus.
20) Erastus remained at Corinth, but I left Trophimus at Miletus sick.
21) Be diligent to come before winter. Eubulus salutes you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.
22) The Lord, Jesus Christ, be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
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This morning I went to them. Second Timothy and see the end of the book that before we even go that far against them. I entitled this keeping it simple because you know what so many times we complicate everything never coming to the Christmas season here and everything isn't it complicated to Dubai for what to buy the running around preparations and all these things in the island. Sometimes we can do that with the gospel message. We overcomplicate things. Things that are so straightforward. We can go ahead and make it so complicated that sometimes we even get confused so that that's where I went to look at this morning to look intimidating by you getting a remedy and cannot be second Timothy, chapter four and lover going there is some give a little background on Timothy and who he was the struggles that he faced as well so we know he was a young man, and because he was young he was timid and rates, and he fell is that he had nothing to offer or that he wouldn't be taken seriously because of his age. Sometimes we do that as well. Now we think I have one when amazing listen to me because your mind, I would like you have to offer, so why bother, so we look at this and we also know that he was raised by his mother and his grandmother and down the one thing we have to narrative about our age doesn't matter wherein doesn't matter who we are and doesn't matter if we went to seminary for two four six eight ten years or whatever it is not what God concerned about God is concerned with our age. He's not concerned with our abilities were education young thing he's concerned about is our willingness and our faithfulness it for we just listen for his voice and he knows that our hearts open. Guess what to use us and he knows the time. Sometimes we don't even know that he's using us in certain situations, but he's always there. He supplies the needs he gives whatever it is we need all we have to do is just do this deal. We are and do whatever he just brings to our minds and our hearts, but unfortunately society today can intimidate us, and it causes us to be ineffective and am we need a shot of encouragement. Just like how when he went to Timothy wrote these letters he was encouraging him, don't be afraid and is this time of year, especially when you can hear a lot of people say happy holidays now in them. All these fun things that take away from our simple message are simple messages. Mary Christmas are simple messages that God sent his son for salvation for each and everyone is each and every one of us that he loved us so much that he sent his son for us to die for us says they don't. If Timothy were a look at these things this morning and chapter four. Second Timothy, chapter four company reading from the messenger is. I can't impress this on you to strongly thought is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the judge but the final say on everyone living and dead. He is about to break into the open with his rule, so proclaim the message with intensity. Keep on your watch challenge worn and urge your people don't ever quit. Just keep it simple. They going to find that there'll be times and people will have no stomach for a solid teaching that will fill up on spiritual junk food, catchy opinions that tickle their fancy stuff turned their backs on true case arises when you keep your eye out what you're doing, except the hard times long to gain keep the message alive. Do a thorough job is not serving you takeover on about to die my life and offering on God 's altar. This is the only race sports running. I've run hard right to the finish believed all the way. All that's left now is a shouting product lines depend on it. He's an honest judge will do right, not only by me but by everyone eager for his coming, because audiences get your sassy cantina 's is chasing fads went off to Thessalonica and left me here. Chris and Susan Galatia province Titus and I may show that is the only one here with me. Bring marked with you to be my right hand man, since I'm sending tackiest to Ephesus. Ephesus bring in the winter coat that are left interests with carcass and also the books in the parchment notebooks and he gives his aborting cases. Watch out for Alexander Congressman fiercely opposed to our message. He caused no end of trouble, God will give him what he's going with these got coming, and he has on as my and my preliminary hearing. No one stood by me. They all ran like scared rabbits, but it doesn't matter the master stood by me and he help me spread the message loud and clear to those who had never heard it. I was snatched from the jaws of the lion gods looking after me keeping me safe in the kingdom of heaven. All praise to him praise forever. Oh yes. Say hello to Priscilla and Aquila also to the family. If I miss a verse Erastus stayed behind in Corinth and I had to leave drunkenness sicken Miletus. Try hard to get here before winner even disputed, Linus Claudia and all your friends are here to send readings. God be with you in great the rescue. The first thing I look at everything you says if I can press this on you to strongly God is looking over your shoulder. Okay, that sometimes we forget that. Not that he's waiting for us to do something wrong and chastise us of what he saying here is that sometimes we have to be reminded that we do have a mission that we do have a purpose or purposes, and just accept Christ to come here. Our purpose is to carry that message on from the four walls and intimacy@ Siena, be reminded that he had a mission. He couldn't stop and he couldn't give up and we, too, we cannot give up. If there's a lot of opposition out there, especially whenever we can bring Christ in the schools anymore. And whenever it's the holiday season is not Christmas its legalities different things change, but we can't forget who we are, we can get lost in what the rest of the world thinks it. We are who we are Christians and say Merry Christmas. You know it's Christ. It is about price, unless I'm on a sure something at the end hereto and versatility tells him as well and he says that reclaim the message with intensity. Keep on your watch. So is a stronger cleanup with intensity and sometimes we need to get rekindled. Sometimes we need to feel that fresh fire, you know, and it sets quite important to get the word. That's why it's important to pray every day so that we get that renewing as what's important for us to come together and worship together. So we get that renewing as well. So as we read the word and worship and pray that's what we gain our strength. This is where we gain his strength so that we can go out and message as I believe God himself as meeting with us to encourage us to rekindle that fire within Soweto forward with the boldness them with a passion. But the next one is when I like how we sitting here in going to find that there'll be times when people will have no stomach for selling teaching were saying that you people don't want to hear God 's word anymore. They'd rather fill up on other forms and Incorporated is that you would, that will fill up on spiritual junk food catchy opinions that tickle their fancy entering their backs on truth and chase mirages, but you keep your eye what you're doing, except hard times along with the good. Keep the message alive and did a thorough job is conserve is telling us keep it simple and as I found here yet. Just keep it simple. The gospel is a simple message. There are so many times only take it, and we overthink it. We overridden our analyze things and we're sitting here in them. Sunday school this morning as we say in a fund is reading from there. Her commentaries and it's like, you know that sometimes it's better just to take bits and pieces of the criminal seminary students balance us all sit here and think we trying to say to keep it simple for God so loved the world he sent his one and only son that whoever believes in him, but not perish but have everlasting life. For those of it. Keep it simple. You know these things. What Jesus has done for us with our own testimony, what he's done in our lives. The things that he's shown us, and if things if you broadest are things that people need people don't need to catchy phrases, catchy opinions and all these other things people need Christ and we are that example. Okay, and I think that people get more out of our experience in a duo out of us trying to be fancy and show off everything we know you all these things. It is ever their head anyway so we need to keep things simple. Many one deep teachings are preaching instead of solid and simple truth and that's all we really need God 's message is simple. You think about it were simple people throughout all the ages throughout all time. He met with us one-on-one because he knew how to react, how to interact with us in and I didn't even say whether scaling sale of these fancy words in these deep thoughts and everything in albedo, the scratch your head and these all be confused anyway. Still, though, that are only so that's just something to whenever you take this message at with our intensity. We have to be careful not to go so deep we talked about other people come knocking at your door sometimes and they have a message and it sounds really good, but it could be just the misplacement of award or, that makes the whole difference on the meaning of what they're trying to give you all right, so we didn't need to know our Bible. We do need to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, but we just need to present truth. That's all that we need to do so are simple. Our message is simple in a real and it's really comes in the heart edits with passion things we do share with our friends and people at work and these things come from our heart, because we experience God in so many different ways the steps not only with his gift of salvation that is made and brought someone through a time in your life where you know is nothing but the grace of God, you know, was nothing but the touch of the Holy Spirit. There is, as things that happen in your life that you can't explain how I set, so we give to people I know this because I've experienced this is what I know that's a common tell people this is what I now know that's what the disciples and say this is what I know, I know Jesus. This is what I now became he walked among us. He died he rose from the dead. This is what I now and I proclaim Christ. It's very simple to truth is if you experience God deliver him and walk with him by his spirit, he is going to reveal any deep thing that you need to know. It doesn't mean that we just need them. Things like that so they also says the be careful not to fill up on spiritual junk food of these are those catchy opinions are fray, headed newest thing out there this prison want on TV this week in our puts the newest fad, but going through when I am not saying that revivals do not happen because they do. I truly believe that the Brownsville revival was very pure and genuine. But then there were the counterfeits. For before barking like dogs allowed that many bark like a dog in a you know what there's just certain things just don't add up, so we know that these things are true, but we got people that are chasers of these things because they just want to feel a certain way. It's not always about the feeling it's just about the living day to day with that piece with that hope in your heart is not about running off to see the newest fad, or to chase these things is about humans live inside the lives within us and inversely he was saying about. They turn your backs on truth and Jason Rogers, so we can be careful not to incorporate ourselves with her world, or other religious practices with God 's word because at least I can do that begin a watered-down gospel start thinking the rest of the way the rest of the world of strength in our thinking at eight and he said it's like units is something all of us. He says keep your eye on what you are doing okay, don't go around getting respect son of other people size over time. Again we got and watch ourselves, we need to be concerned about who am I before Christ. What am I doing not mainly so and so is they did this or that or I saw them here or there, you may not know the whole story. So we need pieces. Keep an eye on what you're doing now as long as they stand before God. He sees our heart. He knows everybody else's business. We don't need to. Okay, we have to be concerned about what we're doing faces you take over now. Now he's telling how Eric Timothy this because all the feeling that he is near the end of his ministry. This is probably than how many of times he's been in prison and he tells an easy takeover and whenever he says that I think that he's telling given us today. We need to train up our children to carry on the legacy you know these are things that I'm it's hard for kids today because of their bombarded by so many things in in school and so many different opinions and so many different lifestyles today that it's very hard to stay true to what you believe you know it's very difficult him also the only race worth running. This is all that's left is a shining and got applause, the crown of righteousness, which is waiting for a toss about his friend vina seriously started to chase that an be like it or not. Sometimes someone will abandon her walk away from God for something new. It happens. You know salvation can't be taken from us, but we can forfeit. That's one thing hits it's a difference and we can forfeit if we teach we choose to walk away from God, and what we know is true, we forfeit that certainly he doesn't take them back we can leave it, so we had to watch ourselves and what were doing and that space is about the misuse chasing fads and he went his own way and let the gospel. They said about it. Alexander the copper Smith, like Alexander, there are those out there ready do us harm. How they may try to ruin her witness. They may attack our faith, our thinking. What we believe our belief system. And then when that happens, you begin to be tended, you back off because you don't want to push it so many times it happens, you know, and down this if so it's very difficult. It is very difficult and that when he starts back out here. He says that all ran like scared rabbits. Now when it comes down to it, our walk is between ourselves and God nothing or nobody else matters. And it's in the land who will sustain us and keep us going. Nobody else matters and are times that you might be listening. You do get afraid you don't speak up when you know you should do there could be accessed him- but that doesn't mean you're batting on how this means it may be dispelled that little test) be sure to come around again, and another opportunity. So we look at these things and I was a stay is about keeping it simple this holiday season. Stay right there. This holiday season. Now it is Christmas time this Thanksgiving Delgado were thankful for. Be thankful for everything he's given us not only that one day of the year, but every day and Christmas. I encourage you to say Merry Christmas to let others know how you feel and I wanted to share this with you on my friends post this on Facebook editing it was. I really enjoyed it, though this is from two thousand eleven and Ben Stein wrote this. He's an actor commentator observed, he known the dry eyes commercials of voice is behind the dry eyes when you know who he is and this is the following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday morning commentary because of my confession. He says I am a Jew and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish, and it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say Merry Christmas to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto in fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there are major. See I'm displaying the intersection near my beach home. My beach house in Malibu. If people want a if people want to crash. It's just as fine with me as if, as is the menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people that believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way, where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God. I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old to, but there is a lot of us are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to delight of many jokes we send to one another for a laugh. This is a little different. This is not intended to be a joke, it's not funny. It's intended to get you thinking Billy Graham 's daughter was interviewed on the early show and Jane Clayson asked her how could God let something like this happen regarding Hurricane Katrina and Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools get out of our government and to get out of our lives and being a gentleman he is, I believe he has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us his blessing and his protection if we demanded he leave us alone. In light of recent events. Terrorists attack school shooting him thinking it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare, she was murdered, her body found a few years ago complaining he didn't want prayer in our schools. And we said okay and someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shall not kill. Now shall not steal, and love your neighbor 's itself and we said okay. Then Doctor Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem. Doctor Spock 's son committed suicide. We said, an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay, how are asking ourselves are now or ask ourselves why her children have no conscience, why they know right from wrong and why doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves probably if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with we reap what we sow. Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and I wonder why the world 's going to hell. Funny how we believe that the news fit what the newspapers say that? the Bible says. Funny how you can send jokester e-mails. They spread like wildfire, but you and you start sending messages regarding the Lord people twice. People think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar, obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and the workplace are you laughing yet funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us in what God thinks of us pass it on if you think it has merit. If not, then discarded. No one will know you did, but if you discard this thought process. Don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world best regards, honestly, respectfully, Einstein, that kind of sums up where the world is today definite all these things because we don't want to offend other people. And yet we're letting them crush us. We can have crushed spirits. We have to just go forth to the message simple and keep the message alive that Christ came for us, but this time a year is about him. It's Christmas time, the Christmas trees Christmas lights, Christmas decorations, Christmas presents. These are the things we keep Christ in our Christmas when it incorporated back into our country again. The men father is thank you crazy for this time we have together. We thank you for the work that you give without it is pretty to help each and every one of us to keep your message alive and keep it simple, keep it real and keep it honest, I pray, give blessing upon each and every one here this morning, which I just touched their life story and bless them in Jesus name we pray. Amen. A blessingThis morning I went to them. Second Timothy and see the end of the book that before we even go that far against them. I entitled this keeping it simple because you know what so many times we complicate everything never coming to the Christmas season here and everything isn't it complicated to Dubai for what to buy the running around preparations and all these things in the island. Sometimes we can do that with the gospel message. We overcomplicate things. Things that are so straightforward. We can go ahead and make it so complicated that sometimes we even get confused so that that's where I went to look at this morning to look intimidating by you getting a remedy and cannot be second Timothy, chapter four and lover going there is some give a little background on Timothy and who he was the struggles that he faced as well so we know he was a young man, and because he was young he was timid and rates, and he fell is that he had nothing to offer or that he wouldn't be taken seriously because of his age. Sometimes we do that as well. Now we think I have one when amazing listen to me because your mind, I would like you have to offer, so why bother, so we look at this and we also know that he was raised by his mother and his grandmother and down the one thing we have to narrative about our age doesn't matter wherein doesn't matter who we are and doesn't matter if we went to seminary for two four six eight ten years or whatever it is not what God concerned about God is concerned with our age. He's not concerned with our abilities were education young thing he's concerned about is our willingness and our faithfulness it for we just listen for his voice and he knows that our hearts open. Guess what to use us and he knows the time. Sometimes we don't even know that he's using us in certain situations, but he's always there. He supplies the needs he gives whatever it is we need all we have to do is just do this deal. We are and do whatever he just brings to our minds and our hearts, but unfortunately society today can intimidate us, and it causes us to be ineffective and am we need a shot of encouragement. Just like how when he went to Timothy wrote these letters he was encouraging him, don't be afraid and is this time of year, especially when you can hear a lot of people say happy holidays now in them. All these fun things that take away from our simple message are simple messages. Mary Christmas are simple messages that God sent his son for salvation for each and everyone is each and every one of us that he loved us so much that he sent his son for us to die for us says they don't. If Timothy were a look at these things this morning and chapter four. Second Timothy, chapter four company reading from the messenger is. I can't impress this on you to strongly thought is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the judge but the final say on everyone living and dead. He is about to break into the open with his rule, so proclaim the message with intensity. Keep on your watch challenge worn and urge your people don't ever quit. Just keep it simple. They going to find that there'll be times and people will have no stomach for a solid teaching that will fill up on spiritual junk food, catchy opinions that tickle their fancy stuff turned their backs on true case arises when you keep your eye out what you're doing, except the hard times long to gain keep the message alive. Do a thorough job is not serving you takeover on about to die my life and offering on God 's altar. This is the only race sports running. I've run hard right to the finish believed all the way. All that's left now is a shouting product lines depend on it. He's an honest judge will do right, not only by me but by everyone eager for his coming, because audiences get your sassy cantina 's is chasing fads went off to Thessalonica and left me here. Chris and Susan Galatia province Titus and I may show that is the only one here with me. Bring marked with you to be my right hand man, since I'm sending tackiest to Ephesus. Ephesus bring in the winter coat that are left interests with carcass and also the books in the parchment notebooks and he gives his aborting cases. Watch out for Alexander Congressman fiercely opposed to our message. He caused no end of trouble, God will give him what he's going with these got coming, and he has on as my and my preliminary hearing. No one stood by me. They all ran like scared rabbits, but it doesn't matter the master stood by me and he help me spread the message loud and clear to those who had never heard it. I was snatched from the jaws of the lion gods looking after me keeping me safe in the kingdom of heaven. All praise to him praise forever. Oh yes. Say hello to Priscilla and Aquila also to the family. If I miss a verse Erastus stayed behind in Corinth and I had to leave drunkenness sicken Miletus. Try hard to get here before winner even disputed, Linus Claudia and all your friends are here to send readings. God be with you in great the rescue. The first thing I look at everything you says if I can press this on you to strongly God is looking over your shoulder. Okay, that sometimes we forget that. Not that he's waiting for us to do something wrong and chastise us of what he saying here is that sometimes we have to be reminded that we do have a mission that we do have a purpose or purposes, and just accept Christ to come here. Our purpose is to carry that message on from the four walls and intimacy@ Siena, be reminded that he had a mission. He couldn't stop and he couldn't give up and we, too, we cannot give up. If there's a lot of opposition out there, especially whenever we can bring Christ in the schools anymore. And whenever it's the holiday season is not Christmas its legalities different things change, but we can't forget who we are, we can get lost in what the rest of the world thinks it. We are who we are Christians and say Merry Christmas. You know it's Christ. It is about price, unless I'm on a sure something at the end hereto and versatility tells him as well and he says that reclaim the message with intensity. Keep on your watch. So is a stronger cleanup with intensity and sometimes we need to get rekindled. Sometimes we need to feel that fresh fire, you know, and it sets quite important to get the word. That's why it's important to pray every day so that we get that renewing as what's important for us to come together and worship together. So we get that renewing as well. So as we read the word and worship and pray that's what we gain our strength. This is where we gain his strength so that we can go out and message as I believe God himself as meeting with us to encourage us to rekindle that fire within Soweto forward with the boldness them with a passion. But the next one is when I like how we sitting here in going to find that there'll be times when people will have no stomach for selling teaching were saying that you people don't want to hear God 's word anymore. They'd rather fill up on other forms and Incorporated is that you would, that will fill up on spiritual junk food catchy opinions that tickle their fancy entering their backs on truth and chase mirages, but you keep your eye what you're doing, except hard times along with the good. Keep the message alive and did a thorough job is conserve is telling us keep it simple and as I found here yet. Just keep it simple. The gospel is a simple message. There are so many times only take it, and we overthink it. We overridden our analyze things and we're sitting here in them. Sunday school this morning as we say in a fund is reading from there. Her commentaries and it's like, you know that sometimes it's better just to take bits and pieces of the criminal seminary students balance us all sit here and think we trying to say to keep it simple for God so loved the world he sent his one and only son that whoever believes in him, but not perish but have everlasting life. For those of it. Keep it simple. You know these things. What Jesus has done for us with our own testimony, what he's done in our lives. The things that he's shown us, and if things if you broadest are things that people need people don't need to catchy phrases, catchy opinions and all these other things people need Christ and we are that example. Okay, and I think that people get more out of our experience in a duo out of us trying to be fancy and show off everything we know you all these things. It is ever their head anyway so we need to keep things simple. Many one deep teachings are preaching instead of solid and simple truth and that's all we really need God 's message is simple. You think about it were simple people throughout all the ages throughout all time. He met with us one-on-one because he knew how to react, how to interact with us in and I didn't even say whether scaling sale of these fancy words in these deep thoughts and everything in albedo, the scratch your head and these all be confused anyway. Still, though, that are only so that's just something to whenever you take this message at with our intensity. We have to be careful not to go so deep we talked about other people come knocking at your door sometimes and they have a message and it sounds really good, but it could be just the misplacement of award or, that makes the whole difference on the meaning of what they're trying to give you all right, so we didn't need to know our Bible. We do need to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, but we just need to present truth. That's all that we need to do so are simple. Our message is simple in a real and it's really comes in the heart edits with passion things we do share with our friends and people at work and these things come from our heart, because we experience God in so many different ways the steps not only with his gift of salvation that is made and brought someone through a time in your life where you know is nothing but the grace of God, you know, was nothing but the touch of the Holy Spirit. There is, as things that happen in your life that you can't explain how I set, so we give to people I know this because I've experienced this is what I know that's a common tell people this is what I now know that's what the disciples and say this is what I know, I know Jesus. This is what I now became he walked among us. He died he rose from the dead. This is what I now and I proclaim Christ. It's very simple to truth is if you experience God deliver him and walk with him by his spirit, he is going to reveal any deep thing that you need to know. It doesn't mean that we just need them. Things like that so they also says the be careful not to fill up on spiritual junk food of these are those catchy opinions are fray, headed newest thing out there this prison want on TV this week in our puts the newest fad, but going through when I am not saying that revivals do not happen because they do. I truly believe that the Brownsville revival was very pure and genuine. But then there were the counterfeits. For before barking like dogs allowed that many bark like a dog in a you know what there's just certain things just don't add up, so we know that these things are true, but we got people that are chasers of these things because they just want to feel a certain way. It's not always about the feeling it's just about the living day to day with that piece with that hope in your heart is not about running off to see the newest fad, or to chase these things is about humans live inside the lives within us and inversely he was saying about. They turn your backs on truth and Jason Rogers, so we can be careful not to incorporate ourselves with her world, or other religious practices with God 's word because at least I can do that begin a watered-down gospel start thinking the rest of the way the rest of the world of strength in our thinking at eight and he said it's like units is something all of us. He says keep your eye on what you are doing okay, don't go around getting respect son of other people size over time. Again we got and watch ourselves, we need to be concerned about who am I before Christ. What am I doing not mainly so and so is they did this or that or I saw them here or there, you may not know the whole story. So we need pieces. Keep an eye on what you're doing now as long as they stand before God. He sees our heart. He knows everybody else's business. We don't need to. Okay, we have to be concerned about what we're doing faces you take over now. Now he's telling how Eric Timothy this because all the feeling that he is near the end of his ministry. This is probably than how many of times he's been in prison and he tells an easy takeover and whenever he says that I think that he's telling given us today. We need to train up our children to carry on the legacy you know these are things that I'm it's hard for kids today because of their bombarded by so many things in in school and so many different opinions and so many different lifestyles today that it's very hard to stay true to what you believe you know it's very difficult him also the only race worth running. This is all that's left is a shining and got applause, the crown of righteousness, which is waiting for a toss about his friend vina seriously started to chase that an be like it or not. Sometimes someone will abandon her walk away from God for something new. It happens. You know salvation can't be taken from us, but we can forfeit. That's one thing hits it's a difference and we can forfeit if we teach we choose to walk away from God, and what we know is true, we forfeit that certainly he doesn't take them back we can leave it, so we had to watch ourselves and what were doing and that space is about the misuse chasing fads and he went his own way and let the gospel. They said about it. Alexander the copper Smith, like Alexander, there are those out there ready do us harm. How they may try to ruin her witness. They may attack our faith, our thinking. What we believe our belief system. And then when that happens, you begin to be tended, you back off because you don't want to push it so many times it happens, you know, and down this if so it's very difficult. It is very difficult and that when he starts back out here. He says that all ran like scared rabbits. Now when it comes down to it, our walk is between ourselves and God nothing or nobody else matters. And it's in the land who will sustain us and keep us going. Nobody else matters and are times that you might be listening. You do get afraid you don't speak up when you know you should do there could be accessed him- but that doesn't mean you're batting on how this means it may be dispelled that little test) be sure to come around again, and another opportunity. So we look at these things and I was a stay is about keeping it simple this holiday season. Stay right there. This holiday season. Now it is Christmas time this Thanksgiving Delgado were thankful for. Be thankful for everything he's given us not only that one day of the year, but every day and Christmas. I encourage you to say Merry Christmas to let others know how you feel and I wanted to share this with you on my friends post this on Facebook editing it was. I really enjoyed it, though this is from two thousand eleven and Ben Stein wrote this. He's an actor commentator observed, he known the dry eyes commercials of voice is behind the dry eyes when you know who he is and this is the following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday morning commentary because of my confession. He says I am a Jew and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish, and it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say Merry Christmas to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto in fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there are major. See I'm displaying the intersection near my beach home. My beach house in Malibu. If people want a if people want to crash. It's just as fine with me as if, as is the menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people that believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way, where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God. I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old to, but there is a lot of us are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to delight of many jokes we send to one another for a laugh. This is a little different. This is not intended to be a joke, it's not funny. It's intended to get you thinking Billy Graham 's daughter was interviewed on the early show and Jane Clayson asked her how could God let something like this happen regarding Hurricane Katrina and Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools get out of our government and to get out of our lives and being a gentleman he is, I believe he has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us his blessing and his protection if we demanded he leave us alone. In light of recent events. Terrorists attack school shooting him thinking it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare, she was murdered, her body found a few years ago complaining he didn't want prayer in our schools. And we said okay and someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shall not kill. Now shall not steal, and love your neighbor 's itself and we said okay. Then Doctor Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem. Doctor Spock 's son committed suicide. We said, an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay, how are asking ourselves are now or ask ourselves why her children have no conscience, why they know right from wrong and why doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves probably if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with we reap what we sow. Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and I wonder why the world 's going to hell. Funny how we believe that the news fit what the newspapers say that? the Bible says. Funny how you can send jokester e-mails. They spread like wildfire, but you and you start sending messages regarding the Lord people twice. People think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar, obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and the workplace are you laughing yet funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us in what God thinks of us pass it on if you think it has merit. If not, then discarded. No one will know you did, but if you discard this thought process. Don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world best regards, honestly, respectfully, Einstein, that kind of sums up where the world is today definite all these things because we don't want to offend other people. And yet we're letting them crush us. We can have crushed spirits. We have to just go forth to the message simple and keep the message alive that Christ came for us, but this time a year is about him. It's Christmas time, the Christmas trees Christmas lights, Christmas decorations, Christmas presents. These are the things we keep Christ in our Christmas when it incorporated back into our country again. The men father is thank you crazy for this time we have together. We thank you for the work that you give without it is pretty to help each and every one of us to keep your message alive and keep it simple, keep it real and keep it honest, I pray, give blessing upon each and every one here this morning, which I just touched their life story and bless them in Jesus name we pray. Amen. A blessing