Advancing Beyond The Limits Of Ignorance

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

2 Corinthians 2:11

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.