How Tough Are You - Luke 23 (Pastor Jeff Shipley)

Now I want you to pay attention. It wasn't anything in Israel. It wasn't their military size.

It wasn't the type of people. We're going to be in Luke chapter 20.

And I'm going to talk to you about how tough we are. I know we have, because of cultures and globalisms, different understandings of what toughness is.

But in reality, there's only really one definition of toughness. And that's what

I want to talk to you about today. I want you to read Luke chapter 23, verse 34.

Luke chapter 23, verse 34. And Jesus said,

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And then they cast lots to divide

His garments. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to let you all do whatever you all do back there.

Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to understand something. You cannot have toughness without adversity.

Some of our young men in Saul's ministry are trying to understand that.

And I'm looking forward to a couple of them, Anna, this Tuesday to try to extend that education to them just a little bit myself.

But guys, toughness is this. This is what the definition says. It says the state of being strong enough to withstand adverse conditions or rough handling.

The ability to deal with hardship or to cope in difficult situations.

A demonstration of a strict and uncompromising approach.

As you know, I make knives. I make knives, axes, hatchets, stuff like that.

And it's a really delicate balance, because engineering -speakingly or metallurgically -speaking, there's a difference between hardness and toughness.

If something is too hard, if you hit something with it, it'll actually shatter like glass, even though it's steel.

But if it's not tough enough, it's not going to be able to bend and sway and absorb the shock.

I remember a perfect illustration of this. There was a young man. He was 5 '6", and weighed 135 pounds.

5 '6", and 135 pounds. Basically the size of my right leg.

And this young man was the captain of a defensive football team.

And one night, they were playing a school, and he comes running to the fence, and the trainer, looked up in the stands of hundreds of people, made eye contact with me and said, and I was like, oh

God, one of my children are dead. So I walk down to the fence, and as soon as I walk down to the fence, one of my sons comes running up.

And he's running up like this. And he goes, first thing he said to me is, Dad, I'm okay to play.

And I look at the trainer, because I have taught my wife for the whole lifetime of my children playing sports, no matter what happens, woman, do not go on that field.

So I'm wondering why they have beckoned me down here and feeling a little isolated and insecure. And I looked at the trainer, and she said, pull your jersey up.

So he pulled his jersey up, undid his shoulder pad, and pulled his shoulder pad up in great pain.

And his pectoral muscle, and all down his left arm, was black and blue already.

And she looked at me, and she said, Pastor, he's torn his pectoral muscle. It's probably pulling on the bicep.

As she's speaking, Pastor Jeremiah, at 5 '6", 135 pounds,

Captain Guys 220, 230, looks at me and says, Dad, I am okay to play.

And I looked at him and went, son, I don't know that you are.

And he's sitting there, and he's looking at me, and there are tears welling up in his eyes. He says,

Dad, please, let me go back. I promise I can do this. And I said, son, you realize, if you hurt yourself, your football career is over.

He said, Dad, I got this. I looked at the trainer, and over the trainer's shoulder was the defensive coordinator who kept turning around, looking, waiting for my judgment.

And so I'm sitting there as a father, looking at this 15 -year -old kid, looking at the trainer, looking at the coach, and I said, he's tough enough.

Let him go back in. Went back in, and the second half made 12 solo tackles with 11 assists and had the best game of his entire high school career.

Now, how is that possible? How is that possible? Because what you have to understand is toughness is not about being strong and big.

It's not about hitting hard. It's about what you can absorb through the trials of life and set your face against it and still move forward.

Let me ask you this morning, how tough are you? Are you a modern American Christian who is constantly offended or in victimhood because something has happened to you?

Pastor, you don't understand. Ladies and gentlemen, I don't have to understand because the truth of God's Word does not change according to what you've gone through.

You see, there's a problem. We keep coming up with excuses for failures. One of the things

I hated my children telling me is, Dad, I'll try. You know what you just said?

I'm going to give myself a plausible deniability to quit and some down the road. Son, I want you to either die or go full speed.

There's no halfway. How tough are you? How tough are you in your spiritual life?

Man, how tough are you when that urge hits to go take your computer and hand it to your wife, to take your phone and turn it off and hand it to a brother in Christ and say, the temptation now is too great, but I'm tougher than the temptation and I'm willing to be vulnerable enough to do something other than sit there and go,

I hope I would have, could have, should have. Where are you? How tough are you this morning?

Let's look at what I believe is the toughest man that's ever walked the face of the earth. Guys, you have to understand that with trials and adversity, you're going to have to have one mindset to win.

You in your life, spiritually, have to have the mentality that no matter what the cost, you are going to win this battle.

And ladies and gentlemen, I'm telling you, some of you have been sitting in churches for 30 years and you still have the same maturity level you did 30 years ago.

Why? Because you fold and make excuses and get people to tickle your ears with it's okay or we all sin or they don't understand.

If those are the friends you have, may I suggest to you to find new ones. You see, brothers and sisters in Christ have friends that iron sharpens iron that will tell you, hey man, your poop stinks, boy.

You need to do something different, girl. Well, baby, I know she hurts you, but you should not really be sitting here gossiping.

Guys, you've got to win the fight. Look, if you will, to the picture for a second.

Jesus Christ, when He uttered those words, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do, was on a cross between two thieves.

The word there in Greek, we're not sure if they were thieves or rebels, we're not really sure what they are, but they were two criminals that were condemned to death.

And Jesus, fulfilling that Old Testament prophecy, hung between the criminals. And as He was dying there, both of them were reviling

Him. Now let me tell you what reviling means. They were throwing shade on an epic proportion.

You catch that vibe? Are you vibing? Come on, guys, I'm trying up here, man.

Throw me a break. I know the church and religion and history has tried to paint the good and bad moral example.

This thief was a good boy. This thief was a bad boy. But if you read carefully, Matthew 27 is a great example of this.

Right at the beginning, they both were making fun of Jesus.

And not just those two people up there. The chief priests and scribes were making fun of Him.

Oh, but wait, there's more. The centurion was making fun of Him. But here's the part that had to have stung the worst.

The very people three days before who were yelling as Jesus came into Jerusalem, Hosanna, the

Son of David, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. You know, words stinging for people that hate you sting.

But for those who betrayed the love and the friendship, those words hurt even more.

Jesus sat there and taking all of that in, said this,

Father, forgive them. They have no idea what they're doing. They don't know what's going on.

In that moment, Jesus made a choice not just to be victorious in an open grave, to be victorious in the moment of adversity.

He chose to win that fight right then, right there. How do you do that?

How do you win that fight? How are you in the midst of that trial or tribulation? How do you get that much gumption?

Well, first of all, it should be noted, you've got to be a Christian to fight that spiritual battle.

And I'm not talking about you join a church or ask Jesus in your heart or all that other garbage. I'm talking about you truly have been converted by the power of the

Holy Spirit. But the second thing it takes is humility. Man, if we could learn but one lesson in fighting trials, if we could learn one lesson in dealing with our household of faith, if we could learn a lesson in dealing with the world, it would be an element of humility.

If you look in chapter 23 verse 40, that same thief who was rejecting, cursing, and making fun of Christ, he said this, the other rebuked him saying, do you not fear

God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? Ladies and gentlemen, listen to that again.

You are under the same sentence. You know one of the ways to help you have humility?

It's this. That when you see the queer walking by doing this little prissy thing, when you see the gossiping woman, when you see the adulterous affair, when you see the drunkard or the addict, remember that the level of condemnation upon them is the same that is upon you.

That we are all unrighteous standing before God. That our works are as filthy menstrual rags before God.

That there is nothing greater in me than is greater in you. The street walking whore on that street right here this morning has the same value in the eyes of God as I do as a pastor.

There is no one who is like this. You see, we are all under the same punishment of condemnation.

We have all been declared guilty from birth. And we are all in need of a savior.

I love this man's words. He said, how do you know how humble he was?

Not because he just recognized the same condemnation, but here is words just a few verses later.

He looks to Jesus. Not to the Jewish religion. Not to the civil government.

And some of y 'all remember that this November. Not to the civil government. To the people. To his friends or his family.

It says he turned towards Jesus and said. Some of you people are trying to struggle with it.

If you are a Christian, not listen to this word. Lord. I want you to understand in context.

Kurios. That Greek word for Lord. Understand in context. This is what he is saying.

Hey you, meat bag. That has been ripped. Had the flesh ripped from your body.

Who is sitting there bleeding out in front of me. Hanging on a cross and dying.

I accept you as my Lord. The faith that that took.

You see because he wasn't seeing anymore with the human eyes. But the regenerated spiritual eyes that the

Holy Spirit had just given him. With that act of humility and the knowledge of knowing that he needed something greater than himself.

With those regenerated eyes he saw past what was going on in the reality of the world.

And saw the things which are spiritual. Ladies and gentlemen. We in the church far too often look at spiritual problems with worldly eyes.

We too often do not go to our knees to Christ in prayer. We too often rely on our intellect rather than the

Holy Spirit of God which is dwelling within us. You see it was that Holy Spirit that gave him the power to look at a bloody dying

Jesus and call him superior Lord over everybody else. Where are you today in your spiritual life?

Do you really feel that coming into this silly building makes you a Christian? I tell you today that's not true.

For you to believe in God is not enough. For you to have morals is not enough.

You are under still the condemnation of sin. I hope that you look at Jesus Christ. To turn away from everything and everybody else.

To turn your eyes, your heart, your mind, your body and your soul from the cares of this world.

And to turn it to the person of Jesus Christ and say, Lord. Whoever shall call upon the name of the

Lord shall be saved. I praise God in simplicity. I say

I praise God in the simplicity of my salvation. You see it takes a level of humility but watch this.

Here's what else it also takes. You know what fuels me sometimes? I know y 'all sitting here looking at me today and I'm shaving and wearing this suit.

Sporting it quite nicely. I do say so myself. I had to keep my

Casey Kinney's look. Guys, it don't mean nothing.

But you know what it means to me why I'm doing this? I wasn't just kidding. I'm celebrating.

You see it's March 3rd today. That means I've made it through another five months of struggling with that depression and that anxiety.

And let me say this. Hey, it's because of God. And I'm not kidding when

I say this. It's because of you people. You people are the reason I get up. It is.

It's not for my kids and grandkids. It's because of you people and the call of God in my life. But I want to say this.

Where's the Anna? Where's the Anna? There it is. Son of a stinking kid.

They did this podcast. You know what it's called? Point taken. We just talked about depression and anxiety.

Her and Amy. Lowell and Dalty. And I want you to get your phone out and take that little podcast episode and share it on your

Facebook page. Because I have already been inundated with... I just got a text message this morning from Georgia from a young lady down there who knows me.

Got my number from someone else and said, Oh my God, I've never heard the truth about God's Word about anxiety and depression.

Listen to me. If you struggle with that, you're not alone. You're not alone, man.

You don't have to struggle in silence. I struggle big time with that. I dread time change.

Ask Carrie. Ask Carrie. Ask my wife. Ask the people that are closest to me. I hate this.

I started, man, having bad dreams. I hate it. But every time

I remember this, spring is coming. Spring is coming. Lord, remember me when

You get to Your kingdom. You know what fuels me? It's hope.

You know how you win? Yeah, it takes humility, I tell you. But the fuel that keeps that humility going, the fuel that keeps you facing the adversity, what keeps you going is hope and knowing that this is the dream and heaven is the reality.

That we will wake up one day as a child of God in the arms of Jesus Christ and so shall we ever be with Him and each other.

Just one more day. I can do one more day. Give me one more round, world. I can do one more round.

Oh, I'm beating up and I'm bloody and I'm tired. But man, you ring that bell because I promise you this,

I'm going to come out swimming. And even if I stumble and fall and go down, I promise you I'm going to get back up before that bell rings.

Because I know hope is here and He's coming in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. That's how you win trials.

Now, let's go to the second thing. How is there a reason for trials? If He's such a loving

God... Hold on for you Burton to stop wearing hippies. Let me help you out. If He's such a loving

God, why do bad things happen to good people? First of all, I want you to please note the epic sarcasm in my voice.

And I'll tell you why. Because I'm really sick of hearing that. Here's why. Show me an innocent person.

One, show me... Look, there's Silas down there. How old is he?

Oh, there he is. Stand up, Pastor. Look, everyone do the collective...

Awe. Is he innocent?

If he is, you ain't never had a kid. And let me tell you something, 20 -year -olds.

You best keep it in check because the nights are long when they're that age.

That is the most self -centered, selfish thing that God ever put on the face of the earth.

What is the reason for trying? What is the struggle for?

Well, guys, I'll tell you what it's for. It's to get stronger and stronger. When Pastor Josiah was training for one of his fights,

I used to make him... I made a harness and I made him pull me on my motorcycle up hills.

300 pounds plus about 800, 900 pounds, he would be running and sprinting.

And when he was about to stumble and fall, you know what I would do? When he was at his point of exhaustion, you know what

I'd do? I'd hit the brakes. I'd make it harder and harder.

And say, well, you didn't do it good enough, boy. Do it again. You see, you have to have trials in your life,

Christian, or you're never going to grow. If everything is rosy and sunshine and warm fuzzies, you're still going to be that child, self -centered, never maturing in your faith, never growing outside of yourself because you're being

Bible -fed constantly. Oh, I don't like correction, Pastor.

Well, then enjoy the first grade for the rest of your life. And also, you might want to question your salvation for the

Word of God says, God chastens those who lead. In other words,

God don't tap -tap. God take no butt up. God will remove a flip -flop and start sweating.

You know why? Because He loves you. And He wants you to grow in your maturity.

Why do we have trials? Well, let me tell you, sometimes our trials are by choice.

Look at verse 41 of chapter 23. It says, And we indeed justly, for we are receiving our due reward for our deeds.

But this man has done nothing wrong. In the comparison of the two thieves, the one who was repentant said this.

Yeah, this stinks. But this is the effect of the causality of our poor choices.

Are you an addict this morning? Are you? We're about to have a meeting here in a second.

Are you struggling with addiction? Is it because your daddy was mean to you?

Was it because your mama abused you? Yeah. Well, let me cry for you one more time.

Now, grow out past those excuses. Man up.

Take responsibility, drunk, for putting that bottle to your mouth and take the responsibility of using cans, springs, and broom handles and every other thing you can put a hole in to smoke your weed or your crack.

No one put that to your mouth. Nobody is responsible for your continued failures.

Oh, Pastor, I was wounded in church and so I'm struggling being here and being a part of you.

Take a baby aspirin. Reach down your back and feel those knots and realize it's a spine. Start facing the adversity.

Start growing up in maturity. A guy hanging on a cross who already knew the penalty, who was already in the middle of dying, was justifying in truth the reality of why he was there.

It would have been easy for him to join the camp of going, Oh, poor me. We don't deserve this.

I mean, maybe jail time, but crucifixion? I mean, come on. I have got a lawyer.

The judge hated me. The cops framed me. Right? You know what's funny?

I had a cop one time take a roach out of my ashtray and put it in his pocket.

And he said, I'm keeping this for evidence if I ever catch you again just from going to evidence.

Now, for you cops that are in here and you people that grew up like me, you know what happened. Brain time.

I was sitting there going, What? Right? Well, that's not right, Pastor. That's not right.

You're right. It ain't. But, I was caught that one time. The other 432 ,000 times that I wasn't caught just because something happened that one time.

Don't mean I wasn't guilty every other time. You know what I'm saying? The thief on the cross sat there and said, justifiably looking at this, we deserve to be here.

Some of your trials are 100 % your fault.

That's just wrong. You need to wrap your head around that or you're going to be living in victimhood for the rest of your life.

Are you black? Man, I always love when I get shot and I just think it's always.

Oh God, here it goes. Man, some of y 'all stand up right now.

My chair is stand up weak. I hate hearing about the whole reparations thing.

I hate it. San Francisco is going to pay $400 ,000 to all black folk who live there.

I told Jeremiah and my son Joshua, you and your wives need to move to San Francisco at least for six months and cash that check out and come on home.

You just can't make that kind of stupid offer. You cannot make that kind of stupid offer.

But here's what it is. I'm going to live in a perpetual state of victimhood so that I have a plausible liability to continue to be a loser.

Grow up. Man up. You got to figure it out. You know why you grab really bad?

Because of a lack of discipline, a lack of self -control, and a lack of drive. That's why.

Sometimes though, trials ain't because of you. Sometimes those trials are because life just stinks.

Sometimes trials happen to innocent people. Look here, chapter 23, verse 47.

Now when the satyrian saw what had taken place, he praised God saying, certainly this man was innocent.

Why was Jesus Christ being punished? He was being punished because of us. But understand this, and understand this quickly.

There's a lot of movement. Do I need to shoot somebody? What's going on? Everybody good? I'm really not shooting anybody.

Relax. Jesus was hanging on that cross for me.

You see, He was the propitiation of my sin, but not just my sin, but the sin of the whole world.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. Guys, fairness and rightness are two illogical words when dealing with truth.

Fair is subjective, based upon your culture and upbringing. Truth is always evident.

Jesus died innocent. And guys, please stop saying this.

It makes me want to belch every time I hear it. Nails didn't hold Jesus to the cross.

His love did. No. His obedience to the will of God did.

That's what held Him there. Because remember this, Jesus said, nobody takes my life.

I lay it down, and I can pick it up again whenever I want. Understand that Jesus Christ was sovereign as He was sitting on that cross of God.

He chose to live those trials and adversity out and face them no matter if He was innocent or not.

Here's another last understanding of why we have trials. It says, if Jesus said,

Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Our text this morning.

Why did Jesus go through that trial? Because it was the will of God to buy our salvation.

Guys, sometimes it's your fault. Sometimes your innocence is not your fault.

But sometimes it's just the will of God to accomplish His will. But whatever the trial is, it doesn't matter how you handle it, it remains the same.

And the last point I have to you is how do we respond? How do we respond to this?

Well, the first thing that I'm going to talk about is that humility. But I'm going to get into it just a little bit deeper.

It says this, chapter 23, verse 40. But the other thief rebuked Him saying, do you not fear

God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? The Word of God says in Proverbs 1, the fear of the

Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Now, I'm going to do you a favor here this morning. I'm going to become politically incorrect for you.

Ok? Because I'm sorry, I feel like in too many churches, we have folks that are not examining themselves because they don't understand the peril that's coming at judgment day.

Do you realize that not in some ethereal plan, not in some nightmarish thing that you can wake up from, but a reality greater than what you're experiencing right now, with the same lungs expanding to fill the void with oxygen, that reality times two is going to face some of you in this room this morning.

You are going to stand one day before God and you will be judged according to your actions rather than the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.

And you will face a hell and a damnation for which there is no recess.

There is no time off for good behavior. There is no manipulation to weave your way out of it.

There is no parole. It is a damnation of eternal torment that will last day and night forever and ever.

And some of you are playing a game with God. You're saying to yourself, well,

I'll wait until I get older so that I can enjoy my youth. I won't really apply the truth of God's Word to my children because I'll not deal with the confrontation now,

I'll deal with it when they get older. And you're the one going down the street into Poplar saying,

I brought him up in church. What happened? I'll tell you what happened. You ignored the

Word of God at your prayer. You ignored the warnings of God's Word when

He says, I beseech you, brethren, talking to Christians. Another, Jesus saying, woe unto you.

Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Ladies and gentlemen, you know the first thing you do when you hand in trials?

Is you recognize the reality of the fear of the

Word of God. Well, brother, I'm saved. Right. I am too.

But I'll tell you, there is still, if you're truly saved, the respect and the awe of God's holiness is greater than when you were an infant.

Yes, you're no longer in the fear of hell. But you recognize more your own sinful self.

You recognize still, even after redemption, how in need of Jesus you are.

And that holiness and that call of God is even stronger on your life when you fail continually.

You look back and go, oh my gosh! What was I doing? And you cry out even louder,

Father, forgive me. You see, how you face adversity is you recognize this.

That God does put on you more than you can handle so that you will crumble and cry out to Him.

So that you will know what it is to rely on something other than your own intellect or your own resources.

You handle adversity through the fear of God's Word, but then secondly, you handle it by faith.

Chapter 23, verse 42 tells us this. And he said,

Jesus, remember me when you come into my kingdom. I want you to understand something. And this is a deathbed confession.

I'm almost done. ADD people, hold on. This is a deathbed confession.

And I'll be honest with you. Over the years, I've tried to give solace to many people whose loved ones have rejected

Christ and the household of faith their whole lives, and have somehow died.

And I say, well, you don't know what they did on that deathbed.

And you don't. You don't know. You have no idea. Well, can people really be safe on a deathbed?

We just read one. Here's a guy dying, and Jesus said to him, without need for membership in the church, without the understanding of biblical doctrine, without tithing or anything else, today you will be with me in paradise.

But also understand this. This is the only one ever recorded in Scripture. I think it's recorded once for the hope, but it ain't recorded more than once for the mourning.

For it may have happened, but I promise you it's the exception rather than the rule. And if you're a fool enough to think that you can gamble your soul to the pleasures of the world and the acceptance of your friends and this culture, and still walk with God, you are a fool and you are a liar to yourself, to the utter damnation of your soul.

Last thing you can do? No. You've got to learn how to fight.

You have got to fight. You've got to fight, dude. And I mean fight.

Like you're the third monkey on the ramp going to the yard and it's beginning to rain. You know what

I'm saying? You've got to learn how to fight. What do you mean by that, Pastor?

What do you mean learn how to fight? I mean this. It's funny. I'm 55 years old.

I don't move like I do anymore. And I go over to the gym on Tuesday nights.

Twenty boys all in their twenties learning how to fight. And I'll spar them.

You know, and I'll throw a couple jabs and maybe a front kick. That's about it. You know what I do after that?

I try to go up and just let it pound me. I'll give them different looks. I'll drop my right hand to see if they look good.

I just let it pound me. Some of them, you know, they're like, I did pretty good, didn't

I, Coach? Yeah, you did great. You were a bad, tough day. They have no idea that I would snatch their soul right out of their freaking chest.

Beat them like a bloody ball. They flex a little bit, but that's okay.

You know why? Because I'm trying to teach them how to fight. But there's a difference between the ring and the street.

I promise you. There is. There's a difference. Christians, one of the reasons our churches are so weak and your marriages are so weak is because you've never been taught how to really fight.

Pastor, I've struggled. No, no, no. I ain't talking about fighting out there. The biggest enemy you've got is right here.

That's where you've got to learn how to fight. Oh, yeah. If you go back a chapter, men, I'm going to hook you up just for a second.

If you go back to Luke chapter 22, just real quick, I'm going to read it to you. Luke, men, write this verse down.

Especially for Christmas time, okay? Write this verse down. Luke chapter 22, verse 35 -36, men.

Jesus said to them, when I sent you out with no money bag or knapsacks or sandals, didn't you like anything?

They said, well, no. We sent us out the first time, we were good to go. Verse 36, He said to them, but now,

I'm sending you out for the last time. Whoever has a money bag, take it. And also a knapsack.

And let anyone who has no sword go and sell your clothes and buy one.

So ladies, when he comes home and says, I'm following God's will that that 300

Winchester Magnum on sale at Buck and Bass, I'm following God's will to go and buy it.

That was for you, men. That amplifies it, guys.

That amplifies what I'm talking about. I'll close with this passage. Flip over to Luke chapter 24, just one chapter.

Luke chapter 24. And read with me. Read with me.

Luke chapter 24, starting in verse 44. Jesus, these are some of His last words to His disciples.

Then He said to them, these are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the

Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Guys, you know what the

Old Testament is about? Jesus. And Jesus just said, everything in the

Old Testament had to do with Me. Me. Verse 45.

Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. You want to fight?

Get outside your brain. Get outside your judgment of right and wrong. And get into them

Scriptures. And then He said to them, thus it is written, that the

Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead.

And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed, better yet, preached, in His name to all nations.

Remember, it doesn't say all races. Don't let the idiots divide you. All nations.

Beginning from Jerusalem. And you are My witnesses of these things.

Ladies and gentlemen, that fight you've got to have right now is to recognize that stupid paycheck you're trying to collect on.

That business you're trying to build. That relationship that you're trying to fleet after.

Young ladies, that codependency that's calling you to find that significant other.

All that garbage is fleeting in a garbage disposal. The only thing that's going to matter is if you fulfill the commission of Jesus Christ on your life and you fight to proclaim the

Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I'm here to tell you, Whitney, the day is coming where it's going to cost you more than a little embarrassment.

It's going to cost you your life. And if you ain't faithful in the little things when those days come, you're going to fall like a cheap

Walmart lawn chair and sell your soul and your family's soul down the river. Hear the words of Christ.

Jesus Christ was preached to be crucified, dead, and buried. But on the third day rise again.

And your orders are this. Go and proclaim that to all nations starting right where you're at.

Let me ask you a question this morning. Are you ready? Are you ready to learn how to fight?

Some of you people have not been to the altar since you were converted as a

Christian. May I ask you, why? Some of you have not confessed your sins to one another in the same sin you're struggling with now or it's the same sin you were struggling with three years ago.

May I suggest to you that you need to change your strategy for struggle. Some of you church hop.

Some of you don't want that accountability because you don't need nobody helping you in your business.

Well, continue to be a freaking loser. Continue to be a loser. Watch your children falter and stumble because of your failures.

Let that anxiety of a double -minded man or woman in a hypocritical life keep eating your soul away.

Or win the fight right now.

Don't wait till you feel something. Don't wait for next week. Don't wait till that shake is gone in your purse and after that you'll get right.

Right here, right now. Make a choice. Are you going to win? I'm going to ask you to stand with me and the pastors and counselors come down.

If God has spoken to you today, be obedient and change your life. You come this morning as God wills.