Sunday Morning Sermon Series - Victory in Inches and Seconds - Part 1

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

It wasn't the type of people. I picked, obviously, the wrong

Sunday to start a sermon series since, you know, the average age of our church is 28 and it's quite maddening during holidays.

They all go to be with their mommies and their daddies, but that's okay. This will be posted online as well in a couple of weeks.

It will also be, what do you call it, videoed online on the Witten webpage or whatever it's called.

This is a five -part sermon series about winning in victories in inches and seconds.

Guys, there's a movie, and I can't remember what it's called now, but it's one of the greatest halftime speeches on a movie or in cinema.

I think it's Al Pacino or something and he's a football coach or something.

What is that movie? Any Given Sunday. And he talks about in inches and all this other stuff.

And, you know, you're ready to go play four quarters after that. At least I am. But it's really funny that the character in the story has failed as a father, has failed as a husband twice, but he's talking about winning a football game.

To me, and in reality, what a loser, man. What an absolute loser.

It's hilarious how many people, especially you men, who put all of your eggs in the basket of winning in a business or at your job or at your hobby or at something else.

There are men who switch hobbies like they switch underwear because they get bored and tired with this and so they need something else to pursue rather than pursuing your wife and your children, which should come second and third to pursuing

God. Here in Luke chapter 5, that's where we're going to be. Luke chapter 5, we're going to see what it is to win in the moment.

To win in that inch or in that second of decision to choose this day whom you're going to serve.

Today, all of you in this room are going to have one of these moments.

You will. Some of you in this room are going to have to choose in the moment not to pick up a beer.

You hear what I'm saying to you drunks? You're going to have to choose not to pick up a beer. I've been sober 30 years and yes, it does get easier, but it's not easy.

Guys, you still have to choose. Some of you in this room, you're going to have to choose to stay off the computer, you young men, www .hotsmokingpastors

.com. You're going to have to choose not to get on that. Some of you women in this room are going to have to choose to follow your husband even though it does not feel like you should follow him.

Yeah, because he's stupid and you know it. And he knows that you know it. But God's Word doesn't make exceptions, it makes commands.

Guys, you're going to be in this room today and you're going to have to make a choice. Now, for some of you in this room, listen to me.

For some of you in this room, you believe in God, but you're still going straight to hell in a handbasket.

Now, I know this isn't 2021 seeker -friendly, micro -aggression, all that other garbage.

But I'm here to tell you hell is real. Some of you are playing church, some of you are playing religion, and you're basing your eternal security on some stupid prayer you prayed when you were 13 years old at an emotional youth camp.

But you don't have the fruits of the Spirit. You don't obey the Word of God.

You're not convicted at your failure. My friend, you are not a

Christian. Well, Brother Jeff, you're judging me. Yes, absolutely.

First John tells us, If any man claims to know the truth, yet continues to walk in darkness, he is a liar.

Ladies and gentlemen, some of you need to quit playing religion, and some of you need to submit to the

Lordship of Jesus Christ. Let's learn how we're going to win in a little victories in seconds. Now, here's what's going on in Luke 5.

Jesus is preaching, and the crowds are pressing up on Him. And He walks down to Lake Tiberias, the

Sea of Galilee, Lake Gerenus. It just depends on what region of people are talking.

I mean, it's all the same lake, but it's called by different names. They walk down to the Sea of Galilee, and as Jesus is walking,

Peter and his partners are cleaning their nets. They've worked all day.

They've fished all night. And so He walks up, and He's like, Hey, Peter, I'm going to borrow your boat real quick.

Now, remember, this is not the first time Jesus had interacted with Peter. So He knew him, right?

But Peter was still a fisherman. And Jesus says to Peter, Hey, I'm going to get in your boat a little bit, and I'm going to back off from shore about 5 -10 feet, and I'm going to preach so that everyone can hear, and everybody's not all up on me.

Peter said, Knock yourself out. In the Greek, that's what it said. Knock yourself out, man. So Jesus gets up there, and He starts preaching.

And as He's preaching, Peter and the rest of the boys are still mending nets.

They're cleaning all the garbage out of their nets, the seaweed and whatever. And Peter's doing one of those things that I see some of you in here doing when

God's talking to you. When God's convicting of your heart, it's amazing. Some of y 'all's backsides grow legs.

It's hilarious. Because you'll start doing this in the sea. You'll start moving around, and then here's the thing some of y 'all get nailed with.

You'll pick up that phone, and you'll start doing something on the phone. You disengage because God is convicting your heart.

Now some of you are just lazy. But some of you are being convicted. Peter's sitting there, and he's mending nets.

And he hears the Word of God. Now, Jesus, after He finished preaching, if you look there in chapter 5, it says that He turns to Peter, and He says,

Hey Peter, let's do this. Let's read together. He sits there, and He said, verse 4,

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, i .e. Peter, Put out into the deep water, and let your nets down for a catch.

Verse 5, Master Simon replied, We've worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but at your word

I will let down the nets. Guys, let me tell you one of the greatest wins you can do as a believer.

It is obey. Some of you, the height of your spiritual success is when you come here and get an emotional feeling when we sing a song.

That's the height of your spiritual ecstasy. If you feel moved by the

Spirit, amen, if you feel emotional, if a song somehow stirs in you a nostalgic or spiritual feeling, that is where you are the closest to God.

My friends, I will tell you this. According to Luke 9 .23, it says, If any man wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

You know what the height of your obedience to God is? It's obedience. The height of your spiritual ecstasy should be obeying

God. It's not your emotions God wants. It's your praise.

It's your worship. It's your obedience. And your worship and praise is never more manifest to the world than when you are obedient by faith.

But we don't want to do that. We'll spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in our churches making it environmentally acceptable, making lights and shows and have professional people up here.

You know, there are classes they teach now in seminaries to teach music leaders and band praise teams how to look and move while you're praising.

To have that big smile on your face. Because see, it gets people involved. Man, if those things have to get you involved with Jesus Christ, you've got a problem way before you ever get there.

Now look at Peter. Here's where some of you are today. When Jesus says,

Hey buddy, I want you to go out into the deep and put your nets down again. In verse 5,

Peter says, Master. God, I can't say that word without thinking of Metallica.

I've got to stop. But anyways, he says, Master. He says, Kurios. We fished all night, man.

We have fished all night. But at your word, I will let down your nets.

You see, there's an obedience. There is a respect that can come without repentance.

I met with a gentleman. He's not an atheist, but he is definitely not a believer.

And we had a very good conversation. He's an intellectual, and I love talking to intellectuals.

And he told me that he doesn't believe in creation. He believes in evolution. And so I gave him a couple of things to think about.

And he's going to think about them. We're going to meet again. Now the one thing I note about this guy is that he was extremely respectful.

Both of myself and respectful of God. I believe in God, he said.

I accept the fact that there is a God. There was a level of respect.

But dear friends, some of you are going to go to hell respecting a religious God without ever repenting to a holy

God. Does that make sense? Some of y 'all have a respect, but you've never experienced a surrender and repentance.

Now look what Peter does. He doesn't just obey by respect. He obeys fully.

Now look, he says, At your word, I will let down the nets. Now you have to understand.

Who was Jesus Christ? Yes, he was God. But you know else what he was? He was a heat and air conditioning guy from Millington.

Seriously. Jesus was the son of a carpenter. He wasn't the son of a rabbi or a son of a great political ruler.

He was a carpenter. Now here's a carpenter walking up to a guy who has been fishing this lake since he was five years old.

Who has his own business in fishing. Who just had spent all night fishing.

And the carpenter comes up to him and says this, Hey man, go out into the deep water and cast your nets.

Peter was respectful, but his submission did not stop at respect.

It wasn't a cultural or moral submission. It was a submission by action.

And he says, Lord, I fished all night, but at your word,

I will let down those nets. What is it that's keeping you from fully surrendering to Christ today?

What is it? Is it a codependent relationship with someone? Is it a fear?

What is it that's keeping you from fully surrendering to God? God does not...

Listen to me, let me tell you something. Partial obedience is fully disobedient.

Getting halfway there, living on a prayer, does... The 80's are just rocking my head today.

I need David Stanley to help me clean all that out. Big guys! Or Carrie to throw it all away.

But guys, listen to me. Listen to me. You cannot partially obey

God in being submission to Him. I used to tell my children, come here.

Smack! I said, come here. I didn't say take a step forward. I said, you come hither.

Guys, unless my children obey... Pastor Josiah, he is so mean.

He is. He's horrible. Ava the other day was doing something wrong and he said, go do this.

And she said, yes sir. And then she kept playing with something in his hand. In her hand.

And Josiah got on to her. Gave her a spanking. It wasn't like she wasn't going to do it.

Now as the grandfather, I'm the advocate. Hey man, dude. She probably was going to do it.

She might have, would have, could have, should have. She was probably thinking about the latest

U .N. resolution. There's a lot of things going on in a two year old's mind. Because she did not obey fully and immediately it was disobedience.

Parents, if you count for your children, start saving your money for bail.

I know, everybody's like, we're raising our kids in church. That won't happen. You religious, hypocritical idiots.

Teach your children in the admonition of the Lord. It doesn't say raise them in church.

It is not my job to raise your children. You are the only sovereign, responsible individual on the face of the earth to raise your child.

It is not the government's job to educate your child, the pastors, deacons, or the Sunday school teachers. It is your job.

And let me tell you something. Parents, I have just a little side sermon for you. It's free of charge. Listen to me.

Listen to me parents. Look. If you choose, if you choose to put on your children a burden of obedience in light of your disobedience, they're going to grow up, and I know this is going to sound weird, they're going to think the church is full of a bunch of thanks to you.

Stop being stupid and fully obey. Look at this next thing. Guys, obedience is a win.

But understand this. Pushing past limitations is a win.

I used to run a martial arts place, and this guy comes in, and we always would have ninjas show up.

Especially after a Steven Seagal movie or a Van Damme movie. It was funny. After Steven Seagal came out with his first movie, everybody was an

Aikido master. Right? And I'd have these guys walk in, and you could always tell them, because they were the guys that would walk in and go, yeah,

I'm Navy SEAL Green Beret from the 32 Special Division Death Ninja Red Black Unit.

Uh -huh, yeah, okay. But then you'd have guys walk in, and they'd be about 5 '8 to 5 '11, 180 to 205 pounds, and they were quiet, respectful, and I learned a long time ago, those are the dudes that are for real.

Because they don't have to use this to hype up this. They just go, let's go.

So anyways, there was this one young man, and I was going through, and I was sparring. This was in my younger days.

That's when all this was up here. I was sparring all my high -ranking people.

I'd get them in there, and we'd round -robin, and so this guy, he was a young guy.

He said, hey, could I catch some sparring time? I'm like, sure, man, come on in. And you know, he wasn't a big guy, man, you know.

He wasn't a big guy, but I hate cruiserweights. And for those of you that fight or are in the fight game know what

I'm talking about, because they're still fast enough that they can move, but they're still strong enough they can make you wake up telling your mommy you don't want to go to school.

So I'm sparring this guy. Now, I'm the head instructor, man. I'm the head coach, man.

I can't lose face. So I'm sitting there, and I'm sparring this guy, and I remember, actually,

I don't remember a whole lot, but I do remember stepping to the left, and I remember thinking I must have been outsized in a lightning storm because my whole body felt electricity.

Now, once again, if you've ever been hit hard, you know what I'm talking about. Like, certain muscles want to relax, okay?

Like, your whole thing, someone turned the tornado siren on because you hear, and my knees felt a little rubbery.

And so I'm like, ooh, that was a good hit. And I do what every other fighter does when he gets popped.

What do you do? You smile. When you're fighting a guy and the guy smiles back at you, you know you just clipped him.

And so I'm like, oh, God. Now, the hard part about this wasn't the shot that I took.

It was that everybody else was watching. And I remember in my mind saying,

I will not go down. So I remember sitting there going, in a true fighter fashion,

I pulled the coach card. All right, man, hey, that was a good shot. Let's look at something real quick. He caught me with that shot.

Guys, I want you to show, I want you to walk back through that, come over here and show them on him so I can watch.

And I'm leaning up against the wall going, I'm about to pass out. So glad I have young shipleys that can get punched in the face now.

Guys, it's in moments like that where no matter what you're feeling, thinking, or afraid of, you've got to push past the limitation that you think is there.

First, let's look at Peter. He had to push back, push past some physical exhaustion.

He says in this passage of Scripture, we have fished all night long.

God, there goes Lionel Richie. All night long. Fished all night long.

And he's tired. Do you know the number one response that I used to get out of Whitten when

I would greet them? Hey, man, how you doing? You know what the number one response was? This was about five, six years ago.

Say it again. I'm kind of tired. I'm kind of tired.

You're 22 years old. You don't have no kids.

Your job is a part time job. Are you tired?

How? Well, I go to school. Oh, okay.

So let's equate going to school with like logging in Alaska or being chased by Kodiak bears.

Right? School. Come on, man. Guys, some of the limitations you need to push back are the lies that you tell yourself for not succeeding in what

God's called you to do. Okay? You are not that tired. You're not.

I'm sorry. Well, pastor, you don't know what I've done. Dude. You don't know what God's calling you to.

Guys, I have a friend in Africa in the Congo right now. He is sitting there. Well, actually, he's done preaching the word of God.

Then he travels to seven other villages on the same Sunday by foot.

That sounds kind of a wimpy walk. But by foot. And preaches all them. Then walks all the way back home.

Then goes to bed, gets up, and goes to his job. I feel kind of bad.

That dude pushes his limits. Guys, quit talking about how tired you are all the time.

It's because you are spending way too much time caring about the things of the world and your own personal development than serving the cause of Jesus Christ.

How exhausted are you from ministry? What else were you called to do?

Guys, if you're like parents, if you're going to karate class, ballet class, stop vicariously reliving your life to your children.

They're fat losers. Let them be fat. Stop vicariously living your life through them.

Stop trying to make them winners by making them focus on everything the world tells you is important.

You follow Christ, and watch what happens. They'll follow you, and by default, they will follow Christ. Here's the second thing.

It's not just physical limitations you've got to push past. Here's the big one. Guys, you will start to win when you push back emotional disappointments.

Now watch this. It says, We have fished all night long and caught nothing.

Man, I'll tell you how good of a fisherman I am. You know why

I hate fishing? Because if I don't catch 42 fish in five minutes,

I'm bored. Call it whatever you want, but it's weird.

I can sit in a deer stand for six hours, and it's because I have something to do.

I'm watching the squirrels and thinking about what a 30 -06 would do to them at 15 feet away.

I'm looking at the sun rising. I'm looking at the leaves. I'm waking Josiah up.

I'm, you know. It was so cute when they would sit in the stand with me or they would sit in the blind with me, you know.

It'd be about 10 minutes after we get there. They're so excited to go deer hunting.

They were just tired. Guys, some of you, your relationships are disappointing.

Your relationships are disappointing. You've invested in relationships, and a year later or two years later, you've caught nothing.

What are you going to do with that? Here's what some people do. You withdraw and go inside of yourself.

Yeah, some of you are hanging your head because you know I'm talking to you. That is not how a man or woman, a

God, addresses these hits. You see, if you're going to be a man of God, if you're going to be a woman of God, and you're going into the ministry, your soul is going to get butchered.

You will invest your life into people, and then they will take jobs in Kentucky.

No, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm so proud of her, I can't stand it. No, but things will not work out.

Maybe you're in a marriage right now where things are kind of rough, and the emotional bank account is bouncing checks everywhere.

Okay? You don't have to push past that limitation. I can't take anymore. Yeah, you can.

Now, chicks, if a dude is playing tic -tac -toe on your face with his right hand, you come talk to me, because there's another way we handle that.

Okay? But other than that, failure is not an excuse.

I'm tired. Great. Keep going. Well, he or she won't.

Great. Keep going. Quit blaming. I have a pastor, I've told this to a bunch.

He's a pastor in Virginia, and I keep telling him, stop blaming your congregation and your wife for your failure of leadership.

Get up and keep going. Guys, pushing back physical tiredness is a win.

Pushing back emotional tiredness is a win. But here's something else. Now, watch this. Pushing back from future success can be tiring.

Now, you're saying, what? Watch this. Peter had fished all night. He's on the bank.

He's getting ready to go home. He's getting ready to go and kick his feet up in his recliner and watch the game.

He's fixing to be able to relax. Men, you know what I'm talking about? When you hit the threshold of your door at home, it's like, whoo!

Now, women, you know, you still got to do X, Y, and Z, right? Men, you're done.

You shouldn't be, but you're done. Right? Peter was getting ready. Yeah, it was bad that I'd done this all night and caught nothing, but at least it's now over and I can go home.

He gets out there and he pulls in this net of fish and just looking like Peter, because me and Peter identify a lot, okay?

Because I'm about as big of a loser as he was. I'll be honest with you, I wouldn't have been that excited about catching that much fish.

Because here's why. I've got to grow them all back in the shore and start cleaning those stupid nets again.

Then I've got to load them up in a truck, take them to the market, and sell them. And I'm not going to get home now until one or two o 'clock.

You say, oh, but pastor, all the money he got. Well, we'll get to that in verse 11. But right now,

I want you to understand something. And Wynton, and you individuals in here who are discipling people, let me let you in on something.

Success will breed you more stress. Okay? Because if you're successful in discipleship with one, our

God has a deal for you. If you are faithful in the little things, then God is going to make you faithful in the big things.

Instead of dealing with one idiot, now you're going to have two. And they're going to be calling you at nine o 'clock at night when you're sitting there trying to watch, you know,

HGTV. You know? Stop it.

I like HGTV. Guys, when you're sitting there trying to do that, they're going to call you up and go, Pastor, I'm really struggling right now.

Why are you struggling? I want a beer. You're an alcoholic. Yeah, I know, but I really want a beer.

Well, people in hell want slushies, dude. Doesn't mean you're going to get it. Don't pick up the beer.

What do you want me to do? Well, brother, can you pray for me? God, stop making him be an idiot.

Is there anything else? No? Have a great night. Boom. By the way,

Jesus loves you. Discipleship is going to get tiring, guys.

It is. What are you going to do with it? Guys, if you are going to be in the ministry and you want to be successful, understand in your spiritual life that if you're faithful in the little things, get ready because God is going to bring you the next thing down the road.

There ain't no recess with God. Man, I hate it sometimes.

There ain't no time out. There ain't no time out. Guys, we're all fighting against spiritual wickedness in high places.

And last time I checked, Satan don't hit the time clock. Guys, stress comes from success.

You've got to fight the physical. You've got to push past the emotional. But you also have to push back sitting in the same place knowing that familiarity will breed contempt in your life.

Last part of this and I'm done. Some of you in this room need to push past little wall flowering.

Let me explain to what I mean. I know some of you all are bored already and I apologize. Hey, pop a Ritalin and listen.

Because some of you dorks in here are the ones I'm talking to. Listen to me. You've got to push past the wall flower.

Okay? Peter gets out in that boat and he's pulling the net up. And as he's pulling the net up, he realizes,

I can't do this by myself. Now where was Jesus? As far as we know,

He's still in the boat. Okay? He's not from the shore, but He's still in the boat.

Now what's Jesus doing? Is He sitting there going, Okay, Peter, what you need to do is take that. No. As far as we know,

He's sitting there on his phone. Catching up with emails. Peter sits there and he's got this and he's sitting there going, and he does this.

He looks back to the shore where the other boat and his partners are and he goes, You ready for this?

Help! Some of you need to push past your pride in not asking for help or your wallflowering hiding for the need of help.

Here's what I mean. Here's what I mean. Are you ready? They're kids. They're okay. Focus.

Here's what I need. How are you doing this morning? Mama Louise, how are you doing? God bless you.

God bless you. How are you doing? Mike, how's the hair doing? Obviously, awesome as usual.

Awesome. Awesome. Covetousness, jealousy. When you walk in this place or when it's time for the invitation,

Baptists, and the invitation song, what's going through your mind? Thank God this is almost over.

Oh my God, someone else just walked down the aisle. Crap. It's going to last another song.

Oh man, he said it was the last point 20 minutes ago. What's hilarious is you're the one that needs to be down here.

But you have done the church thing so well. You are dying on the inside without accountability for the lack of your spiritual life.

Your entire life is a swirling eddy of despair in the toilet bowl you call a life.

And you'll be the one that sits there and goes, I'm cool. I'm good. My life and God's relationship is just between me and Him.

Hold on to that. Keep holding on to that net. You have the ability to bring in a large success, but because you won't ask for help, you're the idiot after everybody goes home that's still going, ugh, ugh.

How many of y 'all in here are struggling with chemical or alcohol addiction? Some of you are lying in here.

I cannot believe that. That's what I'm talking about. Well, that's my private business.

No, dummy, it's not. Confess your faults one to another that you may be, but you keep struggling because it's private.

What part of that aren't you understanding of God's command? It wasn't a helpful suggestion.

He ain't Martha Stewart. He's the Lord God Almighty that created the church to help you matriculate from dumb to worthy.

I'm sorry, fellow sinners are the only plan you got.

We are supposed to bear one another's burdens. How can we do that when you're,

I'm fine, God bless you. Oh, just God bless you. Oh, yeah, life's wonderful.

Every time I hear one of those kind of, feels like I ate too much pecan pie, you know.

Dude, your kids are in rebellion, your wife's miserable, but everything's fine?

What? Oh, I know, you're going to try the wait and see strategy.

Okay, man, cool. If you are in a burning building, try that strategy.

Go ahead, dude. At least your pride will be intact.

At least your pride and your self -respect will be intact as your children continue to rebel and grow further away from the truth.

Continue to be one of those people that sit there and say, well, I believe in God and I'm spiritual, but I just don't believe in organized religion.

Neither does the Scripture. So what's your next excuse? Well, the church is full of hypocrites.

Well, one more won't matter, dude. What is going to be your continued excuse to lose at the most important things in life?

Because ladies and gentlemen, you fail as a Christian, you fail as a father, you fail as a husband.

You're a loser. Brother Jeff, that's hurtful. Good. I hope so.

I hope it sparks you to change. Sorry, I'm not Joel Osteen. I actually preach from the

Bible. Okay? That's why we ain't got 42 ,000 people in here.

Because I'm not up here to go, smile, Jesus loves you. Yeah, smile. But smile through the sanctification process of matriculating to the maturity that has been eluding you for the last 30 years of your

Christian life. You look more to your morals than you do to the obedience to the Word of God.

Cultural morals do not equal spiritual holiness. Last thing and I'm done. Winning the moment is not just about obedience.

It's not just pushing past certain limitations. It's also this. It is absolute truth.

It's fact for some of you philosophers, some of you Nietzsche followers, I'll use the right word.

Okay? It's fact. Guys, understand this. Walk the talk.

If you are a believer in here today, I want to point you to three things.

Now, some of you need a miracle to move. You're just frozen. You've lived a lie for so long it's commonplace for you to have that dead spirit in you.

I'm sorry, let me use colloquialisms. You and God are this far apart. I don't feel like my prayers get further than the ceiling.

I try real hard. And you quote Romans 7 as a plausible excuse. Paul says, why do

I do the things I should not do and keep doing the things I know I shouldn't do? And that's your plausible excuse to keep living in sin.

Well, Paul did it. Okay, then. That's the height of your measuring rod?

Of your canon of life? Wow, let's choose Christ as our standard.

Guys, I want some of you in the room to ask this question of yourself. Look what

Peter did. He saw a miracle. They get to shore. Jesus steps out of the boat.

Peter does this. He runs and falls at the feet of Jesus. And as he does, softly in the background, a piano just as I am starts to play.

A pastor starts hacking. Jesus! And there's a little instrumental with the little cymbals on the drums.

Nah, man, it was in the dirt. It was early in the morning. There was no cheering crowds.

There was no sermons or music to inspire. Wasn't no Rocky in the background.

Guys, when you were younger playing football or doing something, did you always have Rocky on the walkman? Felt like he could run faster?

Okay, that was just me. But guys, sometimes when you make these decisions of worship, there is no feelings.

It's all. That verse that we sang, Andrew. Where did Andrew go?

Oh, well, anyways. Oh, there you are! What's that last song we sang?

Yeah, the one where it says, and he will return. That one?

Yeah, in robes of white. I'm going to be honest with you. I feel like cheering...

Well, you don't cheer at Tennessee games, Jeff. I used back in 98, alright? 98!

We're in the rebuilding generation. Oh, man! Dude, we won the national championship! I was like, woo! Right?

Cramp. Dadgummit. Y 'all are going to get a polished preacher one day.

Woo! Guys. I'd be all excited, man. I was all excited.

I'll be honest with you, man. When that verse in that song sings, dude, I'm ready to rock, man.

Right? That's not where you win battles. See, it's when I'm driving in my truck, and I have impure thoughts.

I'm human. I have impure thoughts. Okay? Right? When I'm praising and worshipping

God, man, does this ever happen to you? Like, you're praising and worshipping God and a really bad image comes to your mind of, like, you know, little

Suzie whatever her name is? Okay, I need some counseling or help then because I'm really jacked up.

Bill, thank God! Bill's honest. Whew! Right? Let me help you out, man.

Do you ever do this? Well, I used to. I'm 53 years old.

I really don't care unless, you know, it's a hamburger stand. But... Guys, here's the point

I'm making. Here's the point I'm making. How much of reality is your worship?

There are times when we want worship to be this way or this way for me to be able to worship.

You spoiled brat child. Let all of that go. Run and kneel at the feet of Jesus.

And if you've got to do it physically as the manifestation of what you're thinking, then do it. There ain't no

Baptist police that'll come freak you out, okay? Guys, worship authentically.

Second thing. I'm almost done, y 'all. I know. Secondly, listen.

Look what Peter says. He says, Get away from me,

Lord, for I am a sinful man. One of the reasons that intellectual is not saved, it's the classic age -old argument.

I'm a good person. That was his statement. And I'm not mocking him at all.

That's where he is in life. And that's great. He and I are going to have discussions and I'm going to, as a loving pastor, try to explain to him, you're not a good guy.

You are a scumbag. Like child molester and you, right on that same level.

That's not true. To you is the Word of God speaking right now. Peter said,

I am sinful. I want you to hear that word. And yes, I'm using phonetics in the

English to help. Full of sin, sinful. You are sinful.

Well, yeah, but I don't do this and I don't do that and I don't do this. You are a disgusting, totally depraved, sinful human being.

All of your good works, according to God's Word, are like used menstrual rags.

Not menstrual. Oh, yeah. I was thinking I'm a musician, menstrual.

I don't know why. That's what your good works are. Brother Jeff, I'm here every time the doors are open.

Wee! Yay! That's like my three -year -old granddaughter telling me she pooped in the toilet today.

Wow! Man, I'm so proud of you, little Christian. You've been going here 30 years and you're excited that you're still here every

Sunday? Woo! Wee! Fireworks! What have you surrendered?

What have you let up? Do you realize how sinful you are? And here's what it will cause you to do.

It'll cause you to look at other people when you think you're good without sin. Big old goofy -eared

Purdue graduate. He's in the Army, which means he is suppressing the rights of freedom -loving people like Al -Qaeda.

You know? Power to the people. Guys, you are a sinful, godless, heathen.

Humility is key. For all of you in here that struggle with chemical addictions, the number one key power that you will have is called humility.

Woo! For those of you that are struggling in other sins, humility.

For those of you that have pride or arrogance or humility. Well, Brother Jeff, my kids have grown up now and I've already screwed up.

Humility. Go back and repent and repeat and ask forgiveness. Humility.

It's a beautiful thing. Guys, humble yourself therefore in the sight of God and He will lift you up in due time.

Last thing. Yes, it is the last thing. Verse 11.

They get to the shore and it's full of fish. Peter runs and says, Get away from me, Lord. I'm an unclean man.

Jesus says this, Hey, back the truck up. We're going to load all these fish up.

Take them to market and cha -ching out. You know what

He tells Peter? Leave it all right there. Come and follow

Me. I'm going to make you a fisher of men. What?

What? Think about this for a second.

Think about if you are an HVAC guy. Culturally despondent redneck hick.

True, but you're an HVAC guy. Your truck with all your tools in it.

Peter's two boats. That was their business. Him, Andrew, James, and John were in business together.

The means of them having life and food and money.

Keeping the mortgage paid. Right? Paying them stinking Romans their taxes. Jesus said,

Leave it all. Come and follow Me. Now watch what Peter did. Okay.

What happened to them fish, man? They just walked away.

They just walked away. It was probably like Puerto Ricans in Hubcap City, man.

They were all over them, right? What happened?

I don't know. But I'm really not focused on the fish. I'm focused on what Peter did. He left everything and followed

Christ. Repentance will lead to total submission.

Some of you people in this room, you believe in God. You believe partly Scriptures. But, you know, you're a good moral person.

But you're still going to hell in a handbasket no matter how hard you believe because your belief has never turned to faith.

What's the difference? Faith is something that is seen by action and submission to God. It is never a feeling.

If you're looking to feelings to manifest your salvation, you're going to be one of those people that feel like you constantly have lost your salvation because feelings are the marker you're using.

But that's not what God told us to do. God didn't say don't rely on your feelings. He talked about obey.

Jesus said in John 14, if you love Me, you will obey Me. I raised my children up at first when they were younger to fear the wrath of discipline.

But I didn't have to do that really long. By the time they were 7 and 8 years old, they weren't afraid of discipline.

You know what they were afraid of? Disappointing Me. They were deathly afraid of letting

Daddy down. And that motivated them. Guys, where are you?

Have you disappointed and let God down so much that it's just kind of like you're sliding through life of disappointment?

I'm not asking you to pray another prayer. I'm asking you to repent. Guys, get some accountability in your life.

As the music people come down here, look, right now, in your little brains, you're like, it's over.

I'm going to suppress these feelings. I'm going to ignore this conviction. I'm going to get out of here and me and God in a

Bible study tomorrow will kind of get this wrapped up. No you won't, because you've been saying that same lie to yourself for years.

Listen to me. If you need some help, you are going to have to ask for help.

You know how many people leave churches because no one came and talked to me? I had a lady say that.

Well, no one talks to me. Lady, I see you on the back row talking to no one. You look weird.

You look like a big deer tick. You're just, no one's here to talk to me. Stop being Jabba the

Hutt. Get up and go talk to someone else. It's your responsibility.

Quit blaming everybody else for your apathy. Okay? Quit coming up with excuses for you being a loser and blaming it on everybody else.

If you want your spiritual life to grow, it is one person's responsibility to make that happen.

That's yours. Okay? If you're in this room today, and you need help, I want you to come forward.

If you're in this room today, and you're not 100 % sure you're a Christian, please don't sit there and look at his stupid screen and sing him another stupid song on your way to hell.

Come forward today and get some help. Listen, if you're in this room today, and you need some accountability for sin, come get some help.

If you're in this room today, and you're perfect in every way, I expect you to go find someone who's not and minister to them right here and right now.

You're not called to sit there and sing. We've got people for that. We don't need your help singing.

Okay? What I need you to do is be the church instead of coming to church. Go find someone in this room that needs some encouragement, a prayer, and go to work.

Stand with me, church. And if God has spoken to you today, you come in obedience. You come as God leads.