The Lie of Self-Sufficiency: Why Belief Alone Isn’t Enough

While the sermon correctly identifies the danger of superficial faith, it fundamentally distorts the Gospel by replacing Christ's atoning work with a system of self-activation and cognitive control. It teaches that sickness and lack are results of personal unbelief, denying God's sovereignty over suffering and reducing salvation to a transactional mechanism for earthly benefit. This is a severe departure from orthodox Christianity, offering a gospel of self-sufficiency rather than dependence on Christ.

🔴
Theological Status: THERAPEUTIC / COMPLACENT Biblical Parallel(Archetype): Laodicea
❓ What do these grades mean?
🔍 Biblical Discernment: The 7 Church Parallels
The Faithful Parallels Smyrna • Philadelphia
Teaching that parallels the churches that endure suffering with true spiritual riches (Rev 2:9) and keep the Word of Christ without denial despite having "little strength" (Rev 3:8).
The Cold Orthodox Parallel Ephesus
Teaching that upholds doctrinal precision yet parallels the loss of the "first love"—the vital, motivating power of the Gospel (Rev 2:4).
The Compromised Parallel Pergamum
Teaching that parallels churches tolerating the "doctrine of Balaam" through cultural accommodation (Rev 2:14), characterized by weak boundaries, sloppy theology, and worldly compromise.
The Corrupted & Dead Parallels Thyatira • Sardis • Laodicea
Teaching that parallels churches with active heresy, synergism, therapeutic deism, or dead orthodoxy (Rev 2:20, Rev 3:1, Rev 3:17). These represent systemic, fundamental errors that corrupt the Gospel engine.
Why strictly "Mark & Avoid"?
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
Date: 2026-01-31 | Church: Andrew Wommack Ministries | Speaker: Andrew Wommack

🧐 Overview

Theological Verdict & Summary

Sermon Summary: The sermon argues that mere intellectual belief in Jesus is insufficient for true freedom, urging listeners to 'continue in the Word' to unlock divine health and prosperity.

Pastoral Analysis: While the sermon correctly identifies the danger of superficial faith, it fundamentally distorts the Gospel by replacing Christ's atoning work with a system of self-activation and cognitive control. It teaches that sickness and lack are results of personal unbelief, denying God's sovereignty over suffering and reducing salvation to a transactional mechanism for earthly benefit. This is a severe departure from orthodox Christianity, offering a gospel of self-sufficiency rather than dependence on Christ.

Biblical Parallel (Archetype): Laodicea — The sermon exhibits the characteristics of the Laodicean church: a therapeutic deism that prioritizes self-sufficiency, physical comfort, and material prosperity over the true gospel of Christ's atoning work. It presents a 'lukewarm' orthodoxy that claims spiritual authority while fundamentally denying the reality of the fallen world and the necessity of Christ's penal substitutionary death, offering a gospel of health and wealth instead of redemption from sin.

Big Idea: Believing in Jesus alone does not set you free; you must continue in the Word of God to be made free from the lies of the devil. [00:00:00 ▶️ 📄]

🎨 The Visual Metaphor

The dry grey rock symbolizes superficial belief that merely touches the surface, while the dark, saturated stone represents the transformative depth of total immersion in God's Word, demonstrating that true freedom requires continuous abiding rather than fleeting contact. This physical contrast underscores that sanctification demands the Scripture penetrate the core of existence, displacing self-sufficiency with the enduring weight of divine truth.


📖 How they Handle Scripture & Jesus

  • Primary Text: John 8:31-32
  • Usage Classification: Expository (with heavy eisegesis)
  • Text-to-Talk Ratio: Moderate
  • Pulpit Decorum: ⚠️ CAUTION - The pastor uses coarse language ('dumb prayer', 'dumb you can get them') and dismissive tones towards other Christians ('weird', 'dumb prayer'), which undermines pastoral warmth and humility.

✝️ Christological Focus: Instrumental

"Christ is presented not as the Savior from sin, but as the source of resources (health, wealth) that the believer must activate through correct belief."

Scripture Saturation: Verses Read: 20 | Referenced: 34 | Alluded: 4

Passages Read Aloud:

Key References: Ephesians 6:11-12, John 8:30, Matthew 28:19-20, John 8:44, Genesis 3:1, Genesis 2:17, Exodus 23:25, Matthew 10:8, Matthew 1:1, John 1:1, and 24 more...


🎙️ Sermon Content & Delivery

Word Count: 8,993 words

📌 Key Topics Addressed

  • Discipleship vs. Conversion [00:04:02 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor distinguishes between a 'convert' who merely believes for salvation and a 'disciple' who continues in the Word to achieve freedom.
  • The Nature of Truth and Lies [00:02:30 ▶️ 📄]
    > The speaker identifies a spiritual battle for truth, asserting that all lies originate with the devil, citing modern cultural shifts as evidence.
  • Satan's Method of Operation [00:06:15 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor analyzes Genesis 3, explaining that Satan operates by sowing doubt ('Has God said?') rather than direct confrontation.
  • The Role of Bible Schools [00:05:31 ▶️ 📄]
    > The speaker argues that formal Bible education exists because the average church fails to make disciples, only converts.
  • Authority of Scripture [00:19:29 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor argues that society has relativized the Bible, but God's Word is absolute, unchanging, and must be believed without compromise.
  • Satan's Limitations and Tactics [00:19:59 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor asserts that Satan has no power to force actions or sickness; he only tempts and lies, requiring human consent to succeed.
  • Divine Health and Healing [00:20:13 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor claims sickness is a result of believing lies and that God promises to 'turn off' sickness, urging believers to reject the idea that sickness is normal.
  • Faith and Belief [00:22:14 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor emphasizes that negative outcomes (like sickness or aging) occur when people accept cultural lies rather than trusting God's promises.
  • Idolatry and Self-Reliance [00:26:38 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor defines idolatry not just as worshiping physical idols, but as any instance where a person trusts their own understanding or desires over God's revealed will, effectively making themselves God.
  • Financial Prosperity and Tithing [00:28:13 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor argues that failing to tithe or trust God's financial promises is a form of idolatry and that true richness is defined by having sufficient grace to abound in good works, not just material wealth.
  • Politics and Moral Restraint [00:32:28 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor distinguishes between the limited power of politics to restrain evil actions and the necessity of biblical truth to change the human heart, citing historical figures like John Adams.
  • The Role of the Ten Commandments [00:36:27 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor advocates for the presence of the Ten Commandments in schools as a necessary 'fear of God' for those who are not yet born-again believers, serving as a moral restraint.
  • Relevance of Scripture [00:35:17 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor argues that rejecting the Bible as irrelevant to society and government is 'terrible' and 'sin,' citing a senator who claimed God's word has no bearing on Congress.
  • Fear of God and Law [00:36:27 ▶️ 📄]
    > He asserts that while believers are delivered from the law, non-believers need the 'fear of God' and legal deterrence to restrain sin, using the Columbine shooters as an example of those who lacked this fear.
  • Role of Religion in Democracy [00:38:00 ▶️ 📄]
    > Quoting Clay Christianson, he argues that democracy relies on citizens voluntarily obeying laws due to religious accountability to God, not just government oversight.
  • Knowledge vs. Ritual [00:43:00 ▶️ 📄]
    > He critiques 'dumb prayers' asking God to come down or anoint him, arguing that God is already present and anointed believers, so the need is for revelation of existing truth, not new intervention.
  • Identity in Christ [00:46:24 ▶️ 📄]
    > The core application is that believers must discover their identity and resources in Christ ('spirit, soul, and body') rather than seeking external empowerment.
  • Experiential Knowledge of Truth [00:47:10 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor distinguishes intellectual knowledge from experiential knowledge, asserting that disciples will experience the truth which leads to freedom.
  • Divine Sovereignty in Attendance [00:47:22 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor claims God has been working for years to bring the listeners to this specific moment for their freedom.
  • Pastoral Directness and Repentance [00:47:47 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor acknowledges his direct style may offend, using an analogy of petting a cat against the grain to urge listeners to repent and turn around rather than reject the message.

🖼️ Illustrations & Stories

  • Sermon Illustration [00:05:53 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor uses the analogy of a dry sponge: dipping it briefly only wets the edges, but submerging it completely saturates it, illustrating the need for total immersion in the Word to be truly changed.
  • Sermon Illustration [00:06:00 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor references the historical context of the Jews in John 8, who claimed they had never been in bondage to anyone despite being oppressed by the Romans, illustrating spiritual blindness to one's own bondage.
  • Sermon Illustration [00:23:59 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor recounts a story of a woman in England whose two sons had autism. Despite health professionals advising her to 'embrace' the condition, she rebelled against this advice, and her sons were miraculously healed.
  • Sermon Illustration [00:22:29 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor uses an analogy of Adam living to be 930 years old, suggesting he didn't die young because he 'didn't know how to die' or believe in aging/sickness, contrasting this with modern beliefs about getting sick during flu or allergy season.
  • Sermon Illustration [00:23:59 ▶️ 📄]
    > A story about a woman in England whose two sons had autism; despite health professionals advising her to 'embrace' the condition, she rebelled against this advice, and her sons were miraculously healed.
  • Sermon Illustration [00:26:38 ▶️ 📄]
    > An analogy comparing God's word to an owner's manual for an appliance or car, explaining that just as creators provide instructions for their creations, God provided instructions for how life should be lived.
  • Sermon Illustration [00:34:11 ▶️ 📄]
    > A reference to a call-in radio show where a caller claimed they wanted to 'stick to the truth' and 'facts' rather than religion, which the pastor critiques as rejecting the Bible's relevance.
  • Sermon Illustration [00:34:11 ▶️ 📄]
    > A mention of a U.S. Senator who, when quoted scripture, stated that the word of God has no bearing on congressional decisions, which the pastor labels as sin.
  • Sermon Illustration [00:35:17 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor recounts a story about a U.S. Senator who claimed the Word of God has no bearing on Congressional actions, labeling this attitude as 'terrible' and 'sin.'
  • Sermon Illustration [00:36:27 ▶️ 📄]
    > He references the Columbine High School shootings, stating that the perpetrators killed themselves to avoid prosecution because they had 'no fear of God' and did not understand eternal accountability.
  • Sermon Illustration [00:40:00 ▶️ 📄]
    > He contrasts the immigration enforcement policies of President Trump (enforcing existing laws) with the Biden administration (allegedly letting in 20 million illegal aliens and defunding police), linking this to the concept of law as a deterrent to sin.
  • Sermon Illustration [00:38:00 ▶️ 📄]
    > He shares a conversation with a Marxist economist from China who was surprised by the critical role of religion in maintaining democracy through voluntary obedience to law.
  • Sermon Illustration [00:44:00 ▶️ 📄]
    > He mocks the 'intercession movement' that rented planes to go up mountains to 'deal with spiritual wickedness in high places,' arguing that in the New Testament, God lives inside the believer, making such external spiritual warfare rituals unnecessary and based on unbelief.
  • Sermon Illustration [00:47:47 ▶️ 📄]
    > He uses an analogy of petting a cat against the grain: if the truth 'rubs you the wrong way,' one should 'repent, turn around, and it'll go to feeling good.'
  • Sermon Illustration [00:47:47 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor uses an analogy of petting a cat against the grain: when the hair stands up, you don't quit petting; you turn the cat around and keep rubbing. He applies this to his direct preaching, urging listeners to 'repent, turn around' if his words rub them the wrong way.

🚀 Calls to Action (Application)

  • Pastoral Charge [00:04:49 ▶️ 📄]
    > To make disciples by teaching them to observe all of Jesus' commands, rather than just making converts.
  • Pastoral Charge [00:19:59 ▶️ 📄]
    > Attend the Charis conference/event
  • Pastoral Charge [00:20:29 ▶️ 📄]
    > Stay for the afternoon session on healing
  • Pastoral Charge [00:31:29 ▶️ 📄]
    > The pastor commands the congregation to persistently study and base their lives on the truth of Scripture to remove lies and find freedom.
  • Pastoral Charge [00:45:41 ▶️ 📄]
    > Acknowledge and release the spiritual good already present within the believer.
  • Pastoral Charge [00:47:53 ▶️ 📄]
    > Repent of any offense taken at the pastor's teaching.
  • Pastoral Charge [00:47:53 ▶️ 📄]
    > Repent and turn around in response to the pastor's direct teaching.

🧭 Biblical Alignment Dashboard

Overall Verdict: Fundamentally in Error

CategoryStatusReasoning
Gospel Presentation ❌ FAIL The Gospel Engine is broken. The sermon omits the core of the Gospel—Christ's death for sin and the forgiveness of guilt—and replaces it with a promise of material prosperity and physical health contingent on human belief. This is a 'Gospel Engine Omission' that cannot be pardoned as it constitutes a denial of the primary purpose of the Atonement.
Soteriology ❌ FAIL The sermon teaches a synergistic salvation where freedom and discipleship are conditional upon human effort ('continuing in the Word') and cognitive alignment, rather than being secured by Christ's finished work.
Bibliology ⚠️ WEAK While the Bible is cited, its interpretation is heavily skewed towards proving a pre-existing prosperity theology, ignoring the broader biblical witness on suffering, providence, and the nature of the Fall.
Hermeneutic ❌ FAIL The hermeneutic is eisegesis-driven, reading modern 'Word of Faith' concepts into the text (e.g., interpreting 'rich' in 2 Corinthians as material wealth, and Adam's longevity as psychological denial of aging).
Theology Proper ❌ FAIL The sermon denies God's sovereign right to use suffering for sanctification and asserts that believers have '100% control' over sickness, effectively making man the master of his own physical destiny rather than a dependent creature.
Sacramentology ⚪ N/A The sermon does not address sacraments or ordinances.
Confessional Depth ❌ FAIL The teaching relies on superficial psychological applications of scripture ('believe the right thing to get the right result') rather than deep theological engagement with sin, grace, and redemption.

⚙️ The Gospel Engine (Confessional Distinctives)

The Law And Wrath:

"We, as born-again believers, have been delivered from the law. And we don't serve God under a fear of punishment. But people that don't know God need the fear of God, and they need to know that there's a God and that they're accountable." [00:36:27 ▶️ 📄]

Total Depravity And Inability:

"they had no fear of god they thought that by killing themselves they could avoid prosecution nobody could do anything to him if they would have understood that they didn't avoid anything all they did was damn themselves to an eternity separated from god they went immediately into hell" [00:36:27 ▶️ 📄]

Active Obedience Of Christ: Not observed in the sermon.

The Cross And Atonement:

"Jesus died to make you rich." [00:29:48 ▶️ 📄]

✅ Commendations

Call to Discipleship | The Necessity of Continuing in the Word

The pastor correctly identifies that initial belief must lead to ongoing engagement with Scripture. The call to move beyond superficial faith to deep, saturating knowledge of God's Word is a valid and necessary exhortation for spiritual maturity.

Spiritual Discernment | Identifying the Root of Struggle

The emphasis on examining one's beliefs and identifying 'lies' that contradict God's Word is a helpful diagnostic tool for believers struggling with doubt or spiritual stagnation, provided it is balanced with the reality of external spiritual warfare and providential suffering.

⚠️ Theological Concerns

🔴 The Error of Self-Generated Healing (Divine Health)

Root Cause: The Error of Human Self-Sufficiency (Pelagianism/Word of Faith): The belief that humans can control their spiritual and physical destiny through correct mental states or actions, denying the necessity of divine grace and sovereignty.

"did you know that you can't get sick without believing the lie? ... But you have to believe a lie to get sick." [00:20:13 ▶️ 📄]

Correction: Scripture teaches that suffering and sickness are part of the fallen creation (Romans 8:20-22) and are often used by God for chastening and sanctification (Hebrews 12:5-11). Paul had a 'thorn in the flesh' that God did not remove, demonstrating that God's power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).

🔴 The Error of Prosperity Atonement

Root Cause: The Error of Therapeutic Deism: The belief that God's primary role is to provide earthly comfort and success, rather than to save sinners from their sins and conform them to the image of Christ.

"Jesus died to make you rich." [00:29:48 ▶️ 📄]

Correction: The primary purpose of Christ's death was to 'give his life as a ransom for many' (Mark 10:45) and to 'redeem us from every lawless deed' (Titus 2:14). While God provides for our needs, the Gospel is fundamentally about reconciliation with God, not material enrichment (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

🔴 The Error of Psychological Denial of the Fall

Root Cause: The Error of Human Self-Sufficiency (New Thought/Psychological Gnosticism): The belief that reality is shaped entirely by human consciousness and that physical laws can be overridden by mental affirmation.

"I think this is one reason that Adam lived to be 900. 30 years old. It's because he didn't know how to die. ... He didn't know that he was supposed to be decrepit." [00:22:29 ▶️ 📄]

Correction: Genesis 3:19 states, 'By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.' Aging and death are consequences of the Fall, not merely psychological beliefs (Romans 5:12).

🔴 The Error of Transactional Providence

Root Cause: The Error of Transactional Religion: The belief that God is bound to respond to human actions or beliefs in a predictable, mechanical way, denying His freedom and sovereignty.

"If you have a deficiency in any area of your life, health, wealth, emotions, on and on it goes, it's because somewhere or another, probably without you recognizing that you have somehow or another believed and operated in a lie of the devil." [00:31:27 ▶️ 📄]

Correction: Job suffered immensely despite his righteousness, demonstrating that suffering is not always a result of personal unbelief or 'believing a lie' (Job 1-2). God's sovereignty extends over all circumstances, and He uses even evil and suffering for His ultimate purposes (Romans 8:28).

🟠 The Error of Works-Based Discipleship

Root Cause: The Error of Synergistic Salvation: The belief that salvation and sanctification require a cooperation between human effort and divine grace, where human willpower is the decisive factor.

"did you know just believing in jesus does not set you free you have to continue in the word until you get made free" [00:05:53 ▶️ 📄]

Correction: John 8:31-32 states, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' Abiding is the result of being a disciple, not the condition for becoming one. Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9).

🟠 The Error of Denying Supplicatory Prayer

Root Cause: The Error of Quietism/Mysticism: The belief that direct spiritual experience or immanence negates the need for external means of grace, such as prayer and sacraments.

"in the new testament you don't need your prayers to get up to heaven you don't need to get through the principalities and powers god lives right here on the inside of us" [00:45:41 ▶️ 📄]

Correction: Philippians 4:6 commands, 'Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.' Jesus taught His disciples to pray, and the early church prayed fervently for God's intervention (Acts 4:29-30).

🟠 The Error of Self-Activation

Root Cause: The Error of Human Self-Sufficiency (Pelagianism): The belief that spiritual growth and power are achieved through human effort and mental discipline, rather than divine grace.

"You don't need God to give you more. You need a revelation of what you've got." [00:45:41 ▶️ 📄]

Correction: Ephesians 3:16 prays that God would 'strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.' Sanctification is a process of being conformed to Christ by the Spirit, not by self-effort (2 Corinthians 3:18).


📜 Full Sermon Transcript (Audit)

Use the 📄 icons next to quotes above to automatically jump to their location in this raw transcript.

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:00] all right i'm going to start sharing some things with you that the lord has been really ministering to me i've written this little book on the battle for truth and i'm going to be sharing a lot of these things but this is what's really going on in our world today it's going on worldwide it's going on in our nation it's going on in your life whether you realize it or not not everybody realizes we're in a battle and you know what if you don't recognize you're in a battle like the scripture says we aren't fighting flesh and blood we're fighting a spiritual battle against principalities and powers in ephesians chapter 6 verse 11 and 12. if you don't recognize it it doesn't mean that the battle isn't raging it just means you're going to lose we are in a battle and you can sit there and describe that it's liberal versus conservative republican versus democrat you know right versus left and all these different ways that people uh deal with this but if you peel back the layers and just keep looking it's really a battle for what is truth and many people don't realize this we are you know with the advent of mass media that we have today lies are being propagated and spoken like has never happened in the history of this world and you don't have to be very sharp to be able to figure that out i tell you i news media the all of the social media and stuff people are saying things that it's just crazy people are people are saying that they can change their gender that today i feel like a woman so i'm not a man anymore i'm a woman and and people are swallowing this stuff whether we realize it or not there is a battle raging for what is truth and did you know that all lies originate with the devil let me just start a little with that all lies originate with the devil let me just start then let me stop with at least tell you what newshley is is what has been over here with this verse out of john chapter 8 and i'll be referring to a lot of these verses this morning and throughout this week but in john chapter 8 is where people believed on him it says many believed on him when they heard his words and then in verse 30 it says and he as he spake these words many believed on him john chapter 8 verse 30 and 31 and jesus said unto those jews which believed on him if you continue in my word then are you my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free and there's so much in this i've got two or three series on this one thing right here i'm not going to have time to share all of that but god never called us to make converts god called us to make disciples and he said right here to people who believed on him these were not the ones who rejected him these were the ones who believed on him if you continue you in my word then are you my disciples indeed the word indeed means in truth and so that implies that there are pseudo disciples false disciples people who claim to be disciples but it's not real and so he says you have to continue in the word and then you shall be my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free the difference between a convert and a disciple a convert is a person who just believes that Jesus was the son of god they may even pray and receive salvation and get their ticket punch to heaven and so if they were to die they'd go to heaven but a disciple is a person who continues in the word until they get set free if you aren't free you aren't a disciple now i'll add to that there is a process to being a disciple so you might be in process you may not have reached the end results you may not have arrived but you need to at least get your own way LEFT. AND DID YOU KNOW THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF CHRISTIANS TODAY HAVE NEVER BEGUN THIS PROCESS OF BECOMING A DISCIPLE.
[00:04:02] THEY JUST HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT, WELL, IF YOU'LL BELIEVE ON JESUS AND GET SAVED, THAT'S IT. WELL, THAT'S AWESOME. THAT'S LIKE THE FRONT DOOR. YOU CAN'T GET ANYWHERE UNTIL YOU GET INTO THE BUILDING, UNTIL YOU ENTER THE FRONT DOOR. SALVATION IS THE ENTRANCE INTO EVERYTHING. BUT THEN JESUS HAS PROVIDED ALL OF THESE AWESOME THINGS FOR US. AND IF YOU DON'T CONTINUE IN THE WORD UNTIL YOU GET SET FREE, YOU AREN'T A DISCIPLE. THE LORD TOLD US IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 28, VERSES 19 AND 20, HE SAYS, GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD AND, AND, UH, MAKE DISCIPLES IS WHAT THE NEW TRANSLATION SAYS. THE KING JAMES SAYS, UH, GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND TEACH ALL NATIONS. BUT THEN IN THE 20TH VERSE, IT SAYS, TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I'VE COMMANDED YOU.
[00:04:49] SO THE LORD NEVER CALLED US TO JUST TELL PEOPLE ABOUT SALVATION AND GET THEM TO PRAY A PRAYER SO THAT THEY'LL GO TO HEAVEN. I'M NOT AGAINST THAT. HUH, MAN, GETTING PEOPLE SAVED IS AWESOME.
[00:05:02] BUT THE LORD CALLED US TO MAKE DISCIPLES, NOT TO MAKE CONVERTS.
[00:05:07] LET ME JUST SAY THIS, THAT CARIS BIBLE COLLEGE WOULDN'T EVEN EXIST IF THE CHURCH WAS MAKING DISCIPLES. CARIS BIBLE COLLEGE EXISTS BECAUSE THE AVERAGE CHURCH TODAY, IT'S ALL ABOUT GETTING A PERSON SAVED. AND THEN ONCE YOU GET SAVED, YOU GO TO CHURCH ONE HOUR A WEEK. YOU AREN'T GONNA BE A DISCIPLE ONE HOUR A WEEK.
[00:05:31] THE CHURCH SHOULD BE TAKING PEOPLE AND TRAINING THEM AND, AND RAISING THEM UP, AND YET IT'S NOT HAPPENING. AND SO GOD RAISES UP BIBLE SCHOOLS LIKE THIS ONE AND OTHER BIBLE SCHOOLS TO TRAIN PEOPLE. WE, IN TWO YEARS, YOU GET THE EQUIVALENT OF OVER 22 YEARS WORTH OF CHURCH.
[00:05:48] WE, IN TWO YEARS, YOU GET THE EQUIVALENT OF OVER 22 YEARS WORTH OF CHURCH.
[00:05:49] WE, IN TWO YEARS, YOU GET THE EQUIVALENT OF OVER 22 YEARS WORTH OF CHURCH. ATTENDANCE, CRAMMED INTO EQUIVALENT OF OVER 22 YEARS WORTH OF CHURCH. ATTENDANCE, CRAMMED INTO EQUIVALENT OF OVER 22 YEARS WORTH OF CHURCH. ATTENDANCE, CRAMMED INTO TWO YEARS PERIOD OF TIME.
[00:05:53] ATTENDANCE, CRAMMED INTO TWO YEARS PERIOD OF TIME.
[00:05:53] ATTENDANCE, CRAMMED INTO TWO YEARS PERIOD OF TIME. AND THERE IS A SATURATION TWO YEARS PERIOD OF TIME. AND THERE IS A SATURATION TWO YEARS PERIOD OF TIME. AND THERE IS A SATURATION BENEFIT, EFFECT OF BEING IN the word like that it's like you know you could take a sponge and a real sponge not a fake one but you can take a real sponge and they're hard when they're dry you dip it in the water like that you could totally submerge it but if you just put it in for a second and lift it out it may get a little bit of water and around the edge but it'll still be hard in the middle for that thing to really absorb you have to you have to just put it there and leave it there and this is what discipleship is it's not just getting a little bit of salvation around the edges it's being just literally permeated completely saturated with the truth of the word of god and i tell you charis is this is the reason that god raised it up is to disciple people and continue in the word until you get made free and many people don't even realize how bound they are did you know that the people that jesus spoke this to they took great offense and they said we've never been in bondage to anybody how can you say that we'll continue in the word until we get made and it's funny to me because they were oppressed by the romans they were they were being treated terrible hadn't you ever seen been heard they were in bondage and yet they said we've never been in bondage to any man and jesus goes on to tell them he says if you're overcome by something you are in bondage to it but when you know jesus the son will make you free you'll be free indeed and they took a fence and he goes on down i'm not wanting to spend my whole time here but let me just go down to verse 44. he told these people these are people who believed on him remember the context this is super important that you get this he said to those who believed on him you are of your father the devil these were people who believed on him did you know just believed on him you're not the one that's the one that's the one who is dead happiest Lesley his message is that vishalom was his veryystem dead in on him that he believed on him he said to those who believed on him you are of your father the devil these are people who believed on him 's people are the people who believed on him did you know just believe on him this is not a religion for heaven's sake don't you know this is simply did you know just believing in jesus does not set you free you have to continue in the word until you get made free these people were bound by the devil and they didn't even know it jesus said to people who believed on him you are of your father the devil and the lust of your father you will do he was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own for he is a liar and the father of it satan is the one who births all lies and today we hear people again saying things like i i'm a a female in a male body or i'm a male in a female body or that all of these weird things that people are doing today and stuff those are lies and they're birthed by the devil and yet they're trying to present this as this is just normal this is natural it all goes back to the fact that if you discern a lie it's because satan is the author of it every person who ever lies if you ever tell a lie you just had intercourse with the devil he birthed that lie let me turn over and show this to you out of genesis chapter 3 and this is the very first lie that was ever told this is satan's m.o method of operation this is how he operates this is how he comes against us and so it says in genesis chapter 3 verse 1 now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the lord god had made and he said unto the woman yea hath god said ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden notice that satan didn't just come out first of all and say god's a liar god's word's not true you know if he would have said that probably they wouldn't have accepted this he he admitted that god had said this but he threw doubt on the fact can you trust god's word maybe god isn't telling you all of the truth and this is the way that he comes against the truth notice he he entered into a subtle animal the most subtle animal he didn't get the biggest the strongest the most vicious animal to try and intimidate them and force them into doing something he came to the most subtle animal because he had no power to force them to do anything satan doesn't have power to do anything to you nothing satan is a defeated foe satan is all mouth and his teeth have been pulled he just gums you to death he just lies to you and tells you things satan came through a subtle animal and he didn't just come out immediately and say well don't trust god's word he just said has god said is this really the truth and this is the way that satan approaches us today did you know that the bible the truth of god's word is woven so much into our fabric more than what people recognize but it's in our music it's in our culture it's in IN OUR HOLIDAYS IT'S IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IT'S IN OUR LAWS DID YOU KNOW THAT WHEN THEY WROTE THE CONSTITUTION I FORGET THE EXACT NUMBER BUT I'VE HEARD DAVID BARTON QUOTE THIS AND I THINK THERE'S 37 UH SERMONS THAT WERE QUOTED IN THE CONSTITUTION DIRECT QUOTES OUT OF SERMONS FROM THE GREAT AWAKENING IT EVEN SAYS YOU KNOW IN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE THAT WE DERIVE OUR UH RIGHTS FROM NATURE AND NATURE'S GOD WE THESE TRUTHS ARE SELF-EVIDENT AND SO ALL OF THESE THINGS IT'S JUST WOVEN INTO EVERYTHING THE DEVIL WON'T COME OUT AND SAY WELL JUST THROW THE BIBLE AWAY WHAT HE DOES IS JUST TRY AND DISCREDIT IT CAN YOU TRUST IT AND THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENED TODAY OUR SOCIETY DOES NOT HONOR THE WORD OF GOD YOU KNOW FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE GUESTS HERE THIS IS A BIBLE COLLEGE OUR TEACHERS BOOK IS THE BIBLE WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD PEOPLE COME HERE WHO WENT THROUGH FOUR YEARS OF CEMETERY I MEAN SEMINARY AND THEY NEVER OPENED THE BIBLE NEVER IN FOUR YEARS THEY WOULD READ BOOKS ABOUT THE BIBLE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS BUT THEY NEVER WENT TO THE BIBLE AND I WOULD SAY THAT THE AVERAGE CHRISTIAN TODAY THEY WOULD SIT THERE AND SAY OH WELL YEAH THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD BUT THEN THEY DON'T REALLY TRUST THE AUTHORITY OF IT THEY BELIEVE THINGS HAVE CHANGED BILL CLINTON OUR PRESIDENT WAS HE CLAIMED TO BE A BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN AND YET HE HAD THIS THING WITH MONICA LEWINSKI HE UH WOULDN'T STAND AGAINST HOMOSEXUALITY AND HE JUST DID A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE CONTRARY TO CHRISTIANITY AND I HEARD A REPORTER ONE TIME ASK HIM HOW CAN YOU CLAIM TO BE A BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN AND YET DO THESE THINGS THAT ARE CONTRARY TO THE WORD OF GOD AND I REMEMBER HIM SAYING WELL THAT WAS TRUE FOR THEM BACK THEN BUT THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND THE BIBLE CHANGED IT DOESN'T APPLY TO US THE WAY THAT IT DID TO PEOPLE BACK THEN IN OTHER WORDS THEY MAKE THE WORD OF GOD RELATIVE THEY TAKE AWAY THE ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY OF IT YOU KNOW I'M WRITING THIS LITTLE BOOKLET AND JUST RATHER TO SAVE ME THE TIME TURNING TO ALL OF THESE SCRIPTURES I'VE GOT A WHOLE LIST OF SOME SCRIPTURES UH THAT I'D LIKE TO ASK THEM TO PUT UP ON THE SCREEN AND IT JUST SHOWS ME THE WAY THAT IT'S HAPPENING AND IT JUST SHOWS YOU THAT GOD'S WORD IS NEVER GOING TO CHANGE AND THIS IS JUST A REAL BRIEF SAMPLE AND THIS IS A LITTLE THING I'M TAKING FROM THIS BOOK SO COULD THEY PUT THAT UP THERE HAVE YOU GOT THAT SO HERE'S ONE FOREVER O LORD THY WORD IS SETTLED IN HEAVEN NEXT ONE NEXT ONE I REMEMBER THY JUDGMENTS OF OLD O LORD AND HAVE COMFORTED MYSELF SO THESE JUDGMENTS ARE FROM OLD NEXT ONE AS I'VE KNOWN OF OLD THAT THOU HAS FOUNDED THEM FOREVER THEY AREN'T RELATIVE TO JUST ONE CULTURE AND THAT NOW WE'RE WE'RE EVOLVED PAST IT NEXT ONE THY WORD IS TRUE FROM THE BEGINNING AND EVERY ONE OF THY RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENTS ENDURETH FOREVER NEXT ONE FOR THE RIGHTEOUS LORD LOVETH RIGHTEOUSNESS HIS COUNTLESS DOTH BEHOLD THE UPRIGHT NEXT ONE I THOUGHT THIS WOULD SAVE ME TIME ANYWAY THERE'S A BUNCH OF THEM I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE BUT ANYWAY JUST GOES ON THAT GOD'S WORD NEVER CHANGES THE WORKS OF HIS HANDS ARE VERITY AND JUDGMENT AND HIS COMMANDMENTS ARE SURE THEY ENDURE TO ALL GENERATIONS NEXT ONE THEY STAND FAST FOREVER AND EVER AND ARE DONE IN TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUS UPRIGHTNESS NEXT ONE I KNOW THAT WHATSOEVER GOD DOETH IT SHALL BE FOREVER AND EVER BE FOREVER NOTHING CAN BE PUT TO IT OH THANK YOU THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT THEY DID EARLIER AND ANYWAY IT JUST GOES ON AND ON THIS UH THIS IS MY EXPERIMENT I'M TRYING TO BECOME MODERN AND IT DIDN'T WORK VERY WELL BUT ANYWAY THE POINT IS SEE SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT GOD'S WORD WAS RELATIVE TO THAT GENERATION BUT IT DOESN'T APPLY TO US AND IT JUST GOES ON AND ON IT EVEN SAYS IN THE BEGINNING JOHN CHAPTER 1 VERSE 1 IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORD WAS GOD AND THEN IT SAYS IN VERSE 14 THAT THE WORD BECAME FLESH JESUS IS THE WORD AND JESUS IS THE SAME YESTERDAY TODAY AND FOREVER ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'VE GOT TO DO IS GET TO WHERE YOU BELIEVE THE WORD OF GOD WITHOUT ANY COMPROMISE IF ADAM AND EVE WOULD HAVE JUST SAID YES THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID END OF DISCUSSION THAT WOULD HAVE ENDED THIS WE WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN ALL OF THIS STUFF AND I'M SAYING THIS IN LOVE I KNOW I'M BEING DIRECT BUT I'M SAYING IT IN LOVE BROTHERS AND SISTERS IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING IN YOUR LIFE IN ANY AREA OF YOUR LIFE THIS IS A HUGE STATEMENT BUT I BELIEVE IT WITH ALL OF MY HEART ANYTHING YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH IT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER BELIEVED A LIE OR YOU DON'T HAVE THE ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE IN WHAT GOD HAS SAID IT SAYS HEBREWS CHAPTER 4 VERSE 2 THAT THE WORD PREACHED UNTO THEM DID NOT PROFIT THEM NOT BEING MIXED WITH FAITH IN THEM THAT HEARD IT THE WORD OF GOD YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE THIS ON YOUR COFFEE TABLE AND AND HONOR IT THAT WAY YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT OFF OF THIS PAGE I BELIEVE THAT THE WORD OF GOD IS ACCURATE DOWN TO THE DOTTING OF AN EYE OR CROSSING OF A T BUT UNTIL YOU GET IT OFF OF THIS PAGE AND PUT IT ON THE INSIDE OF YOU IT DOESN'T RELEASE ANY POWER THE WORD OF GOD HEBREWS 4 12 IS QUICK THAT MEANS ALIVE AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD BUT YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT OFF OF THIS PAGE AND PUT IT IN YOUR HEART THAT'S WHEN IT BECOMES THE LIVING WORD OF GOD AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT'LL SAY OH YEAH I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE WORD OF GOD AND YET YOU CAN'T EVEN QUOTE IT YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT SAYS IF GOD IS SPEAKING TO YOU ABOUT COMING TO CHARIS THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS THE MAIN REASON THAT HE'S TELLING YOU TO COME HERE IS BECAUSE WE ARE IN A BATTLE FOR WHAT IS TRUE JOHN 17 17 SAYS THIS IS THE WORD OF GOD AND THAT'S WHAT HE'S TELLING YOU TO COME HERE IS BECAUSE THY WORK SANCTIFY THEM THROUGH THAT TRUE THY WORD IS TRUTH THAT'S WHAT JESUS SAID THIS IS TRUTH THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE PLUM LINE THERE IS NO EXCEPTION TO THIS THIS IS ABSOLUTE TRUTH AND ANYTHING THAT SATAN IS TRYING TO DO HE HAS TO COME WITH THE LIE HE FIRST OF ALL JUST CAST DOUBT ON WHETHER GOD REALLY MEANT WHAT HE SAID HE DIDN'T DOUBT THAT GOD SAID IT BUT DID HE REALLY MEAN IT IS IT ABSOLUTE ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME WHAT HE SAID HE DIDN'T REALLY MEAN IT IS IT ABSOLUTE ARE YOU TRYING TO ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME WHAT HE SAID HE DIDN'T REALLY MEAN IT IS IT ABSOLUTE ARE YOU GOING TO SURELY DIE ARE YOU GOING TO SURELY DIE ARE YOU GOING TO SURELY DIE YOU KNOW IF YOU GO BACK TO GENESIS YOU KNOW IF YOU GO BACK TO GENESIS YOU KNOW IF YOU GO BACK TO GENESIS CHAPTER 2 VERSE 17 JESUS SAID CHAPTER 2 VERSE 17 JESUS SAID CHAPTER 2 VERSE 17 JESUS SAID OR GOD'S WELL IT WAS JESUS BUT IT WAS OR GOD'S WELL IT WAS JESUS BUT IT WAS OR GOD'S WELL IT WAS JESUS BUT IT WAS BEFORE HE GOT UH CAME INTO THIS EARTH BEFORE HE GOT UH CAME INTO THIS EARTH but the lord said in the day you eat of the fruit of this tree you shall surely die and if you look that up in the hebrew it's actually the same hebrew word repeated it's it's said twice it says you shall die die is what it's saying it's just an absolute unqualified negative there is no exception to this you eat this fruit you shall surely die and yet satan said you shall not surely die god doth know that in the day you eat thereof then you shall be as gods knowing good and evil the truth is they were already like gods they were created in the image of god they were more like god before they ate of the fruit than they were after they ate of the fruit it was a lie this is the very first lie satan came with the lie because he had no power to force them to do anything satan does not have power to force anything on you and again this is one of the things satan never did to us satan brought to us theell called for he did this to us and it's missing in most of Christianity today, people have given Satan much more credit and power than what he's due because that excuses them. Well, it's the devil that made me do it. The devil never made anybody do anything. He didn't make Adam and Eve sin. He tempted, he lied to them. And it was their belief, their acceptance of a lie that caused the sin. Satan can't make you do anything.
[00:19:29] Satan can't do anything to you without your consent and cooperation. And the way he gains it is through a lie. He's the father of all lies. And these lies, because we have so many lies being spoken, and most of us have been raised in a thing where we have accepted values and things that are completely contrary to the word. We don't even realize that we're believing a lie.
[00:19:59] You know, Satan, man, I got so much I want to say, I'm trying to restrain myself.
[00:20:06] But did you know that you can't get sick without believing the lie?
[00:20:13] And most people think, no, that's not true. I didn't do anything to get sick. It just happened to me. I didn't cause this. I wasn't believing for sickness. I didn't ask for sickness or anything like that. But you have to believe a lie to get sick.
[00:20:29] Because the scripture says, and there's so many scriptures, I could, matter of fact, this afternoon, I'm going to minister on healing. If you stay around for the afternoon thing, and I'll be dealing in more detail with this. But did you know, it says in Exodus chapter 23, verse 25, that the Lord will bless your bread and your water and take sickness away from the midst of thee.
[00:20:51] The word take and the word away on either side of sickness is the same Hebrew word repeated.
[00:20:59] And the only meaning of that word is turn off. I will turn off sickness, turn off from the midst of thee. Did you know that God promised that if we seek him, that he will turn off sickness. And then you put that with that, there's literally dozens and dozens of scriptures that by his stripes, we were healed. It's already been done. He told us in Matthew chapter 10, verse eight, you go heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead. He didn't tell you to, to pray for the sick. He told you to heal them. He told in Matthew chapter one, I give you power over all sickness, over all disease and over all demons to cast them out. And I could go on and on saying things. The point I'm making is Jesus has given us 100% control over sickness, but most Christians don't believe that. Most Christians believe that getting sick is just normal. It's flu season. So I expect to get the flu.
[00:21:59] It's allergy season. They've been taught these lies. You can't have those things happen in you unless you embrace those lies. You may not have thought, well, I want to be sick, but you're thinking things like, well, I'm only human. And this is just normal. This is what people do.
[00:22:14] People just get sick. You have to be sick every once in a while. That's not true. You can walk in divine health. Satan can't make you sick without your consent and cooperation. I think this is one reason that Adam lived to be 900.
[00:22:29] 30 years old. It's because he didn't know how to die. He didn't know that at 40, he was over the hill. Nobody gave him black balloons and started talking about depends and stuff like that. He didn't know that he was supposed to be decrepit. He didn't know these things. And so it took 930 years to kill the guy because he didn't know how to be sick. He didn't know there was a certain time of the year where you were supposed to be sick. I know many of you think, boy, you're weird. Well, I think you're weird to have a scripture that says, I will turn off sickness in the midst of you. And you think, oh, well, I'm not going to accept that. I don't believe that I'll receive the part about forgiveness of sins, but I don't have to have this part about not being sick. And then the provinces go on about prosperity and about how God will meet your needs and how that you can rejoice in the midst of tragedy. You can bless the Lord at all times. You can rejoice in the Lord always. People see the devil doesn't come and say, just forget the Bible. But he say, you can't rejoice in the Lord always. You need to be honest. You need to sit there and embrace your sickness. I remember this lady I was dealing with in England and she had two sons that had autism and the health people said, you need to embrace autism and look at it. Your sons have this and you need to embrace it. And she just rebelled. No way am I embracing autism.
[00:23:59] Because of it, her two sons were miraculously healed of autism. Praise God. But we've been taught to embrace these things and embrace all of these negative things instead of recognizing who we are in Christ. What we don't know is killing us. And Satan is doing the same thing that he did right here. Has God said, can you really just base your life on the word of God?
[00:24:28] You need to get to a place where you can be honest. You need to get to a place where you can the word of God is controlling you. In Jeremiah chapter 10, verse 23, he was talking about the judgment that would come upon the nation of Israel. And in the midst of talking about this, he just says, how could this happen to the people that were the apple of God's eye, the people who had a covenant with him like no other nation on the earth did?
[00:24:51] How could they ever reach a place where they were going to be destroyed and all these terrible things were going to happen? And then he says, Oh Lord, I know that the way of God is going to man is not in himself. It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. The reason that happened was because they didn't follow what God told them. And they thought I'll just do it my own way. And you may not have thought of it this way, but really this is the root of all the problems in our society. This is the root of all the problems in your life is that you have been doing it your way. You and Frank Sinatra.
[00:25:29] I did it my way. The scripture says, says, uh, trust in the Lord with all of thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. Did you know that when Adam and Eve believe this talking snake and the dispersions that he had cast upon God and saying that God's not a good God. And the reason he commanded you to do these things is because he's trying to keep you from being like God. When they believe that lie, did you know that they made themselves God?
[00:25:59] They were created by God. They didn't evolve. They were created by God. God meant with them in the cool of the evening. There was no reason he had never done anything to make them think that he didn't love them and want anything but the best for them. And yet they believed a lie. And when they did, they made themselves God. They stepped into a place that God was the one who created them. Therefore, just like, you know, when you buy an appliance or a car or something, you have an owner's manual. The people who created that thing, they tell you how it's supposed to run, how you're supposed to take care of it and what you're supposed to do. God's the one that created us.
[00:26:38] And this is his instruction book on how life is supposed to be lived. And when you sit there and do things your own way, you are making yourself God. It's idolatry. They became God. They think I know more than God. I know that God said not to eat of it. And in the day that we eat thereof, we'll surely die. But I don't believe that.
[00:26:59] I believe this talking snake. I believe my own opinion more than God. And that's what started sin. That's what started all of the problems in our life. The fact that we have leaned into our own understanding. We followed the conventional wisdom, the way that everybody else is living and the things that they're doing. I tell you, you know, the truth, the truth will make you free.
[00:27:23] This is not for your hindrance. It's for your good. This is the owner's manual.
[00:27:28] And in when, we don't do what God's word says, we are making ourself God. It's idolatry.
[00:27:35] And some people think, no, idolatry is falling down and worshiping some idol.
[00:27:40] Did you know Colossians chapter three, verse five says that covetousness is idolatry.
[00:27:47] Idolatry isn't only worshiping an idol. Idolatry is when you put anything ahead of God, and this is his revealed will for us. And anytime you do that, you, in a sense, are making yourself God. You are saying, God, I know more than you. I know more than your word.
[00:28:04] And man, I could get real specific here and deal with a lot of things, but let me just take the area of finances. You know, the scripture makes it very clear that you're supposed to give a tithe.
[00:28:13] And in the new Testament, it ought to be much more than a tithe. And I could use many, many scriptures. Most Christians understand that they know that it's in the word.
[00:28:22] And yet there's very few Christians that truly tithe and give the way that they, that they should. You know what you're doing when you do that? You're making yourself God.
[00:28:33] You're saying, God, I know your word says it, but I can't do it. I need this money.
[00:28:38] God said that if you give, it shall be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom. Luke 6, 38.
[00:28:47] And yet you say, God, I can't trust that. I have to have this money. I need this money.
[00:28:54] You believe yourself. You trust that money more than you trust God. I'm not saying, these things to hurt you. I'm saying it to enlighten us that regardless of whether you know it or not, all of the problems that we have in our life, if you're having financial problems, it's because you aren't following what the God word, God's word says. I just taught in our school yesterday on a second Corinthians chapter eight, verse nine, where it says, you know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich yet for your sake, he became poor so that you through his poverty might be made rich.
[00:29:29] And if you look at that in context, every verse of second Corinthians chapter eight and chapter nine is talking about money, every single verse. And yet religion is just like the devil here. Oh, yeah, well, God said that, but he doesn't mean financially rich. This means rich emotionally.
[00:29:48] It means rich in relationships and things like that. When you take the text out of the word context, all you got left is a con.
[00:29:58] And that's a con.
[00:29:59] When you sit there and the scripture says that Jesus died to make you rich. And if you aren't rich and you could define rich in a lot of different ways, but second Corinthians chapter eight or chapter nine, verse eight says that God is able to make all grace abound towards you, that you always having all sufficiency and all things may abound unto every good work. That's what rich is.
[00:30:23] Rich isn't having just bigger houses and cars. Rich is having enough of God's supply so that you can do anything he tells you to do so that you can abound unto every good work. If you aren't abounding unto every good work, you aren't rich. And Jesus died to make you rich. If you aren't rich, it's because there are scriptures that tell you how to prosper. There are scriptures that teach you and say that he will bless whatever you set your hand unto. A hundred times zero is zero. You got to set your hand unto something. And yet there's a lot of Christians that are just praying and asking God to pour out their, uh, power. There's people that probably come in here and saying, God, if you want me to come, just give me the money. Well, how are you, what are you setting your hand unto so that God can bless it? If you have a deficiency in any area of your life, health, wealth, emotions, on and on it goes, it's because somewhere or another, probably without you recognizing that you have somehow or another believed and operated in a lie of the devil. And this is why it's so important.
[00:31:27] We have to continue.
[00:31:29] In the word, which is the truth. John 17, 17, thy word is truth. You have to continue in the word until that word removes these lies. You start basing your life on the truth of God's word.
[00:31:42] And I guarantee it'll make you free. We have to have the word of God. You know, there is a place for us getting involved in politics and in things like this. I've got an entire branch of this ministry that we call truth and Liberty. And we have put out, I don't know, three or 4 million voter guides, uh, 501 C3, uh, compliant voter guides, where we don't tell people what to vote for. We just show them here's the candidates and here's their stance on issues. We, we put a lot of money into this. We just had a major booth at a Marifest with Charlie Kirk and all of these things. And we, we do a lot of things, but did you know politics can restrain the actions of ungodly people, but it can't change their heart. It's only the truth.
[00:32:28] It's going to change their heart. It's going to change their heart. It's going to change their heart. It's going to set you free. And so we need to be involved in politics. And I'm not speaking against that, but you can't pass enough laws. Matter of fact, could you put up that quote?
[00:32:39] I'll see how they do on this one. Put up that quote by John Adams says, ultimately you can't pass enough laws to restrain the evil in man's heart. Uh, Oh no, that's a quote from my book, but here's the quote from John Adams. It says, uh, we have no government armed with us. We are capable of continuing with human passions, unbridled by morality and religion, avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our constitution.
[00:33:12] As a whale goes through a net, our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
[00:33:18] It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other. So that's our second president of the United States. And this is what they, they founded this nation on. They founded this nation on the Godly principles. And did you know, in the beginning, there were people that weren't even Christians, but they did have a fear of God. Their Christianity was so dominant in the founding of this nation that even people who weren't born again, it was a restraining influence upon them.
[00:33:45] You know, it says in Proverbs chapter 16, verse six, the last part of that says by the fear of, of God, men depart from evil, fear of God, of an accountability to God, is a restraining influence upon people. It says in Psalms chapter 36, verse one, it says the transgression of the wicked says within my heart that there is no fear of God before their eyes.
[00:34:11] This is what we see happening in our nation today. As the Bible has been taken out of our schools and taken out of our life. And as people speak against it, like I was listening to a call in show one time and they were discussing something in a person called in and says, well, the Bible says, hey, we aren't going to deal with religion. We just want to stick to the truth. Just stick to the facts. And that's terrible. That's terrible. See, there's a lot of people today that the Bible is irrelevant to anything. Matter of fact, we had one of our senators, the same one who said that if we keep building on Guam, I think it was that the island's going to flip, that we'll overload it on this side. That's how dumb you can get them to still breathe and be a U.S. Senator. And that guy, somebody quoted the word of God and he stopped him and he says, the word of God has no bearing on anything we are doing in Congress. That's sin. That's terrible. This is the standard of truth.
[00:35:17] And yet there's people today who are rejecting it. That's just wrong. And I tell you, this is in epidemic proportions.
[00:35:27] In our society today, and this is why God has raised up Karis Bible College and other Bible colleges and things, is to start speaking the truth. And it's the truth that will set you free, but you have to continue in it until you're made free. Amen. Could you put up that second quote?
[00:35:44] This is by another person. This is back in 1849, Robert Winthrop. Here's what he said, U.S. Speaker of the House.
[00:35:57] This is why we need the Ten Commandments in our schools. We, as born-again believers, have been delivered from the law.
[00:36:27] This is why we need the Ten Commandments in our schools. We, as born-again believers, have been delivered from the law. And we don't serve God under a fear of punishment. But people that don't know God need the fear of God, and they need to know that there's a God and that they're accountable. You know, Billy Epperhart down here, our CEO, he was called the pastor of the Columbine shootings back in, when was that, 99? 1999. And I think there was four of the funerals that Billy performed. And this is up in, where was that, Littleton, Colorado. And these two boys went in and killed 12 men. And they were killed. And they were killed. And they were killed. And they were STUDENTS AND ONE TEACHER I THINK TWELVE TO 12 STUDENTS ONE TEACHER AND THEN THEY KILLED THEMSELVES YOU KNOW WHY THEY KILLED THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY HAD NO FEAR OF GOD THEY THOUGHT THAT BY KILLING THEMSELVES THEY COULD AVOID PROSECUTION NOBODY COULD DO ANYTHING TO HIM IF THEY WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY DIDN'T AVOID ANYTHING ALL THEY DID WAS DAMN THEMSELVES TO AN ETERNITY SEPARATED FROM GOD THEY WENT IMMEDIATELY INTO HELL SEE WHEN YOU HAVE A FEAR OF GOD AND YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD IT RESTRAINS YOUR ACTIONS AND SO FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT YET COME TO THE LORD WE NEED LAWS WE SAW THAT WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP CAME IN ALL HE DID WAS ENFORCE THE LAWS THAT WERE ON THE BORDER AND HAS CUT OUR IMMIGRATION PROBLEM DOWN TO ZERO AND BIDEN KEPT SAYING OH WE CAN'T DO THIS WE CAN'T DO IT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL THING TO STOP ALL THIS AND HE LET IN 20 MILLION ILLEGAL ALIENS AND STUFF LIKE THIS BECAUSE HE JUST DIDN'T ENFORCE THE LAW THEY WERE SAYING DEFUND THE POLICE AND THEY WERE GETTING RID OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND CUTTING BACK AND BECAUSE OF IT LOOK AT ALL THE LAWLESSNESS THAT'S HAPPENING HAVING LAWS AND ENFORCING THOSE LAWS ROMANS CHAPTER 13 IS A DETERRENT TO SIN AND SO WE NEED THAT BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S A DETERRENT TO SIN AND SO WE NEED THAT BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S A DETERRENT TO SIN AND SO WE NEED THAT BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S A DETERRENT TO SIN AND SO WE NEED THAT BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S THE TRUTH THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE IT'S THE TRUTH THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE IT'S THE TRUTH THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE THE HEART THERE'S A THIRD QUOTE UP THE HEART THERE'S A THIRD QUOTE UP THE HEART THERE'S A THIRD QUOTE UP HERE AND THIS IS BY CLAY CHRISTIANSON I HERE AND THIS IS BY CLAY CHRISTIANSON I HERE AND THIS IS BY CLAY CHRISTIANSON I THINK IS HIS NAME AND HE WAS THE THINK IS HIS NAME AND HE WAS THE THINK IS HIS NAME AND HE WAS THE HARVARD PROFESSOR AND THE SCHOOL OF HARVARD PROFESSOR AND THE SCHOOL OF business and here's what he said this is really interesting he said some time ago i had a conversation with a marxist economist from china he was coming to the end of a fulbright fellowship here in boston and i asked him if he had learned anything that was surprising or unexpected and without any hesitation he said yes i had no idea how critical religion is to the functioning of democracy the reason why democracy works he said is not because the government was designed to oversee what everybody does but rather democracy works because most people most of the time voluntarily choose to obey the law and in your past most americans attended a church or synagogue every week and they were taught there by people who they respected my friend went on to say that americans followed these rules because they had come to believe that they weren't just accountable to society they were accountable to god professor christianson comes continued my chinese friend heightened a vague but nagging concern i harbored inside that as religion loses its influence over the lives of americans what will happen to our democracy we are where are the institutions that are going to teach the next generation of americans that they too need to voluntarily choose to obey the laws because if you take away religion you cannot hire enough police you know that question about where are the institutions institutions here's one and this is what we're doing and this is what it's all about it's the truth that sets us free you know there's a saying people will say ignorance is bliss that's not true ignorance is killing you what you don't know is killing you and i'm telling you everything that pertains unto life and godliness let me just turn over i'm not sure i can quote that that second peter chapter one this is powerful second peter chapter one it says in verse two grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of god and of jesus our lord notice that grace and peace is multiplied unto you not through prayer not through begging for it not through living holy not through any of these things that are good in their place it gets multiplied unto you through the knowledge of god and of the of jesus our lord according the word according means in proportion to or to the degree of the divine power hath given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue all things if you look that up in the greek it means all things all things anything that you need health wealth joy peace vision anything that you need anything that pertains unto life and godliness comes through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue and the next verse says whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises talking about the word of god these promises this is the knowledge of god this is god writing down and putting it in black and white who he is what he expects of us what he's done for us what he wants of us all the things that pertain to life and godliness comes through the knowledge of him that has called us to of these things everything that pertains unto life and godliness is in these promises right here that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust man that is powerful everything that we need is right here if you need healing god sent his word and healed them and delivered them of all their destruction psalms 107 verse 20. if you need to be blessed ephesians 1 3 god blessed be the god and father of our lord jesus christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in christ jesus if you need anything if you need wisdom we've already he's already abounded to us i think it's ephesians 1 6 he's abounded towards us in all wisdom and in prudence if you need anything it's all there it says in philemon chapter 1 verse 6 paul was praying a prayer for philemon his friend and he said i pray that the communication of your faith would be effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in christ jesus and most of us don't realize what's good in us we have these concepts religion is teaching us that you need to pray and ask the lord to pour out his power and oh god come down and oh god be with us today it's a dumb prayer and people think well what's wrong with that he says i'll never leave you nor forsake you and where there's two or three gathered together in my name there i am in the midst how's he going to answer a prayer like god come and be with us today when he's already here he'll never leave us nor forsake us he'd have to leave break his word to come back and answer our prayer and god go with us as we go out of this place oh god we just ask you to send forth your power let your power come down and crush us and let your power come down and nap again and job you'd have to to let your power come down there was a whole intercession movement that got into renting planes and going up the mountains so that they could deal with the spiritual wickedness in high places ephesians chapter 6 verse 12 and they would break a hole in the atmosphere so that our prayers could get through to god did you know in the old testament that was true that happened in daniel chapter 9 and chapter 10. i could go back and show you those things but in the new testament you don't need your prayers to get up to heaven you don't need to get through the principalities and powers god lives right here on the inside of us this is why you bow your head when you pray so you can say father and if you believe that you got to somehow another overcome these demonic powers to get your prayer up to god you've already started from a place of unbelief you've already believed a lie you don't believe what the word says i oh god just come and anoint us i couldn't tell you how many churches i've gone into that they get me into the back room and before we go out ask you oh god anoint andrew god we ask you to touch him we ask you to do things and i'm always so kind that i never say anything but i think to myself if you don't think i'm already anointed why did you even invite me and here we are five minutes before i go out there asking god to anoint me you know the scripture says he that hath anointed us a second Corinthians chapter one, I believe it's verse 21. He that hath anointed us is God. He's already anointed us. And you don't, you don't need to get God to do something new and to touch you.
[00:45:41] You need to find out and release, make your faith become effectual by acknowledging the good things that are already in you. You don't need God to give you more. You need a revelation of what you've got. We need to find out who we are in Christ and what Christ has done for us. And I tell you, this is what transformed my life. When I found out who I was in Christ, I call that spirit, soul, and body is what I've entitled that. Man, it just revolutionized my life. It changed everything. And I'm saying this in love, but there are many of you that God has brought here that you don't know who you are. You don't know what you have.
[00:46:24] And you're coming here thinking, man, maybe I could get something here. What you can get is revelation of the truth. And it's the truth that will make you free. And I tell you, we are unapologetically pronouncing that God's word is an answer for anything, whatever it is that you need.
[00:46:41] The answer is right here. And if you don't have the freedom that this is produced, promising to us, it's not God that hasn't given. It's us that don't know the truth.
[00:46:52] He said to people, who believed on him, if you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth. The word know there is not talking about intellectual. It's talking about experiential. You will experience the truth and the truth will make you free.
[00:47:10] And we're just excited because I know that God has brought people here. He's been working for years to work things out, to bring you here, and that this is going to make you free.
[00:47:22] You are going to experience the truth. You are going to experience the truth. You are going to experience freedom and liberty that you didn't need in areas that you didn't even realize that you were bound in.
[00:47:30] And I tell you, I'm excited because I know that this is going to change your life.
[00:47:35] I'm a little bit more direct than most of our instructors and most of the people. And so for those of you who are put off by me, you'll love Mike and Carrie. They're just so sweet.
[00:47:47] And Javon and Dora and Barry and Greg and all these guys, they're really nice.
[00:47:53] And they will balance me out. But what I've said is the truth. And if what I've said rubs you the wrong way, it's kind of like when you pet a cat against the grain and all their hair stands up, you don't quit petting. You just turn the cat around and you keep rubbing. So if what I've said rubbed you the wrong way, just repent, turn around, and it'll go to feeling good. Amen. Praise God. Amen.
[00:48:23] Thank you for watching.