The biblical writers…suggest that all persons will inevitably “mourn” for their spiritual state. They can wait to mourn until it is too late, when God has brought His judgment on the earth. Or they can mourn now, turning sorrowfully from their sin so that they will have no occasion to mourn when the Lord returns.
Douglas Moo

Snobs Stumblingblocks And Hyp

Snobs Stumblingblocks And Hyp

Snobs, Stumblingblocks, and Hypocrites

by Terry Prather

(Preached during evening services at Fundamental Baptist Church, Ventura, California, July 24, 1988)

I want to take some time to try to teach you some things about which way our church is going to go. When I’m done, I’m done. If we get done before the time, so be it. Let’s take our Bibles tonight and turn to Romans chapter 14, tonight, if you would. Please, tonight, Romans chapter 14.

Romans chapter 14, verse 13: “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.”

Our Father, we come before thee, and God, we ask thee tonight to fill me with power. Lord, if ever I have stood before people and needed thee, God, it’s tonight. Father, I pray that you’d help me. I pray, Father God, that you’d give me the heart of compassion, and yet, God, the heart of a pastor that’s needed tonight. Father, I pray that you’d be with these people, and God, give them teachable understanding tonight, and spiritual understanding about the things that I’m going to say. And, Father, I pray that you would help them and lead them and guide them as well as I. And Father, that we might keep our church in unity and keep our church going in a way that would be pleasing unto thee. Father, we trust you tonight for your help and your mercy, and we ask you tonight to blanket us under the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, I pray that you would add the grace that’s needed to this me
ssage. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tonight I want to preach to the stumbling blocks and snobs and hypocrites in our church. Now, you may not think that you’re a stumbling block; you may not think that you’re a snob; you may not think that you’re a hypocrite. That’s fine with me. I don’t know if you are or if you aren’t.

But there come some problems in a church, and I believe every now and then that the preacher just has to take the church, and just show them some things. Whether it’s pleasant to you or not, I want tonight that you would give me your undivided attention, and pray that you might listen to what I’m going to say tonight, and that it might be a blessing to you, and might help you tonight.

I don’t want to see our church go through any troubles. You know, the last four weeks we have really experienced a growth. We have experienced some strange things. God’s let people get saved, and let some good things happen to the church. And yet, at the same time that you have that kind of moving of God, you also have a working of the devil. You have to be on guard about the devil, because, whether you believe it or not, he’s real, he’s alive, he’s like a roaring lion, and he’s got a mouth, and he’ll use it to destroy a church and destroy people.

Stumbling blocks! Now the Bible tells us that they should be removed. Isaiah 57:14 says, “Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.” God doesn’t like stumbling blocks.

The Bible says also that an unfaithful leader becomes a stumbling block. In Malachi 2:7 we read, “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.”

So a leader who doesn’t do what he’s supposed to do can become a stumbling block.

Then, the Bible says that hypocrites in the church are declared to be stumbling blocks. In Matthew 23:13, Jesus speaking: “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.”

So tonight, stumbling blocks are a thing that you have to realize is in the church. But we should not allow them to stay in the church.

Let’s take snobs, for example. Do you know what a snob is? A snob is somebody who apparently thinks he’s better than anybody else, and they snub people. They have an idea, and they have a characteristic, that they’re going to fellowship with just one certain group of people–just individuals. And yet, they won’t stick out their hands to new people coming in.

We seem to have this mentality in our church sometimes: “We four, and no more.” You know what that is? That wrong, folks, it really is! Now I’m not trying to be the biggest and fastest growing church in town. That’s never been my motive for ministry. But I want to say this tonight. If God opens the door for us to go that way, then, hey, brethren, we ought to want what God wants. Amen? We really ought to!

We don’t need to have snobs in our church. We don’t need people who have an idea that they are not going to fellowship with new people coming in. Hey, that’s wrong! That’s wrong! That’s not pleasing to God. And, I’ve got news for you–it’s not pleasing to me as the pastor of the church! That’s how cliques get started. That’s how a split can brew. And we’ll grow, but we’ll no further than just to a split.

I think every person ought to feel comfortable at Fundamental Baptist Church. Whether they be black, whether they be white, whether they be Mexican, Chinese, or whatever–that racial stuff is not going to go in this church. It ought to be to where people enjoy other people because they’re Christians. Amen?

I mean, you know how I feel. We have a wonderful black family with us; I praise the Lord for them; they’ve changed my attitude about a lot of things. But, I tell you this right now tonight, man, there are a lot of churches that will not allow black people in their church. There are a lot of churches that don’t want to allow Mexican people in their church. There are a lot of churches that will not allow divorced people in their church. You know what that is? That’s a SNOB! That’s exactly what it is.

Now, I don’t believe in the word that’s being promoted all over the world today, the word bigot. I really don’t believe that a Christian ought to use that word bigot. That’s a Hollywood word. A snob is a better word. A stumbling block is a better word. A hypocrite is even a better word! And get away from those Hollywood words. Just being a snob is wrong.

You know, my whole idea about ministry is like my Christian life. I believe that you ought to live and let live. People talk about somebody, and I say, “Well, they’ve got their problems, and I’ve got my problems.” Amen? And I believe in latitude. You know, what’s that? Well, just stepping aside, just leaving the thing alone, don’t pick the problem up, just let it go!

I found that there are a lot of people like that in this church. They just think, “Hey, I don’t agree with that, but I’m not going to say anything about it, I’m just going to leave it alone, and have nothing to do with it!”

Hey! You know, praise the Lord! That’s a good attitude to have.

But every time that you have that, there will always be one or two people who are going to boss you. Amen? Have you ever noticed that? Have you ever noticed that if you practice grace because you just want to get along with everybody, it always seems like you’ll run into somebody who’s going to put their finger right on you and tell you exactly what to do.

Do you know what the problem is? The problem is people do not like to change. That’s what the problem is. But do you know what change comes from? Change comes from growth. You are not the same person that you were seven years ago. Every seven years, according to the medical profession, your body changes. Isn’t that right? I mean, seven years ago, you were thinner than you are now. Seven years ago, you probably had more hair, if you’re like me, than you do right now.

I looked at a picture the other day. The picture was taken in 1982, from behind the pulpit. And I said, “Man, have I lost a lot of hair!” Seven years, man, have come and gone! And some other things have come and gone, too, brethren! And I’m telling you something tonight. Some people do not want to change. In fact, they become stumbling blocks, because they will not change.

Tonight, folks, we need to lose this attitude of being a stumbling block, stubbornness, and being a hypocrite about the whole thing.

The Bible goes on. It says all need to watch against becoming stumbling blocks. That’s what we read tonight as our text. Let me read it again. “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” You say, “What exactly does that mean, preacher?” That means you ought to watch your attitude, and watch the way you handle yourself, so you do not become a stumbling block.

That is, you ought to be careful about certain things that you allow in your Christian liberty. I would not smoke a cigarette, although I feel that I might have liberty to do so. You say, “Why?” It would be a stumbling block. Amen?

I mean, how many would honestly and truly want to be a part of this church if you knew I smoked a cigarette? That’s a stumbling block! How many here, if I took a nip every now and then and you knew about it, how many here would honestly and truly say, “Well, that’s my pastor, and I’m real proud of him, and I’m just grateful for him.” You wouldn’t do it! You surely wouldn’t do it! You say, “Why?” Because I would be a stumbling block, a snob, and a hypocrite. That’s what it would be.

What would you think of the preacher if I just went to certain people and shook their hands and just embraced some and helped some, and the others I shun? Do you know what that would be? That would be a snob. And we ought not to be that way among Christian brethren. If we’re going to grow, let’s grow the right way.

Some people say, “Well, you know, some people are going to get mad.” Well, amen, some people are going to get mad. Let me show you something tonight. Let me show a couple of verses tonight that have helped me to grow as a Christian and as a pastor. And it caused me to change.

Look at James chapter 3. I’ve read this thing many times, but it just kind of stuck out and stung me the other day. Thing thing’s a wild portion of Scripture for a preacher. It’s a warning. It’s an exhortation for you who are thinking about getting into the ministry. God doesn’t always give you free reign. He kind of warns about this thing. In James 3:1: “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” You get in front of people, and you try to be a master or a ruler or a pastor, and you’re going to receive the greater condemnation. Now look at verse 2: “For in many things we offend all.”

You know, I know that I can do some things to offend people. You’ve never heard me preach from this pulpit a whole lot about standards. You just never have heard it. I don’t get on ladies who wear slacks to church. I don’t get on that. You know one of the reasons why? Because I can’t really prove that from Scripture, and I can offend unnecessarily without doing so. And I’m not really too concerned about how you come dressed to church, if it’s modest. Amen? I’m more concerned about you getting into the house of God and getting something from God. That’s the purpose of the house of God. Although I do personally believe that you ought to wear the best you can–I really do.

You never have heard me say anything derogatory about beards. Some preachers have a thing about it; they say, “You ought to have a standard,” and they’ll call me a compromiser for not doing it. I see absolutely nothing wrong with a beard. I think it’s just the most manly thing that you can do. My Saviour has a beard even today. Amen? I believe that; I really do. And there isn’t anything wrong with it. But I think it ought to be kept well and clean.

You say, “Why is that?” Well, I just don’t want to offend in areas like that where I’m on dangerous ground. But, tonight, I believe that I’m going to offend some people, and it may be on purpose. But you must understand and believe that that’s the hardest thing for me to do. You can ask anybody who’s known me five years, and they’ll tell you my motive and makeup in life is just live and let live and let’s go on.

But listen! God has caused me to grow, and therefore I’ve had to change some things. You got your problems. I’ve got mine. And you can live any way you want to live in your house. You can snub anybody you want in your house; you can invite who you want. That’s none of my business. You’ll never hear me say anything about it. But when it comes to the house of God, I’ll say something about it, because it’s wrong, it’s wrong, it’s wrong.

Take your Bibles and look at Hebrews chapter 13. I’ve read this portion of Scripture many times, but then the other day it kind of jumped out and kind of snapped a little bit and kind of bit me, and it caused me to change. Hebrews 13:7: “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”

Sometimes you don’t have any faith? The Bible says you ought to follow my faith, my convictions, and go in the direction that I’m going.

Look at verse 17. Now, I know you’ve heard this applied the wrong way, but I’m going to try to apply this the right way to you tonight. Hebrews 13:17: “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls.” Now, somebody is watching for your soul. And, brethren, it’s not the President, it’s not an angel, and I’ll tell you, it’s not even the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not even the Holy Spirit! You know who’s watching for your soul? It says, for them that have the rule over you, they watch for your soul, “…as they that must given account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”

Now, I’m the pastor of the church. And I’ve never realized that before. But, you know, I looked at that thing, and one day God is going to hold me accountable for everything that goes on in this assembly. You say, “Well, I don’t believe that.” Well, I do! Because I’ve been convinced that the pastor is an important part of the local church.

If you’re here tonight, and you say, “Well, I’m not going to put myself under you,” and that I’m becoming a dictator, then do you know what you really ought to do? You ought to really, strongly, consider leaving the church! Why else would you be here if the preaching from this pulpit is not feeding your soul and not helping you a little bit? You’re just here because you like to fellowship with this church? Hey, listen! I got news for you. You know what you are? You’re a stumbling block! You’re a snob, and you’re going to wind up being a hypocrite! You ought to pick yourself up and go somewhere else! Be a blessing somewhere else!

Amen and amen and amen!

You say, “You’re going to run everybody out!” Do you know what I’ve found? I’ve found that the people who left this church, when they left this church, for some reason the tithing didn’t go down, and for some reason God moved another family in, and for some reason we made it–even when that family left the church and said we weren’t going to make it. They say, “That guy has offended me and run me off!” And you know when people do that and they leave, I just say, “Bye, bye!” Amen!

I had a lady one night call me in the church, over there when we were on the other side of town, and she said, “I just want you to know I’m leaving the church!”

I said, “Well, listen, God bless you, and it’s been nice knowing you.”

Amen!

And she’s no longer in this church. And she was stunned! She thought I was going to beg her to stay! And she said, “Aren’t you going to ask me why I’m leaving?”

I said, “Are you offended?”

She said, “Yes, I’m offended.”

I said, “Bye bye!” Bye-bye!

You say, “Why did you do that, preacher?” Because there was nothing I could do! I she came in and said, “Hey, I’m offended, and I want to know why you said this,” then I could explain. But she came in and she threatened to leave the church. When you do that, hey, help yourself! Just leave quietly, and don’t let the door hit you on the back side when you walk out! Amen!

You know what? Every now and then you’ve got to get a little upset about the things of God. Amen? And every now and then you ought to put some things down to where people understand really plainly about it, and get things straight.

And, if you believe in grace, and if you believe in living in a latitudinal position, then watch out! Somebody’s going to walk right over the top. I don’t care who you are and what you are. Somebody’s going to offend you and walk over the top. And you know what? I don’t care if they really don’t like me and run over the top of me and call me a hick–I really don’t care a lot about that kind of stuff.

But there are two things in life that I have found that are worth fighting for. And brethren, you’ll have to forgive me, but I get fired up about those things. There are really three.

One of them is my family. I had somebody the other day say something about me. I don’t know why they said this, and I’m not going to get involved with it. But they pointed at me and they said, “You see that guy right there?” And this hurt: They said, “That guy right there–do you see that guy? He’s the kind of guy who would cheat on his wife!” I said, wow! what a statement ! I mean, I’ve been married seventeen years to the same woman, and somebody would say that! Man, that hurt! And I didn’t say anything. I just let it go. I believe in latitude. Just let it go! Don’t pick the thing up. It isn’t any big thing. And, by that, I’ve saved myself a lot of fights and arguments. But, oh man, you say something about my wife, you’ve got a real fight on your hands, I’ll guarantee it!

I’ll tell you another thing. When it comes to the church, man, I’m ready to fight. I’m ready to fight. You know why I’m that way? Because when you read Matthew chapter 16, you see that the chief apostle, Peter, was used of the devil. And sometimes whether you realize it or not, the devil can use you in a great way, and can hurt the church. And, folks, it’s not your job to do it, it’s my job to stand up and say, “Hey, that’s wrong, and we’re going the wrong direction.” And, folks, we’re going the wrong direction in this church. We don’t need to have stumbling blocks, we don’t need to have snobs, and we certainly don’t need to have hypocrites.

Now, to a degree everybody’s a hypocrite. I understand that. But I’m telling you tonight, that you ought to have an attitude and a graceful understanding about the things of God. You ought to love your local church. You ought to love people you come to fellowship with. And you ought to want to be a blessing. You ought to want to help people. And new people who come in? My soul, you ought to want to get back there and fellowship with them and help them and be a blessing to them. And quit being a snob! Man, you’re nothing but a wet blanket, and you’re hurting the church, and you’re hurting your testimony.

Thank God for Brother Wells. You know, before Brother Wells came–and this may offend some of you–but we never had anybody in the back to really shake people’s hands. I have watched Brother Wells over the years. You know what he does? He goes back there, and I can count on everybody getting their hand shook, if Brother Wells is back there. He’ll go back there and shake their hand! I say, “Amen! Praise the Lord!”

I had a crook one time call me and try to get $100.00 out of the church. He said he was in the church service. He said that he knew my wife. That crook never was in the church! I called Brother Wells, because I knew Brother Wells shakes everyone’ s hand. I said, “Do you ever remember shaking this guy’s hand in the church? He said he had two kids with him.” “Nope. Never did.” I told the guy he’s a crook and didn’t know what he was talking about.

You say, “What is that?” Hey, man, if you don’t allow new people the comfort that you give other people that you like, well, what are you? You know what you are? You’re worse than a publican. You’re worse than a sinner. You’re worse than the people whom Jesus talked about, because they disliked their own kind! That is not Christianity! Christianity is you loving and you caring for those who are unloving at times. Amen?

Listen, if there was a queer come into this church, you ought to be friendly with him. If Tim Peterson, who is a Baptist queer in this town–an American Baptist queer, queer as a threedollar bill–if that queer came in this church, I would hope somebody would be friendly with him! Now you may not want to shake his hand, I really don’t know. But I’d want to know this. I’d want to know that at least we were friendly and greeted him. You don’t worry about it. I know who that bird is, and you know what I’d preach? I know the Spirit of God would just lead me to preach on Romans chapter 1, and brethren, I would preach on it! I absolutely would preach on it. And when he left here, he would know up and down and in and out that he could have what Romans 1 talked all about.

Amen, amen, and amen!

Now he’s not going to come. I know he’s not going to come. And that’s all right with me. But God wants us to grow. Second Peter 3:18: “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” We ought to want to grow. And when you grow, you’re going to change. When a church grows, it’s going to change. There’s just no way to get around it. And so, tonight, we need to look at some things. We need to look at a stumbling block that can come from somebody who doesn’t have a teachable spirit.

You know, you’ve heard me say this before. I really and truly believe this. I think a teachable spirit is one of the greatest things that you can possess. I really do. That is, you don’t get so easily offended at something that’s being preached. And when you get red-faced and you get offended, you know what happens? You ought to say, “Why am I getting that way?”

Remember a couple of weeks ago, we had the Yankee preach? The fellow from Massachusetts? Hey, I was sitting right there, and that guy got me three good licks. He hit me! I mean I was bleeding. And you, that hurts. And I thought, who am I? you know. And he started hitting on the soul-winning, and, man, I was cutting. When I got to the pulpit, I was cut to pieces, man, I really was! And I appreciate a guy like that! That guy stood up here–he didn’t care what happened–he just laid it out! And you know what? I gave him liberty. I said, “Brother, preach what you want.” Boy, I ought to learn. I ought to learn, boy!

And he did! Man, he preached. And I didn’t give him any time limit. He said later, “If you had given me a time limit, I would have stick with it. But you didn’t give me any time limit, so I preached.” Hey, help yourself, man! If I ever go to his church, I’ll do the same thing. And he hit me three good licks. And I can still remember some of the things that the fellow said. It was hard, it was straightforward, and it was right on target, and, brethren, I needed it.

A teachable spirit. A teachable spirit! We ought to have a teachable spirit like some of the men in the Bible. Like the blind man whom Jesus healed, and he answered and said, “Who is it, Lord, that I may believe on him?” Like the Ethiopian eunuch, in Acts 8:31. And he said, “How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come in with him and teach him the Word of God.” That’s a teachable spirit. It’s all through there. What about the Philippian jailer? He said, “What must I do to be saved?” You know what that is? That’s a teachable spirit.

Do you know what was the secret of the success of the Apostle Paul? In Acts chapter 9, verse 6, when God knocked him flat on his back, he said, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” That’s a teachable spirit. If you haven’t got a teachable spirit, then you’re a snob, you’re a stumbling block, and you’ll wind up being a hypocrite. And you ought to find tonight if you’ve got a teachable spirit, or start getting it. Say, “God, the greatest thing you can help me with is to learn from this preacher and to learn from the Bible study, and learn from experience, and learn from life!” You say, “Why is that?” So you won’t be a stumbling block! So you’d be a help and you’d be a blessing to the local church and to other people.

Hey, man, people are hurting. They need help. But we can not and will not tolerate that kind of snobbish spirit in this church. It grieves my soul, man, when people complain.

You know, you never win at this thing. If your church is friendly, the people say, “I’m not going coming back to that church. That guy liked to have broken my arm shaking my hand off!” And then if you don’t do that, they say, “Well, I’m never going back to that church, they’re just a bunch of snobs! Unfriendly.” I would rather see people, if they have to leave, leave this church because we’re too friendly. Amen! People come in and say, “Well, you know, all they want to do is shake my hand and talk about me and find out about what I’m doing and where I’m working.” I’ve had people say that. “Your people are kind of nosy.” What are you talking about? What are you talking about, saying my people are nosy? I’ve got some of the friendliest people in the world. They say, “They’re always asking what I do.” I said, “You know what? Why don’t you just go over to–and I named another church–just go over there and have a good time over there. We don’t want you back over here. Good night! We’re trying to do something for God over here, and you come with that kind of attitude.” You know what? You know one of the reasons we’re not growing so fast and being the biggest, fastest growing church? It’s because we’re particular about who we get in. Amen? At least I am. I don’t know about you, but at least I am. I don’t want somebody coming in here who’s going to just stick around for six months, and then get up and leave. Man, that won’t work! That hurts a church.

So, families come up and say they want to join the church. The first thing I tell them is, “Well, stick around for about a year. Six months. And see if you like us and see if we like you.” “Ho! Who do you think you are?” I’m the pastor of the church, and that’s the way we think around here. Amen! Real simple ! Real simple.

Teachable spirit, man! The Bible says in Psalms 40:6: “Sacrifice and offering thou didn’t not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.” God doesn’t care about burnt offerings in the Old Testament. You know what He wanted? He wanted somebody who had a hearing ear, and brother that meant a teachable spirit. A teachable spirit.

You ever see Christians come in and they just look like Stone Face? Man they look like somebody just woke them up with a frying pan–BONGGG! And they come to church like that. But you know what? I’ve watched the song service, and thank God for our song service. I tell you, man, I enjoy the song services in this church. I really do. They lift my spirit. I praise God for them. I’ve come into this church and been stone faced and pickle faced and looked like I sucked on the sourest thing there is to suck on, and then come to church, and, boy, about the second song, man, my foot’s a tappin’ and I’m havin’ a good time, and, brother, I just want to get up and shout Amen!

I want liberty in the church! You can’t have liberty if there’s a snob. You can’t have liberty if somebody’s being a stumbling block to you. And you certainly can’t have liberty if you’re a hypocrite. And I’m telling you tonight, hey, let’s have liberty in our song service.

You know there are some people who absolutely do not like the shouting in the church. And they don’t like it! You know, I don’t understand that. I really don’t understand that, man. They’ve got the idea that you can possibly go to a baseball game or a football game or a basketball game and jump up and down and be excited as much as you want to, but, boy come to church and sit like a toad on a rock, and look at nothing.

Barbara told me one time about Brother Ron. She said, “I’ll never go to a hockey game with him again!” I went to a hockey game one time. I’m not a sports man; I would rather go to a horse show–hey, I’d rather go and play golf, and I don’t like golf, than to go and sit and watch basketball or football. I mean, if you like it, hey, praise the Lord, man! If that helps you, I praise God for it. At this hockey game one time, and the next thing I knew I heard myself shouting: “Hey! Hit that guy! Did you see that guy? Did he do that? Did he do that!” Man, I was just excited! I thought, man, I could get into that. I could get right down there and buy season tickets and just have a great time in a hockey game.

But you know what? Some people–some Christians–have the audacity to come to church and not be excited for God.

Hey, man! I looked out this morning, and, man, I saw Carlos. Man, you know, we saw fruit on that guy! He got saved, he got baptized, I gave him a Bible. And he comes, and I say, “Hey, man, are you saved?” And he always says the same thing: “Man, my heart’s on fire! My heart’s fluttering!”

Man, praise God! Hallelujah! Boy, that’s wonderful! That’s great! Praise the Lord. That’s the way it ought to be.

And you know what? God won’t bless a church with new converts unless that church is ready for it. And I see something here, man. And you know what new converts are? They are the blessing of God upon a church. That fellow came here; no one invited him. He saw the Scripture sign on the road, he came, and God said, “Okay, Fundamental Baptist, here’s my blessing on your church. You get to lead him to the Lord and train him. Hey, man, praise God! That’s wonderful! If that isn’t something to shout about…

Now, listen, you don’t have to run around the bases. You don’t have to be real vocal! But, you know, one of the sisters said today as they were singing that song–and I liked that song this morning; I started patting my foot–she said, “Boy, you know I heard you patting your foot and saying `Amen,’ and that encouraged us.” I said, “Hey, you know what encourages me? I see some sister out there weeping and crying and raising their hand, man, or just shaking their head. Or some man shaking his head.” You know what? Maybe that’ll fire you up. People say, “Why are you preaching like that?” I see people start saying “Amen” and shaking their head and I think, I must be hitting something right. I’ll just hit this thing again and go on.

You ought to try preaching sometimes to a bunch of people who don’t do anything. It will really bless your heart, man. Amen! It’ll do it!

I don’t blame some people not wanting to sing specials. They get up here and look at this crew. But you know what? I have found some of the easiest places to preach are places where people are excited for God. It’s not that I’m a good preacher; they’re just looking to bless God. That’s all that is. And, hey, man, I preached back there at Homer Smith’s church, and that place, after a whole week of meetings, they had me preach that night. And I’ll tell you something, man, they about preached me to death. I got up; I was running back and forth on the communion table. I was having me a good time. And I don’t even remember what I preached. We just joined in and had a good time, man! Like Buddy Blunkall once said, “There was no confusion. I knew exactly what I was doing, and they were just helping me out.” We were having a good time!

And it’s not that I want the church to be that way all the time. There ought to be liberty is what I’m trying to say. If you’re here tonight as a lady, and listen, sometimes God blesses you. I want you to know tonight from the pulpit, and this is a policy change. I want you to know tonight from the pulpit, I don’t care what anybody says, that you’re not going to offend me, and if you offend somebody else, that’s their problem. But if you want to just raise your hand, if you want to take a hanky out and wave it. If you want to just say “Amen!” If you want to just sit there–hey! fine with me! But I want you to know there’s liberty tonight.

I want you to know there’s liberty in song tonight.

I want you to know tonight that I don’t care what any snob or stumblingblock may say, the pastor of the church says, “Hey! Let’s have a song service.” And if you want to say, “Amen!” “Praise God!”, wave your hand, if you want to just stand and sing, and have a good time, hey, man, just help yourself! You’re not going to offend anybody, and you’re not going to offend me. In fact, you’re liable to get me fired up. And I’m liable to join you. Because I like that kind of stuff.

You say, “What do you like?” I like just being excited about God, because there’s enough things to be bumbed out about. Hey, man, I’ve got enough problems to be bumbed out, with out being bumbed out about the One who loved me and died for me. I’m bumbed out about a lot of people who don’t love me that much. But I don’t want to be bumbed out about something like that.

A teachable spirit. A hearing ear. I’ll tell you something else that causes a stumblingblock. Strife. Strife causes it. You know some of the things the Bible says about strife? It’s caused by hatred. Hatred! Can you imagine a Christian hating somebody else? Can you imagine a Christian hating another Christian. Boy, what a terrible thing that is!

You know what else causes strife? Pride. You think you’re better than somebody else, and somebody else moves in, and somebody else gets a little bit more praise than you get, and you know what happens? You get festered up. The next thing you do, you’re not going to fellowship with the other person. You’re a snob tonight if you do that! You’re a stumblingblock tonight if you do that. And I’m telling you tonight that you ought to lose that attitude and you ought to have an attitude tonight of wanting to be a blessing to people and help people, and if you don’t, you’re a snob. You do something about it!

Contentious spirits. Oh, man! You know where contention comes from? It comes from envy. Man, what a terrible thing that is! That thing will rip the church apart, that thing will hurt the church, and there’s a lot of people that can be offended and hurt unnecessarily. I’m the one who’s going to offend people, and you ought to know tonight that I’ll do everything I can not to offend people. Amen? I mean I really and honestly go out of my way to not offend people. If I hear in the church that somebody is offended by something that I said, and it was not a doctrinal thing, it was a personal thing, then I want to go to that person and say, “Hey, listen, I want you to know, man, that I didn’t mean that, and you need to get over it and not take it that way. I’m not here to offend you. I’m here to be a blessing and help you. But I know that I’m going to offend you sometimes. And I know maybe tonight that I’m running some things across your grain, but you know what tonight? You ought to look at that thing and say, Where else could I hear this?” You’re not going to hear it on ABC, and Ted Koppel’s not going to tell you! So you ought to have a place where you can go and get things rubbed against the grain a little bit. Amen, and amen, and amen!

You better smile, or I’ll put Brother Jimmy up here! Thank God for Brother Jimmy. He has said a lot of things a lot of different times that have made people mad and offended people. And I’ve people kind of shun him. You ought to not do that! You ought to just put out the hand and say, “Praise God! I may not agree with that, but I want to praise God that the guy’s doing something!” A dope addict! Got saved! God’s trying to use him! Man, aren’t we a group of people! My soul, we get offended and we think about murder, think about shunning him, or we think, “What are they doing here?” Man, you don’t realize where some of these people come from. You don’t realize that if they weren’t saved they be out in the world and be some dope fiend, wind up in some gutter. Hey, praise God, man! When God saves, He changes. Amen? And I’m telling you tonight that God wants to change you. If you get to the place in your Christian life where you refuse to change, you’re a stumblingblock and a snob, and you’re going to wind up being a hypocrite! You ought to do something about it even tonight.

We had a problem in the church. We had a visiting church come over. One of our church members took it upon themselves to tell that church–or a portion of that church–in so many words that they weren’t welcome in this church. Boy, you know what? That tore the heart right out of me! Who gives a person the right to stand up and say, “You’re not welcome in the church!” Man, you know they drove an hour and a half with kids, and I’ve driven that thing many times to their church. And there have been many times that I went to that church to one of their meetings and walked in and was just as low as I can be. And if somebody would have said that to me, that would have crushed me, man! And, the best I could, I told those people, “Hey, look, you’re welcome in this church any time. And you don’t worry about people. Because I want to tell you, you’re welcome in this church!” Boy, the very idea–the rudeness–of a church member to be so audacious as to try to take upon them the authority of the church and tell them they’re not welcome. Who do you think you are? You SNOB! You HYPOCRITE! Why don’t you do something right, and get right with God and learn what it is to be a Christian, and learn what it is to have the love of God in your heart, and look at people, see people who were LOST and undone and got saved and got something that was real! My soul, God spare us from those kind of people! People who just absolutely are going to have their will and way no matter what happens, and destroy the whole church in the process. We four, no more–that’s gone!

Tonight we’re going to have a different church, a different spirit, and we’re going to have unity in the church. Do you know how we’re going to have unity? By realizing there’s a pastor and to follow the pastor! If you think I’m a dictator, you’re wrong! I’m a pastor. I may not be a good one yet, but I’m all you’ve got. And I have no reason and have no desire to resign.

It’s hard to preach this way for me. You know why? Because I’m full of pride. Take your Bibles tonight, and look at this. Some people think that hard preaching is easy. It may be for some people, but I’ll tell you something–it’s not for me. Look at Paul. Man, I can relate to this. Second Corinthians chapter 12. Here’s what Paul wrote. And, brother, it wasn’t easy for Paul to preach that way, either. Look at verse 20. This is what Paul wrote to one of the most wicked churches that ever would come about–the Corinthian church. “For I fear, lest when I come I should not find you such as I would, and that I should be found unto you such as ye would not; lest there be debates, envyings, wrath, strife, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, and turmoil.” Verse 21: “And lest when I come again my God will humble me among you, that I should bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.” You see that? Paul said, “If I come again and this thing’s going on, then God, you’re going to have humble me so I can stand before these people and preach.” If you think tonight I’m doing this out of pride, or because I like doing it, you are wrong! Because I say, live and let live. You got your problems; I got my problems. But I’m accountable. When I see something go on in the church like this, I’ll not tolerate it, I’ll fight it, I’ll gum it–if you take all my teeth out, I’ll gum it till I’m bleeding. And I’m going to fight this thing, and we’re going to have a church unified, going in one direction with one mind and one accord. And all well! Amen? All well!

And that’s the way it’s got to be. It can’t be any other way. And if you don’t want to change, then you’re going to have to leave. If you’re a Sunday School teacher, and you don’t want to change, you’re going to have to leave. And you’re anything that’s of any importance in this church at all, and you don’t want to change, and follow the leadership of the pastor, then what are you doing here? Why don’t you just pack your bags up and just leave tonight? And just let us go on. You say, “If I leave, the church is going to fold.” Hey, if you leave, and if we were based upon you at this church, we NEED to fold! If this church isn’t built on the foundation of the Solid Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and it’s based upon you–let’s close the doors tonight. If we close the doors tonight, we’ll close the doors doing right. And I’m going to die doing right. And I don’t care who says what they think I might do about my wife or against my wife, they’re wrong! They’re absolutely wrong.

And, I’m going to tell you something tonight. You, tonight, ought to have a desire in your heart to be a blessing to another Christian–especially within the body that you live, in the body that you’re a part of. Don’t be a snob tonight. Hey, don’t be a stumblingblock tonight. Man, there’s too much to do for God. And, listen, the enemy’s not here tonight. I’m not your enemy. You’re not my enemy. The enemy’s out there, the enemy’s Hollywood, the enemy’s San Francisco–that’s the enemy. They’re trying to take our Saviour and run Him down in the ground. The devil loves it when we start fighting among ourselves. We’re not going to do it! Because every now and then, I’m going to take it to task and just lay it out real quick, real simple.

Church member, I want to tell you something. You know who you are. And you ought to do something about it tonight. And I don’t know what you could possibly do other than apologize to the whole church. I don’t know what possessed you to have the idea that you could take upon yourself to tell the people they’re not welcome in this church. Oh, what an ugly thing, what a wicked thing that is! And you ought to do something about it. You really ought to do something about it.

You say, “Well, you ought to go to that person.” No, Paul says, “Those that sin rebuke before all, that others may fear.” You know, you ought to fear! If I find out you do some wicked thing like that I’m going to bring it to task before the whole church. And preach on it! Make a three-point outline! And not just preach. I’m going to do something! Because it’s not right, folks–it is not right. Let’s have liberty in our church, let’s have the ability to get along with one another, but let’s have the ability to say, “Hey! That’s the pastor. Let’s follow his lead, and do what he wants to do.”

Visitors, I’m real sorry you’ve had to hear this tonight. Listen, I’ll be honest with you. I prayed that we wouldn’t have a whole lot of visitors tonight, but I’m glad that you’re here tonight. And don’t get me wrong. You’re welcome. You’re more than welcome to be here. Because if you’re a visitor, then one day you may possibly be a member of this church. I mean, if you’re visiting, you’re visiting for a reason. But I just want you to know that you’re in a church that believes the Bible and you’re among some of the best people that you’ll ever find in this county. And there’s other good people around, but we got some of the best right here. And you’re in a church that sometimes has to air its laundry, but I want to tell you something tonight. You’re welcome. And I praise God that you have come tonight, and what you’ve heard tonight, it wasn’t for you. It was for the membership of this chur
ch.

You say, “Well, I’m offended. I’m not going to come back.” Hey, I’ll feel sorry for you, because some churches just compromise and cover things up and go on, and then they have a big nasty split, and that’s even worse. Tonight it’s been hit point blank.

There are some things in this church that are going to change. And one of them is going to be the music. From now on anything that’s done in a musical capacity is going to be done through me. And I canceled out that special tonight, not because of the Wellses or anything like that, but I want to music in this church to be directed through me. You got a special? You come tell me about it. And, when we get a chance, we’ll put it in. And we’re not going to have specials every Sunday. We may, but we’re not going to get into that. You say, “Why?” Because sometimes we get under duress and we get into situations where we just throw anything together and throw it out there, and it’s not before the Lord. You say, “Well, I don’t agree with that.” Well, hey, listen–it’s the pastor talking tonight. You got a teachable spirit? This is one of the ways we’re going to go. We’re going to do it this way. And I tell you, I encourage you to get songs ready, and to come and tell me, “Hey, we’ve got a song ready. We’ve practiced it, and it’s ready to go.” And just let me know. Because I believe this. I believe that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. And I believe some of the best times we’ve had specials is when we’ve just called on people and said, “Hey, Sister Poe, come sing a song for us tonight. Take your husband. Bring your boys up here. Sister Johnson, let’s go.” I mean, just have something that you feel comfortable with, it’s unto the Lord, and most of all, it’s you singing the way you like singing. Amen? Because that’s a blessing! And if you can’t handle that tonight, then you ought to find out why. And that’s the direction, that’s a policy change before the whole people. Nothing secret. Openhanded. And I want it to be done that way.

You say, “Why?” I’m not doing it to be mean. I’m doing it because I feel this is the way we’re going to have to go, and that’s the way it’s going to be. Don’t you love that organ and that piano? I mean, that’s great, isn’t it? Hey, let’s have more of that! That’s no problem. We’ve got an organ, and we’ve got a piano player. I’ll tell you, we’ve got some ladies here, Barbara and Mrs. Wells, you ladies ought to practice the organ and the piano. We need that! You say, “Why?” Well, you practice up something good, and one of these days we’ll let you do an offetory. Amen! You say, “Why would you do that?” Just to encourage you to go on, so you’ll practice, and it will be something to you. Listen, I think every man ought to have a message he can preach. I really do! I think every woman ought to have some kind of ability, or have one song that she can sing. Play a guitar. Play a banjo. I have a banjo. You want to learn how to play it? Help yourself!

You say, “Why?” Liberty! Liberty! And have liberty among God’s people. Be a blessing one to another. That’s how it ought to be.

I’ll tell you something out. Men, you’re at liberty tonight to say, “Amen!” You’re at liberty tonight to do something by which to praise the Lord. And it doesn’t bother me a bit, and it ought not to bother you. Now, if you want to sit there, hey, I’m not going to try to encourage you to do anything, but I want you to know tonight, there’s liberty, and it’s going to stay that way in this church.