Galatians 5:18-20 (A Sermon)
"The sins of the flesh are obvious. You know them in your heart. Because you are led by the spirit, no longer under the law. Do they need to be listed for you? Do they need to be itemized?"
He looked over the congregation, took a deep breath and continued with his sermon.
"Some are being led astray by the voices of the world. Celebrities and politicians lead you away from the truth of the spirit. They are marionettes who dance on strings controlled by their evil desires. How many babies have been slaughtered? How many young children have been manipulated to see a world void of God? How many of you have thought ill of a brother because of the media's fixation. Do you wear the badge of the world on your arm? I hear it is gaudy, trimmed in gold. Or do you wear the badge of the Lord? The badge stained with dust, blood and splinters of wood."
He took a drink from a bottle of water at the pulpit. There was not a single sound uttered from the pews. He stepped down from the sanctuary and took a couple steps up the main aisle. He was among the congregation. He was one with them.
"I tell you, do not listen to me, but to Him. I am His vessel. You have His word in front of you. All of your questions are answered there. If you cannot find them in the words of the prophets, the apostles, or Jesus... God is not the fool... man is."
He turned his gaze from one section of pews to the back of the church, to the point where the worshippers had entered that morning. He briefly wondered if the gates to heaven would be decorated in gold, or left plain, unadulterated.
"I see it, beyond those doors."
He drew the attention of his listeners to the double doors at the rear of the church. He took a few more steps down the center aisle.
"Once you would have entered here, and the world, all its sinfulness would be left outside. Our sexual immorality would be left out there. Our envy would be left out there. Our impurities and debaucheries would be left out there. But now the world says we need to embrace those sins. We need to accept and celebrate these sins in our homes, and in the house of God. Satan has come to mock us. He has sat in these pews and laughed, as we break the heart of God by celebrating sin.
"Do you know that pride is a sin?
"Our Lord, who died for us, died in humility. There was no pride in Him. You should not be proud.
"Pride is Satan's favorite method of scorching our souls. He is not content with those who flock to his orgies... no... he wants to bring them to you. Now, is the time, not tomorrow, not next year, now is the time to turn toward He who breathed life into you, admit your sinfulness, admit your weakness and petition Him for a place in paradise. We must all be like the thief on the cross, who heard, who listened, who asked, and who received.
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