Pick a Side

that's preaching a parking lot revival last month down in Salisbury and they were doing what you're doing had a little a sound signal going out and across the store with across the road was a dollar store and the manager said what's that frequency and they played that preaching over the PA in the dollar store that's a blessing great praise the Lord so these are unusual times they really really are unusual times all right first Kings chapter 18 if I have preached this here before in this tabernacle in this meeting just do like our church folks and look at me like you've never heard it before right but I certainly think we are living in in biblical time we are living in times when so many things we've read about in the Bible and we said how could how can that ever be how can the situation and be like that we're coming to see how it could be like that all right our country so so far from God so far from anything resembling Bible Christianity but just to give you the background here Elijah the Prophet is trying he's not trying to hurt anybody he's not trying to do anybody wrong but he is praying maybe maybe if God stops the rain the people turn back to God maybe if the crops dry up in the fields maybe if the Brooks and streams grow not to go dry maybe if the wells run out of water the people turn back to God this is how far how far gone they are in 3 and 1/2 years it has not rained in the whole nation of Israel right and the people have just doubled down on sin the people just on farther away from that's that turn to god they got farther away from God I have to pray for some time I said so it was in a hospital maybe this is causing get right with God so it so lost their job maybe this calls for a pen I've not seen that I've not seen that in my life I've seen people in good times thumb the nose of God in bad times they do shake their fist at him and I see that in our nation we talked about that Monday night a little bit but let's read here together after we pray father help me help me few minutes that we have to get the hearts and the minds of the people that have come tonight with your words and father that you would just lay hold upon us and show us Lord not what enough of the government needs not what the schools need but what we need more not tonight not one don't some of the rabble rousers have to hear but what the people that are sitting here to church service tonight god help us we pray in Jesus name and amen all right so they think there's an all-points bulletin the king has been out searching the entire nation to get this prophet and put him in prison or works and he finally runs into him verse 17 it came to pass when they have that's the King so I like it then they have said unto Him art thou he the trouble of Israel I'll take you you unit in a bad time when the governor thinks the preachers of the problem you live in a bad time for the authorities think the churches of the problem you live in a bad time when the school kids think that righteous young man that raped young lady is the troublemaker and he answered I have not troubled Israel but thou and my father silence in the IAM forsaken the commandments of the Lord and thou has followed Balaam if there's nothing else to read this chapter I'm telling you tonight we need some Christians if we'll stop bowing down we need some Christians that'll stop closing their mouth we need some Christians and stop being intimidated and just look this world right the eye and say you're the problem your disobedience is the problem in forsaking God is the problem your failure your obey His commandments is the price we're not the problem you're the problem man nuts people aren't murdering other people God's people aren't stealing brother people God's people aren't taking other men's wives and my less than other people's children God's people are living right God's people are holy they love their neighbors themselves and yet the world seems back like we're the cause of all these problems somehow they just get rid of us everything be be whole lot well you better be careful what you wish for we might all disappear out here tonight never see how you do without us verse number 19 now therefore said and gathered me all Israel in the Mount Carmel and the prophets of Balaam 450 and the prophets of the Groves 400 which eat at Jezebel's people so we have sent on all the children of Israel and gathered prophets together undeveloped Carmel the mask yourself a friend you have any idea how outnumbered God's people are in kinds like these you have any idea how the odds are stacked against us in times like these Elijah is not bragging he's just telling the truth the Elijah it is not glory in himself he just tell the truth he is out numbered 950 to 1 there's 450 ungodly little ministers in the cities where Elijah is preaching there are 400 do nothing do nothing preachers sifted Jezebel's people fattening on her food while he lies just stands for the truth of the word of God 950 carnal churches 950 false doctrine churches 950 sacramental churches 950 just open the door and have a fellowship there and never tell one's soul about Christ churches and one man standing up and preaching the truth yes I'll take those the dark times dark times I think we live in times just like that I think we live in times just like that you don't average church that they said this virus came around there so you've got to stop what you're doing most churches did anything to stop Sunday morning service then that stop door knocking at work door knockin they'd have something straight preaching to work straight creation didn't shut down their services then shut down there till - trees hold they do just get together for an hour Sunday morning sit around do next to nothing go home just get right back in the world everybody like life is preaching the Word of God and living the Word of God call all the people get right with God and they have saved you the problem you're causing trouble here in this nation I'd like to get rid of you verse number 21 and Elijah came with all the people that said oh here's the word for today how long halt ye between two opinion yet if the Lord be God follow him but in bayonne to follow him and here it is the people answered him not a word they couldn't give an inch hey hey hey I'm not trying to hurt I'm not trying to insult you're here on a Wednesday night sitting here in in the hop and trying to get under a fan but somebody got here perched and got into the fan I appreciate you being here I mean this but I'm telling you something we live in a day and time when people come to church for an hour and open their Bible and won't open it again until the next Sunday we can we come to church we put our children to Sunday school and we want that Sunday school teacher erase all that stuff and Hollywood putting their mind all that stuff internet putting their mind it's not gonna happen as long as we got one foot in the world one foot in the church as long as half our heart belongs to Jesus the other half belongs to Hollywood as long as we sing the praise of the Lord on Sunday mornin and the praise of some ballplayer on Sunday afternoon we all hoped it we're hope they did the Bible that's a word for a crippled man he couldn't walk straight he couldn't walk fast he couldn't walk strong he couldn't walk true because one leg was straight one leg was crooked one leg work that the other leg didn't work and I'm telling you the church in America is crippled the church in America is lame on its feet because we got one leg devoted to Jesus and one leg devoted to the world and we can't get anywhere we can't span with kiss Peter progress the Lord your life just said why don't you pick one god or another why don't you decide to serve God or serve the world why don't you get all in for Jehovah get all in on bail you know what they said nothing nothing they have an answer they want to say we love God because they do be true they want to say we love Balaam because they knew he lied you'd rip their hide off so they just sat there and didn't say a word and old man if we not live to see the day when folks have shouted a ballgame they'll shout of the car race don't shout it and a good Good Friday sale or a Black Friday sale I guess got to change the name of that now enough how about other things but you get them in church and tell them Christ rose from the dead get the church home Jesus is coming again the singers get up saint jesus is coming soon the safe because they hadn't decided what side their own sakes they weren't really true steam they want to play for these ball games man half the people got on red shirts over here after people got on blue shirts and red shirts cheer for their kingdom blue shirts cheer for their team and here's a commentator standing on the fifth picture for nobody cause he don't know which side he's on yeah most happens up there cheering over the church and the hosts the hell down there cheering on the devil and people sitting in Turkish they got nothing save and decide what side they're on watch that we need people pick a side deal with God's side picket stand right there like I said to the people of I even I only remain a prophet of the Lord fales profits of 450 men I'm done it even that big end he just got a big heart he's not trying to make a name for himself he just telling it right he's worth where are the people our sense of Jesus Christ let them give us two bullets let them choose one bullet to themselves cut it in pieces lay it on wood put no fire under and I would just sell the Bullock and lay it on wood put no fire on your love taste something it takes a while you've never done it it takes a while so take down that bullet they didn't use our high-powered rifle it takes a while Flay that bullet skim that bullet cut that it's called red so it's kind of funny word for dress for the man when in reality you're undressing that animal it's just kind of like kind of a bike way to say we're gonna chop that thing to bits and a whole time they're getting that back that Bullock ready the whole time you guys get that bullet ready all those people could have made a choice they could make a choice for the sunday school they could make a choice in between Sunday school and church they could have made a choice when the choir was singing they could have made a choice when the preacher got made the announcement but then just sitting there they can't make up their mind they're just sitting there they know they need to go on one side or another but they don't know what side they want to be on and the Bible says in verse number 24 call on the name of your gods and I will call on the name of the Lord and the God that answered five fire let him me God all the people answered and said is well spoken you know what what you know when they finally spoke up when they realize we've just let somebody else make your choice horn they still they're still not commitment late as well that that's good that's good we'll just we'll wait see fireballs that we would pick whatever side the fire falls on me tell you something man you waiting for the fire to ball you might be waiting too long to pick your side boys gonna descend from heaven with a shower something's gonna sound in a twinkling of an eye we're gonna be out of here if you hadn't decide what side you're on you decide what side you're on you're on the ground it ain't going alright let's let's read now we got to go quick he likes you send them the prophets of bail choose you one bullet for yourselves these gentlemen pick the one you like best and dress it first four-year many and call on the name of your God but no fire under they took the bullet which was given them and they dress it and call on the name of bail from morning even until noon saying hail hail full of grace hail bail blue graves hail fell from the graves over and over again oh they'll hear us there was no boys greater than ants and they leave to pull the altar which was made hey you know what they got they got noise you want a god they got action you know what they got makeup they got fur free don't they got they got enthuse they sit around there Lisa they're not whispering they're crying out they're not then it's not just one little people for an over and over again all the way up til new and then they couldn't go past those people I had to get the restaurant but but they they come right right up until noon man they gave it all they had listen nobody's denying that our world our nation not full religious people making noise and same prayers and jumping up and down and carry on but there's no God here are those things there's no God coming down to see that activity came to pass at noon they like to mock them said cry aloud freeze of God either he's talking or he's pursuing or he's in the journey or part of it three sleepless and must be awake he's I don't think you'll make fun of people's religion I don't think the people have a religion that's so easy to make it's hard not to make fun of people who have a God it can only hear one person at a time it's hard make not make fun of people have a god only be in one place in time it's hard it's hard not to make fun of people has a god that falls asleep hey man my footings hospital sometime you don't have this little statue there of a blonde oh it's not very good I've been this room looked around any way through this blond-haired blue-eyed make it got her there and her white robes there Bruce sighs and I just think it statue just lay down on its side and they get all freaked out you know when they reach over the steps another letter get herself up itself up go down to Hong Kong buff a ghetto in you and you eat a little this little bounce a little little chicken power power a little you know right screw y'all little raccoon a little kitty cat get ready League trade the bill there's no Buddha things sitting there on the counter I like just flipping over let me get all upset you don't expect because no no let him get yourself up yeah I wouldn't that with God I would never God that some rude fella could turn over on its side you couldn't get back couldn't rebuke him cold only we won the whole taking a nap hey he likes you give me business listen if your God if your God only does business in one building if your God Only Knows building business one hour a week if your God's not around when you need him you need to get a real God why she gave him the business and verse 28 and cried aloud and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets to the blood gushed out upon them now I'll tell you something we might preach on this week we might not when I read my New Testament about people possessed with devils you know what they do they cut themselves yeah you're these priests are doing they're cutting themselves they're thinking if they injure their body listen and shed their blood they'll get an answer from God I'm glad I've got a God that shed his blood yeah tell me my blood for him and set his love for me off your horn on that one up here wash my brain and the Bible says in verse number 29 and then they get these Blanchett's a knife for this that matter it's what they do I didn't get people go to church where we have a few songs and we take up an offering and then we take out our lives and we cut ourselves how you get people going off or something like that and yet there's a church in every town in America biggest richest religion in America and they line up drink blood every Sunday morning yeah that's what they say watch a strange business isn't it that's a strange business how you not say something little bit critical about people who think they're practicing cannibalism and acting like vampires and call that Christian Elijah made fun of people like that sure Eddie said you said you know that stuff you're on the Lord's side what made somebody unhappy verse 30 like just says all the people come near unto me the old people came near unto him and he repaired the altar of the Lord it was broken battle that's why the range not falling that's why the crops are growing that's why the nation's not crossbred dogs are broken down well we build our balls we build our highways we build our shopping centers we build our stadiums we build our garages we build our vacation homes but a long time since we built God's altar well the roof goes bad we call that roofer right away the plumbing goes bad we call that plumber right away the grass gets up high we Colson boy come content yard right away the altar of the Lord been broken down some of our churches for years and years and years and nobody even notices his home park he likes it repaired the altar of the Lord and he took 12 stones according the number the tribes the sons of Jacob he's not leaving anybody out under whom the word of the Lord came saying Israel should be my name by name and with the stones he built it all and in the name of the Lord and he made a trench about the altar his greatest with - mrs. a/c you put the wooden order and cut the bullet in pieces and lady move the woods and kill four barrels with water poured on the burnt sacrifice it on the wood in that rain for three and a half years there's no water for the backyard garden there's no water to wash or chariot there's no water clean your clothes and he's taken four barrels of water and pouring boiling on top of a pile of wood on top of hollow rocks shopping shopping behavior and he sit there with the second time in the second time he's into a third 5/5 third time he poured out 12 barrels of water wasn't barrel Freight Stokes belt tried he'll try to start a fire out your backyard you've been collecting wood and debris and you burn that tire on the side of it and it rained all day Wednesday and it rained all day Thursday it rained all day Friday and you go out there Saturday morning that one ain't catching fire that wood is not gonna burn you waste a whole can of gasoline that wood is not gonna catch fire he likes you put that wood on that altar and he put that Bullock on that wood and you said let me show you how powerful God is and drown that wood in water it's soaked that one down there's no faking a fire underneath those rocks there's no hidden fuse somewhere you gotta have some gunpowder stuck in there when nobody's looking he is dousing back sacrifice in that wood with water so it's higher falls it's got to come down it can't come up its got it comes from God and it come from man that Bible says in verse 32 that water ran round about the altar and filled the trench also in water and it came to pass at the time of the offering evening sacrifice now listen to me they got there early enough that morning for those priests to cut up that pull up they got there early enough to the morning for those priests to build that altar they got there early enough in the morning to watch those priests cry aloud and throw themselves about and call on their God and cut themselves all the way till noon time those people had all morning long to think about get right we got now now they've had from noon till 6 o'clock in the evening when the sun's going down to think about babel not answering prayer now think about those priests not getting through to their God to watch those men mutilate themselves for nothing to see all that noise and all that racket and no response and still still those people haven't made one move in their heart for God man listen to me listen to me so I don't pretty low I know you're discouraged I know you are so tired of sin like beating your head against the wall but you bring in a bunch of noise into your church and they gonna turn people to God and you do something dramatic in your church it'll bring people to God you start jumping up and down carrying on some strange way it's not gonna bring people to God you do something shocking then never seen before it's not gonna bring people to God the only thing will turn people to God is repenting in their heart and believing the Word of God you can't manufacture that you can't work that up you can't make that happen most people they're all day watching that religious show it didn't make one difference in their life like you built that altar to people just sitting there silent people hadn't made hadn't made a decision yet hadn't made a move yet and the Bible says in verse number I'm 36 the Elijah the Prophet said Lord God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel let it be known this day that thou art God and Israel and that I am my servant and that I've done all these things they look at thy word Elijah doesn't want to be the king Elijah doesn't want to be the number one coffin in the land he likes you doesn't what his name in the Christian newspaper he likes you doesn't want a pat on the back Elijah wants to obey the word God he wanted too much honor the Word of God he lied to wants people to see what happens in a man's life when you obey the Bible that's what we need we need preachers that will stand in that pulpit and live when they get out of that pulpit and walk through town on Monday and walk in the hospital on Tuesday and the Supper together the church house on Wednesday that will live a life in accord with the Word of God and that people see the blessing of God upon that light and the blessing of God upon that church and the blessing of God upon that doctrine he lied you should God show them show them you're on the sign the man that honors the Word of God verse 37 hear me o Lord hear me that this people they know that thou art the Lord God and the palace turned their heart back again then the fire of the Lord fell there's a lot of things happen in God's Word I'd like to see that was one up right there before I go any farther did you not hear this story as a little boy or a girl in Sunday school and wondered how in the world in that man have the courage to tell all those people that fire was going to fall from him and you have you not wondered preacher as you read this story and preach the stories I'm sure you have have you not thought ask you know that's really that's where they stick in your neck out there yeah I mean just to say I'm gonna fill this all jumbled up pour water on it and God go set fire down from heaven I mean that guy he's really you talk about rolling the dice you you talk about taking a gamble I mean the whole thing could have gone bad no no no way I want sure you said don't lose this place Comfort comfort of Leviticus might remember that little book in the Bible couple of bît-yakin chapter number nine Leviticus chapter number nine I know it's looking first a break teen Leviticus chapter 9 and verse number 18 this is the first time Aaron the high priests offered sacrifices to God after God gave the law Leviticus 9 verse 17 r18s and he's also the bulla and ran for sacrifice of peace offerings which was for the people and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood which he sprinkled upon the altar roundabout first 19th without of the bullet in with the blood and and verse 20 of the fact and the breasts and verse 20 ones of shoulder verse 22 and Aaron lifted up his head toward the people and blessed them and came down from offerings and sin offerings offering the peace offerings and most of scenario ended the tabernacle of the congregation came out less to people and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people and there came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering in the fact which when all the people saw they shouted and fell on their face Eli - didn't come up with some wild idea Eli's you didn't just make up something out of thin air Elijah knew from the Holy Bible he knew from the scriptures of God when the nation was right with God and we put a bullet on the altar and gave our hearts to the Lord the fire of God has burned up that bullet and the people fell on their faces and worship God preacher God's not asking you to make up a new dance routine he's not ask you to bring in a new kind of music he's not asking that a new kind of worship service he's asking you to gather that Bible and find out what worked in the days we got build his church and just do what God all these people to do and let God work right so lord I pray you those men that book of Acts they went to the cities full of devil worshippers who in this city's full of idolaters they went through a city where Satan's seat was and built churches preach in the Word of God SiC and hymns of praise to the Lord praying and fasting and witness sing that the gospel they know that in this modern joke we think we need to have your life you didn't make this up you lied to reeks way back in the bike pulled something out from a day when God turned the people's hearts back to him and said I'm gonna do the same thing here and did I'm gonna do the same thing Moses did and watch and seek God do the same thing God you know these churches that are struggling to stay alive all over these hills these churches that are withering away all over these hills you know what built those churches in what rock bands and women dancing girls what the light shows it was door knockin it was preaching it was track passing it was soul-winning it was praying it was the Word of God we need to stop looking at the profits of a tone for a way to do things we could look at the profits of the Grove to see if they got any new ideas we need to just reach way back to the time when God blessed it of a mighty way in these towns and villages up here these mountains and just say God if I do it again will you do it again to watch God work they say but preacher people's hearts are so hard like what you just read about there's so much false religion like what you just read about there's so much opposition from the government like what you just read about it only took one man standing for God backyard chapter verse teens 18 then the 538 then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the waters in the trend ha ha I can't oh this is from God because it started burning at the top and it worked its way down it burnt the sacrifice and it hurt the wood I don't care what you think he lies you hidden those rocks it wasn't hot enough to melt rock praise God it burned down the whole structure from top to bottom and stop the link-up the water on the way back there see some crazy people cut themselves with 9 verse 39 and when all the people saw it they fell on their faces you won't happen in Leviticus 9 when the people saw it they fell on their faces and they said the Lord he is the God the Lord he is the God how about that wouldn't you like to see that your day when you like see people turn to God what do you like it doesn't preach and see people on their faces before the Lord wouldn't you like to open the door the church house and have people come in and behold the glory and the power of God there's only one hole rather there's only one hope sister we've got to get back to doing things God's Way this listen not inform not if not in in in pretending a lie - it's a real deal sold out to God hold it for God righteous before God and then he lined up his life he lined up the spendy took with the Word of God and down came the blessing of God from heaven well would it be something that fire sells and it started burning the preachers heart that started burning the Deacons heart started burning the Sunday School teachers hearts and start burning the singers hearts and worked its way all the way down to the youngest children in the sunday-school and everybody was praising God not only God what a day what a day that would be we're not done verse 14 and I just said to them take the props of Babel let not one of them escape and they took that many legs are broken down the brook Christ shot and slew them they're the weapons of our warfare not carnal we don't kill people we'd never kill anybody we don't put in my death we nobody make that you know something the proof that these people weren't right with God is they couldn't take a side remember they couldn't decide you for the Lord he for the prophets available no answer or you forgot are you for the devil no answer now they said the Lord he is the God any life you've said if you mean that then get rid of that if you mean that then get rid of that preacher preacher listen we want to fire God the fall we can't just want God we've got a what God and stop walking that church member we can't just want the blessing of God we got to stop one in the world we can't just want God to move in our midst we got to get that sentence moving in our midst out of the heart of the bookshelf they fell on their face who wouldn't want a fire like that Falls they cried out the Lord he is the God who was a side with him when he can burn up stolen right front of your eye but he lied you said now when you leave here today there's some unfinished business you have seen the power of God you have acknowledged the power of God he was falling on your face before the power of God you have confessed that you're on God's sight now when you leave here today I want you to get rid of that job that was the proof they were right with God because when that day was over there was one prophet and he was on the Lord's side and all the prophets were against the Lord they were gone brother you want God to move in your church again then get that stuff out of your house get that stuff up for your eyes get that stuff out of your ears that you never looked at and never listened to it never entertained when you were on fire for God back in those days we've got to get that junk out of her youth group that we thought would keep young people in the church we got to get that junk out of our Deacon board that we thought we needed because of powerful influential men in our youngest know what I'm saying know what I'm saying God wants to bless us and he will bless us if we obey his word but part of obeying his word is not just praising him with our lips it's getting jumped out of our lives we got on to the Lord we also gotta slay those proper-- to bail I'll tell you listen listen I want our church to be so full they're in the place read about it I want your church be so full there's not a place for everybody sins but if we're filling our church up with people that have slid their chair up under Jezebel's table God's blessing is never going to fall if we go from a hundred to fifty so we can get up to 150 that's the way to go if we got to go from 200 to 75 to get up to 300 that's the way to go but we have got to give God the glory in accord with the Word of God and the proof of that will be we got to do some housecleaning we'll get this mouth brothers sister we have let things creep into our churches we'd let people stay in our churches and don't believe right don't live right doing terrible things because we want more we go when we just we go we don't have enough people we just need anybody yes we don't need anybody we get we need golf we need the fire of God falling on the altar and burning up that sacrifice we need people falling on their faces and confessing the Lord he is see God and getting up from that from their faces and saying that what can I get rid of that's been standing in the way Blue Ridge Baptist camp-meeting 55 years ago people came in here heard the Word of God not only turn their hearts to Jesus but went home and got rid of a bunch of junk there Jesus Christ fifty five years later we come in which that's pretty good sermon that wasn't that wasn't such a good sermon I like that when I didn't like that one they sang well that group was my favorite singer and we'll say all the right things about God we'll go home and leave all that junk sitting in there so that bothers maybe that's what he lied to did he troubled Israel yeah we ought to be troubled but the fire of God don't fall in our living room we ought to be troubled the fire our God don't fall in our automobiles with our families riding down the road we ought to be troubled we go to church for month after month and year after year and fire of God never falls as long as we're holding God's hands Sunday morning and holding bales hand the rest for the week it's gonna be a dry and barren land babies no rain no fire no blessing god help us god help us preacher Elisha didn't make something up he didn't come up with some new idea he just went back to doing what they did the first god bless them for it preacher I know you discourage I know you I know you wearing this thing I know you are let's go back just just say go back when you was when you were 30 years old you're 25 years old how you do anything God asked you to do how far you go to win one of the soul what you'd sacrifice and give up and get one found in church to sell out to Jesus we don't need a new thing when you get back to the start the church members church members we can't have the church on fire for God if we got a house full of stuff belongs to bail lord help us lord help us fall on her face and say he is the God and then go home and slave some prophets of fail I know more fun Monday night there last night is all about Jesus but tonight do we not do we not whoever the president is whatever the government's doing whatever's in the news don't cheat God in your house don't you need God in your church in that more important than something you have no control down the altars open musicians are coming father we want to see you work again in the green power we want to see you move again dark churches in a great way we want to see the fire fall like you did in days of old God would you find us Willie man like me like you for all that is true against all that is false and honor your word obey your word and let you do your great work please not help them have you any and the invitation time wins for Jesus sake

Channel: James W. Knox Sermons

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Id: GyBso7TgVfY

Length: 38min 56sec (2336 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 11 2020