Jack Hibbs - Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled (01/23/2026)
Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
Today is the last Sunday of the year—I think you figured that out by now. But I want to speak to you as church family this morning. I just want to speak to you from the heart today. I have some notes prepared that have come, I would say, hot off the press, if I could put it that way.
And this season is, I think, a monumental type of season. It’s of course Christmas. It all begins with a pure Christian holiday—holy day—and that’s Thanksgiving. Purely Christian. Thanksgiving celebration is 100% Christian. And then, of course, as we just celebrated, recognizing the coming of God to earth, called Christmas.
And then now, yet again, another holy moment is upon us. And that is this week—the calendar will change. When I say a holy moment, it’s because the calendar date that changes to 2016 again signifies that Christ has come. The very calendar that you do business with testifies every day of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We often forget that the earth, the world, is much more than 2016 years old. And every time you date something or write that check or place that order online and you put in the calendar date, you’re announcing, you’re signifying the coming of Christ into the world. Interesting, isn’t it?
John 14: Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
So today, I do not want to get into the preaching mode. If I do, raise your hand and say, «Jack, just talk to us—don’t go normal on us.» But I’m going to ask you this morning to grab your Bibles, if you would, and let’s have a time of talking through the Word. And that is in John chapter 14—John chapter 14 this morning.
And the title of today’s talk is «Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled.» Let not your heart be troubled—John 14, verse 1.
And listen, I’m tempted to read the first three verses. I’ll do that. But it’s John 14:1. Jesus said, «Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.» Isn’t that great? «I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.»
This is an amazing statement because Jesus was getting ready to go back to heaven. He tells His disciples, «Don’t let your heart be troubled. Don’t let your heart go through the shift and the seismic eruption of the world"—meaning when the wind hits the shore or the water and really stirs up the sea. «Don’t be like that.»
In fact, when He says here, «Let not your heart…» the words «let not» mean—which is very practical, I love it—the words mean «stop it.» You need to maybe write that down. Jesus is saying, «Stop it.» He’s not denying, He’s not trying to spend some positive confession on us as a people.
Jesus knows our hearts get erupted by the trauma of life. And Jesus says, «Just stop it.» We’re prone to get upset like that. Just stop it. Jesus is saying you don’t need to do that.
And we would counter and we would say, «Why not? It’s the end of the year, and there’s a new year coming. And if the new year is anything like the old year, I don’t want it. Or I’ve had a really good old year, and I don’t want the new year to be any less than my good old year.» And Jesus says, «Stop it.»
For this reason: «Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.» He was about to launch His disciples into the world without Him personally. And they were going to be taking on the role of a pilgrim.
We Are Pilgrims
A pilgrim—when we think about the word pilgrim, the description of the pilgrim—it’s more than just Quaker-looking people on the east coast of America with funny hats and a musket. Those pilgrims that landed on the east coast of America—they were Separatists, they were Puritans. They themselves called themselves pilgrims.
And if you’ve ever read their history, they call themselves pilgrims based upon Hebrews chapter 11. John Robinson, their pastor in Leiden, Holland, with William Bradford—from the book of Hebrews chapter 11, verse 13—assumed the title upon themselves. They said, «We’re leaving this world, and we’re going into a new one, and we are going to be pilgrims.»
And I read this verse today, and I want you to be thinking of yourself—and I speak to this house only, I speak only to the believer this morning—as a pilgrim. And I think the fact that we’re pilgrims might be more evident in the year ahead of us than ever in our Christian experience. And I mean this sincerely and seriously.
Hebrews 11:13 says, «These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.»
The Bible also tells us in 1 Peter chapter 1—when Peter spoke to the faithful, he says, «Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the dispersion» or the diaspora. It means they were on a journey. They didn’t have any place to lay their heads in this world. They were Christians that were being persecuted from town to town, from country to country.
And Peter wrote to them again in 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 11. The Bible says, «Beloved, I beg you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.»
Christian of this church family—of God, of this church—as a pilgrim, one of the great signs of you and I being pilgrims is that you and I are encountering a world constantly that wars against our soul. Can you silently admit that you could agree today? The world is warring against your soul constantly—more than ever.
And as regarding pilgrims—if you’ve been to the east coast of the United States and you’ve been to some of the pilgrim settlements—when you’ve been to Jamestown, for example, and you see how they lived in 1607 and 1611 and 1617 and 1620 and onward—how they lived. If you’ve been there, you know that they were amazing survivors. We could not survive like they survived.
They not only came to a hostile land, but listen—the only way that they survived is that they didn’t think fashion, ladies and gentlemen. They didn’t think hype. They thought survival. That’s how they thought. And whatever they caught, they used everything of it down to the bone. Whatever they ate, they ate everything down to the bone. And they survived.
And not only survived, but they created a nation.
Surrendering the Year to God
But I speak to us as believers at this year’s end because I feel very, very serious about preparing you for what’s coming. You see, Jack, what’s coming? I don’t know. I don’t know what’s coming, but it’s going to be big. Don’t ask me what it is—I don’t know. But I sense it in my gut.
But listen—we’re pilgrims. And so as we today really put this year behind us—being the last Sunday of the year—you ever think about this? I get very sentimental at year’s end for this reason. I’ve always thought of it in my mind that we surrender—we surrender—listen, we surrender this year to the annals of history. We give it to God. It’s done.
You guys, you are not going to change one thing now about this year. It’s over. It’s done. You and I had opportunities to do things for God that we did. We had opportunities to do things for God this year that we didn’t do. It’s over. There’s no reclaiming it. It’s done. It’s written. God writes it down in Malachi 3—He says He records it in His book of remembrance. It’s done.
What does that make you feel like, church? What regrets do you have this year? What great encouragement do you have this year? What is it that you’ve learned as a church family? What did we learn this year?
We cannot let this year go away without extracting out of it great lessons. Don’t let the clock vandalize or victimize you, and you press hard headlong into a new year without learning things from the old.
Facing Increasing Hostility Toward Jesus Christ
And so I want to point out a few things that mean something to me—and maybe they mean something to you. I hope if we’re going to be the pilgrims that God would have us to be in 2016, and if we’re going to fly under the banner of «Let not your heart be troubled,» then you know what? I think we need to think of a few things.
And number one is: we need to make sure that our hearts are not troubled in the face of increasing hostility towards Jesus Christ—the way the world is going. In the face of increasing hostility, you guys, toward Jesus Christ.
How many were Christians this morning? Just raise your hands—in all honesty. If you’re not, don’t raise your hand. Listen—those of us who are Christians—it’s time now that we stop playing games and realize the world is absolutely anti-Jesus Christ in all kinds of ways, shapes, and forms.
And the more biblical you’re going to be this year, the more you’re going to be rejected—just like Jesus is rejected. Many of you are going to be pressured into giving up this year. Many of you are going to be pressured to compromise your commitment and your understanding of the Word of God this year.
And I want to announce that in advance so that maybe it can cut that line of poison off before it hits.
Ephesians chapter 6—now look, in John 14 I’m going to keep going back to that, but now turn to Ephesians chapter 6, and you can stay there for the rest of the day. Ephesians 6, beginning at verse 10.
And remember, I’m not preaching—I’m not teaching—we’re just talking today, okay? I am not playing games with you today. I don’t play games with you any day. I tell you like it is—warts and all, right? Okay.
So a lot of what I’m telling you about is exactly what God wanted me to know today—to get ready for this week, okay?
So Ephesians chapter 6, verse 10—in the face of increasing hostility towards Jesus Christ—what am I to do? You see, what am I supposed to do? Thank God He’s not left us without a witness. This is what we’re supposed to do.
Verse 10: «Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord"—number one, be strong in the Lord. Circle it. This is your marching orders for 2016. Number one: be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Notice—not your power, not my power—His power, okay?
Verse 11: «Put on"—number two is put on—"put on the whole armor of God.»
We’re tempted to say, «Where is it? Where do I buy it? How do I get it? Show me where.»
Listen—for those of you who know where it is, you know where it is. For those of you who do not know where it is, you don’t know where it is.
You say, «Well, that’s pretty obvious.» Really? Listen—you only know where the armaments are to put on for this year ahead if you read your Bible. If you do not read your Bible, then you don’t know what I’m talking about.
I love you, but listen—you’re not going to survive 2016 unless you’re in the Bible. You will not make it. Sex will steal you away from your husband or your wife. Money or the temptation of it will pull you away from more serious or godly commitments. Pressures of this world will crush you in 2016 unless you have a foundation in the Bible.
Good thing for you—the chapter we’re reading tells you all about the weaponry and the armaments that we’re to wear.
He says in verse 10 that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Devil—ladies and gentlemen—Ephesians 6:10 through 11 is all that we need to survive 2016 if we do it. There’s the instruction here for us—three ways: be strong, put on, be able—or else we’re not going to make it.
Remember—Jesus says, «Let not your heart be troubled,» okay?
Jesus—then with what’s coming, with what I’m going to encounter—what do I do? Be strong in Him. Put on the whole armor of God. Stand.
And this is how you get dressed, by the way. Did you see the temperature this morning? I thought it was the Great Tribulation period today. It was 29 degrees coming down here this morning. That’s godless. That’s sick, right? You cannot grow coconuts in that kind of weather.
So what’d you do? You get dressed. Those pilgrims got dressed before they went out into the elements, did they not? You bundle up. Listen—you bundle up, and you go out into the winter air, do you not?
Well, I want to bundle you up in the Word and get you out there.
John 15, verse 18—Jesus said, «If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.» Isn’t that awesome? You could just hear Jesus say, «Suck it up. Suck it up, you guys—because the world hates Me,» you see.
And Jesus would say to us this morning, there is an increasing hostility against Christians because Christians love Me. Jesus would say, «If you say you’re a Christian, you don’t love Jesus—guess what? 1 John says you’re not a Christian.»
You can say you’re a Christian all you want, but that doesn’t make you a Christian. You’re a Christian if you love Jesus. And if you love Jesus, you’re going to be hated.
And in 2016, the pressure—listen, like a screw—it’s going to come down on you to compromise your love for Jesus so that you can be loved by your boss, so you can be loved by your co-workers, so you can be loved by the godless family that you and I have who pressure you into thinking like they do.
And they’re not going to be happy, ladies and gentlemen, until you think like they think. And you are under attack this year to come.
You say, «Jack, are you going to encourage us or what?» I am encouraging you. I am.
Jesus says when that happens, «Let not your heart be troubled.»
The world’s going to hate us, you guys—because we don’t talk like the world. They’re going to hate us because we don’t act like them. We don’t think like them. We don’t love them in their sin—we love them, for God loves them—but we don’t love what they do. And we’re going to be hated for that.
We’re going to be pilgrims in 2016.
Facing Increasing Demonic Influences
For reason number two—in the face of increasing physical demonic influences.
Now this is one of those points where people in the sanctuary right now are going to be tempted to roll their eyes back—and that sounded funny, huh? They’re going to be tempted to roll their eyes back in their head and spew green soup out of their mouth. And I’m kidding.
This is one of those things where people go, «Oh brother.» No—no brother nothing.
Because first of all, demonic influences do not jump out in front of you with a furry face and fangs hanging out of their—you know—with pitchforks and stuff.
Demonic activity—we know from Scripture that it manifests itself first of all in ways that are not easily noticeable at first. Could be a very bizarre, unexplainable rift among husband or wife or family. Or unusually indescribable things that are going on within the church where it makes no sense—there’s no explanation for this. Why is this happening?
And listen—one of the great attacks of the enemy spiritually in the demonic realm is to get you to not believe them. I told you a couple weeks ago—did I not? —to make sure you get your hands on «The Screwtape Letters» by C.S. Lewis and read it. If you missed that exhortation a couple weeks ago—if you missed it—I’m telling you right now: get your hands on C.S. Lewis’s book «The Screwtape Letters.»
Paul the apostle is telling the believers at Ephesus: you need to be very, very wise and war against the wiles of the devil. The devil’s real. Jesus said he was real. And if he can get you to not believe, then he’s got you. But he’s real.
Verse 12 says in Ephesians 6: «We do not wrestle against flesh and blood"—you can almost hear the apostle say, «That would be easy. You can shoot flesh and blood. You can stab it. You can drown it and choke it. How do you do that to an invisible foe?»
«We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.» Invisible things.
Jesus said in the last days it’s going to increase—the influence of evil is going to increase.
Listen—you don’t need to answer me—just think for a moment. Can you think of anything that you can pin the tail on the donkey that says that’s evil? Is that evil? Can you think of an evil? Can you say, «That’s evil—I can pin evil on this donkey right here»?
I’m not asking you what it is—I’m just asking you: can you? Have you noticed it’s increasing?
I’m shocked to see how much things have changed in the last three years regarding evil—let alone the last 10 years.
Jesus warned that there’s going to be increasing demonic influence as we approach the end days—the last days.
But listen—I mean this as a loving rebuke to all of us—sadly, due to a lack of real, true Christian involvement in the Christian’s life, most Christians have absolutely zero discernment regarding spiritual activity.
They’re very quick to blame their husband or their wife or their mom or their dad or their kids for what’s going on in the world around them. They’re very, very quick to fall for the trap and for the trick. They see everything in the physical.
«Well, you know what? The whole thing’s been going crazy in this family because you haven’t been making enough money.» «Everything’s been going crazy because ever since you started reading those books…» Uh-uh.
The power is behind them. With every temptation—if you listen—if you are out trying to poison gophers in your backyard, you take poison and you put it in the ground, okay? Listen—the reason why there’s poison in the ground going after the gopher is your motive. Your motive is invisible, is it not?
Ladies and gentlemen, the gopher doesn’t sit there and go, «Whoa—what could possibly be the motive behind this?» The gopher just goes, «All right—wow, this is fantastic. Somebody put chocolate in this hole down here, and this is great.» They don’t know about the motive. They don’t think—they’re not even thinking on that plane. But you have a motive. What’s your motive? Kill the gopher, right?
Everything has a motive. The temptations that are going on in your life that’s going to come—the issues that are going to come to your door, to your heart this year to come—good, bad, or ugly—just know this: there’s invisible motives behind them.
Don’t be the gopher. That’s the second title of today’s message: «Don’t Be the Gopher.»
Let not your heart be troubled.
We’re going to be pilgrims. We’re going out there. This is how you get dressed.
Mark 13:21—"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ! ' By the way, Jesus said in the last days you’re going to be hearing more of people announcing that there they can save the world. They’ll save the world. They can be the Messiah. We never thought politicians would be the ones saying that, but they are. Or, 'Look, He is there! ' Do not believe it.»
Jesus says, «For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.»
Do you see Jesus wrapping you and I up and getting us dressed for a world that is going to be demonically deceptive? And He sends us out in the world—listen—He doesn’t send us out to be consumed by it. He sends us out to go rescue those who are lost in it.
I’m a strong believer in the resiliency of our Christianity. I believe that as a Christian, if we exercise our faith in all areas of life, we will be very, very—look, we may not be pretty, but we will be beautifully weathered saints.
What do I mean by that? I have a friend of mine—I think you know General Boykin. You know who he is. You know what? I can tell you this because he’s 3000 miles from here right now—but have you ever seen that guy with his shirt off?
Okay, first of all—if I’m 62 years old, I’d like to look like that with my shirt off. But you know what—you should see the scars in that guy’s body. Massive, horrific—shot twice with two .50-caliber shells, crashed in helicopters a couple times—unbelievable scars on this man’s body.
And he told me one time, he said, «Every one of these have a story, and I’m proud of every one of them.» It’s never left me.
Because think of a Christian: «Oh—you see that one? I got that one in the battle.» «That’s the battle of when my family was under attack.» «Oh—you see this? This is where I got shot by one of those darts by the enemy.» «This is when he was trying to take my wife from me.» «Oh—this one right here, man—that’s where I got my side blown up when Satan was out to destroy my kids.»
Do you hear what I’m saying? Listen—we—listen, I hope we finish this course weathered. I don’t want to look like G.I. Joe plastic coming out of the box, right? I want to look like—I want you and I, I want this church to finish where we’ve got—we’re dirty. You know what kind of like those guys in the «Saving Private Ryan» movie? They were successful—mission accomplished—but they’ve got some blood splattered on them. They’re kind of half-shaven. They’re dirty. They got a hole in their outfit. You know—their things are broken up. But you know what? They’re standing there.
Don’t you feel that? Don’t you hear that when Scripture says Paul the apostle laid his life down at the end and said, «I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course»?
Do you see him bloody? You see him bruised? We will be—listen—we will be bruised of the soul, bruised of the spirit, bruised of the heart—no doubt about it. But listen—if we hang on to Jesus in 2016, we win.
In 1 John chapter 2—1 John 2:20 and 27—two verses. Powerful. Quite provocative—it’s not too strong of a word.
1 John 2:20 and 27: «But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.»
He said—what does that mean? Verse 20 means this: «But you have an anointing from the Holy One"—the Holy Spirit. The Holy One in the context of chapter two is the Holy One is the Holy Spirit.
What is the anointing? The Holy Spirit is upon the life of a believer.
Please listen—everybody listen. If somebody is near you sleeping, let them sleep—don’t wake them up, seriously. But if you’re awake right now and you’re hearing this—listen: the Bible teaches that God’s kids have got an anointing upon them that’s given to them by God. And it is the Holy Spirit who is the custodian of their life.
The Holy Spirit—say, what does that mean? It means—um—it means that if this pen is me, and my body would be the Holy Spirit—He’s like this. He’s like this with me. He’s like this with you—always, always watching over me.
Okay—watch this. Look at verse 27: «But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you.» The Holy Spirit. «And you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.»
Translation—what does that mean? The Holy Spirit—watch this—because He dwells in you—if I teach something other than the Bible—this is serious—if I teach something other than the Bible, I would pray that everyone in this church would say, «Whoa—I don’t know why that’s wrong. I just know it’s wrong.» An alarm goes off.
It’s amazing. And the moment you became a Christian, He was doing that in your life. The moment you said yes to Jesus, the Holy Spirit took you, and He put you in His care. And if you heard the teachings of a cult or something weird, your antenna went up—even though you were so young in the Lord you couldn’t explain why it was wrong, you knew it was wrong.
Are you with me? Are you with me?
There are people who sit in churches—they don’t know what I’m talking about right now. They’re just church people. They’re just religious people. They don’t know anything about this anointing. They’re just religious people—they’re lost. They don’t have Him inside of them.
They hear something—it’s like, «That’s nice. Oh, isn’t that sweet? Why don’t I send them in?» And it’s totally godless. They don’t have the anointing.
You need to know that right now going into the new year. There are going to be people—I’m making this up right now, I hope—there are going to be people sitting right next to you in church that have no understanding. They have no anointing. The word would be discernment. They don’t get it. Everything’s fine with them.
«Oh—did you see—I get—listen—oh boy, am I going to get in trouble. I should have—I should have bought it. I didn’t want to give him my money, though.»
I was at Barnes & Noble this week, and the most famous man in all of Christianity—I mean, you say something against him and you’re going to take on the hounds of what, I don’t know—but I couldn’t walk away from the title of the book. The title of the book was «The Power of I Am"—in capital letters. «I AM» in capital letters is the name of God. Did you know that? Ego eimi—the Eternal One.
So I opened it up, started reading. «Did you know that you have the power? Did you know that if you—if you say that you’re old and you’re tired, that age and fatigue will follow you all day long until it consumes you? Did you know that? Did you know that if you say 'I am powerful, ' did you know that you’ll be powerful all day long? Did you know that if you confess—if you declare by being your 'I am' that you can create what it is you need?»
Now if the Holy Spirit is not sending an alarm up regarding that in your life, then you don’t have the anointing. Because ladies and gentlemen, that’s heresy.
Don’t write me—I’m not going to read your letter. But you should get your money back.
Facing Increasing Cultural Evils and Godlessness
The third thing is: let not your heart be troubled, church, in the face of increasing cultural evils and godlessness.
Cultural evils—man, that’s a loaded—cultural evils—that could be anything. We could spend forever talking about this.
Ephesians 6:13 goes on to say, «Therefore take up the whole armor of God"—see, you guys, God has given us everything we need to get suited up to go out into the elements—"that you may be able to withstand in the evil day.»
Do you think maybe we’re living at least in some form of an evil day right now? It’s going to get worse, but it’s pretty bad out there. And you and I live in the best place in the world right now, and it’s still crazy, ladies and gentlemen.
«And having done all, to stand. Stand therefore…»
Oh my goodness, you guys—listen to him speak to us. Translation: stand, okay? But it’s getting scary—stand. It’s getting loud—stand. The wind is blowing—stand. Everybody hates me—stand. It’s scary—stand. When’s it going to be over? What does He say? Stand.
Therefore—was it Winston Churchill who said it’s always too soon to quit? Stand.
Paul is saying stand. And when you think it’s time to sit down, stand again. «I can’t take it—I can’t.» Yes, you can take it. Jesus Christ will never give you and I more than what we can bear through Him.
Are you guys listening to this? Because I’m going to remind you in 2016—honestly—when you come up and say, «I don’t know why this is happening to me,» I’m going to say, «Were you there? Were you there?»
Cultural evils and godlessness.
Verse 14: «Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.»
Truth—please circle the word truth. It’s—look, it is definite. It’s emphatic. It’s the truth of God. Truth—truth doesn’t move with the wind.
I have a barometer and a variometer on my computer, and it tells me these weather things. You can get—it’s an app. There’s an app for that. And have you—I know if you’ve noticed, but I knew—I knew based upon my app that the wind was going to blow real hard yesterday. I knew a few days ago. Chad, you know that—because the app told me there was a freeze warning. I knew this three days ago.
Because listen—through instrumentation and through the study of meteorology, you can make determinations. And there’s equipment that monitors invisible things—barometric pressure and things like this. Things can be known.
And I want you to be thinking about the fact that there are things that are indicating storms approaching. There’s a storm warning, ladies and gentlemen.
Number one—and this church should be smarter than the average church, I mean it—because you’re sitting in a church that in 2007 stood for the definition of marriage based upon the Bible—God’s definition of marriage.
It’s only right to acknowledge God who invented the concept and the institution of marriage. It didn’t exist without Him. He said, «This is what it is.»
Now you listen—I’m telling you what God says marriage is. I’m not my opinion—I’m just telling—I’m regurgitating to you what God says marriage is.
But listen—the culture—I should change that—not the culture—some within the culture manipulated the day. And in the state of California, one homosexual judge overturned 67 million votes. Three weeks later resigned his judgeship.
Cultural evils, ladies and gentlemen—look, if you want to be a homosexual, that’s your business. You can go do that. You have the freedom in this country to go do that. But to change marriage—now you’re going up against the God of heaven. You can do whatever you want to do. But there was a sacred, holy institution that is now gone.
Cultural evils and godlessness—abortion. God says, «I create life, and no one has the right to take it but God"—says only Him. And we as a culture have declared ourselves to be God. We decide who lives. We’re no better than Adolf Hitler.
We pick gender determination. God says again in Genesis, «I make them male and female.»
Did you know that even if someone’s confused—and my heart goes out to someone who’s confused—their biology will dictate though what bathroom they should use and what showers they should use. But not when cultural evils are running the day and godlessness is in office.
Ladies and gentlemen, I find it interesting that none of the news reporters wanted to carry our campaign and their news articles while we were gathering signatures—until after we were defeated. And now we’re front page—this church, me, and our statewide effort. They’re very happy and big mouth now to report that we failed.
Hey—listen—we will be able to say when their kids are subjected to sexual assault and mental sexual mental abuse, we told you.
In fact, I’m asking everyone to adjust their lifestyle so that they can get their kids into private school or homeschooling immediately.
Your children—listen, Mom and Dad—you have got to protect your 13-year-old daughter from being exposed to a 13-year-old boy now in the shower in school while he’s sexually aroused—because it’s already happening.
And listen—I’ve got school teachers who attend this church who have been reprimanded because already kids—kids were told—kids were told by their parents: «Kids, go into the opposite bathroom now at your right.» And we have teachers in this church that are having to cope with that when they ask the kid, «Why are you in this bathroom?» «My mom and dad said I can.» They’re not even gender confused—Mom and Dad said go do it.
Ladies and gentlemen, we told you this was going to come. Our hands are clean. We have exposed our children to evils that the outcome is yet unwritten—and it’s not going to be good.
Get your kid out of the public school system in California. It’s going to get bad.
2 Timothy 3:1 says, «Know this: that in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves"—I know what’s right, I want this for me—"lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control…»
If you doubt any of this, turn on—I’m forgive me because I don’t watch this stuff—but I remember—was Jerry Springer even still alive? He’s not on TV still, is he? Seriously? Well, that kind of junk—that’s right out of 2 Timothy chapter 3. That should be a commercial: «To understand this program better, read 2 Timothy chapter 3.»
«Brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness"—that’s hilarious—after doing all that, to go to church on Sunday—"but denying its power. And from such turn away.»
Get away from them. «For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts"—Fifty Shades of Gray, he said. «What’s wrong with that?» You—why don’t you join the ministry, and I’ll show you what’s wrong with that?
Perfectly good normal moms getting into these neighborhood sex clubs as they read the books Fifty Shades of Gray and then fantasizing—and some of them getting involved in lesbian relationships or coming home and saying, «I’m done with this marriage—I want some excitement. You’re boring.»
Yeah—why don’t you sign up for ministry? Because that’s what’s going on. Amazing.
Please, Jesus, come.
«Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.»
But here’s what we can get dressed in. Galatians 5:16: «I say then: Walk in the Spirit"—surround yourself with the Lord—"and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.»
Listen—Christian, I’m talking to the Christian this morning—we stand for Jesus. We live for Jesus in 2016. The world’s going to launch its attack against us, and we got to fight. It’s going to be a fight. But thank God for the fight—that means you’re alive. Fight.
Facing Biblical Ignorance and Apathy
Number four: we’re pilgrims, and Jesus says let not your heart be troubled in the face of increasing biblical ignorance and apathy.
Gallup helped me out this morning—right before service, I walked out here, got a new news notification on my phone, opened it up. And the Gallup poll this morning says that for the first time at this level in American history, there are less people attending church in America now than any other time. Apathy.
Biblical ignorance—apathy.
Ephesians chapter 6, verse 15 says, «And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one» that Satan launches at us.
Biblical ignorance and apathy—it’s growing big time. Amazing.
But we can be wrapped in this—here it is—we can be wrapped in this fact.
Knowing this now—that the Spirit expressly says in the last days some will depart from the faith—wow, how come? —giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, false doctrine, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.
Isn’t that sad, you guys? People you and I know are going to depart from the faith in 2016—family members, friends. They’re—listen—they’re going to depart from the faith.
The Bible says in the last days there are some going to walk out on the faith because they’re listening to stuff that makes them feel better—gives them a temporary fix.
You know, we all go through this. I must confess—I really sinned this last few days—hugely. I am—I love eating health food. I love it. Sorry—I love it. People think, «Oh, you poor thing.» Don’t «poor thing» me—I love eating healthy food. I love it. I feel good. I like it. I love it. I have hummus and broccoli in the morning—oh, that’s my breakfast. «Oh, you’re going…» But I sinned big time because you know what—it’s Christmas, and my wife makes the most demonic poppy seed cake in the world. But she thought she’d try her hand at making cheesecake—homemade cheesecake from scratch.
Well, it’s her first time making it—it can’t be good. It was perfect. So what happened? I ate—I didn’t eat much—I just—my—I’m such a health virgin. I ate this cheesecake—it was so good. And then 20 minutes later I’m like, «Oh—I’m hurting. I’m going through these withdrawals.» I mean, this is the sickness. «Oh my gosh—sugar overload.»
Look—right in front of me I had the good stuff to eat, and I had this tempting stuff to eat. One makes you feel good for days and days and days. The other one—in five minutes gonna make you feel sick. But man, it tastes way better than that hummus and that broccoli.
The Bible says sin is pleasurable for a season. «Oh—come on, come on—just take a bite,» right? Said Satan to Eve. «Just take a bite,» said Lisa to Jack. No—I’m kidding. She’s not here right now—she’s coming to second service.
But here’s what we can put on so we know what’s going on. Romans 10:17: «Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.»
Facing False Doctrines and Emotionalism
And then number five—we’ll end with this—let not your heart be troubled in 2016, church, in the face of increasing false doctrines and emotionalism.
Verses 17 and 18: «But take the helmet of salvation"—notice it goes on your head. Aren’t you glad—aren’t you glad that the implement of salvation is not like underwear, okay? The helmet—the salvation issue is not shoes. The salvation issue is not elbow pads. It is the helmet of salvation that goes on your head.
You lose your head—you lose everything. There’s nothing worse—listen—the Bible says the head of the church is Jesus. But I wonder how many churches have heads.
False doctrine and emotionalism is destroying people.
False doctrine—but I mean by this the reinventing of Jesus. «Well, I view Jesus this way,» and «My Jesus would never say this.» It’s very amazing because they’re describing a Jesus that you can’t find in the Bible—but they’ve got a Bible underneath their arm. They have a Bible. «Say, where is that Jesus in the Bible you just talked about?» «Well, I just believe…» You know—they’ve got Jesus now—back—look, many of us survived the 70s. They had Jesus back as a hippie. They got a rude awakening coming. He’s coming back with His eyes a flame of fire, and out of His mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword, the Bible says. Jesus is coming back, and His robe is splattered in blood—that just freaks out the peaceniks these days.
Ladies and gentlemen—listen—He’s going to come back and judge the wickedness of this world.
And emotionalism—it’s killing the church.
So here’s what we put on—an ending—this is what we put on. I’ll read it to you in length.
1 Thessalonians 5, begin at verse 1: «But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.»
If I stopped reading right there, you would think that the Lord would come as a thief in the night to you. But I’m not done reading.
«For when they say, 'Peace and safety! ' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.»
Isn’t that awesome?
Notice—when somebody—when you look around this world in 2016 and you say, «Wow—wow—what’s happening?» And we’ll talk more about this on New Year’s Eve—what’s going on with Russia and the Middle East and Syria and what is that with Bible prophecy, man?
When you see this stuff, it’s like, «Okay—wow—I’m not surprised.» I was sad when San Bernardino was attacked, but I was surprised? Were you surprised? I wasn’t surprised.
If Los Angeles gets nuked by some foreign attacker or terrorist or nation, I’ll be very sad—but I’m not going to be surprised. Would you be surprised?
Would you be surprised if there was a massive terrorist attack on Washington, DC? You wouldn’t be surprised. You’d be sad—but you’re not going to be surprised.
But there’s going to be a lot of people surprised.
But what about Jesus coming back? Listen—we’re not going to be surprised. We feel it. Can you feel it? It’s like—I don’t know when, and I don’t want to know when, and no man knows the day nor the hour—that’s impossible. But you kind of got a gut feel something big coming. I don’t know what it is. I hope it’s Him coming back—that’d be great.
«Oh—you Christians always trying to escape everything.» Amen—hallelujah—that’s right.
And then final verse of the day—Joshua chapter 1, verse 9: «Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.»
Prayer
I’m going to ask you to stand, and I want to commission you—because I won’t be with you guys—I mean, I’m assuming some of you will not be able to come on New Year’s Eve. So let’s take advantage of this last Sunday.
I’m going to ask you to bow your heads in prayer. I want to pray over you now.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
And that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
That you would be strengthened with all might according to His glorious power.
Turning from godless living and sinful pleasures, we should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, as we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
And all God’s people said, Amen.
I’m going to ask you to bow your heads in prayer. I want to pray over you now.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
And that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
That you would be strengthened with all might according to His glorious power.
Turning from godless living and sinful pleasures, we should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, as we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
And all God’s people said, Amen.