Righteousness Matters, So Watch What You See And Hear

[0:01] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to this Spirit-filled word by David Entry. When you catch a word, you have caught God. May you catch a word today that will cause God to change your story.

[0:13] Be blessed. I'm continuing from where I left off last Sunday and we'll be reading from the book of 2 Peter, New King James.

[0:28] 2 Peter 2, reading from verse 1. 1 Peter 3, reading from verse 1.

[1:03] Verse 12.

[2:08] Verse 12. Verse 12. Verse 12.

[2:20] Verse 12. Verse 12. Verse 12.

[2:31] But these, like natural brute beasts, made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime.

[2:53] They are spot and blemish, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, having eyes full of adultery and cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls.

[3:05] They have a heart trained in covetous practices and are accused children. They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bel, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but he was rebuked for his iniquity.

[3:25] A dumb donkey, speaking with a man's voice, restrained the madness of the prophets. These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

[3:41] For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lust of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.

[3:56] While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption. For by whom a person is overcome, by him also is he brought into bondage.

[4:08] For if after they have escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

[4:25] For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having known it, to turn from the holy commandments delivered to them.

[4:35] But it has happened to them according to the true proverb. A dog returns to his own vomit, and a saw having washed to her wallowing in the mire.

[4:53] Here ends the reading of God's holy word. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! What a powerful text. It is so loaded. Well, in our last session, I spoke about reservations.

[5:08] And prior to that, I spoke about how there will be false prophets. Clearly, the scripture tells us that there shall be false prophets amongst us.

[5:19] It is clear in scripture. And when you read the scripture very carefully, the apostles had the habit of warning the church about false teachings of false prophets or infiltration for that matter.

[5:34] And so that means that the church has the propensity, church, I'm talking about the body of Christ, a section of the church has the propensity to deviate and veer away from wholesome teaching.

[5:50] The introductory clip that was played just before I came on said that, what kind of Christian are you who doesn't have regard for doctrine?

[6:01] What kind of Christian is this? Because the foundation of your Christianity is doctrine, sound doctrine. Who is God? Who God is?

[6:12] Who Christ is? What does it mean to be used by God? What's the purpose of the church? What does it mean to be part of a church? Listen, if you don't have sound doctrine, you will live a very reckless, off-the-hook Christian life, or you go off the cuff.

[6:26] You swear off and eventually become an apostate by believing and following heresies. Because the security of the church has everything to do with the sound doctrine of the church.

[6:38] It's called orthodox teaching, orthodox doctrine. So it's important you can realize, I think in 2 Corinthians 11, 1-3, Paul warns them about how he's concerned, lest their minds be deceived, just as the serpent deceived Eve.

[6:57] When you read from verse 1, it says that, oh, that you will bear with me in a little foley, and indeed, you do bear with me. In other words, the kind of things I'm saying, I'm saying so much, and sometimes to some people, they think this is nonsense.

[7:10] But just bear with me, just in case you think it's still nonsense. Bear with me and listen to this nonsense, because it will help you. He says that, bear with me, verse 2 says that, for I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, for I have betrothed you.

[7:23] Take care to one husband. You see, he was writing to the church, and he's telling the church, listen, you're already engaged. Your commitment is to one husband, not two husbands, not several ideologies.

[7:35] One husband, who is Christ? That I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ, a virgin that has not given herself to adultery. In James 4, verse 4, it says that, you adulteress and adulteresses.

[7:50] Adulteress and adulteresses. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity of God? He's talking about worldliness, and then he says that worldliness for the church is adultery, because we are betrothed, engaged to one Lord.

[8:04] Why are you going after other things? He said, for I have betrothed you to one husband. Now why are you going after some other boys? Why are you going back to your ex?

[8:15] You have already been engaged. So he said, you are adulterer. Adulteress and adulteress. Friendship with the world. It's like going back to what Christ has delivered you from. Going back.

[8:27] He says that in 1 John 2, verse 17, he says, the world is passing, and all the... But he says, the world is passing away, and the last of it, but he who does the will of God.

[8:38] He just said, he who do it. But he that do it, the will of God, abided forever. He who do it, the will of God.

[8:51] You are doing the will of God. You are abiding forever. He says that, don't you know that friendship with the world this admittance of God? He says that, do not love the world. Verse 15 of 1 John 2. Don't love the world.

[9:02] Not the things that are in the world. Love not the world. Neither the things. So you can... Some people love the things, and they say, I don't love the world, but we love the things that is in the world. He said, love not the world.

[9:15] Neither the things that are in the world. Why shouldn't I love the world? Because I am betrothed to Christ, so I should love Christ. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not him.

[9:29] So obvious. So you see how dangerous worldliness can be to a church? Worldliness, it comes to replace the centrality of Christ, or Christ-centeredness.

[9:40] So he says that, adulterer, adulteress, once you begin to be worldly, you go after the world, you are working in adultery, so long as your relationship with Christ is concerned.

[9:52] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity of God? Whosoever therefore wants to be friend... Huh? A friend of the world. Really? Makes himself an enemy. He didn't say you have made yourself.

[10:04] It's like you are signed up to join the elders on the wrong side of God. You are in church, but you are on the wrong side of God. You've signed up. He said friendship with the world is enmity of whosoever therefore wants to be friend.

[10:17] You want to be friend? You want to be friend with the world? You want the world to like you? You want the world to flow? You want to blend in? Church, blending in their culture?

[10:29] Blending in ungodliness? It's unnatural. It's unnatural for a godly person to blend into ungodliness.

[10:39] It's unnatural. It doesn't matter how you put it. It doesn't matter how you turn it. Please! Sometimes we project some of these things and push it just to enhance flesh, to fulfill the last of the flesh and then we couch it in spirituality.

[10:55] That is why we need to come back to what the word has got, the Bible has got to say about how we live in. Opinion, pause, do not matter. Do they? Do they?

[11:06] The other time I was reading, I was reading a version, Message Bible. Very interesting. He said something, he put it this way, very funny. He said, opinion, they don't matter.

[11:17] Do they? He said, do they? They don't matter. I'm talking about Luke chapter 7, verse 35. He said, opinion, pause, don't count for much. Do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

[11:27] Yeah, we are just, if we are not careful, we'll be more swayed based on opinion, pause.

[11:40] Because then we become, he said, if you want to be friends with the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. I am a friend of God.

[11:52] God loves me, God loves me, but you have made yourself an enemy of God. You are just going around ranting. God loves me, God loves me.

[12:26] And the last of it. But he who doeth the will of God abided forever. I see you thriving and things working for you forever.

[12:38] So Paul warned them that I betrothed you to Christ. I betrothed you that I might present you a chaste virgin. Someone who has not defiled themselves. Because there's a day of presentation coming.

[12:49] Hallelujah. But look at verse 3. He said, but I fear. Apostles said he's afraid. Let's somehow, as the serpent, he takes the church. He makes the reference point of his warning to the church to the beginning.

[13:03] Anybody who tells you Genesis chapter 1 and chapter 2 and chapter 3 is not important. He's speaking on the behalf of the devil. Knowingly or unknowingly.

[13:15] Jesus kept going to Genesis. He went to Genesis. All the big events in Genesis. About the creation. About the fall. About Noah.

[13:27] About Abraham. Jacob. All these big events. The flood. Jesus made references to it. How can you have a Bible without Genesis? How can you have a Bible?

[13:39] If you can't believe in Genesis, that means you don't believe in the whole Bible. Yeah. You can't say, ask for me, I believe everything, but just that Genesis chapter 1 and 2. Come on. Can you believe that? I'm about to describe what category you've put yourself in.

[13:52] By saying that, come on, come on. Can you believe? Come on, come on. I'm too smart to believe in this kind of stories. Okay. I'll tell you what category you have put yourself under. But you will not be like that in Jesus' mighty name.

[14:05] But the false prophets are. Usually that's their mantra. That's their comfortable direction. All right. It says that as the serpent deceived Eve by what?

[14:16] His craftiness. Satan is not stupid. Even though he's not wise. Satan is not stupid. He's clever. There's a difference between being clever and being wise.

[14:27] Satan is clever, but God is wise. By his craftiness. So that your minds may be corrupt. Ah, ah, from the simplicity that is. He can corrupt.

[14:38] Says I fear. So he kept warning the church. In Acts chapter 20, verse 28. He says that, take it to yourself and to the flock. Over with the Holy Spirit. I've made you overseer. To shepherd the church of God.

[14:50] For I know after my departure. Verse 29 says that. For I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you. All right. So they start.

[15:01] They kept warning the church. Warning the church. In Timothy, he warned the church. In Ephesians. In fact, Ephesians chapter 4, it talks about how not being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.

[15:14] Verse 14. Yeah. That you should no longer be children tossed to and fro. He warned them because there will be winds of doctrine. So guess what? Even if it was true 2,000 years ago, 50 years down that line, even 500 years down that line, you can imagine the level of deviation.

[15:31] And then 1,000 years down that line. Oh, level of 1,100 years. 1,200 years. And we are in the 21st century.

[15:42] We are in the 21st century. Talking about 20 years after. 20 years after. Then you can imagine the level of deviation. And so if they were warned in those times, then you can imagine those who deviated, they are generations.

[15:57] Generations of deviation and deviation and deviation and deviation and deviation. That is why you can't have a solid Christian life without continuation of the apostles' doctrine. And the apostles won and won and won and won.

[16:09] So Peter here picks it up. Jude. We possibly will read from Jude and how Jude is. It's like Jude and Peter were talking about the same thing. Peter picks it up and Jude also later on brings it up.

[16:22] But Peter says that there will be false prophets amongst you. So he warned them. He said that there will be false prophets, teachers amongst you, just as there were false prophets amongst them.

[16:34] And then he says that these are some of the things they will do. We have discussed that already. So verse 2 says that many shall follow their pernicious ways. I think let me read from the English Standard Version.

[16:45] And many will follow their sensuality. And because of them, the way of truth will be blasphemed. Follow their sensuality.

[16:56] Pernicious with sensuality. Giving to sensuality. Things that only feed the senses. Just the senses. How I feel. The foundation of their behavior and their life is based on how they feel.

[17:08] If it feels good, go for it. If you are not happy about it, just do what will make you happy. Do what makes you happy. There are people who teach. And they teach and project sensuality.

[17:20] And many people like that one. It's just like someone telling you that there's no need to give to church or give offering. You know, there will be a lot of people who feel like, Aha!

[17:31] I've always been feeling like this giving thing. How is it? How is it feeling? Your line of reasoning does not hold water.

[17:43] But because of the sensuality, the desire of the heart, it's very easy to accept something without realizing that when you follow it to its logical conclusion, it's bizarre, it's absurd, it's just heresy or heretic.

[17:58] Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. So, it says that many will follow their sensuality and because of them, the way of the truth will be blasphemed. Lord, have mercy.

[18:10] And in their greed, talking about these kind of teachers, in their greed, they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle.

[18:23] It's still very valid. And their distraction is not asleep. It's coming very quickly. But now the key thing. For if God, now watch this. This is a conditional statement.

[18:33] If God, right? If God. When you read the old King James, the authorized version, you might not, it's one thing after the other. So, when you read it, for if God, it talks about if God.

[18:47] But it gives if, you know, in grammar, when you say if, it's a statement of comparison or comparative statement. So, if God, then, if.

[18:59] But when you look at the King James, it looks like you won't notice the then because King James did him at the then. But the verse 9 in the New King James, New King James makes it clear. So, if God, verse 4, if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but did something to them, blah, blah, blah, and la, la, la, la, la.

[19:16] Look at verse 9. If God, then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly from temptation and to reserve the dead. So, if God did this, then he will also do this.

[19:27] Because he did that as a warning and as a sign and as an example of what he will do. So, there is verse 4 all the way through to verse 8 exists so we will know that verse 9 is coming.

[19:41] Right? So, it's that if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but what did he do to them? Angels. Listen, if God did not spare angels, then pastors. And if God is not sparing bishops, then pastors.

[19:57] And if God is not sparing pastors, then deacons. If God is not sparing deacons, then church members. If God is not sparing church members, then new converts. Listen, nobody is safe if God starts judgment from the top.

[20:11] Nobody is safe. So, never think that people will do things and get away with it. No, something is waiting for them. It's a reservation. It's been reserved. You don't do anything so long as God's laws and God's system is concerned.

[20:27] You don't do anything at all and get away with it. And this text, in fact, this is a whole chapter written to address false prophets. Can you imagine? It's a whole chapter in the Bible. One main chapter in the Bible that is dedicated to dealing with false prophets.

[20:46] False prophets. So, he says that, listen, don't be distracted. They'll be there. They'll be there. And it's not like God is not aware. God is aware. They'll be there. And now, you know, oh, thank you, Jesus.

[20:57] Thank you, Lord. Now, watch this. You know, there are times where evil goes on. People carry on with evil. And it seems as if it's fine.

[21:10] And the righteous will begin to. So, what's the point of being righteous? Sometimes when you see the way people are advancing with evil, with wrong, with breaking God's system.

[21:23] And nothing seems to be working against them. And sometimes when you, even more, you see in church, okay, people who are supposed to be light bearers or torch bearers are actually extinguishing the fire in the church.

[21:40] Fire extinguishing. With impunity. And it's like nothing is happening to them. And they seem to be prospering. And doing better. Sometimes you sit down and you are beginning to think that if doing right doesn't matter, then doing wrong shouldn't also matter.

[21:52] No, no, no, no. It does. It does. Some people are doing wrong and it looks like nothing will happen. But that's what he's trying to write to encourage us that, listen, if God did not spare the angels, then how can they?

[22:05] That's the point here. And he didn't talk about angels. He referred and took us right back. He didn't just talk about angels. He referred us right back. Now, theologians are not quite sure which angels is this referring to.

[22:16] Is it the angels before they fell from heaven or the angels in the days of Noah? In the days of Noah, you know, some angels came down to mess up. They changed their laws.

[22:28] They abandoned their former estate, as I said in the previous teaching. But the point here is that angels, he dealt with them. So both, in both cases, he didn't spare angels.

[22:41] Right? So it takes us to the Old Testament. The Old Testament is there so we can understand and appreciate the New Testament and the plans of God in the New Testament. So he said, if God did not spare angels, the angels who sinned, angels sinned, okay, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept unto the judgment.

[23:04] That's the first point. And look at the next verse. Verse 5. If, if, if, if he did not spare the ancient world, the whole world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness.

[23:18] Now, this is very interesting. Noah, we never saw in the Old Testament Noah preaching. There's no way we saw that Noah was preaching. The Bible says he was a preacher of righteousness.

[23:30] Herald means that a declarer, a preacher. In, I think, one of the verses says that a preacher of righteousness. I think, yeah, Noah was a preacher of righteousness. Righteousness.

[23:42] Don't, please, don't forget the word. There are some words that are coming up. All right? The previous verse, verse 4, talks about the angels when they sinned.

[23:54] Okay? So, take notes of the word sinned. Verse 5, talks about the herald or preacher of righteousness. So, take notes of the word righteousness.

[24:06] Bringing in the flood on the world of what? The ungodly. Take notes of the word ungodly. So, he was doing two things concurrently. All right? He was saving the righteous and judging the ungodly.

[24:19] So, you can't say, I'm in between. Right. You are either, when you are on the road, you are either going south or you are going north, east or west.

[24:30] You can't be going both ways and say, I don't stand. No. So, he says that it's clear in the scripture, you can see right from wrong. Righteousness and unrighteousness. Godliness and ungodliness.

[24:42] He said, God saved Noah, a preacher of righteousness. In Genesis chapter 6, verse 9, Bible mentions him being righteous. This is the genealogy of Noah.

[24:52] Noah was a just man. Perfect in his generations. When you read, I think one of the versions that potentially NIV would, Noah was a righteous man.

[25:05] Blameless among the people of his time. When God was very unhappy with that generation, Noah was blameless amongst the people of his time.

[25:17] So, now, this chapter 7, verse 1, Genesis chapter 7, verse 1, talks about how the Lord said to Noah, come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before.

[25:30] Ah. So, God said, I have seen you are righteous. Please, don't take lightly when the subject of righteousness is being focused on by scripture.

[25:41] That righteousness matters. Righteousness matters. Godliness matters. Righteousness matters. Godliness matters. Sir, madam, righteousness matters.

[25:54] Godliness matters. Church! Righteousness matters. Godliness matters. Bible said, be not conformed to the world. Why? Because righteousness matters.

[26:05] Godliness matters. But be ye transformed. Why? Because righteousness matters. Godliness matters. It matters to God. In the book of Proverbs, as we are reading Proverbs, Proverbs chapter 11, talks about the benefits of righteousness.

[26:21] When you do things right in fire, it says that the righteous will be led in the way. The righteousness of the righteous will guide him. Your righteousness matters.

[26:31] Godliness matters. In Proverbs, it says righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs. Let me, let me. We just read it yesterday. I think I would like to make reference to that.

[26:44] It's originally not going to be. I didn't. Yeah. Proverbs chapter 11, verse 14. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. Did you see that?

[26:55] Righteousness delivers from death. Righteousness. Righteousness. Righteousness. In Proverbs chapter 12, verse 28. It says that in the way of righteousness is life. There is life when you are righteous.

[27:08] That way. The way, the pathway of righteous. The Bible says, and in its pathway, there is no death. Did you see that? Right. Oh. Righteousness is a pathway.

[27:19] Righteousness is a pathway. It's an approach to life. It's a, let me use this word. It's a philosophy of life. Righteousness. That is what spared Noah.

[27:31] But false teachers, they downplay righteousness. False teachers downplay righteousness. But here, it says righteousness matters.

[27:42] False teachers do not even uphold righteousness. They uphold opinion polls. What works with opinion polls? False teachers. What, what, what majority like?

[27:53] What people like? What makes them look like? How, what will make people want to be on their side? What the, what is trending? Is there anything wrong to flow with what is trending?

[28:05] No, no, no, no, no, no. That's not what I mean. No, no, no, no. Nothing that at all. But our focus should be what God's word says. And then if that trends, fine. But if it doesn't even trend, we still stay at here to the righteous ways of God.

[28:20] We take a stand on the righteous path. Because righteousness matters. Godliness matters. Righteousness matters.

[28:30] Godliness matters. It says the way of the righteous is life. The way of the righteous is life. Proverbs chapter 12 verse 26 says that the righteous is more excellent than his neighbor.

[28:46] Wow. Wow. Wow. Righteous is more excellent than his neighbor. In today's reading. It says the righteous is to the satisfaction of his soul.

[28:59] But the belly, verse 25, today's reading, Proverbs 13, 25. The righteous is to the satisfaction of his soul. But the belly of the wicked shall want.

[29:09] Today's reading in verse 5 said a righteous man hates lying. But a wicked man is loathsome and cometh to shame.

[29:21] Verse 6, righteousness keeps him that is upright. You see, your righteousness is what will keep you. Not your friends. Not your job. Not your account. The righteousness.

[29:32] It says righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way. Righteousness will keep you. Righteousness is a blessing. Listen, the light of the righteous, verse 9, the light of the righteous rejoices.

[29:46] But the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. Can you imagine? Yeah. Righteous. So the lamp of the wicked. Now, the wicked there means the ungodly.

[29:57] People who are not in the path of righteousness. Said their lamp will be switched off, will be put out. Yeah. Power cut. Righteousness matters.

[30:11] Godliness matters. Let me show you a bit more of righteousness that we saw in Proverbs. It's all over. It's littered all over Proverbs. But then let's just look at one or two. Proverbs chapter 11, verse 4.

[30:23] I read it earlier on. Proverbs chapter 11, verse 5. It says that the righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way. Did you see that? Righteousness. Your righteousness is what will make you know what decision to make.

[30:33] Yeah. It directs your way. Sometimes when you don't even have a counselor, your righteousness. Righteousness. Because you are righteous. You see, don't confuse righteousness with the righteous.

[30:45] The righteous is a person. Righteousness is a way of life. The pathway. The attitude towards life. So it's a behavior. So it says that your righteousness.

[30:56] Sometimes you may not know a lot. But because of the righteousness in your heart, you end up doing what is right before you are even taught this is the right way. Yeah. Righteousness matters.

[31:09] Righteousness matters. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God. And when you read verse 8, Proverbs chapter 11, verse 8, it says the righteous. Oh, the righteous is delivered out of trouble.

[31:21] That will be your portion, you know. In the mighty name of the wicked. It says the wicked cometh in his stead. Instead of you, the wicked one will be slain. It says that the righteous.

[31:32] This is the righteous, which is different from righteousness. The righteous. Who is the righteous? The righteous is a person who has righteousness in his heart. His philosophy of life is righteousness.

[31:43] His pathway is righteousness. Righteousness is his pathway. So the righteous is delivered. You and your husband choose to be the righteous one.

[31:55] You and your wife choose to be the righteous one. Even when it's just the two of you in one room. No one knows behind closed doors what is going on between you. Who is wrong and who is right.

[32:06] Choose to be righteous. Choose to be righteous. You will preserve your marriage. It's not marriage counseling that preserves marriage.

[32:19] Righteousness. Wow. In fact, in the Proverbs, righteousness exalts a nation. But sin is a reproach to any people. It doesn't matter who you are.

[32:30] Whether you are atheist or atheist. Sin is a reproach to any people. Righteousness exalts a nation. Church. In our churches. Let's uphold righteousness.

[32:42] And it will exhort our church. It will exhort our church. True church growth has the foundation of righteousness under it. Yeah. True church growth.

[32:54] Genuine, genuine church. Not church swell. Genuine church growth is built on the foundation of righteousness. Righteousness. Christ himself being our righteousness. Righteousness.

[33:06] Righteousness matters. Someone say righteousness matters. Righteousness matters. When it goes well with the righteous, verse 10, Proverbs chapter 11, verse 10. When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices.

[33:17] Ha! To be well with you. Amen. I said to be well with you. Amen. Proverbs chapter 11, verse 18 says that the wicked works a deceitful work. But him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

[33:30] Yeah. He that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. Yes. Yes. I see your reward coming fast. Amen.

[33:41] Verse 21 says that though hand. I like this. This is a very funny way they put it. Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished. Did you see? This is the same thing Peter is talking about.

[33:52] He said the wicked shall not go unpunished, but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. Hallelujah. Amen. The seed of the righteous shall be delivered. Hallelujah. Amen.

[34:03] Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Amen. It's a joy. It doesn't matter who you team up with. The wicked shall not be unpunished. It doesn't matter who is on your side.

[34:14] It doesn't matter what alliance you have. What agreement you have. This is my ally. Major ally. This is my one. My confidant. We are covered. You have a cover up program. There's a cover up going on.

[34:25] Cover up going on. It says that you can cover it up as much as you want. Though hand join in hand. The wicked shall not be unpunished. Wow. That is what he's saying.

[34:35] So if God did not spare the angels, what makes you think that the wicked can go unpunished? Let's look at one or two righteous statements. And then Proverbs chapter 11 verse 23 says, the desire of the righteous is only good.

[34:47] Amen. Amen. I like that one. Verse 28 says that he that trusted in the riches shall fall, but the righteous shall flourish as a branch. Wow. Righteousness makes you flourish.

[34:59] Proverbs chapter 11 verse 30 says that the fruit of the righteous is the tree of life. Wow. It's amazing. You can see it throughout in scriptures. Throughout in scriptures.

[35:10] If I look at chapter 12 verse 5. Proverbs chapter 12 verse 5 says that the thoughts of the righteous are right. See, when you are righteous, your thinking is right.

[35:20] The thoughts of the righteous are right. Look at this.

[35:32] You would like this. Proverbs chapter 12 verse 7. Oh, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. The wicked is overthrown and are not, but the house of the righteous shall stand.

[35:42] Listen, don't be worried about the future of your children if you are on the path of righteousness. Don't be worried about the security of your future, the security of your job, of your business, of your church, of your children.

[35:56] Just stay on the pathway of righteousness. Stay, my brother, my sister, stay on the pathway. Don't worry about those who seem to be flourishing in wickedness. Don't worry.

[36:07] It says the wicked shall be overthrown. It's a guarantee. That is very sure. But the other one to ensure the house of the righteous shall stand. Did you see how he just opposes the righteous and the wicked?

[36:18] The righteous and the wicked. The righteous and the wicked. When he terms something is going on for the wicked, God is rather showing you the end of the wicked. He says, say to the righteous, his end shall be peace.

[36:29] Isaiah chapter 3 verse 10 or so. Say to the righteous, it shall be well with you. Say to the righteous, it shall be well with you, for they shall eat the fruit of your doing. Say to the righteous, it shall be well with you.

[36:42] It shall be well with you. Amen. And let me add the verse 30. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. It's all through the scriptures.

[36:54] I just read that one. Yeah. So you can tell all throughout the scriptures, particularly in Proverbs, it's there. Righteousness. Righteousness.

[37:06] Righteousness. Righteousness. I like the verse, I read in Elion chapter 13 verse 5, the righteous man hates lying. He said the righteous man hates lying.

[37:20] Think about it. That will help you to know whether you are righteous or not. The righteous man hates lying. The Proverbs chapter, today's reading, that's the one I started with.

[37:37] Verse 25 says that the righteous eats to the satisfaction of his soul. So shall he be. So now coming back to Noah, Bible says that God spared Noah, saved Noah, the preacher of righteousness.

[37:50] Yes. Yeah. So now when you read the scripture, you saw that in Genesis chapter 7 verse 1, Bible talks about how the Lord said to Noah, come into the ark. Oh, wow. That's a good one. Come into the ark.

[38:01] You and all your household. Yeah. That would be your point. God said, come into the ark now. Come into the ark. God is, you're about to hear. God will say, when they are throwing bombs, God will put you in his bunker, his own bunker.

[38:15] He said, come into the ark. Because what happens to everybody is not permitted to happen to the righteous too. Why? Because I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. Because you are righteous before me in this generation.

[38:28] What this generation, in fact, Bible says that God, the world, the world of Noah, God destroyed it. Verse 5 of 2 Peter chapter 2. It says that if God, 2 Peter chapter 5 verse 2, he did not spare the ancient world but save Noah.

[38:47] He did not spare the ancient world. The whole world. That whole world. He did not spare the world but save Noah, one of the eighth, a preacher of righteousness, bringing the flood on the world of the ungodly.

[38:57] Because, see, he distinguishes the kind of world it was. God does not hurt the righteous because righteousness matters. Righteousness.

[39:09] Righteousness preserves. Righteousness defends. Righteousness protects. And righteousness guides. And it guards. It defends.

[39:21] Guards. Protects. Directs. God will not let the righteous perish with the unrighteous. That never happens. Did you hear what I said? Never happens. So, when people seem to be prospering in the wrong path, don't wish them evil.

[39:38] Because, he says, their judgment is not being switched off. It's not idle. It's there. He says that for a long time, their judgment has not been idle.

[39:50] It's there. It's there. So, why isn't he executed? There's a time. It's reservation time. So, back to the, our foundational text. Verse 5 says that, and Noah, the eighth one, and bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.

[40:09] And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. There are two cities. It's not like one city called Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom was a city, and another city was Gomorrah. It's like London and Bermia.

[40:19] Okay. There are two big cities. Or like Paris and New York. Yeah. So, it says that Sodom and Gomorrah. God did not spare.

[40:31] Wow. It turned, turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into what? Ashes. This one is more than nuclear bomb. It turned the cities into ashes.

[40:43] God. God. Yes, I'm talking about the God who is full of love. He's also a God of judgment. God. A God. God who he loves.

[40:55] Yeah. He's a God of judgment. Oh, but that's the Old Testament. Are we reading the Old Testament? If it's not valid, why would an apostle with Christ-like authority and audacity keep referring as to what God has?

[41:09] Okay. Okay. All right. Let me show you why it's not just Old Testament. But it is just systems of God. Okay. It's godly systems. They're not Old Testament. Let me show you. Look at the text again. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction.

[41:25] Watch this. Why did he do that? Making them an example of those who afterwards. What do you think the afterwards is talking about? If he doesn't relate to us, he wouldn't have brought this up.

[41:35] He was citing them as an example that God actually used them as an example, standing order for anybody who afterwards, after their time, live ungodly.

[41:48] He used them as an example. He used them as an example. Example. Example. Example. Example. So they are not the main thing. It's us, our time. We are the main stuff. Hey. So he used them as an example. So if he doesn't carry out what he said, this example, if you do this, this one will carry out.

[42:00] Then I think he has defaulted. But God will not default. And two things. He never defaults in bringing judgment over the ungodly. And he never defaults in delivering the righteous.

[42:14] Why? Because righteousness matters. Godliness matters. Righteousness matters. Godliness matters. Righteousness matters. Godliness. Anybody who certainly in their teaching, in their suppositions, in their presentations, undermines righteousness in a certain way, whether directly or indirectly, whether aggressively or mildly.

[42:40] Anyone who undermines righteousness is clearly off the target. He's off. He's off the main path. The way. He's off the way. He's a Balaam.

[42:50] Balaam. He's a Balaam, son of Bozo. Or Balaam, son of Baal. Depends on which translation. Son of Baal.

[43:02] Or some translation is a son of Bozo. Bozo. Balaam. Balaam, son of Bozo. Balaam became a heathen prophet. Those days, there were prophets who were, they were not mouthpieces of God, but they were able to also carry out prophetic agendas.

[43:20] Not God's prophetic eternal plan, but they were also able to carry out, operate as prophets with some powers. Yeah. So this is one. It's a heathen prophet. Balaam.

[43:31] But he was doing it just for money. He did it for money. And God warned him. I know you are going to profit. God said, I know you are going to profit, and it works. Don't go it. And he's still doing, when he saw the opportunities and the connectivities with power and availability of, ah, he said, no, no, no, no, no.

[43:48] I'm going to go. And so God used a dumb donkey to rebuke the madness of the prophets. Ah. Yeah. Madness of the prophets.

[43:59] Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. So back to the text says that, then the verse 6 says that, and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemning them with reaction, making them an example of those who afterwards live what ungodly.

[44:17] Please don't take that word lightly. Don't take that. What does it mean to live ungodly? One of the signs that you are living ungodly is you are living based on your feelings. My feelings, my feelings.

[44:31] You are living an ungodly life. You see, a lot of people have managed to undergo religious reforms, but they are not changed. They are not for God.

[44:42] So you've started coming to church. You started going, attending church, but you, you haven't converted. You haven't changed. You haven't changed. You haven't changed. Underneath all your activities, church, religious activities, is still your ungodly desire, ungodly approach to life.

[45:03] Please don't let us confuse ungodly with immoral. Oh, okay. Wow. It's not every ungodly. You see, there are times you can be moral, but still ungodly.

[45:15] You can be doing something that looks moral. It depends on the society where you are. It might look moral. It might look civic. It might look acceptable. Because sometimes people redefine the boundaries and the lines of morality.

[45:32] But godliness is defined by God from his word. God defines godliness. So godliness is doing things in line with the purpose of God.

[45:42] That brings honor to God. Righteousness. Right? Right? So he says that God made them examples. Sodom and Gomorrah are examples to those who should live ungodly.

[45:56] The grace that brings salvation has appeared to us all. Titus chapter 2 verse 12. Teaching us. Grace that brings salvation. Teaching us that denying ungodly.

[46:09] Hey. When you are saved, the first thing you should do is to deny ungodliness ungodly last. Hmm. And then you live soberly and righteous. Did you see that?

[46:20] And godly in this present, not later. Say, don't say later. I'm waiting. You know, you know. One day when I start, all of you will overtake you. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

[46:31] Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. You, you know, I'm coming. I'm coming home to some of you guys in church. One day when I start, I will overtake all of you. Ha, ha, ha, ha.

[46:42] Ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Don't say later. In this present age, if you have any changing to do, do it now. Oh. Hallelujah. Ha, ha, ha.

[46:54] He said, he says that so ungodly. The world of the ungodly. Let's quickly look at verse 7. It says that, and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked.

[47:09] Now, why did he call Lot righteous? Look at the next verse, verse 8. For that righteous man. Lot, but we didn't see any righteous. Now, before I even go further, I want to run up now.

[47:22] Before I even go further, you know, remember I spoke about Noah. Noah was not preaching. He was living a righteous life. So, where the preaching. That means that he was actually a preacher. He used to preach to the people.

[47:33] Telling them to turn. Telling them to turn. Wanting them to turn from their godless ways. He used to talk to them. So, he didn't just live a godly life. He also preached it. And he wasn't just a preacher.

[47:44] But he actually was a liver. He wasn't a preacher of righteousness. But just a preacher of righteousness. He was a practitioner. He practiced righteousness. And God himself said that, seeing that you are righteous before me.

[47:57] I have seen righteousness in you. Genesis chapter 7 verse 1. He said, I have seen that you are righteous before me. God testified. So, Noah did not just preach.

[48:08] He lived it. He did not just was living a nice life. He also preached it. So, however you look at it, it cuts. Don't just live righteousness. Preach righteousness. Don't just preach righteousness.

[48:20] Live righteousness. So, live and preach it. Live and preach it. Preach what you are living. And live what you are preaching. And then Noah, Bible refers to Noah as a righteous man.

[48:30] Huh? Where? In what way is he a righteous man? Maybe some people, some theologians believe that maybe the people in this time were so bad and polluted that he, even though he wasn't very good, he looked so perfect.

[48:43] You know? But really, if God said Noah was righteous, as I mentioned in the previous teaching, the New Testament never focuses on people's weaknesses and down. People's, it doesn't focus on where people missed God or their weaknesses when he's using them as example.

[48:58] So, Abraham, Noah, all of them, they had, they might, David, they might have their own weaknesses, but New Testament is the season of grace. So, he just enhanced and spoke about their righteous approaches to life.

[49:10] And now Noah, maybe, see, Abraham prayed a prayer to God. Genesis chapter 18, verse 23. He says that Abraham came near and said, will you destroy the righteous with the wicked?

[49:21] When he was interceding for law. And God said, I'm about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He said, will you destroy? So, that means that Lot, they knew, Abraham knew and God knew, Lot was a righteous man.

[49:32] Just that way he was living was bad. So, he polluted and vexed his spirit according to 2 Peter chapter 2, verse 8. That righteous, for that righteous man, seeing, that righteous man tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing the lawless deeds.

[49:47] You see, the things you keep exposing yourself to, the environment, will pollute you, will torment you. In fact, King James said, he was vexed. He vexed his soul.

[49:58] He vexed his righteous soul. You see, you say, oh, my friends, the friends I keep, they don't matter. It doesn't matter what friends I keep. It does. It doesn't matter where I go. It does.

[50:09] It doesn't matter what I watch. It does. By seeing and hearing. What have you been keeping seeing and hearing? It's vexing and it's tormenting your righteous soul.

[50:21] Because righteousness matters. Your philosophy of righteousness is at the mercy of what you are hearing and seeing. The sanity of your righteousness. The sanity, the authenticity, the purity of your righteousness.

[50:37] The sterileness of your righteousness. It's at the mercy of what you are seeing and hearing. Watch what you are seeing and hearing. In our next session, I'll probably go on watch what you are saying.

[50:51] Watch your language. Watch your language. Next, in the next session. Watch your language. But for now, righteousness matters. So watch what you are seeing and hearing.

[51:05] Watch what you are seeing and hearing because righteousness matters. It matters. It matters. Vex is so. We don't love who did his soul. But it says that God, however, God knows how to deliver the righteous.

[51:19] Wow. Knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation. God is going to sponsor your deliverance. Amen. In the mighty name of Jesus.

[51:30] My time is up. And I would like to end on this note. Please remember, righteousness matters. Righteousness. It might look like it's not paying you now. But it says, say to the righteous, it shall be well with you.

[51:44] Righteousness matters. That means righteousness pays. Because if righteousness exalts a nation, then you and your family, righteousness will exalt your family and your house and your life.

[51:56] It will exalt your church. It will exalt your business. Thank you so much for joining me for this session. I pray that the word has come alive to all of us.

[52:06] And I pray that God will give us the grace not to just be hearers, but doers of his word as well. Thank you for listening to this message by David Entry.

[52:17] When God speaks, works show. And the works will surely show in your life. To hear more from David Entry, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and subscribe to Karis Church on YouTube.

[52:31] Don't forget to share and subscribe to our podcast so you're always up to date. Be blessed. Be blessed.