April 23, 2024 • 40 mins
Have you ever caught yourself marveling at the gifts without giving due credit to the Giver? Our latest episode takes a profound look at why we might be getting it wrong by praising the creation more than the Creator, as highlighted in Romans 1:21-25. We unravel the nuanced forms of idolatry that sneak into our lives—be it the excessive admiration for church leaders or the material facets of worship. Engage with us on this deep dive as we challenge ourselves to discern genuine veneration from the misplaced glorification that can infiltrate our spiritual communities!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to the Everyday Christian Podcast
where we apply scriptureprinciples to everyday Christian
lives.
I'm John Rich.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
And I'm Sean Sloggett , and today we're going to be
talking about praising thecreation over the creator.
Before we start that, though, Ido want to mention something
real quick.
It's been, I think, threeepisodes ago now.
I kind of forget now, but wedid say that we were bringing
something new on, or somethingnew we were looking at doing,
(00:29):
and to stay tuned for it, butthis is the announcement here.
We are now offering EverydayChristian podcast mugs.
Yes, if anybody is interestedin them.
Yes, we are doing that now.
That is something that we aremaking ourselves.
Of course, the mugs we arehaving to bring in, but we are
making those.
If anybody is interested inthem, you can reach out to
(00:52):
Brother Jonathan, myself or thepodcast page.
We will be selling them for $25apiece and using that money to
support the podcast, to raisefunds for new equipment or
different things.
We've got other ideas, thingsthat we're looking at doing, but
we do have mugs now.
(01:13):
So if you guys want one, justgo ahead and reach out to us.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Man and I actually forgot to bring my mug today.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
So Sean's got a really cool, cool personalized
mug and I do not I made one andon the back of it I put my name,
and I made one for him that hasjohn on the back of it and dude
ran off and left it, so it'shis own problem yeah, it's.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Uh, it's on me, but if you want to buy one we will
find.
Find some for you.
I'm kidding $25.
We'd love for you to be a partof that.
Again, like Brother Sean said,the purchase you know we're not
really in a lot of this for themoney, but it takes money to run
a podcast.
Some of you may be surprised bythat.
(02:00):
Anyway, we want to go ahead.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I was just going to say I will be making some other
things as well.
Um, you know, if you guys justkind of want to watch out for
that, there will be maybe someother things, probably more on
my personal page for it, uh, butand and the money that I make
from that again, you know I'mgonna have to cover different
expenses and stuff for it also,uh, but we will be using it to
(02:24):
to further other mission worksand things for it also.
Uh, but we will be using it toto further other mission works
and things like that.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yes, yes, so we're going to get right into the
episode here, which, by the way,we are live.
Um, we've done this.
Will be the second time now.
Sean and I have actually done alive episode and there's some.
Obviously, connectivity maymight not be the greatest, sound
may not be the greatest, but wewill re-release this with
better sound later if it doesend up, you know, doing
(02:47):
something bad.
Of course, I'm getting thelittle Wi-Fi ticker here saying
our connection's slow, so pleasebear with us.
We are going to release thisepisode again at a later time,
at least the audio version ofthis episode, but we want to
thank you all for joining us.
Thank you for listening in.
We are live.
Please leave us a question,please leave us a comment,
please share this, and we praythat something that we say helps
(03:11):
you.
We're going to get right intothe episode here, which is
praising the creation over thecreator, and I had a couple of
things to say.
Brother Sean and I actuallyhave the same verse.
We started with the same verse.
I'll let him read that here ina moment.
But when we read this scripture, we're going to talk about it.
(03:32):
We often think you know,brother Sean, just read the
scripture, I tell you what.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Just just start us off.
(03:58):
It works so much betterstarting it off that way.
When they knew God, theyglorified him not as God,
neither were thankful, butbecame vain in their
imaginations and their foolishheart was darkened.
Professing themselves to bewise, they became fools and
changed the glory of theuncorruptible God into an image
made like to corruptible man andto birds and four-footed beasts
(04:21):
and creeping things andfour-footed beasts and creeping
things, wherefore God also gavethem up to uncleanness through
the lusts of their own hearts todishonor their own bodies
between themselves, who changedthe truth of God into a lie and
worshiped and served thecreature more than the Creator,
who is blessed forever.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
You know, let's get right into that scripture.
A lot of times when we hearthat scripture, we hear it read,
we read it ourselves.
We often think about some sortof hippie movement or someone
out there celebrating andworshiping trees or worshiping
material things, and I believeit may be a part of that, but it
(05:01):
is more than that and one, youknow, thinking about this
episode.
You know, oftentimes we gothrough and we'll prepare an
episode, and it's not that wedon't think about it or that we
don't put a lot of study timeinto it.
We do that.
But sometimes there's episodesthat we have that we have to
(05:22):
sort of pause and realize, youknow, we need grace in the
subject and we need wisdom inthe subject.
And actually, brother Sean,before this episode I thought,
was you know what was great?
Is you know he wanted to prayabout this and really have the
mind of God.
And so please understand, youknow a lot of the things that
I'm going to be sharing.
I told him I was like I'm goingto preface this.
These are not Sean Sloggettviews, these are my views.
(05:45):
So please bear with me.
But have you ever heard thephrase that preacher preached
the house down tonight?
Or?
My goodness, she can't justsing, she can sing, she does
great.
Have you ever rolled your eyesat who they had on the bulletin
to preach, while also making upreasons and excuses not to go to
(06:08):
that service?
Better yet, have you everdecided that you were going to
go to a service because someonethat everyone has talked about
was going to preach there, orbecause someone that you've
heard before and really likedwas going to be there?
But, sean, I know I have Halfof you are doing that.
We've got a lot of things goingon through the year a lot of
(06:29):
camp meetings.
We've got PFYC, we've got men'sadvance, we've got men's
retreat, we've got ladiesretreat, we've got ladies
conference, we've got men'sconference.
It just continually goes on anda lot of times we do that.
Well, this guy preached on firetonight.
This guy led us and histeaching was incredible tonight
(06:49):
and they praised that preacher.
Or the choir sang incrediblytonight and they praised the
choir and the choir director.
Some of us do that with everycamp meeting, conference, men's
retreat, ladies retreat.
Your service is depending onthe quality of the person
singing, the quality of theperson teaching and the quality
of the person preaching.
(07:10):
You know, oftentimes yourservice is depending on the
quality of people who arerunning the meeting and not in
the one who the meeting is forin the first place.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Brother Sean, I've got another verse I'm just going
to go ahead and throw out herereal quick, exodus 23 through 5.
We've all read this versebefore and we've all heard it
thou shalt have no other godsbefore me.
Thou shalt not make unto theeany graven image or any likeness
of anything that is in heavenabove, or that is in the earth
(07:40):
beneath, or that is in the waterunder the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down thyselfto them, nor serve them, for I,
the Lord, thy God, am a jealousGod visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the childrenand to the third and fourth
generation of them that hate me.
You know, when we think of gods, you know thou shalt have no
(08:01):
other gods before me.
Again, we think of the treesand the statues and all these
things that we can do.
When we fail to realize that alot of times it's way more than
that.
You know, we will createfootball.
We will make a god out offootball.
You have to watch it everySunday and it's Thursday night
(08:24):
football football.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
You have to watch it every Sunday and it's Thursday
night football.
As a Dallas Cowboys fan thatGod has failed me several,
several, several times.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Every year for the last 26 years or whatever.
Yeah, so God's will fail you.
There's your proof right there.
God's will fail you.
But if we're not careful andpeople have just disagreed and
argue on this for a while, foryears, but we turn other people
into our gods and and it's, it'sokay.
You know, brother john wastalking about the, the preacher
(08:58):
that preached the house down,and the singer that's saying
we're not saying that you can'ttalk about how good they say,
we're not saying you can'texpress how good they preached,
but when it comes to the pointthat it's always about that
singer or it's always about thatminister, you are giving your
heart, soul, your mind over tothat preacher that singer.
(09:22):
You're saying hey, man, this iswhy I go there, that's, you know
, that's the point that he wastrying to make.
Yeah, we get so tied up in thatand it being about those people
that we lose focus and we startto create those gods.
Don't give your heart, soul,soul, mind to anything else.
(09:44):
Give it to God.
It's okay to want to do things,it's okay to worship others,
it's okay to think highly ofother people, but where are you
really truly ranking them?
Are you putting those peopleabove God?
You can tell yourself no, I'mnot.
(10:04):
Are you putting those peopleabove God?
You can tell yourself, no, I'mnot.
But if you were to take a stepback and really look at it, I
feel that more often than weeach me myself included care to
admit more times than not we dowithout even realizing it.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Yeah, and you'll have to bear with us.
The camera actually went off amoment ago so you'll have to
forgive me if it goes off acouple times.
We are still streaming audio,so just listen.
But Brother Sean's right, andactually I love it whenever we
don't really compare notes, wejust prepare study and then we
come together, because I havethat mentioned in here too.
But you know, a lot of timeshere we go harsh.
(10:44):
Brother Jonathan, not BrotherSean, but half of the meetings
that you attend aren't for Godanyway.
They're for your own fellowshipwith other people.
They're for you to show offyour own style.
They're for you to see if youcan outshout your friends.
They're for you to be seen whenyou're standing up to say man
through the preacher, and thatgoes for all you preachers out
(11:04):
there as well.
If you're putting zingers andbits in your messages that will
get a rise out of people, thatwill grant you the coveted amens
and that will boost yourratings around pastors that will
welcome you to come preach intheir church, then you're
praising yourself, you arepraising others, but you aren't
praising God, and I've had thismentality before.
Well, if I could throw thatsaying in there, or throw in a
(11:25):
quote I heard once.
Then maybe they will shout allover the building and flood the
altars.
I get it.
No one has ever said that,brother Sean.
No one's ever actually believedthat.
I like to think differently.
I beg to differ.
I've been to Bible school.
I've been around preachers allmy life.
I know what their mentalitiesare, and I'm not saying
(11:47):
preachers as a whole.
There are a lot of incrediblepreachers out there.
There are a lot of preachersyou know, I mentioned this in my
life the other day.
There are a lot of preachersout there that I really really
love, I really enjoy listeningto.
(12:07):
But if your point to preachingis to gather amens, you're not
preaching correctly.
If your point to preaching isso that people will give you a
pat on the back, you're notdoing it right.
The praise has turned from Godto people and to yourself,
brother Sean.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
He just said something about us having our
notes kind of lining up, andthat was one of my next points
is that when you have to pleasethe higher-ups and fall under
their good graces to get topreach, there might be a problem
.
Yeah, yeah, I mean, Iunderstand that you have to get
(12:40):
your name out there.
I understand that you have tobe known to be called upon to
preach meetings and things, butit seems more often than not, if
we're honest, that people startmaking their rounds and I can
say this, I feel like, with someconfidence, because I was an
(13:01):
evangelist's son growing up.
I saw a lot of these thingsfirsthand.
Evangelists don't go to thesmall churches to preach very
often.
Why not?
Because there's no money, and Iunderstand you have to make
(13:21):
money to survive.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
You know more than anybody that you have to make
money evangelizing to survive.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
But you have to make money and they don't mean as
much Because the big dogs aren'tthere.
Yeah, I have preached at smallchurches before.
I am a preacher, a minister,and I have preached at some
small churches.
Maybe one time, I think, have Iever preached at a meeting
(13:56):
before.
I haven't been out much, butsome of those people at small
churches have told me we'veinvited people to come to preach
before us before and theyalways turn us down.
Do you know why that is?
Speaker 1 (14:16):
I can't say that I do I do know why.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
But how do you tell them that?
Yeah, well, it might be becauseyou guys don't take up an
offering that's big enough.
Yeah, I went and preached at achurch in another state and it
was just for a weekend.
Yeah, I didn't get enough moneyto pay for my fuel there and
(14:43):
back home again, it didn'tbother me one bit.
Do evangelists strugglefinancially?
I'm sure some of them do.
I could help you out on anotherpodcast.
Maybe Take care of yourfinances better, but that's
another point.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
You're in all kinds of trouble.
We just talked about being wiseabout this and being nice.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
We can't edit that part out.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Yeah, it's too live.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I mean, we all make mistakes.
I've made mistakes this weektoo.
I was telling Brother Jonathanabout it earlier.
I made a financial mistake,I'll admit it.
But going back to it, there are, I mean, there's those things.
But when your ministry isgeared more towards the and I
(15:41):
don't mean this derogatory, butthe elites of our movement, then
it is of who am I going to help?
Or if I preach that meeting,what can I say to benefit
somebody?
Then we're on very dangerousground.
Yeah, then we're on verydangerous ground.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Yeah Well, and you can have a lot to say without.
Again, I said a moment ago,like those zingers, like we all
know what those titles are, weall know what those sayings are.
You know it's holiness or hell.
We all know those ones that getpeople to amen you and jump up
(16:23):
and down and shout.
We all know those sayings, weall know those things that get
people fired up.
But again, it just goes back tothe reasoning behind it.
What are you praising?
We aren't careful enough,bershon we get into a mode where
, talking about music there'sbeen a lot of music in the
(16:45):
Facebook world today, amongstour movements but if we aren't
careful, we can get into a modewhere we are praising the song
rather than praising the reasonfor the song.
And I'm just going to go onrecord.
Right now I'm live.
I can't change it.
I love the song that everyoneand their mother is singing
right now called Trusting God.
My wife doesn't like the songthat everyone and their mother
(17:05):
are singing right now calledTrusting God.
My wife doesn't like the songvery much because of the part
that says, uh, she's like stop,they can just sing it Anyway.
Um, I don't care who it's from,I don't care it's by.
I like the lyrics of that song,but I also really really like
the music.
The beat is awesome, the musicis there, the tune is very good.
(17:29):
I don't think there's anythingwrong with that.
There's nothing wrong withliking a beat or liking the
music which, by the way, you'reworshiping the devil's drum.
Yeah, shut up.
I don't think there's anythingwrong with the beat of the music
that is playing in thebackground, so long as we have
an understanding that we aren'talways praising God with a beat
or music.
So we're going to set thataside, and I'm also going to let
(17:50):
you know that the devil didn'tinvent music.
God did first of all.
So we'll move on from that.
God invented music.
God invented all things.
Just because things are twistedand used for evil does not mean
that they were invented by thedevil.
I don't think there's anythingwrong with it.
Don't shout and run around thebuilding because someone else is
doing it and tell me that it'sbecause you're trying to praise
(18:10):
God.
Tell me the truth.
You were trying to stir up aservice in your eyes and a
service that, in your eyes,appeared to be dead, but don't
replace your worship and serviceto God with worship and service
to mankind.
I shared a quote last week,brother Sean, I'll let you take
over from there, but from ParisReedhead that I believe can
(18:32):
apply here.
It says most Christians do nothave fellowship with God.
They have fellowship with eachother about God, and I would go
as far as to say that mostChristians don't worship God or
praise God.
They worship and praise eachother about God, brother Sean.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
You know, I feel like we worship and this is
something that I actuallythought about a few weeks ago,
even before Brother John, and Ieven mentioned talking about
this that I feel like we worshipthe church, the church house,
more than we do God at times.
(19:08):
I am all for church services, Iam all for consistency, I am
all for going to church when youhave the chance.
On that note, if you don't maketime, there won't be time for
church.
I think that church needs tohave an importance.
(19:29):
I'm not saying that If youdon't make it a priority, then
you won't have a chance to go tochurch because you will be too
busy.
I am all for being at church,but there are those that would
miss a weekend and all of asudden, the pastor has to get up
(19:53):
and say I don't understand whyeverybody has to be on a hunting
trip this weekend and starttearing into those that aren't
even there.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
That's not helpful.
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
I enjoy going to church, but I'm not worshiping
church.
If you miss a weekend or ifyou're sick and you can't go and
you're looked down upon or youthink less of yourself
personally, you may beworshiping the church house, or
others may be worshiping thechurch house, or others may be
(20:25):
worshiping the church house.
Yeah, my wife.
She misses church when shedoesn't get to go.
It bothers her not to make itin a sense that she wants to be
at church.
She strives to be at churchevery chance that she gets.
(20:46):
She tells me when we go onvacations I hate that I'm going
to miss church this weekendbecause I enjoy being there.
But she also understands thatit's not about the home church.
It's a good environment to bein and she wants to be in that
(21:06):
good environment, but she's notworshiping the environment.
You know, if you're moreworried about what the pastors
and preachers think than whatGod thinks, there might be a
problem than what God thinksthere might be a problem.
If you're more worried aboutwhat the movement thinks than
(21:27):
what God thinks you'reworshiping the creation, there
might be a problem.
Newsflash the holiness movementis not going to get you into
heaven.
It's not going to get me intoheaven.
The assembly of God movementit's not going to get me into
heaven.
The Assembly of God movementit's not going to get you into
(21:47):
heaven.
The Baptist movement it's notgoing to get you into heaven.
Throw whatever movement youwant on there, that denomination
is not going to get you intoheaven.
Neither is the leader of yourmovement.
(22:08):
We criticize and tear down theCatholic movement for trusting
and relying on the CatholicChurch and the Pope.
I've heard it and you've heardit Take your sins to Jesus
Christ, not to the Pope, and Iagree 100%.
(22:30):
You don't have to talk to thePope, but then when the preacher
says something, we take it asthe gospel truth.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Right.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
And the preacher has said things.
I'm not tearing all of themdown.
Preachers have given us verygood things.
We need ministers, we needpreachers, we need evangelists,
we need the gospel spread, butwhether it's good, whether it's
(23:04):
petty, whether it's stupid, orwe understand it or not, well,
he said it, so we have to do it,and I don't agree with that.
Yeah, martin Luther challengedthe Catholic Church because they
(23:29):
wouldn't let others study theWord for themselves.
And it seems, as times, we'rebacktracking to where.
Well, if they say it, we haveto follow it.
And that's not true Get in theWord for yourself, study it.
Yeah, and that's not true.
Get in the Word for yourself,study it for yourself.
It's very beneficial when youlearn for yourselves.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
And we've heard things like well, he thinks
tithes.
The pastor says that tithes areprideful, so I'm not going to
have them.
Really, open-toed shoes areimmodest, so we can't have them.
Really, Men can't have beards,they're worldly.
Go study that one out, please.
(24:12):
I dare you the country I meansorry, southern gospel music is
the only thing you can listen tobecause the only thing you can
listen to.
We can tear down every otherbrand type of music, but when it
(24:34):
comes to Southern gospel, it'sits own genre.
No, it's not Right.
I'm sorry it's not.
It came from country music.
It's got the same lyrics andtunes and backwood hillbilly
banjo picking right.
I can't, I'm sorry, y'all aregonna fall out with me I just I
don't like bluegrass music.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
I just want to share loves it I just want to share a
couple things.
First of all, because everytime we get into some of these
podcasts you always talk aboutbeards.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Can't grow one, so that's good, I'm taking shots,
eddie.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
No, no open-toed shoes.
That's dirty.
No, open-toed shoes.
I can't stand Southern gospelmusic.
No, there's some of it, that'sokay.
No offense, See, I really lostyou there.
But you're right, though.
A lot of us we worship others,we worship ourselves and we fail
to worship God, and I thinkthat it goes back to you know,
(25:28):
like I said earlier, like a bigthing is talking about.
A big thing right now today ismusic, and you can say you don't
like secular music, all thatyou want.
But when you're praisingsomeone's voice or talent more
than praising God, there's anissue.
There.
(25:49):
We have made mistake aftermistake, trying to find someone
who will be the next flavor ofthe month because of a
shout-down sermon they preachedat youth camp.
We have to stop praisingpreachers.
We have to stop praisingteachers.
We have to stop praisingsingers.
I love good singing, I lovegood preaching, I love good
teaching.
Don't praise a deacon.
Don't honor and praise anythingover God, Brother Sean, and
(26:09):
that's the whole point.
There's nothing wrong withhonoring people.
Honoring people is all throughthe Bible, I mean.
There's nothing wrong with that.
And in fact, there's notanything really wrong with
praising people.
Some people need thatacknowledgement, Some people
need that encouragement, butwhen you praise them and you
honor them over God, we haveissues.
(26:30):
Psalm 34 and 3, this is what theBible says, One of my favorite
scriptures in all the Bible.
It says magnify the Lord withme.
It goes on to say let us exalthis name together, but magnify
the Lord of me.
It's more than just.
You know.
I've heard preachers preachabout taking a magnifying glass
and making God bigger, or makinghim appear larger, and I think
(26:53):
that it's a part of that.
But it's bigger than that.
You know.
God's bigger than any man.
It's not a magnification of Godfor someone else, it's making
God bigger in my own life.
God is big regardless of whatmagnified.
There we go.
My I swear my alarm just wentoff.
God is big regardless of whereI put him.
(27:16):
But is he big in my life?
Is he number one in my life?
God needs to excite us again.
You know, Sister Morgan sent mea picture.
I don't know why.
I said Sister Morgan, You'relike you guys know who she is.
My wife, Morgan, sent me apicture of a lizard that Jackson
caught today and he was excited.
I can't remember what she saidhe was saying, but he was saying
(27:37):
something over and over again.
He was just so pumped, soexcited, and I got to be honest
with you.
I'm not really excited aboutcatching lizards.
Like if I see a lizard, it'slike yeah, whatever, Okay,
that's kind of cool looking.
I'll look at it for a couple ofseconds and I move on.
But not him right now.
Like to me, it's whatever to menow.
But I remember when I wasyounger I loved chasing lizards.
(28:00):
I loved trying to catch bugs.
I loved being outside.
It excited me.
That's how it was when I washis age.
I wanted to chase thatexcitement I wanted to chase.
Something new to you is when wasthe last time you went back and
(28:25):
looked at what God did for youand how excited you were?
When was the last time you wentback to that moment that God
changed you, saved you, that hehealed you, that he delivered
you, and you remember howthankful and how grateful and
how excited you were to beconnected to Him.
You say, well, we shouldn'tlive in the past.
Well, it's a lot better thanliving in your current, your
present.
(28:46):
When did we get into such astate that other ministers mean
more to us than God?
I've got some news for you BHClendenin is not more important
than God.
None of the snows, the webs,the suits, the Simpsons, the
Hudsons, the Stevens or theSmiths or the riches or the
(29:08):
sloggits are more important thanGod.
If you look up to me, I'm goingto fail you.
If you look up to me and praiseme, sooner or later I'm going
to fall.
But if you praise God, if youturn your direction to God, stop
worrying about how good thesong is and praise the creator.
(29:31):
I was in Bible college.
We were in choir and there wasa song that we sung about the
rapture and that song was theone that everybody shouted to.
Everyone got excited, Everyoneran around the building numerous
times over that song, over and,over and over again.
We go to churches over and overand every time we got to that
song people shouted.
I remember going to Indianathis is a little braggadocious,
(29:51):
so you'll have to forgive me.
I remember we went to a churchin Indiana and my grandpa who
was sick to death he was, Ithink he died like two or three
years after this and he was sick, he couldn't walk very well, he
couldn't see very well and hegot in there into the service
and we sang a slow song aboutpraise and everybody was sitting
(30:13):
down like they did during thissong and I just remember him
standing up and just likeholding on to the pew and just
jumping and getting excitedabout God.
No, it's not about the music,it's not about the song.
It's about God.
No, it's not about thefour-four time tempo.
(30:33):
No, it's not about how good thesaxophone or the guitar or the
tambourine is.
It's about God.
No, it's not about the zingersfrom the preacher.
No, it's not about how good thesong leader's voice is or how
good the worship team's voicesare or how good the special
singer is.
It's about God.
Turn your direction to him.
Stop praising everybody else.
(30:54):
I see it all the time.
That preacher preached.
Amazing.
How did God help you in thatservice?
That singer sang.
How did God help you in thatservice?
Did you meet with him?
Did you visit him?
Did you worship him?
God is and should be above andbefore anything else, Brother
(31:14):
Sean.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
We understand the guidelines and respecting,
honoring those.
We're not saying, we're notspeaking against that.
Please don't misunderstand us.
But most of what we have mostis probably strong.
I'll put it this way Some ofwhat we have most is probably
strong.
I'll put it this way Some ofwhat we have going on is not
respecting, it's not honoring,it's being forced into
(31:42):
submission.
And some of you will want tosay I already hear it, I wasn't
forced into anything.
Okay, well then you wereblindly led into it.
Not everybody, I'm not sayingeverybody, but there is a lot of
(32:03):
forcing and blindly leadingpeople into these things.
If you hear phrases like don'ttouch God's anointed and all
you're doing is asking questionsabout them or questioning them,
there's a problem.
(32:23):
That creation is beingworshipped more than the creator
.
Yes, if you or anybody elsegets to a place where they can't
be questioned, run.
(32:44):
I don't know how else to say it.
That's very, very dangerous.
I don't know how else to say it.
That's very, very dangerous.
And some of you may notunderstand this part, but if you
aren't allowed to be in thatrealm, there is a problem.
People are being worshipped.
(33:07):
When you, as a person, are moreworried about what so-and-so
thinks about me, you'reworshiping you're praising
creation.
Yeah, yeah, when you have toplease the higher-ups, there's a
problem, right?
(33:27):
We see this going on all aroundus and people ask questions and
then don't understand what'sgoing on, because we are told
one thing and we're shownanother.
(33:48):
We are told to worship God andGod alone.
Then we can't do anything else.
We have people that are hurting, people that are dying, people
that are seeking the truth, andwe're more concerned about
(34:12):
hurting the preacher's feelings.
Yeah, I'm going to pose thisquestion, and I have for three
or four days now.
This question has burned on myheart.
How many more souls are wegoing to lose?
How many more people are goingto be hurt physically,
(34:38):
spiritually, financially, whilewe let others harm countless
others?
Speaker 1 (34:50):
You're right.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
We get so focused on these things, where we praise
the organizations, where wepraise the people, oh no,
worship God, worship God.
Worship God.
Well, if you're not, holiness,you're going straight to hell.
You're praising holiness.
(35:13):
You're going straight to hell.
You're praising holiness.
You're praising a denomination.
Holiness isn't perfect.
No denomination is perfect.
There are some that are waybetter than others.
I'll give you that.
(35:35):
But I'm tired of seeing thedenominations and the people and
the church houses praised morethan the Creator, because we are
doing way more damage.
People, church, listen.
We are doing way more damagethan we probably will ever be
(36:01):
able to repair.
We need to serve God, we needto get focused on Jesus Christ.
I don't want any to fall by thewayside.
Right, I don't want anybody tobe hurt, but if we have to I
(36:30):
don't know how to say this right, I don't want people to be hurt
, but there are those out therethat are hurting intentionally,
that are hurting peopleintentionally, and if I have to
(36:52):
get in the way of them to saveothers, I'm at a point now where
I'm ready.
I'm not doing it to make myselflook good, I'm not doing it for
any gain, nothing, but peopleare hurting and I'm ready to
help, and the first way that wecan start by helping is to get
(37:16):
them pointed back to Christ.
Show them Christ and worshipChrist, brother John.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
Yeah, you know, brother Sean, a lot of great
things there, things that Iappreciate.
I hope some of you take it toheart.
Some of you are not going to,and I get that.
Some of you are just going tocontinue hurting, continue
praising yourself and praisingothers, but pray that somebody
will listen to this and go backto what God's done for you and
(37:47):
go back to praising the creatorover praising creation.
A lot of things going on.
We thank you all for joining usin this live episode.
We had some technical glitchesand difficulties.
We'll try to fix those beforethe next time we go live, which
will probably be in like a monthor two, maybe six months.
We'll see how it goes.
(38:08):
But if you would like a theeveryday Christian podcast I
almost spilled Sean's drink overhere the Everyday Christian
podcast mug.
It's got a cool emblem on here.
I don't know, are you thinkingabout putting people's names on
it or no?
I don't know.
We haven't thought about that.
Okay, just bear with us here.
This is new.
But if you want a everydayChristian podcast, let me turn
(38:30):
this right mug with our coollogo on it $25.
Again, it goes back into theministry that we're doing here
and, uh, we.
We would love it If you don'twant to order that.
We've got a couple of differentthings in the pipeline.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
That, yeah that does include shipping.
So if anybody has one orconsidering it, you know that
will be, that will be.
Shipping in the United Statesis included in that.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Yes, if you need it shipped to Africa, you're out of
luck.
We may have to do a little moreresearch, have to do a little
more research.
So, yes, if you are in the USand you would like a mug, let us
know.
$25.
You can get one for yourself.
Thank you all for joining us.
A lot of things going on in thepipeline that we're going to
share with you here in the verynear future, but God bless you
and we appreciate you forlistening in.
(39:15):
You're listening to theEveryday Christian Podcast,
where we apply scripturalprinciples to everyday Christian
lives.
God bless, thank you.
Thank you.
You're listening to the Everyday Christian Podcast
where we apply scriptureprinciples to everyday Christian
lives.
I'm John Rich.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
And I'm Sean Sloggett , and today we're going to be
talking about praising thecreation over the creator.
Before we start that, though, Ido want to mention something
real quick.
It's been, I think, threeepisodes ago now.
I kind of forget now, but wedid say that we were bringing
something new on, or somethingnew we were looking at doing,
(00:29):
and to stay tuned for it, butthis is the announcement here.
We are now offering EverydayChristian podcast mugs.
Yes, if anybody is interestedin them.
Yes, we are doing that now.
That is something that we aremaking ourselves.
Of course, the mugs we arehaving to bring in, but we are
making those.
If anybody is interested inthem, you can reach out to
(00:52):
Brother Jonathan, myself or thepodcast page.
We will be selling them for $25apiece and using that money to
support the podcast, to raisefunds for new equipment or
different things.
We've got other ideas, thingsthat we're looking at doing, but
we do have mugs now.
(01:13):
So if you guys want one, justgo ahead and reach out to us.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Man and I actually forgot to bring my mug today.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
So Sean's got a really cool, cool personalized
mug and I do not I made one andon the back of it I put my name,
and I made one for him that hasjohn on the back of it and dude
ran off and left it, so it'shis own problem yeah, it's.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Uh, it's on me, but if you want to buy one we will
find.
Find some for you.
I'm kidding $25.
We'd love for you to be a partof that.
Again, like Brother Sean said,the purchase you know we're not
really in a lot of this for themoney, but it takes money to run
a podcast.
Some of you may be surprised bythat.
(02:00):
Anyway, we want to go ahead.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I was just going to say I will be making some other
things as well.
Um, you know, if you guys justkind of want to watch out for
that, there will be maybe someother things, probably more on
my personal page for it, uh, butand and the money that I make
from that again, you know I'mgonna have to cover different
expenses and stuff for it also,uh, but we will be using it to
(02:24):
to further other mission worksand things for it also.
Uh, but we will be using it toto further other mission works
and things like that.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yes, yes, so we're going to get right into the
episode here, which, by the way,we are live.
Um, we've done this.
Will be the second time now.
Sean and I have actually done alive episode and there's some.
Obviously, connectivity maymight not be the greatest, sound
may not be the greatest, but wewill re-release this with
better sound later if it doesend up, you know, doing
(02:47):
something bad.
Of course, I'm getting thelittle Wi-Fi ticker here saying
our connection's slow, so pleasebear with us.
We are going to release thisepisode again at a later time,
at least the audio version ofthis episode, but we want to
thank you all for joining us.
Thank you for listening in.
We are live.
Please leave us a question,please leave us a comment,
please share this, and we praythat something that we say helps
(03:11):
you.
We're going to get right intothe episode here, which is
praising the creation over thecreator, and I had a couple of
things to say.
Brother Sean and I actuallyhave the same verse.
We started with the same verse.
I'll let him read that here ina moment.
But when we read this scripture, we're going to talk about it.
(03:32):
We often think you know,brother Sean, just read the
scripture, I tell you what.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Just just start us off.
(03:58):
It works so much betterstarting it off that way.
When they knew God, theyglorified him not as God,
neither were thankful, butbecame vain in their
imaginations and their foolishheart was darkened.
Professing themselves to bewise, they became fools and
changed the glory of theuncorruptible God into an image
made like to corruptible man andto birds and four-footed beasts
(04:21):
and creeping things andfour-footed beasts and creeping
things, wherefore God also gavethem up to uncleanness through
the lusts of their own hearts todishonor their own bodies
between themselves, who changedthe truth of God into a lie and
worshiped and served thecreature more than the Creator,
who is blessed forever.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
You know, let's get right into that scripture.
A lot of times when we hearthat scripture, we hear it read,
we read it ourselves.
We often think about some sortof hippie movement or someone
out there celebrating andworshiping trees or worshiping
material things, and I believeit may be a part of that, but it
(05:01):
is more than that and one, youknow, thinking about this
episode.
You know, oftentimes we gothrough and we'll prepare an
episode, and it's not that wedon't think about it or that we
don't put a lot of study timeinto it.
We do that.
But sometimes there's episodesthat we have that we have to
(05:22):
sort of pause and realize, youknow, we need grace in the
subject and we need wisdom inthe subject.
And actually, brother Sean,before this episode I thought,
was you know what was great?
Is you know he wanted to prayabout this and really have the
mind of God.
And so please understand, youknow a lot of the things that
I'm going to be sharing.
I told him I was like I'm goingto preface this.
These are not Sean Sloggettviews, these are my views.
(05:45):
So please bear with me.
But have you ever heard thephrase that preacher preached
the house down tonight?
Or?
My goodness, she can't justsing, she can sing, she does
great.
Have you ever rolled your eyesat who they had on the bulletin
to preach, while also making upreasons and excuses not to go to
(06:08):
that service?
Better yet, have you everdecided that you were going to
go to a service because someonethat everyone has talked about
was going to preach there, orbecause someone that you've
heard before and really likedwas going to be there?
But, sean, I know I have Halfof you are doing that.
We've got a lot of things goingon through the year a lot of
(06:29):
camp meetings.
We've got PFYC, we've got men'sadvance, we've got men's
retreat, we've got ladiesretreat, we've got ladies
conference, we've got men'sconference.
It just continually goes on anda lot of times we do that.
Well, this guy preached on firetonight.
This guy led us and histeaching was incredible tonight
(06:49):
and they praised that preacher.
Or the choir sang incrediblytonight and they praised the
choir and the choir director.
Some of us do that with everycamp meeting, conference, men's
retreat, ladies retreat.
Your service is depending onthe quality of the person
singing, the quality of theperson teaching and the quality
of the person preaching.
(07:10):
You know, oftentimes yourservice is depending on the
quality of people who arerunning the meeting and not in
the one who the meeting is forin the first place.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Brother Sean, I've got another verse I'm just going
to go ahead and throw out herereal quick, exodus 23 through 5.
We've all read this versebefore and we've all heard it
thou shalt have no other godsbefore me.
Thou shalt not make unto theeany graven image or any likeness
of anything that is in heavenabove, or that is in the earth
(07:40):
beneath, or that is in the waterunder the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down thyselfto them, nor serve them, for I,
the Lord, thy God, am a jealousGod visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the childrenand to the third and fourth
generation of them that hate me.
You know, when we think of gods, you know thou shalt have no
(08:01):
other gods before me.
Again, we think of the treesand the statues and all these
things that we can do.
When we fail to realize that alot of times it's way more than
that.
You know, we will createfootball.
We will make a god out offootball.
You have to watch it everySunday and it's Thursday night
(08:24):
football football.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
You have to watch it every Sunday and it's Thursday
night football.
As a Dallas Cowboys fan thatGod has failed me several,
several, several times.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Every year for the last 26 years or whatever.
Yeah, so God's will fail you.
There's your proof right there.
God's will fail you.
But if we're not careful andpeople have just disagreed and
argue on this for a while, foryears, but we turn other people
into our gods and and it's, it'sokay.
You know, brother john wastalking about the, the preacher
(08:58):
that preached the house down,and the singer that's saying
we're not saying that you can'ttalk about how good they say,
we're not saying you can'texpress how good they preached,
but when it comes to the pointthat it's always about that
singer or it's always about thatminister, you are giving your
heart, soul, your mind over tothat preacher that singer.
(09:22):
You're saying hey, man, this iswhy I go there, that's, you know
, that's the point that he wastrying to make.
Yeah, we get so tied up in thatand it being about those people
that we lose focus and we startto create those gods.
Don't give your heart, soul,soul, mind to anything else.
(09:44):
Give it to God.
It's okay to want to do things,it's okay to worship others,
it's okay to think highly ofother people, but where are you
really truly ranking them?
Are you putting those peopleabove God?
You can tell yourself no, I'mnot.
(10:04):
Are you putting those peopleabove God?
You can tell yourself, no, I'mnot.
But if you were to take a stepback and really look at it, I
feel that more often than weeach me myself included care to
admit more times than not we dowithout even realizing it.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Yeah, and you'll have to bear with us.
The camera actually went off amoment ago so you'll have to
forgive me if it goes off acouple times.
We are still streaming audio,so just listen.
But Brother Sean's right, andactually I love it whenever we
don't really compare notes, wejust prepare study and then we
come together, because I havethat mentioned in here too.
But you know, a lot of timeshere we go harsh.
(10:44):
Brother Jonathan, not BrotherSean, but half of the meetings
that you attend aren't for Godanyway.
They're for your own fellowshipwith other people.
They're for you to show offyour own style.
They're for you to see if youcan outshout your friends.
They're for you to be seen whenyou're standing up to say man
through the preacher, and thatgoes for all you preachers out
(11:04):
there as well.
If you're putting zingers andbits in your messages that will
get a rise out of people, thatwill grant you the coveted amens
and that will boost yourratings around pastors that will
welcome you to come preach intheir church, then you're
praising yourself, you arepraising others, but you aren't
praising God, and I've had thismentality before.
Well, if I could throw thatsaying in there, or throw in a
(11:25):
quote I heard once.
Then maybe they will shout allover the building and flood the
altars.
I get it.
No one has ever said that,brother Sean.
No one's ever actually believedthat.
I like to think differently.
I beg to differ.
I've been to Bible school.
I've been around preachers allmy life.
I know what their mentalitiesare, and I'm not saying
(11:47):
preachers as a whole.
There are a lot of incrediblepreachers out there.
There are a lot of preachersyou know, I mentioned this in my
life the other day.
There are a lot of preachersout there that I really really
love, I really enjoy listeningto.
(12:07):
But if your point to preachingis to gather amens, you're not
preaching correctly.
If your point to preaching isso that people will give you a
pat on the back, you're notdoing it right.
The praise has turned from Godto people and to yourself,
brother Sean.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
He just said something about us having our
notes kind of lining up, andthat was one of my next points
is that when you have to pleasethe higher-ups and fall under
their good graces to get topreach, there might be a problem
.
Yeah, yeah, I mean, Iunderstand that you have to get
(12:40):
your name out there.
I understand that you have tobe known to be called upon to
preach meetings and things, butit seems more often than not, if
we're honest, that people startmaking their rounds and I can
say this, I feel like, with someconfidence, because I was an
(13:01):
evangelist's son growing up.
I saw a lot of these thingsfirsthand.
Evangelists don't go to thesmall churches to preach very
often.
Why not?
Because there's no money, and Iunderstand you have to make
(13:21):
money to survive.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
You know more than anybody that you have to make
money evangelizing to survive.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
But you have to make money and they don't mean as
much Because the big dogs aren'tthere.
Yeah, I have preached at smallchurches before.
I am a preacher, a minister,and I have preached at some
small churches.
Maybe one time, I think, have Iever preached at a meeting
(13:56):
before.
I haven't been out much, butsome of those people at small
churches have told me we'veinvited people to come to preach
before us before and theyalways turn us down.
Do you know why that is?
Speaker 1 (14:16):
I can't say that I do I do know why.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
But how do you tell them that?
Yeah, well, it might be becauseyou guys don't take up an
offering that's big enough.
Yeah, I went and preached at achurch in another state and it
was just for a weekend.
Yeah, I didn't get enough moneyto pay for my fuel there and
(14:43):
back home again, it didn'tbother me one bit.
Do evangelists strugglefinancially?
I'm sure some of them do.
I could help you out on anotherpodcast.
Maybe Take care of yourfinances better, but that's
another point.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
You're in all kinds of trouble.
We just talked about being wiseabout this and being nice.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
We can't edit that part out.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Yeah, it's too live.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I mean, we all make mistakes.
I've made mistakes this weektoo.
I was telling Brother Jonathanabout it earlier.
I made a financial mistake,I'll admit it.
But going back to it, there are, I mean, there's those things.
But when your ministry isgeared more towards the and I
(15:41):
don't mean this derogatory, butthe elites of our movement, then
it is of who am I going to help?
Or if I preach that meeting,what can I say to benefit
somebody?
Then we're on very dangerousground.
Yeah, then we're on verydangerous ground.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Yeah Well, and you can have a lot to say without.
Again, I said a moment ago,like those zingers, like we all
know what those titles are, weall know what those sayings are.
You know it's holiness or hell.
We all know those ones that getpeople to amen you and jump up
(16:23):
and down and shout.
We all know those sayings, weall know those things that get
people fired up.
But again, it just goes back tothe reasoning behind it.
What are you praising?
We aren't careful enough,bershon we get into a mode where
, talking about music there'sbeen a lot of music in the
(16:45):
Facebook world today, amongstour movements but if we aren't
careful, we can get into a modewhere we are praising the song
rather than praising the reasonfor the song.
And I'm just going to go onrecord.
Right now I'm live.
I can't change it.
I love the song that everyoneand their mother is singing
right now called Trusting God.
My wife doesn't like the songthat everyone and their mother
(17:05):
are singing right now calledTrusting God.
My wife doesn't like the songvery much because of the part
that says, uh, she's like stop,they can just sing it Anyway.
Um, I don't care who it's from,I don't care it's by.
I like the lyrics of that song,but I also really really like
the music.
The beat is awesome, the musicis there, the tune is very good.
(17:29):
I don't think there's anythingwrong with that.
There's nothing wrong withliking a beat or liking the
music which, by the way, you'reworshiping the devil's drum.
Yeah, shut up.
I don't think there's anythingwrong with the beat of the music
that is playing in thebackground, so long as we have
an understanding that we aren'talways praising God with a beat
or music.
So we're going to set thataside, and I'm also going to let
(17:50):
you know that the devil didn'tinvent music.
God did first of all.
So we'll move on from that.
God invented music.
God invented all things.
Just because things are twistedand used for evil does not mean
that they were invented by thedevil.
I don't think there's anythingwrong with it.
Don't shout and run around thebuilding because someone else is
doing it and tell me that it'sbecause you're trying to praise
(18:10):
God.
Tell me the truth.
You were trying to stir up aservice in your eyes and a
service that, in your eyes,appeared to be dead, but don't
replace your worship and serviceto God with worship and service
to mankind.
I shared a quote last week,brother Sean, I'll let you take
over from there, but from ParisReedhead that I believe can
(18:32):
apply here.
It says most Christians do nothave fellowship with God.
They have fellowship with eachother about God, and I would go
as far as to say that mostChristians don't worship God or
praise God.
They worship and praise eachother about God, brother Sean.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
You know, I feel like we worship and this is
something that I actuallythought about a few weeks ago,
even before Brother John, and Ieven mentioned talking about
this that I feel like we worshipthe church, the church house,
more than we do God at times.
(19:08):
I am all for church services, Iam all for consistency, I am
all for going to church when youhave the chance.
On that note, if you don't maketime, there won't be time for
church.
I think that church needs tohave an importance.
(19:29):
I'm not saying that If youdon't make it a priority, then
you won't have a chance to go tochurch because you will be too
busy.
I am all for being at church,but there are those that would
miss a weekend and all of asudden, the pastor has to get up
(19:53):
and say I don't understand whyeverybody has to be on a hunting
trip this weekend and starttearing into those that aren't
even there.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
That's not helpful.
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
I enjoy going to church, but I'm not worshiping
church.
If you miss a weekend or ifyou're sick and you can't go and
you're looked down upon or youthink less of yourself
personally, you may beworshiping the church house, or
others may be worshiping thechurch house, or others may be
(20:25):
worshiping the church house.
Yeah, my wife.
She misses church when shedoesn't get to go.
It bothers her not to make itin a sense that she wants to be
at church.
She strives to be at churchevery chance that she gets.
(20:46):
She tells me when we go onvacations I hate that I'm going
to miss church this weekendbecause I enjoy being there.
But she also understands thatit's not about the home church.
It's a good environment to bein and she wants to be in that
(21:06):
good environment, but she's notworshiping the environment.
You know, if you're moreworried about what the pastors
and preachers think than whatGod thinks, there might be a
problem than what God thinksthere might be a problem.
If you're more worried aboutwhat the movement thinks than
(21:27):
what God thinks you'reworshiping the creation, there
might be a problem.
Newsflash the holiness movementis not going to get you into
heaven.
It's not going to get me intoheaven.
The assembly of God movementit's not going to get me into
heaven.
The Assembly of God movementit's not going to get you into
(21:47):
heaven.
The Baptist movement it's notgoing to get you into heaven.
Throw whatever movement youwant on there, that denomination
is not going to get you intoheaven.
Neither is the leader of yourmovement.
(22:08):
We criticize and tear down theCatholic movement for trusting
and relying on the CatholicChurch and the Pope.
I've heard it and you've heardit Take your sins to Jesus
Christ, not to the Pope, and Iagree 100%.
(22:30):
You don't have to talk to thePope, but then when the preacher
says something, we take it asthe gospel truth.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Right.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
And the preacher has said things.
I'm not tearing all of themdown.
Preachers have given us verygood things.
We need ministers, we needpreachers, we need evangelists,
we need the gospel spread, butwhether it's good, whether it's
(23:04):
petty, whether it's stupid, orwe understand it or not, well,
he said it, so we have to do it,and I don't agree with that.
Yeah, martin Luther challengedthe Catholic Church because they
(23:29):
wouldn't let others study theWord for themselves.
And it seems, as times, we'rebacktracking to where.
Well, if they say it, we haveto follow it.
And that's not true Get in theWord for yourself, study it.
Yeah, and that's not true.
Get in the Word for yourself,study it for yourself.
It's very beneficial when youlearn for yourselves.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
And we've heard things like well, he thinks
tithes.
The pastor says that tithes areprideful, so I'm not going to
have them.
Really, open-toed shoes areimmodest, so we can't have them.
Really, Men can't have beards,they're worldly.
Go study that one out, please.
(24:12):
I dare you the country I meansorry, southern gospel music is
the only thing you can listen tobecause the only thing you can
listen to.
We can tear down every otherbrand type of music, but when it
(24:34):
comes to Southern gospel, it'sits own genre.
No, it's not Right.
I'm sorry it's not.
It came from country music.
It's got the same lyrics andtunes and backwood hillbilly
banjo picking right.
I can't, I'm sorry, y'all aregonna fall out with me I just I
don't like bluegrass music.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
I just want to share loves it I just want to share a
couple things.
First of all, because everytime we get into some of these
podcasts you always talk aboutbeards.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Can't grow one, so that's good, I'm taking shots,
eddie.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
No, no open-toed shoes.
That's dirty.
No, open-toed shoes.
I can't stand Southern gospelmusic.
No, there's some of it, that'sokay.
No offense, See, I really lostyou there.
But you're right, though.
A lot of us we worship others,we worship ourselves and we fail
to worship God, and I thinkthat it goes back to you know,
(25:28):
like I said earlier, like a bigthing is talking about.
A big thing right now today ismusic, and you can say you don't
like secular music, all thatyou want.
But when you're praisingsomeone's voice or talent more
than praising God, there's anissue.
There.
(25:49):
We have made mistake aftermistake, trying to find someone
who will be the next flavor ofthe month because of a
shout-down sermon they preachedat youth camp.
We have to stop praisingpreachers.
We have to stop praisingteachers.
We have to stop praisingsingers.
I love good singing, I lovegood preaching, I love good
teaching.
Don't praise a deacon.
Don't honor and praise anythingover God, Brother Sean, and
(26:09):
that's the whole point.
There's nothing wrong withhonoring people.
Honoring people is all throughthe Bible, I mean.
There's nothing wrong with that.
And in fact, there's notanything really wrong with
praising people.
Some people need thatacknowledgement, Some people
need that encouragement, butwhen you praise them and you
honor them over God, we haveissues.
(26:30):
Psalm 34 and 3, this is what theBible says, One of my favorite
scriptures in all the Bible.
It says magnify the Lord withme.
It goes on to say let us exalthis name together, but magnify
the Lord of me.
It's more than just.
You know.
I've heard preachers preachabout taking a magnifying glass
and making God bigger, or makinghim appear larger, and I think
(26:53):
that it's a part of that.
But it's bigger than that.
You know.
God's bigger than any man.
It's not a magnification of Godfor someone else, it's making
God bigger in my own life.
God is big regardless of whatmagnified.
There we go.
My I swear my alarm just wentoff.
God is big regardless of whereI put him.
(27:16):
But is he big in my life?
Is he number one in my life?
God needs to excite us again.
You know, Sister Morgan sent mea picture.
I don't know why.
I said Sister Morgan, You'relike you guys know who she is.
My wife, Morgan, sent me apicture of a lizard that Jackson
caught today and he was excited.
I can't remember what she saidhe was saying, but he was saying
(27:37):
something over and over again.
He was just so pumped, soexcited, and I got to be honest
with you.
I'm not really excited aboutcatching lizards.
Like if I see a lizard, it'slike yeah, whatever, Okay,
that's kind of cool looking.
I'll look at it for a couple ofseconds and I move on.
But not him right now.
Like to me, it's whatever to menow.
But I remember when I wasyounger I loved chasing lizards.
(28:00):
I loved trying to catch bugs.
I loved being outside.
It excited me.
That's how it was when I washis age.
I wanted to chase thatexcitement I wanted to chase.
Something new to you is when wasthe last time you went back and
(28:25):
looked at what God did for youand how excited you were?
When was the last time you wentback to that moment that God
changed you, saved you, that hehealed you, that he delivered
you, and you remember howthankful and how grateful and
how excited you were to beconnected to Him.
You say, well, we shouldn'tlive in the past.
Well, it's a lot better thanliving in your current, your
present.
(28:46):
When did we get into such astate that other ministers mean
more to us than God?
I've got some news for you BHClendenin is not more important
than God.
None of the snows, the webs,the suits, the Simpsons, the
Hudsons, the Stevens or theSmiths or the riches or the
(29:08):
sloggits are more important thanGod.
If you look up to me, I'm goingto fail you.
If you look up to me and praiseme, sooner or later I'm going
to fall.
But if you praise God, if youturn your direction to God, stop
worrying about how good thesong is and praise the creator.
(29:31):
I was in Bible college.
We were in choir and there wasa song that we sung about the
rapture and that song was theone that everybody shouted to.
Everyone got excited, Everyoneran around the building numerous
times over that song, over and,over and over again.
We go to churches over and overand every time we got to that
song people shouted.
I remember going to Indianathis is a little braggadocious,
(29:51):
so you'll have to forgive me.
I remember we went to a churchin Indiana and my grandpa who
was sick to death he was, Ithink he died like two or three
years after this and he was sick, he couldn't walk very well, he
couldn't see very well and hegot in there into the service
and we sang a slow song aboutpraise and everybody was sitting
(30:13):
down like they did during thissong and I just remember him
standing up and just likeholding on to the pew and just
jumping and getting excitedabout God.
No, it's not about the music,it's not about the song.
It's about God.
No, it's not about thefour-four time tempo.
(30:33):
No, it's not about how good thesaxophone or the guitar or the
tambourine is.
It's about God.
No, it's not about the zingersfrom the preacher.
No, it's not about how good thesong leader's voice is or how
good the worship team's voicesare or how good the special
singer is.
It's about God.
Turn your direction to him.
Stop praising everybody else.
(30:54):
I see it all the time.
That preacher preached.
Amazing.
How did God help you in thatservice?
That singer sang.
How did God help you in thatservice?
Did you meet with him?
Did you visit him?
Did you worship him?
God is and should be above andbefore anything else, Brother
(31:14):
Sean.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
We understand the guidelines and respecting,
honoring those.
We're not saying, we're notspeaking against that.
Please don't misunderstand us.
But most of what we have mostis probably strong.
I'll put it this way Some ofwhat we have most is probably
strong.
I'll put it this way Some ofwhat we have going on is not
respecting, it's not honoring,it's being forced into
(31:42):
submission.
And some of you will want tosay I already hear it, I wasn't
forced into anything.
Okay, well then you wereblindly led into it.
Not everybody, I'm not sayingeverybody, but there is a lot of
(32:03):
forcing and blindly leadingpeople into these things.
If you hear phrases like don'ttouch God's anointed and all
you're doing is asking questionsabout them or questioning them,
there's a problem.
(32:23):
That creation is beingworshipped more than the creator
.
Yes, if you or anybody elsegets to a place where they can't
be questioned, run.
(32:44):
I don't know how else to say it.
That's very, very dangerous.
I don't know how else to say it.
That's very, very dangerous.
And some of you may notunderstand this part, but if you
aren't allowed to be in thatrealm, there is a problem.
People are being worshipped.
(33:07):
When you, as a person, are moreworried about what so-and-so
thinks about me, you'reworshiping you're praising
creation.
Yeah, yeah, when you have toplease the higher-ups, there's a
problem, right?
(33:27):
We see this going on all aroundus and people ask questions and
then don't understand what'sgoing on, because we are told
one thing and we're shownanother.
(33:48):
We are told to worship God andGod alone.
Then we can't do anything else.
We have people that are hurting, people that are dying, people
that are seeking the truth, andwe're more concerned about
(34:12):
hurting the preacher's feelings.
Yeah, I'm going to pose thisquestion, and I have for three
or four days now.
This question has burned on myheart.
How many more souls are wegoing to lose?
How many more people are goingto be hurt physically,
(34:38):
spiritually, financially, whilewe let others harm countless
others?
Speaker 1 (34:50):
You're right.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
We get so focused on these things, where we praise
the organizations, where wepraise the people, oh no,
worship God, worship God.
Worship God.
Well, if you're not, holiness,you're going straight to hell.
You're praising holiness.
(35:13):
You're going straight to hell.
You're praising holiness.
You're praising a denomination.
Holiness isn't perfect.
No denomination is perfect.
There are some that are waybetter than others.
I'll give you that.
(35:35):
But I'm tired of seeing thedenominations and the people and
the church houses praised morethan the Creator, because we are
doing way more damage.
People, church, listen.
We are doing way more damagethan we probably will ever be
(36:01):
able to repair.
We need to serve God, we needto get focused on Jesus Christ.
I don't want any to fall by thewayside.
Right, I don't want anybody tobe hurt, but if we have to I
(36:30):
don't know how to say this right, I don't want people to be hurt
, but there are those out therethat are hurting intentionally,
that are hurting peopleintentionally, and if I have to
(36:52):
get in the way of them to saveothers, I'm at a point now where
I'm ready.
I'm not doing it to make myselflook good, I'm not doing it for
any gain, nothing, but peopleare hurting and I'm ready to
help, and the first way that wecan start by helping is to get
(37:16):
them pointed back to Christ.
Show them Christ and worshipChrist, brother John.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
Yeah, you know, brother Sean, a lot of great
things there, things that Iappreciate.
I hope some of you take it toheart.
Some of you are not going to,and I get that.
Some of you are just going tocontinue hurting, continue
praising yourself and praisingothers, but pray that somebody
will listen to this and go backto what God's done for you and
(37:47):
go back to praising the creatorover praising creation.
A lot of things going on.
We thank you all for joining usin this live episode.
We had some technical glitchesand difficulties.
We'll try to fix those beforethe next time we go live, which
will probably be in like a monthor two, maybe six months.
We'll see how it goes.
(38:08):
But if you would like a theeveryday Christian podcast I
almost spilled Sean's drink overhere the Everyday Christian
podcast mug.
It's got a cool emblem on here.
I don't know, are you thinkingabout putting people's names on
it or no?
I don't know.
We haven't thought about that.
Okay, just bear with us here.
This is new.
But if you want a everydayChristian podcast, let me turn
(38:30):
this right mug with our coollogo on it $25.
Again, it goes back into theministry that we're doing here
and, uh, we.
We would love it If you don'twant to order that.
We've got a couple of differentthings in the pipeline.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
That, yeah that does include shipping.
So if anybody has one orconsidering it, you know that
will be, that will be.
Shipping in the United Statesis included in that.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Yes, if you need it shipped to Africa, you're out of
luck.
We may have to do a little moreresearch, have to do a little
more research.
So, yes, if you are in the USand you would like a mug, let us
know.
$25.
You can get one for yourself.
Thank you all for joining us.
A lot of things going on in thepipeline that we're going to
share with you here in the verynear future, but God bless you
and we appreciate you forlistening in.
(39:15):
You're listening to theEveryday Christian Podcast,
where we apply scripturalprinciples to everyday Christian
lives.
God bless, thank you.
Thank you.
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