This Sermon, Brethren
Is Like No Other You'll Hear
And
I Desire For Us All To Pay Close Attention:
Follow Almighty God's Commandments Always
And
Live Humbly In Godly Fear!
That's Nothing New!
I've Heard That All My Life!
In That Case, Big Mike
Since You Have Life-Long Experience
Come On Up Here With Me
And
We'll Run An Experiment
For A Visual Aid To Bless Everybody!
Big Mike, Do You Like Garlic!?!
Of Course! Who Doesn't!?!
As A Matter Of Fact
I Take Two Garlic Capsules Every Day Without Fail!
Did You Take Your Capsules Today!?!
As You Well Know, Pastor Mac
Because I Told You When You Picked Me Up
I Was Running Late
And I Put Them In My Pocket For Later When We Eat!
I Have A Glass Of Water On The Lectern!
Would You Take Your Garlic Capsules
Right Now ... In Our Presence!?!
No!
Would You Care To Tell Us
Why You Won't Take The Garlic Capsules!?!
I Won't Take Them Now
Because The Instructions Clearly State:
Take With Food To Avoid Upset Stomach!
Sounds Reasonable!
Do You Always Follow Instructions!?!
By God's Grace, I Valiantly Try To Do So!?!
That's Fantastic, Isn't It, Brethren!?!
AMEN!!!
May I Encourage You To Not Follow
The Instructions Aka The Rules
Aka The Commandments
For Taking Your Garlic Capsules!?!
No!
What If I, Your Beloved Pastor
And
Trusted, Lifelong, Friend
Your Brother By Faith
By Blood
And
By Affection
Were To Tell You That
I Also Take Garlic Capsules!?!
I'd Say, Smart Man!
What If I Say I Take Garlic Capsules
On An Empty Stomach
And
With No Ill-Effects!?!
I'd Say Good For You!
I'd Say Prove It!
This Is Very Good, Brethren!
We Have Two Opinions:
The World And The Church
The Believer And The Doubter
The Right And The Wrong
The Good And The Bad
Covering The Sinner And The Saint!
Big Mike, As We Discussed Prior
And
To Open The Eyes Of The People Of God Today
How About We Both Take Our Daily Garlic Capsules
Just To See What Will Happen
To Those Who Dare To Ignore Instructions
Reject Rules
And
Defy Commandments!
Are You Game!?!
Against My Better Judgment
But All For A Good Cause
And Because It Won't Kill Me
I'm In The Game!
Brethren,
Observe Carefully!
Big Mike, Do I Have Garlic Capsules In My Hand!?!
They Sure Smell Like My Garlic Capsules
That I Have In My Hand!
Very Good!
The Clock On The Wall Says It's 11:45 p.m.
Let's Give This Experiment Fifteen Minutes To Play Out!
Anybody Have Any Crackers ... Just In Case!?!
Lacey Macy Always Has Crackers!
I Sure Do!
Then We're Set!
Bottoms Up, Big Mike!
Likewise, Pastor Mac!
Not Even Five Minutes Later ...
Lord Jesus, Help Me!
You Alright There, Big Mike!?!
No, Pastor Mac!
My Skin Is Going Clammy
And It Feels Like Someone
Is Ripping Through My Stomach With A Hacksaw
And My Whole Body Feels ... Feels
Feels Like It Is Electrified ... On Alert!
Aren't You Feeling Anything!?!
Not At All!
I Don't Understand Why Not!
You Must Have A Cast-Iron Stomach!
Not Really!
I Had A Sandwich During The Five Minute Break!
But You Said You Take Yours On An Empty Stomach!
I Most Certainly Did Not!
The Congregation Gasped!
But, But ...!
... I Said: What If I Say ...!
Uhhhh, Uhhhhh, Ooooo, Mama!
... You Alright, Big Brother!
I Feel Like I'm Dying!
Lord, Help Me ... The Pain!
Sister Lacey, Bring Those Crackers Now, Please!
Here You Go, Big Mike!
Chew, Brother! Chew!
After The Conclusion Of The Experiment ...
Brethren,
As You All Observed
Temptation To Sin Can Even Come
From A Silken Cord Of Affection
Aka The Hand Of Blood Brethren!
As You Also Observed
Nuanced Speech And Outright Lies
Cause Us To Yield Common Sense
And
To Disobey
And
To Fall Into Satan's Traps!
You Also Observed That Rules, Instructions
From Manufacturers, From Parents
Our Teachers, Our Civil Rules
The Commandments From Our God Holy
Are Not Put In Place To Make Us Miserable
To Deny Us Pleasure
To Lord It Over Us!
They Are There For Safety
Comfort And Protection!
Big Mike, My Beloved Brother,
Thank You For Participating:
Sorry For You Pain, Your Trauma!
Is There Anything You'd Like To Say To Us!?!
First, Pastor Mac, Lil' Brother
In The Hour Of My Distress
I Seriously Wanted To Hurt You Profoundly!
You Lied To Me!
I Apologize For Not Disclosing The Whole Plan!
Brethren,
I Know The Rules!
I Was Fully Informed Of The Risks And The Rewards!
I Also Knew, In Advance
The Penalty For Disobedience!
I Paid The Price!
Foolishness Is Not Common Sense In Any Language!
Let Me Tell You
Almost Instantly Upon Taking My
Not The ... My Garlic Capsules
I Felt When They Hit My Empty Stomach!
I Felt ... The Change
And I Then Felt
When They Fully Bloomed In My Stomach!
The Pain, The Upset
The Trauma To My Innards
Was, Is, Unbelievable ... Pastor Mac ...!
... I Understand!
I'll Take It From Here!
Brethren,
Let This Be A Lesson To Us All!
This Is What Sin Does!
Temptation Is What Satan Proffers!
This Is What Disobedience Works In Our Hearts!
Do Not Play Games With Your Soul!
Big Mike Is Going To Feel Pretty Poorly For A While!
He Is Going To Know ... Fully
The Cost Of His Disobedience!
Silken Cords Tie Us Up Tighter
Tighter Than A Ship's Anchor Rope
Because
They Are Smoother, Nearer, Softer
And
We Like, Love, Admire, Appreciate
That To Which They Are Attached!
Silken Cords ... Unchecked
Will Cut Us Off From Freedom
From Good Health
And
They Can Kill!
What We Have Witnessed Today Is Minor
In Comparison To What Sin Does To Us!
We Know When We Have Sinned!
We Feel When We Have Sinned!
We Suffer As A Result Of Our Sin
And
The After-Effects Of Our Sin
Are Of Long Duration
Even When We Confess And Repent
Of Our Known Sin!
Repentance Does Not Mean No Punishment!
The Sin Of Presumption
- Which This Was -
Can Lead To Deadly Outcomes
So Do Not Be Presumptuous!
Listen To This Closing Word
And
Know That We Cannot Hide From Our Maker:
It Takes An Enormous Amount Of
Pride And Presumption ... Both Sins
For Mortal Beings To Believe That
They Can Hide Anything That They Think
That They Did Or Are Doing
From The Creator Of Us All!
Who Makes It Knows It ...
Very Foolish Is The Builder Of The House That
He Does Not Know How To Breach
If He Is Locked Out!
The Custom Watch-Maker Intimately Knows
The Workings Of His Creations:
Why Would The Creator God
Know Less About Us, His Creatures!?!
Do Not Be Presumptuous
Believing That You Are An Island
A Nation Unto Yourself
Impervious To Self-Destruction!
Let's Us Be Ever Wise Unto Soul Salvation
And
With Contrite Hearts
Sorrowing Over Our Personal Sin
And
Desiring To Get Right With Our God
Humble Ourselves
And
In The Time Appointed
The Lord Will Raise Us Up For Our Best Good
And
For His Great Glory!
When The Lord Says:
"Don't Do It!
Thou Shalt Not ...!
Remember ...!
Keep ...!
Believe ...!
Don't Doubt ...!
Have Faith ...!
Trust ...!"
He Means It
Because
To Do Otherwise
Will Surely Cause Us Pain, Sorrow And Regret!
Please Do All To Walk In The Light Of Life
And
Do What's Right In The Eternal God's Sight!
Let Us Endeavor ... By Willing Obedience
His Loving Heart
Always To Delight!
AMEN!!!
