Transcript of a published sermon by Josh Hodum, transcribed from YouTube. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.
Vanity of Vanities: An Aged Writer Looks Back on Life
- He welcomes the guests and opens with the writer of Ecclesiastes — most likely Solomon — who begins, "Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity."
- The writer had already aged when he wrote this; looking back over his life, he was realizing that the important things of life really do not come in stuff.
- When you are eighteen or nineteen, or in your early twenties, that is hard to grasp, but as you get older things do not matter nearly as much as they did; it takes only a bad diagnosis or a trip to the hospital to change the emphasis.
- A prayer request in Sunday school that morning made it concrete: someone went to the emergency room and found out they had multiple kinds of cancer, and suddenly things did not matter as much — vanity, all is vanity.
Scriptures: Ecclesiastes 1:2
Life Is a Cycle That Keeps Turning
- One generation passes away and another generation comes, but the earth abides forever.
- The sun also arises and goes down and hastens to the place where it arose; the wind goes toward the south, turns about into the north, and returns again according to its circuits.
- All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place from whence the rivers come, there they return again.
- "The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing" — life is a cycle that just keeps going around and round; most of you were born without your teeth, and several of you will die without them.
- In all that circling it is easy to chase after the wrong thing and grab for the wrong things, but the cycle will keep turning after you pass — what will matter in the end is Him.
Scriptures: Ecclesiastes 1:4-8
Remember Now Thy Creator in the Days of Thy Youth
- In his final chapter the writer turns to the young: "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth," while the evil days come not, nor the years draw near when you will say, I have no pleasure in them.
- His subject is finding life in Him; he speaks first to the young people — those who have been on the platform and those sitting in the pews — but it will do everyone good to hear it.
- He is the first to encourage a good education, and he is proud of the students continuing theirs; he encourages finding a godly spouse, someone who fears and reverences God — but none of that will amount to anything if you do not find Him.
- In this culture and era there is very little emphasis put on God and the church, especially in the younger generation, and it is easy to catch the dream of having all the other things and forget seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
- Put God first and reach for Him more than anything else, and He will add all the other things; you cannot have happiness without Him, and you cannot help but have happiness once you have Him — the same with peace.
Scriptures: Ecclesiastes 12:1
Be Ye Holy, for I Am Holy
- Peter's word to them: gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ — the greatest revelation anyone will ever have.
- There is only one way to escape this world and the damnation of hell, and that is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ; nothing else is going to matter.
- As obedient children, do not fashion yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance; as He who has called you is holy, be holy in all manner of conversation — what is not holy does not need to be spilling out of your mouth, and unholy lyrics do not need to be put inside your ears.
- "Be holy, for I am holy" — what is needed is a revival of holiness, not the latest fad or fashion; you will not hear this on the radio, on television, or on the streaming services, but it is his duty as pastor of this church to tell it plainly: holiness is still required in conversation and in lifestyle.
- The young people who were on the platform are talented, and others who never stepped up are just as able — but it may seem old-fashioned, and sin is still sin; just because the world accepts it does not mean God will.
Scriptures: 1 Peter 1
Not Ashamed of the Gospel: Wrath Against All Ungodliness
- Paul was old-fashioned, but he had a walk with God the young people should cherish: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ," for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek — and therein the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith.
- You should be proud that God called you out and gave you a chance at a holy life, proud that you are not like everybody else; when you accept holiness as your lifestyle, you do not have to worry about all the pressures of this world.
- The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men — God is not going to rain judgment on just a few picked sins — and they are without excuse, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, and the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, even His eternal power and Godhead.
- Because when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened; professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things — worshipping nature more than the Creator is that same turn.
- There is one Lord, and there is one faith, and one baptism — not in a tree, and not in science; this is the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and he is not ashamed of who he is.
- God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves; adultery is still a sin, fornication is still a sin, homosexuality is still a sin — he is not here to hate anybody, and the love of God can change anybody, but a preacher who tells you these things are okay is lying to you; they changed the truth of God into a lie, God gave them up to vile affections and over to a reprobate mind, and the catalogue runs on through unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, envy, murder, deceit, disobedience to parents, and the rest.
- Those who know the judgment of God and not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them are guilty too — it is still sin in 2019; listening for all the juicy details of someone else's affair, or thinking it cute to celebrate a gay friend's lifestyle, is accepting and embracing it, while he will love sinners and pray with them and help them, loving them enough to tell them the truth.
Scriptures: Romans 1:16-32
Defile Not Yourselves in Any of These Things
- He corrects himself — he will read this one first, before the next: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
- Neither shall anyone lie with any beast to defile themselves therewith, and no woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto; it is confusion.
- "Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things," for in all these the nations are defiled which God cast out before them.
- It is sad to have to stand in the pulpit and preach against such things, but the reason there is such a rash of this in this age is that preachers before would not preach against it; these things are linked together, they are all defiling, and God hates it — it is abomination.
Scriptures: Leviticus 18:22-24
The Unrighteous Shall Not Inherit the Kingdom of God
- "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived" — neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.
- If you are living for God you do not need a morning-after pill, you do not have to worry about catching the diseases of this world, and you do not have to worry about getting addicted to the things of this world — but the one who gets drunk on Saturday night and sits on a church pew on Sunday morning is not going to make it to heaven.
- We do not need girls acting like guys and guys acting like girls; we need men to be men and women to be women — it is not popular, but it is the truth.
- God has a purpose for you, and it is not in the world of sin; His calling for you is in the kingdom of God — He is coming back for a church that has made itself ready, so get ready to meet the Lord.
Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 6
Called With an Holy Calling
- He closes with the One "who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began."
- God has a purpose for your life and a reason for your existence; He has a place for you in His kingdom, and it is not in the pits of the sins that have been preached about this morning.
- The appeal comes back to the text: remember your Creator in the days of your youth — sell out to God, dedicate yourself to God, submit yourself to God, let God be real in your life, and you will go further than anybody else.
- Standing, he prays that God would take this word and let it speak into their hearts and minds and stay with them, keep them from the vices and snares of this world and from the deceiving lies of this culture, and help them live holy, righteous, and godly even in this present moment.
- The recording ends mid-sentence during this closing prayer, cutting off as he is still praying; the baptism announced for the end of the service is not in the capture.
Scriptures: 2 Timothy 1
Scripture index: Ecclesiastes 1:2; Ecclesiastes 1:4-8; Ecclesiastes 12:1; 1 Peter 1; Romans 1:16-32; Leviticus 18:22-24; 1 Corinthians 6; 2 Timothy 1.
if you're a guest here today we welcome thank you for coming to worship with us you can be seated if you'd like the writer of Ecclesiastes which most of us would probably agree that was Solomon even though it's been argued that it could have been someone else writing this but he started out in chapter 1 and he said in verse 2 vanities of vanities saith the preacher vanity of vanities all is vanity the writer at this point had already aged he is over in the years he was looking back upon life and he was realizing
the important things of life really didn't come in stuff it's hard for us to grasp that when were eighteen to nineteen years old it's hard for us to realize that in our early 20s but I want you to understand that as you get older things doesn't matter near as much as they did it's always good to have nice things it's always good to have good things but your change your emphasis all it takes is a bad diagnosis or a trip to the hospital
in fact just in Sunday school this morning and sister crystal was requesting prayer for someone who just went to the emergency room and got there and found out they had multiple kinds of cancer just from just a mere trip to the emergency room you realize that suddenly that things didn't matter as much vanity all is vanity we agreed on down in chapters 1 verse 4 said
one generation passes away and another generation cometh but the earth abideth forever the son also arises and son goeth down and hast a--the to his place where he arose the wind go toward the south and turneth about into the north it were lies about continually and the wind returneth again according to its circuits all the rivers run into the sea a the sea is not full into the place from whence the rivers come thither they return again all things are full of labour man cannot utter it the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing
in other words I pause here just to tell you that life is a cycle most of you were born without your teeth and several of you died without them life is a cycle it just keeps going around and round he talks about how that the wind it may come down from the north but then it goes back to the north and then it comes back around the Sun rises and then it sets but it quickly comes back to where it rose from its setting to get back to that place the rains come the waters rise they run into the sea then the waters rise and go into the clouds and go back and bring more rain
you you're born you live on this life and it is easy for you to chase after the wrong thing and to grab for the wrong things but if you study all of it please as he goes through he tells all the different things and then his final chapter chapter 12 he addresses in verse 1 and I come from this phrase today to begin with these great people these young people that have been here and not only here on the platform but those of you there sitting in the pews and maybe you're not so young but it will do you good to hear what the Lord's give me today anyway but Ecclesiastes 12 verse 1 says remember now thy creator in the days of our youth
I wish that you could understand how important God is when you're young amen you will chase after everything I'm going to talk to you young people for a little bit but it's gonna be good for all of us you will chase after a lot of things but in the end all that really is going to matter is him amen you were run for a lot of different circles of life and they're just going to keep on circling
when you pass guess what the winds going to keep blowing the sun's gonna keep coming up and going down the waters going to keep falling from the sky running to the sea and going back to the sky he and all that will really matter is him if I kept reading him from Ecclesiastes there that verse 1 says while the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them if you read it from the another version it said remember your Creator in the days of your life or your youth before the days of trouble comin the years approach when you will say I find no pleasure in them
today I want to talk to us on finding life in him I am the first one to encourage you to get a good education I'm proud we have several of our students that are continuing their education and going further some are doing different things I encourage that I encourage you to find a goodly spouse think that's important a godly person someone that fears God someone that reverence is God but again it all that won't amount to anything if you don't find him most a man
and I realize that in the culture in in the era of time that we live in that there is very little emphasis put on God and the church especially in this younger generation and it's so easy for us to get caught up with the things of the world and the things of life that we don't look to him like we should it's so easy for us to chase after the things of the world that we forget how important he really is
it's so easy for us to catch the dream or to chase the dream that we all have and I believe that God in steals into us a drive to reach for good things into the house good things but it's so easy for us to catch the dream of having all these other things that we forget seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness but I've come this morning
to tell somebody if you just put God first if you just reach for God more than anything else I can assure you that he will add to you all the other things that's out there you can't have happiness without him but you can't help but happen how happiness if she's got him you can't have peace without him but you can't help but how peace is he's got him come on folks I
want to remind you of what Peter was riding he said in first Peter chapter 1 he said gird up the loins of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ listen to me young people the revelation of Jesus Christ is the greatest revelation that you ever have there's nothing but one way to escape this world there's number one waiting to them nation of hell and that's to the shed blood of Jesus Christ nothing else is going to matter so remember in the days of your youth remember your Creator
he goes on to saying he said I want you to do his obedient children not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance but as he which hath called you is holy it may not be popular today he said but even as he which has called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation hear me that I
you don't need to be talking about things you don't need to be talking about well I don't care what the lyrics of the latest song has got to say it's in a holy conversation it don't need to be spilling out of your mouth it didn't ain't holy lyrics it don't need to be being put inside your ears I'm telling you what we need there's a revival of holiness we don't need the latest fad we don't need the latest fashion but we need to be holy before God
the very next verse says because it is written be holy for I am holy we've got to have holiness in our life if we're going to be pleasing to God you won't hear this on the radios that you're listening to when you're driving down the road you may not get it off the television or off or Netflix or whatever else you may be using but I'm going to tell you
I believe it's my duty as the pastor of this church to tell somebody we still have to have holy conversation we still have to have hold of us in our we still have to have holiness in our lifestyle we still got to be what God wants us today you can't leave this world without it how much you gonna be down to hell I'll go ahead and be plain today because I want you to go to heaven
I watched his adventure talent was up here on our platform I heard young men that could speak the praises of God I realize that there was others that knit even step up here that are just as talented and can have just as good of abilities but I want you to understand something it may seem old-fashioned it may seem out-of-date but seeing is still seeing and just because the world is accepting it I'm telling you God's not going to set it you've got to be holy before God or you won't be pleasing to God
Romans chapter 1 Paul was writing and I realized that Paul was old-fashioned but he had a walk with God that you young people should cherish come on he said verse 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ I may have to look like everybody else I may not be able to fit in the crowds where everybody else is fitting in I may not be able to participate and what the masses are participating but I'm proud of Who I am I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ young people's you can understand one thing today you should be proud that God's called you out and give you a chance at a holy life
stop you should be proud that you have to deal with the pressures of this world when you accept holiness as your lifestyle you don't have to worry about all those pressures he said I'm not ashamed for this the power of God unto salvation to everyone it didn't stop in 20000 it didn't stop in 1900 it didn't stop when Paul died instilled the gospel of salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek
I quickly keep reading for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith and is as written the just shall live by faith for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven listen you don't hear this every day but the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all we can't just pick a few sins and say that God's gonna rain judgment on it he's gonna have wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God has showed it unto them for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse
in other words there is no excuse for ungodliness or unrighteousness I keep reading because that when they knew God remember the Creator in the days of thy youth remember the creator in the days of the youth because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful I'm telling you you ought to be proud your histology you'll be proud of the truth you all be proud that you're not like everybody else
come on they neither were thankful come on he said they became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened professing themselves to be wise they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made to a corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and pre creeping things
can I just tell you I have nothing against nature but when we worship nature more than we worship God that's what he's talking about right here when you become such a naturalist that's all you can do is worship nature I'm telling you you have turned your vain imaginations from God and turned it and done righteousness there's not the one Lord in it ain't no tree there's not the one faith and it's not the science Scientology come on
there's one Lord and there's one faith and one baptism you might not find this everywhere else but I'm telling you this is the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and I'm not ashamed of Who I am 24 says God also gave them up done cleanest it gets deep for folks through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves can I just pause right here to tell you that adultery is still a sin fornication is still a sin homosexuality is still a sin
I'm not here to hate on nobody I'm here to tell you the love of God can change anybody but I'd also go to guilty of telling you that the Bible says you can't do these things and be pleasing to God he said who changed the truth of God into a lot a preacher that will get up and tell you it's okay for these things it's lying to you come on and worship and serve the creature more than the Creator who is blessed forever amen
for this cause God gave them up unto vile affections for every even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one toward another men with men working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves the recompense of their error which was meet
and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient hear me this morning you've been filled with all unrighteousness fornication wickedness covetousness maliciousness full of envy murder debate deceit malignity whisperers backbiters haters of God disrespectful proud boasters inventors of evil things disobedient to parents without understanding covenantbreakers without natural affection implacable unmerciful who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not only do the same but have pleasure in them
I've come today to tell you it's still seeing in 2019 leave that verse there for just a second this last phrase this last phrase you probably don't hear this down the road at the other church but when you can get all giddy and think it's cute for somebody having a fornication affair or having adulterous affair or having a homosexuality relationship
you're taking pleasure in it you're just as guilty of seeing as they are it's the word folks this is the word I'm telling you I I'm not hating them sinners I'm loving sinners enough to tell them the truth come on I'm not hating on people but I'm telling you one thing I'm not condoning saying because I've got a heaven to gain and I realize is I'm gonna make it to heaven it's gonna be because I have been pleasing to him
hear me we get so caught up in the pressure of the times that we will accept oh I would never participate but we'll let them tell us all about it come on I would never I never be a part of that but we'll sure listen to everything you ever been the juicy details that they can tell us about what they're doing come on
I'm telling you folks I ain't got time for sin I'm not gonna be mean and I'm not gonna be ugly to nobody in fact I'm gonna love every one of them I'm gonna love them and I'm gonna care for them but I'm gonna love them as long as I can pray with them and talk to them and help them but I'm not take pleasure in their sin I'm not take pleasure in their sin I might as well be participating in their sin come on
one of the biggest issues and I I'll just go ahead and address it while I'm moaning anyway I might as well since I'm already this deep one of the biggest issues we've got is we've got a bunch of girls nowadays that faints it's so cool to have gay friends
again I've got friends that are gay but I don't I don't want to hear about their lifestyle I want to tell them about my god come on it ain't cute to me it ain't cute to me I'm telling you folks you better wake up and realize when you think it's cute you're accepting it you're embracing it and I'm telling you it's just as sad for you as it is for them the truth is the truth folks you didn't get aren't you glad I took up the hall from before now hear me
I'm quickly going to close because we're fitting to a baptism here I want us to go to first Corinthians actually I'm gonna come back up I'm gonna read this first I'm gonna be real quick Leviticus chapter 18 verse 22 thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind it is abomination that's something that God hates neither shalt thou lie with any beasts to defile thyself therewith neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down there - it is confusion diff I'll not you yourself seen any of these things for in all these things and all these the nation our defiled which I cast out before you
it's sad for me to have to stand in the pulpit and preach against bestiality but the reason we have such a rash of homosexuality in this age is because we had preachers that wouldn't preach against in there before and they're linked together come on and it's all defiling and God hates it it's abomination I quickly go to first Corinthians chapter 6 know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God be not deceived neither fornicators come on
I don't care what they tell you at school I don't even care what they hand out to you if you're living for God you don't need no morning-after pill come on this is the truth folks if you're living for God you don't have to worry about catching those communal or diseases this is the truth if you're living for God you all had to worry about getting addicted to the things of this world you just better straighten up and fly right he's coming back after a church it's made themself ready let's get ready to meet our Lord he said be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate
can I just pause and say this we don't need girls in acting like guys and we don't need guys acting like girls we need men to be men and women to be women folks this is the truth it's not popular but it's the truth he said nor abusers of themselves with mankind that's your homosexuals nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards I again let me just pause and tell you something you ain't gonna make it to heaven when you get drunk on Saturday night and sitting on the church pew on Sunday morning you better get that out of your system Norman Mailer's nor extortioners none of these is going to inherit the kingdom of God
let me tell you something God has a purpose for you and it's not in the world of sin God's got a purpose for you and it's not in the bed of thorn acacia God's got a purpose for you and it's not in a relationship of homosexuality God's got a calling for you and it's in the kingdom of God second Timothy chapter one and I'm going to close who hath saved us oh thank God he saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began
hear me this morning God has a purpose for your life God has a reason for your existence God has a place for you and his kingdom and it's not in the pits of the sins that I've been preaching about but it's in the kingdom of God so I'll quickly go back and tell you this remember my Creator in the days of your youth sell out to God dedicate yourself to God submit yourself to God let God be your God let God be real in your life and I promise you you will go further than anybody else
stand with me this morning God in heaven thank you for every one of these that's been here today thank you Lord that you have allowed them to be in the house of the Lord to worship gotta ask that you just take this word let it speak into their heart speak into their mind but it stay with him with God the Holy Word of God let it keep them from the vices of this world but it'd keep them from the snags the same but it'd keep him from the deceiving of the lives of this culture and have been lured to live holy righteous and godly even in this present moment for this we'll be careful to give you guys you
Scripture references as spoken: Ecclesiastes 1:2; Ecclesiastes 1:4-8; Ecclesiastes 12:1; 1 Peter 1; Romans 1:16-32; Leviticus 18:22-24; 1 Corinthians 6; 2 Timothy 1.