CLASS: James 2 – Showing Favoritism; Faith and Works
Questions for Class:
SERMON: Show Me Your Ways, O Lord (Psalm 25:4)
JAMES – James 2
Showing Favoritism; Faith and Works
- Should Christians show partiality or favoritism to those who are rich in worldly goods? James 2:1-9 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- Why should a person be merciful to others? James 2:13 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- (yes or no) Can a man’s faith save him if he has no works? James 2:14, 24 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- Faith without works is __________. James 2:17, 20, 26 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- How does an individual show his faith? James 2:18 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- (yes or no) Do the demons believe in God?
As a result of their belief they ___________. James 2:19 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ - An Old Testament Bible character who was called the “Friend of God” was __________. James 2:23 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional Scriptures:
1. Jesus’ parable on being exalted and humbled – Luke 14:7-14
2. The law of liberty through Christ – Romans 5:8
3. Doing for others is doing for Jesus. – Matthew 25:35-40
4. Abraham offered lsaac -Genesis 22:9-18
5. Rahab hid the messengers. – Joshua 2
6. Loving one’s neighbor as himself – Mark 12:31
7. God will not forgive the unforgiving. – Matthew 6:14
8. Jesus was made perfect through obedience. – Hebrews 5:8-9
9. Abraham, was called the “friend of God.” – 2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8
<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Hey Eric, we’re missing a role lights here. There you go. I didn’t want you all to be able to miss my face. You know,<inaudible> That’s to say that another way, I think, want your day to be that good? Okay. We are in James chapter two, James chapter two.<inaudible> Hope everyone is doing well today.
We’re grateful for the presence of each and every one of you, especially a very large section, uh, dedicated to Eric and Holly and wishing them well since they’re staying here permanently. Oh, was I supposed to announce that yet We’re looking forward to today. Hope everyone can make it to the, to the graduation this afternoon. The announcements will include the details for that,
but if you can make it know that will be appreciated on everybody’s part. Let’s begin with a word of prayer gracious father in heaven. We bound before you at this time grateful for all of your many blessings, grateful for the, and the Liberty that you have granted to us to be able to come out and assemble today. The health that we have and the ability we have to be able to come together with one another and worship you in spirit and in truth,
study your word, pray to you. Sing songs of praise in your name, have communion with you and give, as we have been prospered, we are so mindful that this time of all those who, because of health concerns or because of an illness cannot get out and we are mindful of them and pray for their strength and their comfort as well. In this hard time,
we pray for our nation and we pray for its leadership that they might always look to your word for guidance and for strength and for a direction to lead this nation in righteousness, and that they will lift up right pounds, Lord. We pray for, uh, Eva’s sister-in-law and we pray that she will, uh, recover fully from the medical conditions that she is dealing with right now from the aneurysm.
And we pray that she will be able to come out of the hospital and that all will be well. We pray for her family for strength at this time, Lord, we pray for all those who were traveling, pray that they will have safety in their travels and come back to us, uh, safely as well. We’re mindful of Eric and Holly,
and we’re so grateful for the time that you have granted, uh, to have them in our presence, to labor with us and all the work that they’ve done. We’re grateful for Michael and Jessica and all the work that they do and continue to do. We pray for all the students at the school of preaching, who will be graduating this year, that they will go out into the fields that are widened to harvest that they will labor in your vineyard and that they will be blessed in those labors.
As they labor faithfully, all this, we pray in Jesus name. Amen. One of the things that I’ve probably said 150 times, and we’ll say probably a thousand more in the time, you know me is please. As you’re studying, ignore chapter divisions. James is writing to these Christians. He’s writing to these Jewish. Christians is his primary audience,
and he’s told them trials are a blessing and they should count them as a joy. He’s told them that being lifted up by God is a blessing and they should glory in it. He’s told them that being humiliated by God. The idea there is not being shamed, but brought lobe humbled. They should glory it. He’s told them that when they’re tempted to sin and then they choose not to,
they’re blessed. And he’s told them that every good and perfect gift comes from God. When we go through our lives and we look at our status in life, it may be what we want it to be, or it may not. We may be single and want to be married. We may be married and in misery, it can happen. Can you imagine what the marriage they have was like dry try putting Ahab in there as a righteous man,
and then have it married to jazz. A belt. Some men are in that condition and some women are in the reverse condition.<inaudible> We may have a job and hate it. We may not have a job and be desperately looking for one. But in every aspect that we go through, everything we could name and we could name thousands of them. Every time we run into a trial and a hardship,
we ought to be looking for, what does God want me to learn? And every time we run into a blessing and someone doing good to us or God giving to us, we ought to say, what does God want me to learn? And every time we’re tempted to sin and we see that temptation and we overcome that temptation. We ought to not just rejoice in it,
which we serve, certainly do. But we ought to ask ourselves, what does God want me to learn? And every time we do the opposite, when we’re tempted to sin and we fail, we ought to ask ourselves, what does God want me to learn In verse 21? He says, therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness,
the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. There’s the thing. He wants you to learn trials, go back to the word. Remember he talked about faith and wisdom, humility, or being lifted up. Go back to the word, temptation to sin, go back to the word. All these things. Point us back to the word because that’s where we find out.
What does God want me to learn? He says, but be doers of the word and not hearers. Only deceiving yourselves for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer. He is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror for he observes himself, goes away and immediately forgets. What kind of man he was. When you ask in your mind,
in your life, when you overcome or when you fall and you endure and you go through and you repent, or you stay on strong and you can remain faithful. You ask yourself, what does God want me to learn? And then you don’t just hear the answer. You know, some of us will do this. I know this because I was a 19 person.
Someone will ask us, I have this computer problem. What should I do to fix it? And I’ll tell them what they should do to fix it. And they’ll say, Oh great. You ask them three weeks later. So how did it work out? I didn’t do anything with it. Thanks. That was a good use of my time. I appreciate that.
Why? Because you gave them the answer. They S they claimed they had a problem. They claimed they wanted a solution to the problem you gave them the solution. And then they just said, that sounds like maybe some work. I think I’ll just pass. It happens. You and I know it happens all the time. Yeah. God has presented us with the solutions,
but will we do anything with them? But then notice what he says for he observes himself, goes away to immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of Liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful here, but a doer of the work. This one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue,
but deceives his own heart. This one’s religion is useless, pure, and undefiled religion before God. And the father is this to visit the orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. He said, all of these things, I’ve told you, remove yourself from evil and look into God’s law and do those things. And now we’ve moved out of the first chapter where he’s talking about our relationships to ourselves,
because he wants you to know your relationship to yourself. Your looking at yourself is going to determine how you look at others. And it’s going to determine whether or not you treat others the way you ought to treat others. Chapter two verse one should not be ever separated from chapter one verses 26 and 27, because he says, if you think you’re religious,
if you think by the way that word that’s translated, religious, there means to repair a breach to bring together. That’s what people use the word religion in so many bad ways, but the word for religion in the, in the original language in the Greek means to bring together, bring together who God and man, but he says, if you think your bringing togetherness is what it is,
is what it’s supposed to be. Then you better live it. You better actually do something with it. And that involves not just your relationship to God. It involves your relationship to man. The entire first and second chapter of James is one drawn out series of illustrations, illustrating two fundamental things. Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all my heart,
with all my soul, with all thy strength and all by mind and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. We’re on the second one. Now chapter two, verse one, my brother, and do not hold the faith of our Lord. Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory with, and what’s that word? Partiality in the new King, James, what is it in the King James respect of persons before we go very far into this,
I wanna make sure that we don’t just jump to obvious conclusions. Like here is somebody walks through the door. They they’ve pulled up in a, in a Lamborghini. They’re dressed in a $4,000 suit. They have $4,000 shoes. They’ve got a $3,000 haircut. They walk in and we treat them like something special. And then we’ll go far, far, far to the other extreme and a homeless person walks in and that’s here,
but it’s a whole lot closer to home than that because you and I all know, we don’t meet those kinds of people every day in either direction. Some people in certain life situations and certain neighborhood, they do probably meet the lower end. But few of us are walking in the other circles. Now he is directly referencing the assembly when someone comes in,
but keep this in mind. There is a unchangeable separation from living like God and treating someone with respect of persons. I’m not going to go too far into that fault line because we’re actually going to talk about it some in the sermon this morning, but here’s what I want you to get. You cannot even hold faith. You cannot even grasp onto and maintain your faith while simultaneously treating people with partiality.
Now, you all have all seen the news and you are all fully aware that there is a very big conversation going on in our world about partiality, but here’s what we need to come to grips with. That’s not the only conversation about partiality that we need to be having in this world. You know, we treat or we teach partiality from the youngest of ages and we need to,
we need to be able to discern the difference between good judgment and partiality. What I meant by we teach partiality from the youngest of ages is go to any school and look at the clicks among the kids. And you don’t think they’re learning partiality from one another. Oh yeah. Oh, well, you didn’t buy your jeans at that place. So I’m not going to spend time with you.
And it doesn’t matter what color you are by way of skin. Oh, you, you, you’re a different kind of person than me that happens all the time. Race is just one way that our culture abuses this commandment and transgresses this commandment. But notice what he says. He says, but where do not whole earth use me, my brother, and do not hold the face of our Lord.
Jesus Christ. The Lord of glory with partiality. Here’s the, the, the fundamental piece of this. When you treat someone with partiality, when you become a respect of persons, you have dislodged yourself from a proper relationship with God, because you, at some point took your perspective away from I, nothing but his servant. When Jesus told his disciples,
you’re going to stand before Kings. And you’re going to stand before governors. And you’re going to stand before rulers. And you’re going to stand before the highest and the lowest of men. And no matter where you stand or who you stand in front of, here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to preach the gospel of Christ. And he told those disciples before he sent out the 12 and before he sent out the 70,
you’re going to be told what you should say specifically to the 12. And he tells them, as he prepares to go back into heaven, it’s going to be given to you in that very hour. What you will say, you’re not going to have to dwell on it and consider it because guess what? You’re just the spokesperson. You’re just the servant.
That person who may have a great office is standing before your master. Therefore, you don’t need to show them or any partiality you show partiality to him. Okay? Now notice what he says. Verse two, for IPF, there should come into your assembly. So there’s our context in the assembly. A man with gold rings in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes.
Here’s one who’s rich. He’s finally dressed. Here’s one, who’s poor. He’s in rags. And you pay attention to the one, wearing the fine clothes and say to him, you sit here in a good place and say to the poor man, you stand there or sit here at my footstool. Have you not shown partiality among yourselves and become judges of with evil thoughts?
He says, You look back in your heart because your works, describe what’s inside your deeds reveal your inner thoughts. And he says, have you not become one who? And look at this term, judges, James writing here throughout the book, concentrates itself in bringing forward the old Testament into the new Testament, Christians life. We’re going to talk about the Royal law in this chapter.
We’re going to talk about a number of things, but one of the things that he brings in here that I think sometimes we just kind of skip over Is God said, you act like I commanded my judges to act One of the commandments to Moses. When he began to Institute judges is your judges. They can’t show partiality. They cannot give preference to a rich man who can do them good.
And they don’t give preference by the way, either. This is also in the old Testament to a poor man over a rich man, just because he’s poor. You see it would be just as simple as let’s just use this for a moment. It would be just as sinful for a man in rags to come in. And we say, you know what?
You go sit in the great seat because you’re poor. And a man who Dre is dressed in fine apparel to walk in. You go sit on the floor because you’re rich. We don’t like you. That’s still judging with partiality. That’s just as wrong Because either way, you’re not judging the person based upon their deeds, their actions, their obedience, to God,
their willingness to hear the gospel. You’re judging them based upon how they look. And either direction is evil and we’re plagued with both sides in our culture. But then notice what we read. He says, listen, my blood brethren has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him.
He says, God chose the poor. Now, does that mean that every poor person is going to hear the gospel? Nope. That’s not what he was talking about. What he’s talking about here is a stark reality seen in the life of Christ who wanted to spend time with Jesus, The poor, Those who were sinners, who did he eat with those who were sinners,
those who were tax collectors, those who were out, those who were rejected by society. Why? Because they were, and because having been cast out, having been rejected by society, they saw their need with clarity. And yet a rich person often can’t see the forest for the trees. He can’t see his need because he’s too busy looking in his riches.
He says, do or she used to be verse verse six, but you have this honored, the poor man do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts. Just, just one more argument to just pile on to this. James says, and by the way, Christians who typically do you get the most persecution from in Jewish society, the poor people or the rich person,
who’s constantly dragging you into the courts, trying to get you thrown out of the synagogue, trying to get you castigated out of society because you are following Christ. And yet that rich person comes in and you’re going to show him deference. But he goes on to say this. He says, if you really fulfill the Royal law, according to the scripture,
you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors for whoever shall keep the whole law. And yet stumble. In one point, he is guilty of all four. He who said, do not commit. Adultery also said, do not murder. But if you,
now, if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. Now this last section is one that I think because of the way it’s stated, generally just causes us to go wait a minute. If you transgress the law in one point, you’re now guilty of all. Notice what he says. He says,
so speak. And so do as to those who will be judged by the law of Liberty for judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy, mercy triumphs over. I heard a great illustration this week in regards to this passage in view of the, when you’re guilty of one, you’re guilty of all. Doesn’t mean if you commit murder,
God holds you accountable as an adulterer. That’s not what it means. Not because you’ve committed one sin. You’ve lied. Now you’re guilty of every sin. And none of it means you have become a transgressor of the law, no matter which of those sins you commit. And so here was the illustration of a cow in a field. We have a few farmers here today.
You have a cow in a field field, has a fence around it. At one point the fence, the cow breaks through the fence and goes outside the field. Did the cow have to break through every part of the fence to get outside the field? Nope. Just one is the cow now outside the field, no matter what part of the fence he went through.
Yes. And so you’re under the guilt of the law because you’re outside the fence. Not because you went outside of the fence at a particular point in the fence, but because you’re outside the fence, you transgressed went beyond the fence. So he’s saying, listen, you may say I don’t. And this is, this is the argument over in Romans chapter two.
I didn’t commit murder. I didn’t steal. I didn’t commit adultery. I didn’t do this. I didn’t do this. I didn’t do this. And Paul says, and yet you judge others unrighteousness, which makes you just as guilty as the person who did all those things, because you transgressed the law. Romans chapter three says for all, have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
And that’s where we backed this straight back up to person walks through the door. They walk through the door and they’re dressed in riches and they’re a sinner and a person walks through the door and he’s dressed in rags and he’s a sinner. So how should we treat a sinner? Because the answer’s the same for both of them. We ought to treat them in such a way that they realize that their soul has far more value than how they’re dressed.
And that is true in every kind of definition you can apply to showing partiality that their soul is the only thing they have that is of utmost value. And their soul has more value than every other thing they possess. Which means what it means that poor man has just as much by way of valuable possessions is that rich man, because he possesses one soul.
Now he then says, what does it profit? What do you gain by this is his question. What does it profit? My brethren. If someone says he has faith, but does not have works. Can faith save him? This problem of partiality was one example. This is, this is an obvious illustration of an obvious problem that they are obviously having,
but it’s not the only one he’s saying take this and now we’ll apply it across the board too. I was instructed to do something by God and I’m ignoring it. Okay? That’s the point here? He says, what does it profit? My brother? And if someone says he has faith, but does not have works. Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
and one of you says to them, depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body. What does it profit? You claim to have faith in God, you claim that God gives you your daily provision. You claim that God provides for you. No matter your status in life. And then you see someone in need and you do nothing.
Actually, you don’t do nothing. You say, may God bless you, but then refuse to be the blessing. That is what James is saying, Oh, you you’ve heard the word. You’ve heard what God told you to do. And you know that there’s should be a blessing from God, somewhere for everyone who’s in need. And yet you think it ought to be somebody else.
You know what? Somebody should help that person. Aren’t you, somebody there’s our problem. This happens in congregations. Thankfully, it doesn’t happen here a whole lot. Somebody will say, you know, somebody needs to fix that, that door hangs or that light’s not working or that the carpet over there is dirty or what got on the list. Somebody needs to fix that.
Aren’t we? Somebody? Oh, well, well that’s that, that, that, uh, well, the women will get after me. If I start messing with that. So I’m not going to, you know, we start going down the list of reasons and excuses. We don’t do what we ought to do, but how much more important are people?
James goes on to say thus, also faith by itself. If it does not have works is dead, but someone will say you have faith. And I have works. The response though is show me your faith without your works. And I will show you my faith by my works in your mind, step over to Hebrews chapter 11 and ask yourself, which one of the people in the hall of faith had faith.
Only none of them, or they wouldn’t have been in the list. Someone goes up to Noah. I have faith that the floods coming really because I’ve been talking to everybody and nobody believes me. I have faith of the floods coming. Okay, what are you going to do about it? Well, we we’ve got, we’ve got this section of the boat.
We could really use some help with this, this, Oh, no. I just believe that the floods coming I’m I’m not doing anything to prepare for it. And where’s that person when the flood actually comes outside the boat, why? Because their faith didn’t produce works. Now notice what he says. He says, but someone will say you have faith.
And I have works. Show me your faith without your works. And I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God, you do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. You say, I believe in Jesus. I believe there’s one. God. I believe in the Bible, go down list. James is saying great,
great, great, but you’re not going to do anything about it. Well, even the demons believe everything you said. Matter of fact, they have great assurance that God exists and the Jesus exists. And that the Bible has his revelation and that everything that was told about them in it’s going to come to pass. So how are you better than a demon?
He goes on to say, but do you want to know? Oh, foolish man, that faith without works is dead, was not Abraham. Our father justified by works. When he offered Isaac, his son on the alter, do you see that faith was working? Excuse me, do you see that faith was working together with his words and by faith,
excuse me. And by works, faith was made perfect. And the scripture was fulfilled, which says Abraham believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God. You see them that a man is justified by works and not by faith. Only some will come to this passage to say, alright, but where we’re talking here about,
we’re not talking about saving faith, we’re not talking about faith that produces a need to be baptized and you’re baptized. And then you’re safe. We’re talking. Abraham was Abraham already had relationship with God. Okay. Before Abraham was told to go offer his son before any of that, uh, Abraham already had a relationship with God. So we’re not talking about saving faith.
You’re saved by faith only. And then you do these works. That’s what we’re talking about right now, because look at the next illustration. Likewise was not how’d the harlot also justified by works. When she received the messengers and sent them out another way, you might be able to make the fallacious argument that Abraham’s already saved. And the works we’re talking about here were works of obedience.
Not works that we’re obedient to salvation, but you certainly can’t make the claim about rehab. And just to make sure you can’t make that claim. How does James describe her? Rayhab the harlot. Now you go back into the account in the book of Joshua and you can read that old Testament word and you can read it and it can be translated in keeper.
And she probably was by the way, and it could be translated harlot, but this one can, this one can be translated. One way, harlot. Here’s a woman who you go back in the old Testament story. And she knows that God has given Israel this land. And she knows some thing about the God of Israel, because she’ll tell the spies that because she knows about how that God brought them out of Egypt and separated the red sea and brought them across on dry land.
She knows who God is. Does that mean she has any idea about all of the commandments and all of the covenants and all no, but 40 years ago, the God of Israel destroyed the Egyptian nation and brought that people out and brought them to the edge of Canaan and then took them into the wilderness. But she knew because it had been said they were coming back and their God had given them this land.
And based upon that faith, she acted you and I, as we look at our lives, we will often overcomplicate the issue of obedience. The issue of working based upon our faith. We’ll overcomplicate it because we’ll come up with a thousand reasons why we shouldn’t be as involved as we should be, or we shouldn’t do this thing. That is Rick right in front of us to do.
James question is here’s Ray Hab and she’s a pagan and she’s a center. And she is part of a Canaanite nation that has been condemned, judged, and sentenced to death. But she was a person who was willing to hear the word of God, believe what God had said and obey in doing something good for someone else. As a result, chapter one,
verse 26, if anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart. This one’s religion is useless, pure and undefiled religion before God. And the fatherless is this. And then he talks about how we treat those in need. These spies were in need. And she said, I’m going to do what is good,
protect them. Not because of who they are. Not because they could pay me to do it because I know who their God is. And they, and he is my only hope. So when you and I go through our lives and we look through choices and we look at opportunities and those opportunities staring us in the face. And sometimes those opportunities are people us in the face and we choose not to live out our faith.
Then we choose to remind ourselves that perhaps our faith is nothing real. Not because it has a problem, but because we claimed to believe it and then do nothing. Let’s go through the questions. Question. Number one, should Christians show partiality or favoritism to those who are rich in worldly goods? No question two. Why should a person be merciful to others so that they will have mercy?
Yes or no. Can a man’s faith save him if he has no works, no faith without works is dead. Let me go back and just say one thing, because I think I dropped the thought, didn’t come back to it on the issue of salvation, the issue of salvation and this passage are completely compatible. When you hear the word and faith is produced by the hearing of the word,
you then must act on it. And it is the obedience to God’s commandments on how to be saved, which by the way, the whole chapter that we just read was all about obeying God’s commandments. Okay. Beginning with religion and the commandment to do good to those who are in need, going to religion and obeying the commandment to not show partiality to Abraham,
obeying the commandment, to sacrifice his son, to Ray Hab, obeying the commandment, recognizing who, what God was doing. Faith produced obedience to the commandments and the commandment about how we’re saved is clear throughout the entire new Testament. Okay. So I just wanted to get that out and verbalize it in case I did a question five, how does an individual show his faith by his works?
Yes or no. Number six, do the demons believe in God? Yes. As a result of their belief, they blink tremble and old Testament Bible character who was called the quote friend of God was Abraham. All right, there are some additional scriptures and some additional details on the bottom of the page that you can study at your leisure. Thank you for your attention.
We will be dismissed until the worst power<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> good morning. Welcome to the Collierville church Christ Sunday morning worship service is great to see each and every one of our members. And we have lots of visitors here this morning because it is Eric and Holly’s last day with us bittersweet day, sad for us, but great for them because they’re going to go out into this world and do great things for God.
I’m sure that all the visitors that are here, we are glad you were able to make it and worship God with us today. And I would ask if you have the opportunity to please get a visitors card from on the Pew in front of you there and fill it out. So we have a record of your attendance with us today. Other announcements, uh,
want to welcome those that are unable to make it here because of the ongoing health concerns or personal health reasons that keep you at home. What we are glad that you are able with technology. We have the data to join us via live stream or the call in. We truly miss each and every one of you. And look forward to the day that we can all assemble again together to worship God,
please remember our sick Rodel and Dorothy Wilson, Joan Springer, she’s dealing with multiple problems. So please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Ava Morgan’s sister-in-law K Fisher had open heart surgery a few days ago and is not doing too well from that surgery. So please keep her in your thoughts and prayers and that entire family and your thoughts and prayers in the days to come.
The Memphis school of preaching and graduation is today. It’s over at the forest Hill church of Christ. The reception is from three to four this afternoon, that will be in the fellowship hall. Then the actual graduation ceremony itself will be at 5:00 PM in their main auditorium. If you’re able to make it, it would be a great time for us to come over there and re wish the Richardson family.
Well, a nationwide gospel meeting call continues to go this week. The flyers are out here on a table that is Monday through Friday. That will be the last week of that. And that’s at 9:00 PM that you can call in and listen to that. And a flyer out there lists who’s speaking each day on that, uh, Potter’s children home pantry I had him for the month of June is the dryer dryer sheets.
So if you have an opportunity, please get some of them, bring them in and put them on the cart, out in the back so we can give them to them the next time to come down here to pick stuff up. That’s all the announcements today’s service. Our song leader will be Eric Richardson. I will have the opening prayer. The Lord’s supper will be Terry Sanderson.
Sermon will be Aaron quotes are in our closing. Prayer will be Marie sprayer. Thank you. Good morning. Let’s turn number two. Page number six, eight, four will be on the overhead 684<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh, uh,<inaudible> uh<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh, uh,<inaudible> uh<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Let us pray.
God, our father in heaven, we come to you at this time, thanking you for another opportunity to do assemble here this morning, to sing songs of praise, your name, but most importantly, study another portion of your word so that we know how to properly serve you. As we go about our daily lives here on earth. God, we ask that you be with each of those six that are mentioned here this morning.
And we know also there are numerous ones that were not mentioned. We ask that you be with each and every one of them, their caretakers and their care providers and their families. And if it’d be your will restore them to a measure of health that they so desire so that they may come out one day and worship you again and serve you here on your earth.
God, we also ask that you, uh, be with those that are traveling, is there will be many amongst the congregation here this morning that will be traveling either this evening or tomorrow. And we ask that you provide safe journey to their destination. We ask that you pour your blessings out upon the Richardson family. We know that they will do great works for you.
And we ask that you help them. If they do run into struggles to give them the proper guidance so that they may bring the lost souls into your fold. Now, as we prepare to study another portion of your word, we ask that you help each and every one of us have open hearts and open minds. So we may understand the lesson that brother Aaron is going to bring to us this morning so that we made better our lives and our service to you here on earth.
We pray all this in your son jesus’ name. Amen. Prepare our minds for the Lord separate we’ll see. Number 383. Jesus. Keep me near the cross three, eight, three<inaudible> uh, across the, uh,<inaudible>. Uh<inaudible> uh<inaudible> uh we’re uh<inaudible> uh<inaudible> uh<inaudible> so, uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> me.<inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh,
we were, uh, SPE, uh<inaudible> uh<inaudible> uh, uh, God<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible>, uh,<inaudible> uh, or, uh, uh,<inaudible>, uh, We’re commanded in the new test, but, uh, to protect the Lord’s supper and the new, uh, first century church did this on the first day or the week and not just first day of one week every week.
And we will do that to this at this time. Let us pray. Our father who art in heaven. We thank you for this day and opportunity to have together around that table. We talked to you for this loaf, which represents the body of Christ. It would have broken on the cross that we might have for forgiveness of sin. We pray as we take a bit reduce on amount of plays in an eyesight and Christ name,
we pray, amen. Let us pray. We continue. I thank you father for this fruit of the vine, which represents the blood that was shed on the cross will wash away our sin. We pray as we, as we do it, we will do it in a manner plays in that side and Christ name. We pray. Amen. We’re also commanded to give back and as we have been blessed,
and they also did this on the first day of the week, and we’ll do that at this time. Let’s pray father who art in heaven. We thank you for the many blessings that you give us each day. We thank you for our jobs and our means of earning a living to support our families and to support the church here at Collierville. We pray that we will give back cause we are blessed and with a cheerful heart and crash plan,
we pray, I man has been a basket lift back on the back table, back there for you to put your contribution in. And, uh, so we won’t have to pass it around. And if you do that at your convenience, thank you. What the same number? 611, 611 heavenly sunlight.<inaudible> Jesus.<inaudible> uh, never can’t<inaudible> I am rich.<inaudible> Jesus is my shadow.
So around me, shadows up me<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh<inaudible> uh, I am rich<inaudible> he’s uh, Jesus is, uh,<inaudible> uh, uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Our invitation song will be 943 and it will not be on the overhead. So please Mark that in your book. Number 943 nine four three, Our song before the lesson would be number 608 number 608.
Let us stand for this song and continue to be standing for the scripture. Reading number six, zero eight. He gave me a song. He took my burdens<inaudible> Oh, wonderful. So, Oh, wonderful song. I now can sing<inaudible> uh, Oh,<inaudible> anyway. He gave me a wonderful, wonderful song. I now can stick to it.
He gave me a wonderful, you gave me a song to sing up. Uh<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> a wonderful,<inaudible> wonderful. Uh, and some of these<inaudible> gave me a song to sing up. Uh<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> Our scripture reading will be Psalm 25, verse one through three Psalm 25, one through three to you. Oh Lord. I lift up my soul.
Oh my God. I trust in you. Let me not be ashamed, letting not my enemies, triumph over me and deed. Let no one who waits on you. Be ashamed. Let those be ashamed. Who deal treacherously without cause please be seated. Good morning. It is a joy and an honor. Pleasure as always to stand before you to proclaim God’s word.
It’s good to see each and every one of you here, especially good to have our many visitors, uh, and we’re grateful for their presence. Two weeks ago, we noticed Psalm 25 in the first four verses. And we noticed this declaration, this praise, this recognition from the Psalmus writer of his need for God, as well as his desire for God to direct his life.
And we, we concluded with verse four, where we introduced this thought the Psalmus writer says in verse four, show me your ways, Oh, Lord, teach me your paths. The Psalmist writer wants God to show him the direction to walk. Matthew chapter seven, Jesus said there are two paths. One of them is narrow and straight and hard. And few there will be who find it.
And another path exists, which many will find it’s wide. It’s broad and it’s easy to walk. And many, he said, we’ll go in there at that path, leads to destruction. So as we concluded our thoughts two weeks ago, where this Soma’s writer is crying out to God, show me your paths. We talked about the need to follow the path of the Lord,
the need to follow the instruction of the Lord. But what I want to do in this lesson is bring it down to a really practical level because it’s not just the reality that we ought to have God direct our lives, but we ought to look into his word and actually see how he has already directed our lives. Because individuals throughout the old Testament and new Testament requested God,
show me your ways. And then they were shown. So what we want to do in this lesson this morning, what you have in the handout, if you picked one of those up, or it was given to you is a series of passages that first and foremost in the first section will be words or descriptions of what God has already showed someone concerning his path.
And the second part are God’s ways. When we really begin to sum up, what does God say about his way of doing things who he really is? We’ll build hopefully a picture of God. That ought to be a picture of us going to begin in Genesis chapter 12 in Genesis chapter 12, Abraham is called by God. This is an interesting passage in many ways,
for many reasons, but I want to notice this particular idea, Genesis chapter 12 and verse one. Now the Lord said to Abraham, get out of your country from your family and from your father’s house to a land, I will show you God calls upon Abraham to not only obey him, but to trust him. He calls upon Abraham to obey him,
to have faith in his promises and to go the direction that he provides. One of the things that you realize when you look at the, uh, the people of Israel as they come out of Egypt, when you look at at Abraham is he’s there in the wilderness or he was he’s there as he’s there in Canaan. When you look at, uh,
Isaac and Jacob as well, when they’re in the land, but they’re so journeys, they’re going places. They’re staying for a while. Then they’re moving and God is directing them. We don’t always read. God said, go here. But we see every time they move, they build an altar and they worship the Lord in that location. God says here to Abraham,
get up and go. But he also says go to a land. I will show you. So we understand that when we ask God, show us your ways. The first thing we’re asking for is point us in the right direction. Direction is one of the things that we will find. God showed people, but then consider Exodus chapter 25, Exodus chapter 25 beginning in verse one,
we read here. Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, speak to the children of Israel. That they bring me an offering from everyone who gives it willingly with his heart. You shall take my offering. God tells the children of Israel. Remember they came out of Egypt and when they came out of Egypt, he said, you ask of your neighbors and those around you for possessions.
And they’ll give it to you. God plundered, Egypt by asking and as the children of Israel come out and come to Mount Sinai. As they reach Mount Sinai, they prepare to do these things, to build the tabernacle and to do the follow the commandments of God. And God tells Moses. You ask for the people to give you willingly and offering that will bring about the sanctuary of God.
Go down, go down to verse eight in verse eight, we read and let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you. That is the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings. Just so you shall make it. God says Israel, I want your heart. I don’t want you to give a certain percentage in this offering.
I don’t want you to give because someone’s forced you to, I don’t want you to give this way or that way. I want you to look in your heart and give it’s one of those passages where we find that finally, Moses had to tell the people stop giving. We’ve got enough, but notice here as well in verses eight and nine, that God said,
I want your heart, but I’m going to show you a pattern. I’m going to give you the direction of how you do what I’ve commanded you to do. And at the end of the verse nine, he says, just so you shall make it. He says, I’m going to give you a pattern and you’re going to follow it. And you’re going to follow it to the letter.
When we ask God to show us his ways and to teach us his paths, we better be prepared that when God presents us a pattern of how we are to live and how we are to worship and how we are to act and how, what role we are supposed to play in this life. And in his kingdom, we better be prepared to mold ourself to the pattern just so because God has already determined how he wants to use what our hearts produce.
So we see God showed direction. He showed pattern, but he also showed light Deuteronomy chapter one, Deuteronomy chapter one. And in verse 29, we read as Moses is going to rehearse in the ears of the second generation. He is going to rehearse what has gone before. And he’s going to tell them about what the first generation that came out of Egypt experienced.
And then we read in chapter one, verse 29. Then I said to you do not be terrified or afraid of them. The Lord, your God, who goes before you, he will fight for you. According to all that he did for you in Egypt, before your eyes and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord, your God carried you as a man,
carries his son in all the way that you went until you came to this place. Yet, for all that, you did not believe that the Lord, your God, who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go in the fire by night and in the clown by day,
he says, you didn’t believe him. You didn’t do what he said to do. Yet. You saw him, you saw the manifestation of him in the fire at night, directing your paths in the cloud by day. You saw it, consider this idea as you’re looking for the ways of God and you’re searching for the direction to go. And you’re looking for the pattern to follow.
God had Israel watch day and night for the light, Joshua chapter five in this same regard, reveals this to us, Joshua chapter five. And in verse six for the children of Israel walked 40 years in the wilderness till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt were consumed because they did not obey the voice of the Lord to whom the Lord swore that he would not show them the land,
which the Lord had sworn to their fathers, that he should give us a land flowing with milk. And honey notice here in verse six, that God went and brought them around the wilderness because he wouldn’t show them. He wouldn’t show them what he had promised them because they wouldn’t obey his voice. Now step over to Nehemiah chapter nine, Nehemiah chapter nine.
And in verse 19, my fingers keep going right past Nehemiah, Nehemiah chapter nine. And in verse 19, we read yet in your manifold mercies, you did not forsake them in the wilderness. Notice this here they are in the wilderness. They’ve gone to Sinai. They’ve been there. Sinai. They leave Sinai. They go up to the edge of the land of Canaan.
They refuse to go in. They’re rejected by God. He sends them out into the wilderness for 40 years and it could have been, it could have been, is there wandering in the wilderness that God just said, you know what? Just stay out here and die. I’m not taking you to the land anymore, but that’s not what happened. God’s presence was continually with them.
They weren’t in the promised land. They weren’t where they wanted to be. They weren’t going to receive the promise, but they still had his presence. He goes on to say in verse 19, yet in your manifold mercies, you did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day to lead them on the road,
nor the pillar of fire by night to show them light and the way they should go. Now, what was the condemnation in John chapter one in John chapter one, the condemnation concerning the people in Jesus’s day was they saw the light and they rejected it. They walked away from it. When you say to God, show me your ways. You better start looking for the light and you better start walking in the light.
First, John chapter one, as we walk in the light, the blood of Christ continues to cleanse us of our sins. So we need to be looking for the light. But first Samuel chapter 16, we also see another example of what God has showed someone in the past first, Samuel chapter 16. And in verse two, going down through verse three and Samuel said,
how can I go? If Saul hears that he will kill me now, what’s going on here? God saying, I’m rejecting Sol as my King over Israel. And I’m going to replace him and Samuel, you’re going to go anoint him and saying, you’ll says, how can I go? How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.
But, but the Lord said, take a heifer with you and say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice. And I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint for me, the one I named to you, God tells Samuel, I’m going to show you who I want. I’m going to show you who the next King is going to be.
So here’s Samuel and he’s waiting for God to show him who the next King is. And he sees the oldest son of Jesse and he looks like a King. That must be it. And God says, no, I’ve rejected him. And the next one and the next one, and the next one on down the line until all the sons who are present for the sacrifice are eliminated.
Something that we’re told here is when Samuel sees what he thinks he’s looking for. God says, I don’t look on the outward part of man. I look on the heart. God showed Samuel that he places responsibility on individuals, not based upon their appearance, but their heart. God showed Samuel. The heart is what matters, but then consider second Chronicles.
Chapter 16, as we journey through the old Testament. Second Chronicles, chapter 16. Here’s what we find the days of EISA second Chronicles, chapter 16, beginning in verse seven. And that, that time Hannah nigh, the senior, came to Asia King of Judah and said to him, because you have relied on the King of Syria and have not relied on the Lord,
your God, therefore the army of the King of Syria has escaped from your hand. Here’s what’s going on. EISA was a good King. He didn’t always make the right choices. At one point in his time as King, he overcame an army of a million people because God delivered him. But then he was encroached upon by another army. And instead of going to God for deliverance,
he went to the King of Syria. So as a result of that, God’s going to rebuke him. And this is the sea or the prophet Hannah and I coming to do that. Verse eight. We’re the Ethiopians. That was the army of the million and the lube them not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen yet because you relied on the Lord.
He delivered them into your hand for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong. On behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him in this, you have done foolishly. Therefore from now on, you shall have Wars. Notice what happened. God said to EISA. I delivered you this first time and you should have relied on me because I show strength to those who are in need.
There was a time in the life of the apostle Paul, where he was plagued by trouble. We’re not sure what the trouble was, but he called it his thorn in the flesh. And he asked God three times to remove it from him. And God said no every single time, but he didn’t just say no. He told Paul in your weakness is my strength.
God showed strength to those who are weak, Psalm 16, Psalm 16. We find another example. As you go down this line of things, God has shown. You’re going to begin to see this picture of God and what he wants for us to formulate. Hopefully on this page for you, Psalm 16 and in verses 10 through 11 four, you will not leave my soul in shield,
nor will you allow your Holy one to see corruption. This is David and he’s writing. But as Peter in acts, chapter two reveals to us, he’s writing it prophetically, not about himself because Peter reveals it was an acts chapter two that the body of David is still here, still present with us. And it’s still in his tomb. But instead he’s writing this about the Messiah he says for you will not leave my soul in shield,
nor will you allow your Holy one to see corruption. You will show me the path of life in your presence is fullness of joy at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Here’s the Messiah. Here’s Christ going to the cross and dying and relying on God, the father to show him the path of life. God showed life. And in that life, we’re talking about resurrection,
a new life by the power of God, but then consider chapter 25. As we loop our way back to this chapter later on in the chapter. And in verse 14, the Salmas writer declares this. The secrets of the Lord is with those who fear him and he will show them his covenants. God says, I want you to understand something. I’m going to reveal something to you.
That’s the idea of secrets there. That which is not revealed. The Samas writer is saying this, this God who I asked for me to show him, show me his ways, who I asked for him to teach me his paths. This God whom I fear this. God is showing me these secrets. What are these secrets? His revelation, but keep in mind something Jesus said,
as he was teaching individuals, that those who were, who had eyes, wouldn’t see, because they were blind spiritually. The revelation for us. Now, this wasn’t always true in David’s day, but the revelation for us is here. And if we have eyes to see, we can do exactly what Jesus said. He who has eyes to see, let him see.
But if we don’t first fear, God, we won’t keep his commandments. The revelation of God is in his covenants. In his promises. God is a God of secrets revealed in covenants. And we are to be those who understand and see those promises and live by them. But then Psalm 51, Psalm 51 in a Psalm of repentance and as song where there is a writer who is crying out to God to be made clean,
to be restored to righteousness. He says in verse 15, Oh Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall show forth your praise. So we go down a of things that God has showed people in the past. We don’t have to go very far before we find God showing them worship before God shows them to praise him. When we asked for God to show us the life,
where to live the path, where to walk, we better be making plans for worship because that path and that way goes straight through our praise of him. One thing, God didn’t show. Matter of fact, one thing God showed you must not do. This is in his EEQ Ezekiel chapter 33, God condemns Israel. ZQ chapter 33 beginning in verse 31.
God says, so they have come to you as people do. This is a common thing. You don’t have to look hard to find this not in as equals day and not today. So they have come to you as people do. They sit before you as my people and they hear your words, but they do not do them for, with their mouth.
They show much love, but with their heart pursue their own gain. Indeed, you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument for they hear your words, but they do not do them. When the Psalm is writer says, show me your ways. O Lord teach me your paths.
You better believe that God expects us. If we’re going to express the same sentiment to not only be shown his ways, but to then implement his ways, because it is not enough to assemble together or to sit down with your Bible and think, wow, look at all of the wonderful poetry. Look at how this writer expresses this. So vividly. Think of all these wonderful things and these nuggets of wisdom,
all the while, all we really care about is ourselves. You know, if you wanted a pretty, pretty much a guaranteed path forward economically for your life, you could spend your entire life as a consultant for businesses by extracting the principles out of the book of Proverbs and just teaching them to business owners and you’d get paid a fortune. I know this because there’s a number of people out there doing it right now.
And you could do that for your own gain while never implementing a single one of them in your own life. But Jesus said, what does it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul. So we’ve got a picture hopefully of what God’s already showed in the past. But now very quickly. I want us to go through a few passages about what God has showed us.
He is because remember the Psalmus writer, doesn’t just say, show me the path. He doesn’t say, show me the way he says, show me your ways. Teach me your paths. Genesis chapter 24. When you see a picture of God, when you understand who God is, the very first thing. If you go through all the old Testament,
you’re going to find this over and over and over again. You’re going to find the picture of God as a picture of kindness in Exodus, chapter 24. And in verse 12, we read this. Then the Lord said to Moses, come up to me on the mountain and I, and be there. And I will give you tablets of stone and the law and the commandments,
which I have written that you may teach them. Notice God wants to teach Israel his commandments through these commandments and judgments. Now go to chapter 40 verse 12 of the book of Exodus, chapter 40 and verse 12. We read. Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water. And you shall put the Holy garments on air and then anoint them and consecrate them.
Then he may minister to me as priest. And you shall bring his sons and clothed them with tunings. You shall anoint them as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me as priest for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations. Thus Moses did, according to all that, the Lord commanded him. So he did here.
The statutes here, the commandments here is the establishment of the priesthood to bridge the gap between a sinless people and their God. Turn to chapter 41. Wait, just a minute. I’m I’m in Exodus. One of y’all needed to point that out to me. Hey Aaron, you’re in the wrong book. Genesis chapter 41 in verse nine, get this right.
Genesis chapter 41. This builds on chapter 40, which I forgot to read because I read the wrong book. Joseph is in prison. He’s been put in prison and he has revealed the dream of the Butler and the Baker. And the Butler has been brought back to Pharaoh in Joseph told him, you show me kindness. You tell Pharaoh about me. You get me out of here.
Two years later, still hasn’t happened in chapter 41. And in verse nine, then the chief Butler spoke to Pharaoh saying, I remember my faults this day when Pharaoh was angry with his servant and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief Baker. We each had a dream in one night. He and I,
each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. Now there was a young man, a young Hebrew man with us. They’re a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us to each man. He interpreted according to his own dream and it came to pass just as he interpreted for us.
So it happened. He restored me to my office and he hanged him. Joseph asked for kindness, this man for God. And he said, I remember now today, my faults, because I failed to show kindness, turn back to Genesis chapter 24, Genesis chapter 24. And in verse 12, then he said, Oh Lord God of my master Abraham,
please give me success this day and show kindness to my master. Abraham. That one makes a lot more sense here. The servant of Abraham pleads on behalf of, of his master show, my master kindness. Why does he ask for kindness? Because he knows who God is because he knows that God is a God of loving kindness. And because he knows that God has made a promise.
You have the covenants and you have the laws and you have the promises and they come together in God’s kindness toward us. Romans chapter five. We’re told that while we were yet sinners, the God who gave us the laws and the commandments and the judgments whose laws we broke and who condemned us and judged us at the same time, showed us kindness by giving us his son,
but then consider Xs chapter seven. We see God as a God of kindness. We see God as a God of power and Exodus chapter seven. And in verse nine, we read beginning in verse eight, then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron saying, when Pharaoh speaks to you saying, show America for yourselves, then you shall say to Aaron, take your Ron and cast it before Pharaoh and let it become a serpent.
God will proceed forth from this point and do miracle after miracle. After miracle, after miracle in front of Egypt and Pharaoh to declare his power God’s ways are ways of power. And you can read that all throughout the old and the new Testament, but turn to Exodus chapter 23, Exodus chapter 23. And in verse three, God says through Moses to his judges in Israel,
you shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute. God says you don’t show partiality. As a judge, we read this morning in our class in James chapter two about the fact that we are judges and we are not to show partiality. We are to be those who instead are just and show righteous judgment. I’d love to spend more time on that,
but we’re going to forgo it for the sake of time in numbers, chapter 16, numbers, chapter 16, verses three through seven. We see another attribute of God. We’ve seen his kindness. We see his power. We see the fact that he does not show partiality because he also commands us not to show partiality. But then we also see his holiness in numbers,
chapter 16, dealing with the rebellion of, of Cora and, uh, and day thin. And Abiram, and on we read in verses three through seven, they gathered together against Moses and Aaron and said to them, you take too much upon yourselves for all the congregation is Holy. Every one of them and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?
Here’s their, their argument against Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s priesthood. And Moses’s leadership is all the congregations, Holly. So we can all be priests. We can all stand where we want to stand. Moses who gave you, right? So when Moses heard it, he fell on his face and he spoke to Cora and all his company saying tomorrow morning,
the Lord will show you who is his and who is Holy and will cause him to come near to him. That one whom he chooses, he will cause to come near to him. Do this, take sensors, Cora, and all your company put fire in them, put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow. And it shall be that the man whom the Lord chooses is the Holy one.
You take too much upon yourselves. You sons of Levi. We know from the remainder of the account, that God would open up the earth and swallow them at declare who he claimed was really Holy and who was his man. And it would be Moses. But in first Peter chapter one, Peter draws forward. This idea of holiness and says, be ye Holy for God is Holy.
When Cora said all the congregation is Holy. Not just you, Aaron, not just you, Moses, he at the same time was signing his own death warrant because he was choosing not to be Holy before God Deuteronomy chapter seven. One attribute that offsets some of these others as we look at gong is seen here in this section because we’ve looked at kindness.
We’ve looked at power. We’ve looked at not showing partiality. We’ve looked at holiness, but there’s another one. And it’s judgment. Cause you don’t get God without judgment in Deuteronomy chapter seven, verse one. When the Lord, your God brings you into the land, which you can go to possess and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites,
the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites and the parasites and the Hivites and the JB sites, seven nations, greater and mightier than you. And when the Lord, your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them utterly and destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor make show mercy to them, nor shall you make marriages with them.
You shall not give them your daughters for their sons nor take their daughter for your son for, they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods. So the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy. You. Suddenly God tells Israel, you go into this land and you make no covenants and you show no mercy and you make no relationships with these people because they will turn you away from me and bring on you.
Their judgment. God’s not showing partiality here. God’s not showing partiality to Israel over the people in this land. God’s saying this people in this land, their time has run out. I gave them time to repent. I put Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in their land for hundreds of years. And they continued to get worse and worse and worse. They wouldn’t repent.
And now their time is up. You do not get God as a God of kindness, power, not part, not showing partiality and holiness, and then get to leave out judgment. Let’s get to the last one. We talked about loving kindness, which is Psalm 17. We talked about that a little bit in number one, but then Psalm 25.
Again, as again, we come back to this song. We are again, reminded that God is a God of revelation. God is a God of covenants. Let’s read through the portion of the Psalm from verse four to verse 15, show me your ways of Lord. Teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me for you are the God of my salvation on you.
I wait all the day, remember a Lord, your tender mercies, and your loving kindnesses for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. According to your mercy, remember me for your goodness’s sake. A Lord good and upright is the Lord. Therefore he teaches sinners in the way, the humble he guides in justice,
the humble he teaches his way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies for your name. Seiko Lord. Pardon? My iniquity for it is great. Who is the man that fears the Lord him, shall he teach in the way he chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity and his descendants shall inherit the earth.
The secret of the Lord is with those who fear him and he will show them his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord for, he shall pluck my feet out of the net. There is a danger. There is a danger encroaching upon the lives of every single one of us today. And it’s the danger of sin. It’s the danger of being entrapped by Satan,
his Wiles and his soldiers. But you and I have a choice. We have a choice that we can choose God. Instead, we can seek his ways and we can learn his paths and he will show us. He has shown us and he will pluck us out of disaster and into salvation if we will, but walk in his way. If you’re outside the body of Christ this morning,
you’re outside of that salvation. And it is found in only one case in one location in Christ, you enter into Christ by hearing the word of God and believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God. You enter into Christ by having heard that word and believed it repenting of your sins, because you can’t walk your way and God’s way at the same time,
having repetitive those sins, you must confess allegiance to Christ, confess the name of Christ and be immersed in water, buried in water for the remission of your sins, because God is a God of resurrection and you don’t walk in his light, stained in your old sins. You have to die to those sins and you have to rise to walk in newness of life.
If you’ve done that, then may your thought process every day. Be God, show me your ways, but then sit down with his word and find out what those ways really are. If you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve strayed from the path of righteousness or brought shit, public shame and reproach upon the church, you can come back.
We will pray with you and pray for you. If you have need of the invitation for any reason, why not come now as we stand in, as we sing, can you, uh, Uh, uh, uh,<inaudible> uh<inaudible> uh<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh<inaudible> uh<inaudible> uh<inaudible> and<inaudible> who drives? Uh,
let’s see, um, your, uh,<inaudible> and, uh,<inaudible> Thank Garren for his lesson, and we’re glad to have all of our visitors here with us today. Um, and we welcome everyone back on Wednesday. We will close with our number with our song 711. We’ll have our closing prayer number 711<inaudible>, uh, that, uh,
uh,<inaudible> uh, uh, uh,<inaudible> uh<inaudible> we<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> um, you<inaudible> and, uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Oh, with me, Our father in heaven. We’re thankful for this time that we’ve had to assemble to worship the father in spirit. And in truth, we ask that you would be with us and you would be with our nation father.
As I go through this pandemic, I asked that you would watch over us and protect us and save us from it, asked that you would forgive us of our sins and help us to walk in that sight. Father, forgive us of our sins, help us to do that. We’ll have to come back at the next appointed time. These things were asked in Christ name and amen.
Ask that you’d be seated for a while. There’s going to be a shorter nap, but thank you. Having concluded our services on behalf of the congregation, going to ask Eric and Holly and the family, if they will please come up to the stage up here. This, this is the stage in spite of the fact that I’m good at preaching. I’m not good at speechmaking,
but we want you to know all five of you, how much you mean to us. We want to express to you a token of our appreciation for your work, the work that you’ve done in school, uh, Eric, you and I, and others who have talked through the last two years, know how many hours and nights you’re, you know,
studying in a way. And that’s a sacrifice, not just by you, but by the entire family, but we’re incredibly proud of you. We’re proud of what you’ve done while you’ve been here and how you’ve been a part of this congregation. And we want you to know every single one of you, that you will always be a part of this congregation.
This is just a card and something from the congregation, wishing you happy graduation, best wishes, and every good thought we could wish towards in your future and in your labors as they proceed forward, we love you and services are over, but please stand and give them a round of applause for their successful graduation. In spite of the fact, I asked them to get flunked.<inaudible> well,
it’s hard. This is really hard, but you’ve really loved it here. And we love you guys so much. This is tough for us to go home. We’re excited to go home, but it stuff because you guys am hate at home for us. And we are excited to come back and to see you guys as much as we can. And thank you so much for your love,
your support. You guys have really encouraged me and our family as we’ve gone through school, and it’s tough, but you guys were always there to encourage us. And I really appreciate that. Thank you so much. You were dismissed.