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What Kind of Church Does Christ Want? – Admonition 321

In Admonition Podcast by Web Administrator

Ephesians 5:25-26 – Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
 
 Transcript:
 
 What kind of church does Christ want? What kind of congregation does Christ want your church to be?
 
 In Ephesians, chapter five, we read that he wants a church that’s submissive as a wife is to a husband. He wants a church that is glorious. 
 
 He wants a church that is without spot or wrinkle, verse 27, or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Christ wants a church that’s been washed in the blood, and that’s holy and sanctified. 
 
 Does that describe your church? Dig a little deeper in God’s word and learn more today.
 
 For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.

01-03-2021 – Live Stream – God’s Definition of Faithful (Part 1)

In Live Streams, Sermons by Aaron Cozort

Automated Transcript:

I watch disagrees with the clock, but you know what? We start based upon my watch. I get extra time. So ha ha Just got to convince Tommy that we start off by my watch and we end by that clock. That’s that’s the key there We are in Matthew chapter six, Appreciate Michael filling in for me while I was gone and got a chance to listen to most of the class.

He did a good job. Appreciate that. We’ll have a few things to say about Matthew five, as we, as we get into chapter six, as we go through the chapter, but we won’t do very much talking about it simply because otherwise we won’t get through chapter six, Let’s begin with a word of prayer, Our gracious father in heaven. We come before you thankful for the day.

You’ve granted to us for the life that we have, the opportunities that we have to serve you. We pray that you watch over us and help us to always strive to be faithful to you in all things, to care for you and for your kingdom and for your word above all the riches in the world, help us to understand the value of eternal things over physical things.

As we begin this new year, we are mindful of the year that we have just gone through. And we’re mindful of the opportunities that we’ve had, the areas where we’ve fallen short in the areas where we still need to grow. We pray that is we go through this next year, that we will focus better on serving you each and every day that we will always seek to be faithful to you no matter what comes,

no matter the difficulties that lie ahead or the blessings that lie ahead, may we always remember to focus on you? We ask that you forgive us. When we sin and fall short of your glory, we pray that you be with those who are dealing with illness and injury and difficulty at this time. And especially those who are dealing with coronavirus and loss of loved ones.

Those in the hospital, all this, we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Matthew chapter six. The chapter begins with take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men to be seen by them. Every time I read that I cannot help. But think about all the businesses you walk into, especially large corporations that are always posting up on the wall,

how much money they give Every Walmart you’ve ever walked into how much money they give to local charities, how much money they Amazon’s always talking about how much money they give to this, give to that. And yet Jesus Said, take Heed that you do not do your charitable deeds Before men. This is not a condemnation of here’s someone in need and here’s someone passing by,

but there’s a third person over here. Who’s a spectator and Jesus has no, no, no, no, no. Don’t help that person in need while the spectators present that that’s not what this is about. This also isn’t about the idea that no one can know what good things have been done. You go forward to second Corinthians chapter eight and nine,

where Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. And Paul will use the willingness of the church of Corinth to towards the poor Jewish Christians that are undergoing famine and difficulties and persecutions from their own nation. And he’ll use the willingness of the church at Corinth to give towards that effort, to encourage the churches of Macedonia to also give now, wait a minute,

is Paul contradicting Jesus because he’s taking what one church is doing and he’s telling another church about it. No, here’s the idea Jesus is saying and is speaking concerning motivation. This particular idea is more closely akin to what we find over in the book of acts. Turn to acts chapter acts chapter five. I believe it is Beginning in verse 32, actually acts chapter four,

acts chapter four, verse 32. Now the multitudes of those who believed were of one heart and one soul, neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common and with great power, the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord. Jesus and great grace was upon the mall nor was there anyone among them who lacked for all who had,

who were possessors of land or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold and laid them at the apostles feet. And they distributed to each as anyone had need. And Joseph<inaudible>, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles, which is translated the son of encouragement, a Levi of the country of Cyprus having land sold it and brought the money and laid it at the Apostle’s feet.

Now, when Barnabas brought this money that he had, because he sold this land and he laid it at the Apostle’s feet. Did he tell everybody who was at the room now clear the room? I don’t want anybody. Nobody can see what I’m doing. No. As a matter of fact, news concerning what he had done spread throughout the Christians. And we know that it did because you pick up in chapter five,

verse one, but a certain man named Anna Niaz and Safira his wife sold a possession and he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it and brought a certain part and laid it at the Apostle’s feet. Now we’ve probably all gone through this at one time before in, in our lives and in our studies, but there was nothing wrong with the fact that Anna Safira sold something and only gave part of the proceeds.

As a matter of fact, Peter will point out over here a little later. I think it’s verse eight. Peter answered her. Tell me whether you sold the land for so much. She said yes, for so much. Then Peter said to her, how is it that you have agreed together to test the spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried,

your husband are at the door and they will carry you out. If you go back just back in verse four, after Anna Niaz comes and lies to, to Peter and the Holy spirit concerning what he has done, we read in verse four while it remained, that is the possession, the land while it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold,

was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God, because what Anna NEI and Safira did is they brought the possession. They brought the proceeds and instead of giving all of it, they claimed they gave all of it, but kept some of it back. And so in Doing this,

what’s your seeing, what would we get out of the text is they wanted to be known and have the reputation like Barnabas of being these charitable givers, Without the actual sacrifice of giving everything. Barnabas take took everything that he profited from, from the sale of the land and gave all of it. They wanted the notoriety of giving all of it without actually giving all of it.

What was the problem? Their charitable action was being done out of selfish. NIS. Does that mean they had no care, no concern at all, for those who were poor, those who were struggling, I don’t know, but the reality is they lied. The reality is they lied and they had a motivation for doing it. And that motivation was pride and selfishness.

And self-interest the exact opposite of what you’re supposed to have when you’re trying to be benevolent towards others. So Jesus begins Matthew chapter six, by saying, take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you,

As the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may have glory from men, a Shirley, I say to you, they have Reward so often we’ll see, great Big fan and all of this being done to, to show how benevolent some and quite often it’s some very rich person is by doing something in view of their riches, small for someone who’s in great need yet.

There’s great fanfare. And then the news is going to cover it. And we’re going to tell everybody I think about it. Jesus said, don’t do that. Do what needs to be done Without drawing attention to the fact that you’re Doing what needs to be done. He goes on to say, but when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

That your charitable deed may be in secret. And your father who sees in secret will himself reward you. You openly, we don’t need to take this passage to extremes was Told of one congregation hears ago That they had the, the giving plate behind the curtain, Reach in with one hand and put in your offering. But she couldn’t take the other hand and put it inside the curtain because then the left hand would know what the right hand Was doing.

Somehow I think there Was something disconnected right around Here. Okay. This is an analogy. Okay. This is a point that Jesus is making concerning one, striving to being known for something. Instead of doing something, recognizing who they are, They really are. And what I, I mean by that is when a person gives recognizing that what they’re giving doesn’t belong to them.

It belongs to God. Then why should they get any recognition for having given it? Hey, look, I gave what doesn’t belong to me to somebody else Now glorify me. No, You are a steward of What you have. The question is, are you a faithful steward or not? And so Jesus makes the point that your charitable deed may be in secret.

And your father who sees in secret will reward You openly the emphasis of this entire passage, Which will lead all the way till the end of this chapter is do what you do so that you are obedient and faithful to God and leave the rest Up to him. If God wants you to be recognized, then God will make sure you’re recognized. If God wants you to be exalted,

then God can take care of exalting you. If God wants you to be blessed because of what you do, then God can take care of blessing you. The difference is in verses one through four, Jesus is accusing individuals of being more concerned about their own situation. Being more concerned about their own blessings, their own rewards, Then serving God. And Jesus said,

you’ve got it in the wrong order. Don’t neglect doing good, but serve God First and allow him to take care of you verse five. And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites For, they love to pray standing in the synagogues. It’s interesting. He keeps referencing hypocrites here. If you go back to chapter five, he will say,

accept your righteousness, exceed the righteousness of who the Pharisees you shall by no Means enter the kingdom Of God. And now he’s gone through over and over and over again and said, hypocrites, hypocrites. He doesn’t, he hasn’t said Pharisees, Pharisees, but he keeps describing the positions Of the Pharisees and the priests and the teachers of the law. They’re the ones who stand up in front of the synagogue.

They’re the ones who get the trumpets blown in the synagogue and, and out in the street, whenever they do good deeds, they’re the ones He’s Contrasting righteousness against. He said, you can either be like them. You can be like the people who are always tooting their own horn, or You can be righteous, which you can’t be both. He goes on to say,

when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites for, they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the street that they may be seen by men. Again, the thing under discussion, the thing being talked about is the attitude Food of self That they may be seen by as Shirley, I say to you, they have their reward,

but you, when you pray, go into your room and when you have shut your door, pray to your father who was in the secret place. And your father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Is this Jesus saying, no, the only place we ever need to pray is in a room all by ourselves with the door. No. And yet what Jesus speaks of is an attitude.

That Is one that we need to be cautious about, that we are not doing, Doing something for pride or recognition growing up when I was a, what I would still do, I consider to be a boy when I was younger, teenage years. And around that time, you know, if in the congregation where I grew up, if you got up and led a prayer,

if you got up and, and led singing, if you got up and served on Lord’s table, there were going to be seven or eight people who came up to you afterwards, whether you did a good job or a terrible job who told you how good of a job you did? Why were they doing Encouragement? They were attempting to bolster the attitude Dude of service Way to against the attitude of Nervousness and shyness.

And so Well-meaning and, and very spiritual and very mindful of thoughtful individuals will come up and say, you did a great, Good job, keep it up. Now there’s a Benefit and a potential negative to that Because you Can end up having an individual who eventually only serves for the compliments they get For the Things that they get told at for the gratification that comes by doing it.

And you, you might’ve seen this happen a few times in, in other areas of life, somebody is known for doing something. They do it all the time. They do it on a regular basis, and they’re always talked about for doing it. And then for whatever reason, time and, and forgetfulness, Somebody doesn’t mention what it is that they did.

Yeah. And the next time the opportunity rolls around. They don’t do it. And the next time the opportunity rolled around, they don’t do it. And you go and ask what, what happened? Oh, well so-and-so or nobody appreciates me. Nobody ever thanks me for it. They’ve been thanked for 30 years for doing it, but that hasn’t built up quite enough,

ego to last for the next 10 years of not being thanked for doing it. What’s the problem. The problem is they started at some point, not saying they did it the entire time, but at some point they stopped doing it because it was the thing that needed to be done. And they started doing it because they were getting recognized for doing it.

And we need to be careful about that at the same time. Let me say unequivocally, especially with young individuals striving to do something that’s outside their comfort zone. We should definitely encourage them for doing so, but he says, and when you pray, verse seven, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do for, they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Therefore do not be like them for your father knows the things you have need of before you ask him, this passage always reminds me of a lie. He’s there on the mountain with the Fort 100 profits veil. And they’re, they’re crying out and dancing around and throwing themselves around and cutting themselves and trying to get bailed, light the sacrifice on fire and with all their many words and all this time,

they spend doing it until they’re exhausted and basically collapsed on the ground. They don’t get anything to happen. And Elijah prayed. He’s what, after dousing the whole altar with water after all of the things that praise, once fire comes down from heaven and sets whole thing on fire, was it the long prayer that he got? Well, it was the fact that God knew what he needed before he ever opened his mouth.

And so he says, therefore, do not be like them for your father knows the things you have need of before you ask interesting point, he’s just lowered the hypocrites, the Pharisees, the Sadducees describes the teachers to the same level as the pagan. Okay? He said, this is what the heathen do. They’re vain repetitions over and over again, thinking they’ll accomplish something.

And these hypocrites are no better than them in this manner. Therefore pray our father in heaven, hallowed, be your name, your kingdom, come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our debts. As we forgive our debtors, sometimes we have a mentality of forgive us our debts,

and then we’ll forgive our debtors. Take, take care of me first, but Jesus wants us to go the other direction. Jesus wants us and all all through this passage. This is, this whole section is about this idea. Do for others, do for God before you do for you do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen. There is there’s. There’s just far more that could be said about those verses than I have time to even dwell on. So we’re, we’re going to leave that for another time. He goes then to this, he says for, if you forgive men, their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you out of this prayer. He focuses on forgiveness.

They seek the wiping away of debts in a country that has spent more money in the last year than we spent from the government’s perspective in the last 10 years, which one costs more the entire national debt or one souls sins, which one costs more one soul sin, because you could get enough gold to pay off the national debt. It exists somewhere in the world,

but there’s not enough gold in all the vaults, in all the places in all the world to pay for one person sins, forgive us our debts. As we forgive Our debtors for, if you forgive men, their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you the opposite. It is also true, but if you do not forgive men, their trespasses,

neither will your father forgive your trust. Facets. John would write to the church in the first century and he would tell them that the blood of Christ continually cleanses their sins. But then he’ll remind them If any man says he has no sin, He’s a liar. And the truth is not in it. He wants it to be clear that there’s no one who stands on the pinnacle of all the rest of the church,

untouched by sin, untouched by transgression and standing there alone saying, I don’t have to forgive anybody because nobody has Forgive me because I’m perfect. But as we look at this, as we back up, as he’s talking about forgiveness, what is he really talking about? Who is the person who will not forgive someone else, a hypocrite, a person who’s more interested in themselves than the other person.

The person who will not forgive Is not the person who’s been so maligned. They Possibly forgive. No, no, no, no. That’s not who it is. Person who will not forgive is the person who has so lost. The view of their own needs, Needs that they no longer care for the needs of others. All through this passage, All through this text,

Jesus Has been talking about the, The relationship we have towards our selves And How it affects the relationship we have with everyone, Including God, Because the person who is so filled with pride, so filled with indignation, so filled with themselves. So filled with selfishness that they will not forgive. Jesus Says you have condemned yourself because if you won’t forgive God,

won’t forgive you. Moreover, when you fast do not be like the hypocrites with a sad countenance for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to be fasting assuredly. I say to you, they have their reward, but you, when you fast anoint your head and wash your face so that you do not appear to be, to appear to men,

to be fasting, but to your father who is in the secret place and your father who sees in secret will reward you openly. He’s not changed discussions. He’s not changed topics the entire time, all going all the way back into the discussion in chapter six, verse one about charitable deeds. He’s not changed topics at all. He’s just applied it to different areas.

He’s applied it to charitable deeds and giving and helping others. He’s applied it to prayer. He’s applied it to forgiveness. He’s now going to apply it to fasting question. Is there any place actually, let me, let me back up one question before I jump ahead of the horse here, what is fasting doing without something? And generally in scripture, it’s specifically doing without what food and or drink liquids or,

or, or solids. Okay. Sometimes it’s just one. Sometimes it’s, it’s both. When Jesus fasted in the wilderness, was it him fasting from food and drink? It have to be just food. How long did he fast 40 days. Can you go that long without any liquids? Nope. 70% water. About that time. You’re around 50% and you’re dead.

All right. Not going to happen. But when Satan came and tempted him, what did he say? Turn this water into earth. He started turning this stone into water bread, turn, turn this stone into bread. Depending upon the circumstance. Sometimes it was a complete, fast from everything. It was, it was quite literally the idea of, and this was generally connected to morning,

but it was the idea of withholding really anything from yourself. This is not something we in America tend to do on a regular basis. And some, I actually know some people who have fasted. I know some who fast on, on a regular basis. Not that I know personally, but that I have talked to or heard from, but what’s the reason for it.

If biblically speaking, not, not talking about people who were not talking about dieting, what’s the reason biblically speaking for fasting. There’s primarily two reasons. Say what? All right, a focus on spiritual cleansing or repentance quite often, what was the other? Okay. So the, the other main focus that we see in scripture is morning or sorrow, whether that be a,

for a national reason, quite often, you would find individuals fasting because of the wickedness of, of the nation of Israel. But this, this always was, was supposed to be a spiritual discipline of withholding. Your natural needs to focus your mind on something more important. And this isn’t a bad thing. I think sometimes we look at it at fasting and go,

well, we don’t need to do that today. We don’t need to focus our minds on more important things. I don’t know that that’s true. Are we commanded under the new Testament to do it today? No, we’re not commanded to do it, but there was only one occasion under the old Testament where they were commanded to do it. So, you know,

a lot of times we’ll look at the old Testament, all the, you know, that fasting, that’s an old Testament thing. No, it’s not. There’s only one specific area or commandment concerning fasting in the old Testament. The fact that there’s one less under the new Testament doesn’t mean that it’s not something that we ought to participate in. It is the same idea as God says,

be still and know that I am God now because there’s no commandment in the new Testament about being still to recognize that God is who he is. Does that mean that we shouldn’t occasionally take opportunities to shove aside everything else, turn everything off and pay attention to the fact that God is now. That’s a setting aside physical to focus on spiritual. Well, that’s all that fasting is about,

but it is a poignant way of doing it because after you get past a certain number of hours, as most of us are familiar with your stomach starts to remind you it’s time to eat. One of the things that fasting does is every time you’re reminded by your body, that you’re hungry, that is used as a prompt for you to think on that spiritual thing that you’re focusing on.

And so you’re using your natural senses to focus your attention on a spiritual thing. Okay? Here’s the problem with what they were doing. They were fasting the hypocrites, they were fasting and they would do so on a regular basis, they would do so without any specific reason, except that they would, you know, they wouldn’t clean their face. They look like they they’d had a rough rough day,

rough night, rough, whatever. And then they’d go out among the people so that people could go, Oh, he’s fasting. Ah, he’s, he’s really, he’s really spiritual. Jesus said, go wash your face, go clean yourself up. Don’t do a spiritual act. That is between you and God to be seen of men and recognized for your spirituality.

He said, when you do that, your spirituality is all the reward you get. The recognition you get in public is all the reward you’ll ever get because God will not reward you for that. You’ve missed the boat. And so today, if somebody chooses or a congregation chooses or a whole nation chooses to have a time of prayer and fasting, there’s nothing wrong with that,

but needs to be done for the right reason. It needs to be done. Not so that Facebook posts can be put every hour. I’m dying. I’m all I’m going to get through this fast, you know, pointing out to everybody around them, that they’re fasting, do spiritual things for the reason you should do them. And that is your spiritual growth and your connection to God and then teach others to do them,

but don’t do it to be seen by others. So then he says, do not lay up for yourselves, treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves, treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there. Your heart will be also all throughout the sermon on the Mount.

Jesus will focus on Possessions Over and over and over and over again. Possessions and Jesus will point out that his focus on possessions is not really a focus on possessions. His focus on possessions is a warning to say, focus on spiritual things and not possessions. Yeah. Is there a condemnation given by Jesus against those who have possessions a blanket condemnation? No.

As a matter of fact, it would be those who had possessions that would help Jesus in his ministry. Who’s one person that we might think, or one family we might think of who had possessions that helped Jesus, some siblings, Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Did they have a house? Yes. Did Jesus use their house? Yes, he did.

Did they have enough money to buy a burial plot for their brother when he died? Yes. Did Mary have enough money to give a very expensive gift of anointing Jesus before his death? Yes. That was a family that had possession, But what was more important to the family? Their possession Or Jesus Jesus. One time you see really, and even a little bit of a hint of,

of the opposite is where Jesus confronts Martha, because she’s frustrated that her sister’s not helping her serve. And Jesus points out to her that Mary has chosen the greater Thing, the word of God. And so he says, do not lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven or treasures on the earth. If we set aside, Put, Put in investments, put in savings,

this is, this has nothing to do, zero to do with wise stewardship, nothing to do with it. This has everything to do with where is your heart? And Jesus said, if your heart is there and riches in possessions and clothing and gold and silver and money and all the things he’s about to talk about here at the end of the chapter,

he said, you’ve missed it because that stuff, number one will still be here when you’re gone. And number two may not even stay with you while you’re here because it decades or someone along the way comes in and steals what you have. Yup, absolutely. You know, you, you see, even, you know, the, the perspective of the century ans as,

as Jesus is hanging there on the cross and they’re like, well, let’s, let’s cast lots for the garbage, eh, we we’re, we’re not, not tearing in pieces. It’s it’s interwoven. It’s all one piece. So, you know, we can’t can’t divide it, but he doesn’t need it anymore. You know, he’s got no use words.

So somebody is going to get some use out of it. Okay. Focus on the right thing. Now he’s still not changed discussion at all. He’s moved from charitable deeds to your prayer, to your forgiveness, to your fasting, to your treasure. He’s still talking about the same thing, your relationship to you. Okay? He says, if the lamp of the body is the eye,

if there is, if therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness. How great is that darkness? If your inward person has become corrupted so that all you see becomes evil, what was it that God accused the people in Noah’s day of being people who every thought of their heart was only evil.

Continually. They could see something good and in their mind, they’d turn it to evil. No one can serve two Masters for either, right? He will hate the one and love the other LT will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon, right? The application is money, but the gratification of money is always the gratification of What self Back of all of this.

As selfishness back of all of this is pride back of all of this is a care about self, more than a love of God. Go back to chapter five real quick. And then we’ll read through and pick up the rest of this verse. Three, blessed are the what? Poor in spirit. Verse four, blessed are those who Mourn, But verse five,

blessed are the MI verse six. Blessed are those who, what Hunger And thirst after righteousness. What is that? That is the desire of the Heart. Not For gold, silver possessions recognition, the, the praise of men, but for righteousness, blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.

All of these things begin first, First in the inward person, a decision to serve God over self. Okay? So He says, verse 25, do not worry. Or therefore I say to you do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body. What you will put on is not life more than food in the body.

More than clothing. Look at the birds of the air for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not of more value than They, which of you By worrying can add one cubit to his stature. So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin.

And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not Like one of these. Now, if God, so clothes, the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven. Will he not much more closely? Oh, you of little faith, therefore do not worry Saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink?

Or what shall we wear for after all these things, the Gentiles seek for your heavenly father knows that you have needs Of all these things. Now, as we, as we conclude this, I want to remind you God Israel. And while all of these things draw forward to the church, the audience for the discussion is not the church. The audience for the discussion are the Israelites.

Why do you think he said, you have heard it said, but I say unto you, those are, those are attributes of the law. Those are the aspects of the law that they had abused, misused torn apart to gratify themselves, to do what they wanted to do. And now he sets a contrast between them and the Gentiles, because all along the way,

going all the way back to Deuteronomy chapter six, where Israel is hold hero Israel, the Lord, thy, God is one God and thou shall love the Lord. Thy God, with all thy heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, with all by mind, all the way back there. They were warned that when they got into the land and when they began to,

to glean the fields, they didn’t plant. And when they lived in houses, they didn’t build. And when they took over land that they didn’t do anything to toil to create. They might forget God and forget who put them there to begin with. And Jesus reminds these Israelites and his disciples and us today that God can take nothing and give you everything out of it.

And he can take someone who is nothing and make them everything. So what are we worried about if we will, but learn the lessons of the Israelites to love God first, but seek first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about its own things sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

There’s any one passage. That’s one of the hardest things in all scripture to do. I dare say that’s whatever. Alright, we’ll go through the questions on Wednesday night. As we start our review for chapter seven, I can’t help, but look outside and see the beautiful weather and the beautiful day that we have today and what a beautiful day we have to enjoy.

We are proud to see some visitors with us today. We want you to know that you’re our honored guests. And if you would look in the Pew in front of you and there’s a colored card there, if you’d fill it out and just leave it on, the seat are handed to any one of us and we’ll see to it, that it gets to the right place.

We are indeed proud that you chose to come our way while we’re on that subject. As you came in the door, there is a table with the communion cups. If you have not had the opportunity to pick up a little cup of bread and a little cup of grape juice, be sure and do that. It’s a good time to do it right now.

Go back and get it. And you’ll be prepared for the communion service. When we have that, I’ve got a fair number of announcements. So please bear with me here. We need to remember our sick Joan Springer. She’s doing a little bit better. Robin woods, Jessica Dale. She’s here with us today. Also doing a little bit better. Tory Heinz Ellie,

likewise, I think is at least holding her own Dorothy and Rodale. Wilson are both still suffering from their sorta chronic pains. Janie Marlin is doing much better. And ed Richardson, Shell’s dad has a fractured spine. I think he’s doing about the same as I understand. And we want to keep these people in our prayers. We also have some other people,

relatives that are in need of our prayers. Diane O’Neill’s aunt Jean. Sconiers had a stroke in addition to be hospitalized with congestive heart failure and pneumonia. She’s struggling with her speech since the stroke. And she’s back in a nursing home. Also Diana’s nephew’s wife, Natalie temple found out that she has had a cancer that is spreading and not sure what her treatment plan will be,

but that is being dealt with as we speak also Alicia and Maddie bond have been exposed and are showing symptoms of COVID. I guess they have it. They will have to wait for three to seven days for the results of their tests before they actually know, but I’m sure they’re under quarantine right now. We have several of our members that are suffering from back problems.

Michael stacks is home with back problems. Pam chafing is with us today. She says, her back is getting better. And of course, Gladys Lyles is dealing with, with that as well. So these are other people that we need to keep in our prayers. Alena sharp, Shelly stacks, mother has double pneumonia and Marsa infects you and your head wound.

You know, that Marsa is a very serious bacterial infection that is very resistant to all the drugs, very difficult. So keep them in your prayers. Lucky Hanks is in Methodist over in the woman’s section. We tease him about that a little bit, but he’s had some heart problems and it’s pretty much expected that he will probably be getting a pacemaker put in to keep his rhythm in order.

That’s all of the, Oh, wait a minute. I’ve got one more. Dorothy Wilson got a good result from her stress test and she is perhaps going to be improving here, but her grandchildren, Shane and Taylor, that both used to worship here from time to time are suffering from the Corona virus. I think that’s all of our sick people and we just need,

need to be aware of these people and keep them in our prayers. Don’t forget. Potter’s children’s home pantry item for January is dish soap. You can bring that and put it on the little cart as you come into the four year old on the left-hand side. The men’s business meeting will be next Monday night, not this Monday night, but next Monday a week,

week and a half from now or a week and a day from now. And if you have any agenda items, please sign, put them on the list on the bulletin board or make sure that one of the men get them and we’ll get it to the right place. That’s all the announcements. Thank goodness. And the service today, Michael Dale will be leading our singing.

Terry Sanderson has the opening prayer. The Lord’s supper will be officiated by Eric Halvorson. The sermon with Aaron Cozort and Joe caisson has the closing prayer. Thank you for your attendance. Our opening song this morning will be number one, 144 O worship the King O worship the King. Oh, worship<inaudible> and gray Foley. See here’s Wanda for a shill.

Dan.<inaudible> a billion Dan Splenda and<inaudible><inaudible> it’s dreams from the Hills and send to the play. Hey and sweetly.<inaudible> nah,<inaudible> children de us and<inaudible> and<inaudible> find the two CS turned to the G and a greedy. And<inaudible>. So before our opening prayer will be number 797. Lord, we come before the now Lord, we come before the<inaudible>.

Oh dude.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> to<inaudible> and I know<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> the God pre the<inaudible> free.<inaudible> sorry.<inaudible> Right. Father walked in heaven. We thank to you for this beautiful first day of the week. The opportunity do we have to come together as that children who sang these songs, praise into the,

into worship, they just study a portion of I where we pray that the things that we learned here today will be in a quarter for that wheel. We pray that we can use these things to further that kingdom in this community, we pray that you would be with all of the ones that have been mentioned today to their sick and unable to be with us.

We pray that you would be with all of the ones that are suffering from the COVID virus. The ones that we know from this congregation and friends and all that and all over the world, we pray that you would be with him and comfort him. We pray that you would keep us safe from it. And then we try to do the things that the health people are advising us today.

We pray that you would be with our military people that are away from home. We pray that you keep them safe, comfort their families while they are away. We pray that you would be with the teachers of his congregation, that they continue to teach the truth and to help to save souls in this community. We pray that she would go with us and keep us safe and forgive us when we do wrong.

In Christ’s name, we pray amen. Song to prepare our minds for the Lord. Separate will be number 337. Hallelujah. What a savior man?<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> claim<inaudible><inaudible> Hey man.<inaudible> he used<inaudible><inaudible> blah<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> was he man,<inaudible> be<inaudible> lifted up. Was he too? Ah<inaudible> and<inaudible> ah, ah,<inaudible> when he comes<inaudible> is Ryan some to Bri then a new song.

Well, seeing<inaudible> We now have the opportunity to celebrate the ultimate sacrifice that God made for each and every one of us here. And that is when he sent his son here to live with us amongst here on earth and teach us, but ultimately die on that cross at Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. Join me as we pray for the bread,

God, our father in heaven, we come to you at this time, thanking you for your son. And we know it was a difficult and an ultimate sacrifice that you made for us. The center’s here on earth, but we are so grateful that you made that choice, that your son may hang on at cruel cross at Calvary. And as we prepare to take this bread,

which represents his body, let us remember exactly what that represents. We pray this through your son, Jesus name, amen. Our father. We come to you giving you thanks for everything you have done for us. And as we prepare to partake of this fruit of the vine, which represents your son’s blood, that he shed for our sins, help us to ponder that and truly think about what that means that his blood was shed for us.

He died for us so that we may have our sins forgiven. So we may live with you and heaven. One day, we pray this through your son’s name. Amen. Let me take this opportunity to say a prayer for the offering. God, our father in heaven. We know that it is from you, that all of our blessings truly flow.

And we are so thankful for each and every one of them. And as we prepare to give back a portion of this, to your needs and your works by donating funds to this church. So we may use these funds to further the spread of your word and your gospel here on earth. We ask that you help each and every one of us do it with a cheerful heart.

And we ask that you help the men of this congregation that oversee these funds, make decisions that are rightful and truly in helping spread your word. Those that are less Fortunate than us. And that is those that have not heard your word so that they may have that same opportunity we have as live with you forever. One day in eternity, we pray this through your son,

Jesus name, amen. The song before the lesson will be number 431 and break thou the bread of life. If you’re able to stand for this song, please, number 431<inaudible><inaudible> to me<inaudible> let’s see<inaudible> to me, to me. See<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> peace ma Oh, eh. Oh, you may be seated. Good morning. Good to be home.

It’s good to see each and every one of you, especially our visitors, Glad to have your presence with us, hope that you can make it a regular opportunity. This year in 2021, we are going to take one lesson each month. We’re going to focus on a word throughout the year that I believe has a great deal of emphasis for us and a great deal of import into our society,

our life and our existence today. That word is the word faithful. We’re going to begin that study looking at God’s description of a faithful man or a faithful person in order to get God’s perspective on this idea of faithful. We could look in the new Testament, but I really think we have to begin in the old Testament. Deuteronomy chapter nine, sorry.

Deuteronomy chapter seven. And in verse nine, God is speaking to Israel as they are preparing to go into the promised land. And he says to them beginning in verse nine, he says, therefore know that the Lord, your God, he is God. He begins with this premise that God Jehovah God, the Lord, God. The one who brought them out of Egypt is God.

And when God says I am God, he doesn’t mean I am one God, among many. He has shown beyond any doubt through his actions with Egypt. He is the true and living God. And so he says, therefore know that the Lord, your God, he is the Lord, your God. He is God. And notice this description, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations,

with those who love him and keep his commandments. As we begin this study concerning this idea of being faithful of faithfulness and everything it touches in our lives understand that God first desires requires commands faithfulness, because he is faithful. You and I, we make promises. We make commitments. We make agreements. And if we’re honest, and if we are those of sound,

mind, and striving to be what God would have us to be our intent, when we make those agreements is to fulfill what we have said, we will do no matter what kind of agreement it is, whether it’s an agreement to pay something to someone or an agreement on a loan or an agreement on just participation in an, in a transaction or, or,

or an activity with a friend. I was talking with a friend of mine just recently. And he’s been working out with some of the members of the congregation, where he attends and, and him and this friend of his and his wife, they go out every, every morning and they go work out and he had been doing this for a month or two.

And he had as a result of some things at work, he had been up all night. He worked from until 4:00 AM, one morning, then worked all day, then had to work all until three or 4:00 AM the next morning and then had to face the potential of not going and working out. And he went and worked out anyway because he knew if he didn’t do it once,

if he, if he said I can’t make it this time, there would be a thousand other reasons why I wouldn’t make it in the future. So he pushed through and he did it. And you and I, we face those struggles. We face those difficulties. We met, we face those choices. The reality is sometimes though, maybe out of no fault of our own,

maybe out of circumstances, we can’t even control. We can’t fulfill an obligation. We have made a commitment, a promise, and we have been on faithful to that commitment. Now this may be in a small matter, may be in an inconsequential matter. It may be in a temporary matter, but that’s not God Deuteronomy chapter seven verse nine tells us that God Jehovah the Lord.

He is God. And he is faithful to a thousand generations. Now women Moses makes this statement by inspiration through the power of the Holy spirit. He does not mean that to the thousand. And first-generation, God’s probably not going to be faithful to them. No, he means quite clearly that when you are faithful to the thousand generations that have come before the thousand and first generation can have no doubt and complete assurance that God will still be Faithful.

But he’s, He is faithful to those who love him and keep his commandments. And he repays those who hate him to their face to destroy them. He will not be Slack with him who hates him. He will repay him too. His face. Moses makes it clear. As he speaks to the children of Israel. God is faithful to those who love him.

And he’s faithful to those who hate him. He will be faithful to himself always. And therefore what he has said He will do. So as we begin, we need to, I understand that God desires faithful Because he is faithful. There was a time in Israelite history. First Samuel chapter two, That God replaced his high priest. He not only replaced his high priest,

but he replaced the whole priestly lineage, Age and family In first Samuel chapter two as Eli and his sons were the current high priest and priests. God delivers a message to Eli. In first Samuel chapter two, and in verse 35, then I will raise up for myself. Now notice the wording. God says, I’m going to do this and I’m going to do it because of me because of who I am.

Therefore, I will raise up for myself, a faithful priest who shall do according to what is In my heart. You go back into the proceeding versus you will find out that Eli’s sons, Hoff, Diane Finney has, who were supposed to be serving. As priests were instead causing the people to transgress. They were committing for an occasion in the very front of the tabernacle.

They were committing adultery. They were, they were stealing. They were holding those people’s offerings, bounty for what they could receive for offering the sacrifices. They were doing all sorts of things. And God said, this isn’t going to stand my priests. Aren’t going to do this. And Eli and his sons would be replaced, but God says, I’m going to replace you with someone who will do according to what is in my heart.

And in my mind, I will build him a sure house. And he shall walk before my annoying Forever. Samuel would be that high priest, the priesthood and the family would transition in Eli’s family. His lineage would end God is serious about faithfulness. And second Timothy chapter two, Paul writes to Timothy. And as he is writing to this young preacher,

he sets a charge before Timothy, as a preacher. He instills in Timothy, the requirement that Timothy be about a particular task And That task hasn’t changed for preachers across every century from then, until now, Paul writes to Timothy and saying to any chapter two, and in verse one, he says, you, therefore, my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Yeah. Paul writes to Timothy and he says, you be on the lookout for a particular kind of person. You, as you minister, you be searching for a particular group of people. The qualification for which Paul States,

Timothy needs to be looking for is not those who are rich. Not those who are poor, not those who are tall are, those were short. Those were fat. Or those who were skinny. He says, the qualification is those who are faithful. And you find someone who’s faithful. And here’s what you do. You take the things that you’ve heard from me among many witnesses.

You take the things that are is the bulk and the meat and the body of what I’ve taught you. And you instill it into them. And Then you give them the charge to go give it to somebody else. And the prime responsibility is they function as stewards of a gift. Paul would write to the church at Corinth about the treasure that had been Placed in them as Earthen vessels.

The word of God Handed to them that they in turn should deliver it. Proclaim it, preach it faithfully to others, But not only teach it, they had to also live it. God desires, faithful men, but there’s a Psalm in the old Testament that gives a warning. And I want to spend the bulk of the rest of our time in that Psalm,

Psalm 12 is a Psalm of David. And it presents a warning. A warning that I believe is needed is resoundingly needed in our country. Not only in our congregations, but in our congregations, but in our country, in our society and in our world Was at the very heart of some of the biggest problems. Our society He has is this problem.

This Thing that David’s going To warn about, he begins help, help Lord for The godly man, Ceases for the faithful disappear from among the sons of men, David in this song cries out for God’s help. He cries out for God’s aid because he can’t find faithful men Among God’s people. This isn’t just a problem amongst the priesthood in David’s day, it’s not just about the spiritual leaders.

It’s about finding men who will Hold forth, the Attributes of faithfulness throughout their lives, throughout every aspect of their existence. And David is going to confront Using the words of the Lord, the attributes Of those who are on Faithful, Because if you want an under an understanding of God’s description of a faithful man, one of the things God will present to you is what he is not what a faithful man will not do.

What he will not be involved in. And David says, as he looks at his world, as he looks at his society, as he looks at his nation, this is all I can find. He says, verse two, they speak. I believe every one with his neighbor. As he looks down upon the people he sees idleness, He sees idol Speech.

Jesus made a point about Idle speech. He said that when the judgment comes, a man will give an account for all the words that he Speaks. And he warns against idle speech. You and I, we have an opportunity in our lives to speak hundreds of thousands of words, to communicate thoughts, emotions, feeling, instruction, desires contemplations, but as stewards of the gift of communication,

how are we using it? Are we only investing our time and effort and energies in communicating that which has no real lasting value. David looks at These individuals and he sees their interests and their speech only revolves around temporary Earthly things. And they are idle in their speech, but he goes on to say yes, That they speak with flattering lips and with a double heart,

They speak it. It’s it’s, it’s bad enough that their speech has no value, but then they turn around and they use their speech to lift up others artificially, to flatter them. When in their heart, their only desire is for themselves. One of the attributes of a faithful person, discipline Just over in the book of Proverbs that we’re not going to get into in any depth in this lesson.

But we will before this course of lessons is over, is the attribute of a faith Full friend who will tell you something that hurts, but he’ll tell it to you because you need to hear it yet. These people aren’t that kind of person. These people, that David is looking at their idol in their speech and they’re flattering in their lips. And they’re double hearted Because yeah,

Their intent is to provoke others to action that only benefits themselves. And David says, these are not faithful people, but he goes on to say, may the Lord cut off all flattering lips? As the King, as a man Can have wealth as a man of prosperity. As a man who had led others into battle had conquered, had discovered the power that existed in serving the Lord.

We know as we go through the history of David and we look at the things that he endured, the things he went through, that he was surrounded by some people who were The worst of humanity. But here’s the reality. When you have wealth, you will generally end up inevitably at some point, surrounded by people who have only that type of desire.

They’ll say anything to you, but not because they care for you, but because they want what you have. And David will say, may the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongue That speaks proud things. This isn’t David saying, I don’t want them to have what I have this isn’t David going, I’m selfish. And I want to keep everything I have.

And I don’t want to share with no, no, no, that’s not it David’s saying they have a problem with pride in their hearts. And it is interfering With faithfulness among the people in verse six, we read the words of the Lord are pure words. He’s accused them of idle speech, but He contrasts their idol speech With the Lord’s words. If they had set aside all of their own words,

if they had set aside all their own thoughts, if they had set aside, all of the things that they thought were they were, that were important. And just spoken the words of the Lord, he would have said, they spoke. You are words, but they wouldn’t do that. As a matter of fact, if you look at verse four,

we read who have said those who have flattering lips, those who have tongues that speak proud things they have said with our tongue, We will prevail. Our lips are our own. I’m in control. They said, I get to say whatever I want. No one can tell me what to say. I get to look out for me too. I get what I want to do,

what I want and use my Long to accomplish it. But they would also say not only our lips are our own, but who is Lord over us? A faithful man tied up in all of this is the lesson that a faithful man is a submissive man. David Looks at his people and says, I can’t find any faithful men. They’re disappearing as if someone’s coming in the midst of the night and kidnapping them.

They’re being drawn aside. They’re being drawn away into the desires of their flesh, the desires of their heart and their mind and their pride and their desire and their flattery is stealing them from faithfulness to those who are around them. And has you think back over the life of David, think about how many betrayals, those closest to him committed. And David can’t find a faithful man of his own children.

Multiple men would arise seeking to kill him and take the throne. But in verse five, he says for the oppression of the poor, for the signing of the needy, Oh, here it is. They prevail with their tongues. They use their speech to get what they want. They claim their lips are their own and no one is Lord over them,

but who are they acting against? Who are they using the build themselves up? He says, they’re using the poor. They’re using the needy Absalom. One of David’s sons would stand and would sit out side the city. And as he sought power and prominence among the people, as the people would come in to be judged, he would stop them outside the city.

And he’d say, you won’t get any judgment in there. They don’t have time for you. You’ll never get the decision that you want. If you go to the King for judgment, let me judge you. And he would sit outside the city and he would judge in favor of those who would support him. And before long, he turn The nation’s heart against their King by flattery of lips and deceitful actions.

And the oppression of the poor verse five says, now I will arise, says the Lord. Isn’t David saying, I’m going to get on my high horse and I’m going to get my army together. And we’re going to go out and we’re going to take vengeance on all these unfair, Well, men know, the Lord says, Now I will arise.

Now I will arise. As the Lord, I will set him in the safety for which he yearns. God says, I’m going to defend the poor. I’m going to defend the needy. I’m going to stand between the unfaithful And the oppressed. The words of the Lord are pure words. Silver tried in a furnace of earth. Purified seven times. You shall keep them all.

Lord use shall preserve them from this generation forever. David Expresses the necessity of treasuring up as it were of storing up God’s words, to keep them from a generation That would use them for their own profit. They would use them for their own ends. As if God is saying, I’m going to take my covenant. I’m going to take my long and take my words.

And I’m going to hold them back from you. I’m not giving them to you because you’ll only abuse them Because you are faithful in your very B verse eight says the wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men, David presents to God’s people, a warning. He said, you look around you and faithful. Men are disappearing.

I would say in the years I’ve been alive. And that I have had time to observe that in the church, faithful men are disappearing. We have too many men who are too Focused on This life and cannot focus on God. And because of that, they do not leave their homes. They do not lead their families. They do not instruct their children.

They do not instruct faithful men. They do not set themselves to follow the Lord. In Isaiah’s day, Isaiah would confront his generation and Isaiah chapter one. I want to read a few of the verses as we close from Isaiah chapter one, because God confronts a nation, a city of people that had the opportunity to be faithful. They still had a chance in Isaiah’s day.

They wouldn’t take it and they’re going to be judged. But Isaiah, right? And Isaiah chapter one beginning in verse 21, how the faithful city has become a harlot. One of the attributes that is specific to the idea of a harlot is someone who will do anything for money. And Isaiah confronts his generation and says, you, you used to be a faithful city,

and now you will do anything for money. Verse 21, he says it was full of justice and righteousness lodged in it. But now murderers, your silver has become draws your wine mixed with water. Your princes are rebellious. You’re in companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless nor does the cause of the widow come before them.

What is it that God just talked about in Psalm chapter 12? That same thing. They will not help those in need. They will not defend the defenseless. They not serve The oppressed. They will not even give them justice For all they want is money. Therefore, the Lord says, verse 24, the Lord of hosts, the mighty one of Israel.

Ah, I will rid myself of my Adversaries. I remember Deuteronomy chapter seven. God said I will be faithful to those who love me and keep my commandments to a thousand generations. And I will be faithful to them. Those who hate me, the Lord says, ah, I will rid myself of my adversaries and take vengeance on my enemies. I will turn my hand against you.

Now he’s speaking to Israel. He says, I will turn my hand against you and thoroughly purge away your draws And take away all your alloy. I will restore your judges as at the first. And your counselors is at the beginning afterward. You shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. He says, Israel, you were one, The faithful city.

And yet you’ve become a harlot, But I’m going to turn you around. And it won’t be a pretty experience. He says, I’m Going to burn off All the corruption. Notice he goes on. He says, Zion will be redeemed with justice and her penitence with righteousness, the destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together. And those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed for.

They shall be ashamed of the terrible trees, which you have desired. You shall be embarrassed because of the gardens, which you have chosen. He’s pointing out their idolatry. He’s pointing out their places of worship, their high places, the places they constructed to go worship the foreign gods. He says, you’re going to be embarrassed at those. I’m going to turn you against those.

He says, verse 34, you shall be as a terrible whose leaf fades. And as a garden that has no water. You’ll The dead. The strong shall be as Tinder. And the work of it as a spark, both will burn together and no one shall quench them. God’s description of a faithful man is one who loves him and keeps his commandments.

Yes, but One who will not allow Injustice to continue. One who will not turn a blind eye To oppression. One who will not Set aside justice for profit, but also One who will not flatter To engross themselves, who will, I’ll not speak idle words instead of the word of the Lord, who will not be double hearted and Double tongue. But God makes it clear to the unfaithful.

When I judge you, no one will stop me. No one will hold me back. And as he Takes the analogy of the strong one who has been turned into Tinder, they’re so dried out. They’re they’re like the forests in California. He alight. Imagine there’s no stopping it Because I’m going to take the strong ones among you. And I’m going to be that.

And I’m going to take their own, works their own deeds. And I’m going to light them on fire with it. And no one Will quench my judgment. God is faithful to those who love him and keep his commandments and to those who hate him as well. So the question is which one are we? And are we faithful? And not only faithful,

but producing more, who are faithful for that is part of our faithfulness. You’re here this morning and you’re outside the body of Christ. You stand in a position of judgment. These days, Hebrews chapter nine tells us this. Life’s going to be over. You’re going to stand before God in judgment. Because of that, you need to know where you stand.

Do you stand God as One who is faithful? If you’re outside the body of Christ, you don’t. Because while God loves those who love him and keep his commandments. One of his commandments is the requirement for salvation. The requirement of obedience to enter into the body of Christ, the place where salvation has found the church for which Christ died. And he shed his blood.

You enter into that body by hearing the word of God and believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Jesus said, except you believe that I am. He you’ll die in your sins. Paul wrote it this way. Either. You are one who believes in him, or you are an alien from him, separated from him and an enemy of God.

You can’t be both. And you can’t find a third option. You’re either one or the other. Having believed that Jesus Christ is the son of God. You have to conform your life to him. The one who loves God and keeps his commandments, but conforming your life means repenting of your sins and confessing the name of Christ, submitting to him and being immersed in water,

dying to your old self, rising in again, to walk in newness of life, Romans chapter six, verses three and four, and then being faithful until death because revelation chapter two tells us James chapter one tells us that the one who’s faithful unto death will receive a crown of life. So if you want to know when this life is over, exactly which category you fit into,

faithful or unfaithful, and there’s only two, that’s where you need to begin. If you’re a member of the body of Christ and your faithfulness looks like it’s disappearing. If David would look at your life and go, no, I’m looking for a faithful man. And that’s not one. Maybe it’s time to turn around. You have need of the invitation for any reason why not come now as we stand in,

as we sing<inaudible> from the source.<inaudible><inaudible> well, you<inaudible> to the fountain free. Well, you<inaudible> me. The<inaudible> here. The welcome call is a fountain up for, Oh, there’s a living stream with a crystal gleam.<inaudible> hear the call for free. They go, Oh, well you come to the fountain free. Will you<inaudible><inaudible> Oh,

open for, Oh, there’s a rock that’s<inaudible><inaudible> and it’s dream. I see. Let<inaudible> to the fountain free. Well, you<inaudible> thirsty<inaudible> you may be seated. Sandra comes forward saying she hasn’t been faithful. It hasn’t been focused on spiritual things. The way she wants To be been too focused on discomforts. She wants to do better.

And we are overjoyed for that. We all throughout our lives have difficulty keeping focus on what’s important. And I think that’s why so much of scripture focuses us back. If we’ll Listen to what’s important, What to pray for Cassandra right now, Not only that she will be forgiven, But that her direction and focus Will become what she desires for it to be.

But that she will also be an example for all of us to do the same. Let’s pray our gracious father in heaven. Come before you at this time with tender hearts, care, concern and love for our sister, Cassandra and her desire to be faithful, her desire to become closer to you and to focus on the turtle more than the temporal. Each one of us needs that desire as well and are encouraged by her example of repentance and willingness to say,

I can do better. We pray for Cassandra that you will forgive her. She repents of these things, that you will aid her in setting her feet on a right path. We also pray that we will be an encouragement and a comfort and a strength and a bulwark for her as she goes through this journey of setting things, right? We ask that you be with this congregation as a whole,

in our faithfulness, we ask that you bless this family that we have here, that we watch out for one another and we help one another. In our struggles, we pray for continued blessings, Cassandra and forgiveness and grace and mercy, as they are sought. And as they are offered through the blood of your son, all this, we pray in Jesus name.

Amen. For the closing, prayer will be number 642. Let the loan Or lights be burning. All things Right? Lee beams off there’s mercy from his NA side house<inaudible> but to a us, he gives a key PE of the nights.<inaudible><inaudible> send a gleam, a cross<inaudible> struggling. See man, you may rescue. You may say,

Hey dog.<inaudible><inaudible> for the lights.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> struggling. See man, you may rescue<inaudible><inaudible> some<inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible><inaudible> sin Glebe, a cross<inaudible> struggling. See man,<inaudible> Let us bow. Dear God, our father in heaven, we truly are so thankful that we’ve been able to gather today to worship Eve, to be able to study from your word and be guided by those principles that you have set for us to live by father.

We’re grateful for every member of this body of Christ here. We’re so thankful for the love that we have for each other. And we pray father that as we go through life, that we not only demonstrate that love to our physical family, but our spiritual family. And they, we have thoughts of an eternal nature. That those are the things that got our ways upon this earth that we realized that we have what a short time to do your will,

and to try to reach others with the gospel and to try to become the fateful that truly care more about things of any eternal nature than those of a physical nature. We pray father that you give us the strength and the courage to do those things that might reach out to those that are lost. Those things that might encourage those that have fallen away from you,

that they too might want to come back and be faithful. Father help us each day that we live, that we look to your word, that we might always direct our lives in the proper direction that we always are about trying to demonstrate our love for others in our care and concern and compassion for one another, strengthen us as we go through life. We’re so thankful for the lesson that Aaron so adequately covered this morning,

we should ponder upon those thoughts and be concerned with how we are living our lives. Bless us as we’re about to depart, strengthen us. As we continue to look to your word in Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

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Why Did Christ Give Himself? – Admonition 320

In Admonition Podcast by Web Administrator

Ephesians 5:25-26 – Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
 
 Transcript:
 
 Why did Christ give himself for the church? In Ephesians chapter five, we read, in verse 26, the first reason, That he might sanctify and cleanse her with washing of water by the word.
 
 But, we also read the second reason that he might present her to himself a glorious church. Does that describe your church?
 
 Does that describe the group of people that you belong to? A glorious church presented to Christ and submissive to him.
 
 For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.

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Why Did Christ Give Himself?

In Admonition, Podcasts by Aaron Cozort

Scripture:

Ephesians 5:25-26

Description:

Ephesians 5:25-26 – Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

Transcript:

Why did Christ give himself for the church? In Ephesians chapter five, we read, in verse 26, the first reason, That he might sanctify and cleanse her with washing of water by the word.

But, we also read the second reason that he might present her to himself a glorious church. Does that describe your church?

Does that describe the group of people that you belong to? A glorious church presented to Christ and submissive to him.

For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.


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Aaron Cozort is the preacher for the Collierville church of Christ.

The Collierville church of Christ meets on Sundays morning and afternoon at 575 Shelton Road, Collierville, TN 38017.
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01-03-2021 – Matthew 6 (Class) & God’s Definition of “Faithful? (Part 1) (Sermon)

In Bible Classes Videos, Live Streams, Sermons by Aaron Cozort

JESUS – Matthew 6
The Sermon on the Mount (continued): Charity, Prayer, Fasting, Riches

  1. When an individual does an act of charity or prays or fasts, he should do so (a) sounding a trumpet, (b) before men to be noticed by them, (c) in secret, or (d) putting on a gloomy face. Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
  2. (yes or no) Did Jesus teach the disciples how to pray in his Sermon on the Mountain? Matthew 6:9-13
  3. (yes or no) Will the heavenly Father forgive those who do not forgive other people? Matthew 6:14-15
  4. Where should an individual store up treasures?
    Why? Matthew 6:19-21
  5. (yes or no) Can an individual serve God and riches at the same time?
    Matthew 6:24
  6. A person should seek first (a) food, (b) drink, (c) clothing, or (d) Jesus’ Kingdom. Matthew 6:24-33
  7. In teaching the disciples not to be anxious, Jesus did not use the example of (a) birds, (b) pharisees, (c) human life span, (d) lilies, or (e) grass.
    Matthew 6:26-32

Automated Transcript:

I watch disagrees with the clock, but you know what? We start based upon my watch. I get extra time. So ha ha Just got to convince Tommy that we start off by my watch and we end by that clock. That’s that’s the key there We are in Matthew chapter six, Appreciate Michael filling in for me while I was gone and got a chance to listen to most of the class.

He did a good job. Appreciate that. We’ll have a few things to say about Matthew five, as we, as we get into chapter six, as we go through the chapter, but we won’t do very much talking about it simply because otherwise we won’t get through chapter six, Let’s begin with a word of prayer, Our gracious father in heaven. We come before you thankful for the day.

You’ve granted to us for the life that we have, the opportunities that we have to serve you. We pray that you watch over us and help us to always strive to be faithful to you in all things, to care for you and for your kingdom and for your word above all the riches in the world, help us to understand the value of eternal things over physical things.

As we begin this new year, we are mindful of the year that we have just gone through. And we’re mindful of the opportunities that we’ve had, the areas where we’ve fallen short in the areas where we still need to grow. We pray that is we go through this next year, that we will focus better on serving you each and every day that we will always seek to be faithful to you no matter what comes,

no matter the difficulties that lie ahead or the blessings that lie ahead, may we always remember to focus on you? We ask that you forgive us. When we sin and fall short of your glory, we pray that you be with those who are dealing with illness and injury and difficulty at this time. And especially those who are dealing with coronavirus and loss of loved ones.

Those in the hospital, all this, we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Matthew chapter six. The chapter begins with take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men to be seen by them. Every time I read that I cannot help. But think about all the businesses you walk into, especially large corporations that are always posting up on the wall,

how much money they give Every Walmart you’ve ever walked into how much money they give to local charities, how much money they Amazon’s always talking about how much money they give to this, give to that. And yet Jesus Said, take Heed that you do not do your charitable deeds Before men. This is not a condemnation of here’s someone in need and here’s someone passing by,

but there’s a third person over here. Who’s a spectator and Jesus has no, no, no, no, no. Don’t help that person in need while the spectators present that that’s not what this is about. This also isn’t about the idea that no one can know what good things have been done. You go forward to second Corinthians chapter eight and nine,

where Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. And Paul will use the willingness of the church of Corinth to towards the poor Jewish Christians that are undergoing famine and difficulties and persecutions from their own nation. And he’ll use the willingness of the church at Corinth to give towards that effort, to encourage the churches of Macedonia to also give now, wait a minute,

is Paul contradicting Jesus because he’s taking what one church is doing and he’s telling another church about it. No, here’s the idea Jesus is saying and is speaking concerning motivation. This particular idea is more closely akin to what we find over in the book of acts. Turn to acts chapter acts chapter five. I believe it is Beginning in verse 32, actually acts chapter four,

acts chapter four, verse 32. Now the multitudes of those who believed were of one heart and one soul, neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common and with great power, the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord. Jesus and great grace was upon the mall nor was there anyone among them who lacked for all who had,

who were possessors of land or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold and laid them at the apostles feet. And they distributed to each as anyone had need. And Joseph<inaudible>, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles, which is translated the son of encouragement, a Levi of the country of Cyprus having land sold it and brought the money and laid it at the Apostle’s feet.

Now, when Barnabas brought this money that he had, because he sold this land and he laid it at the Apostle’s feet. Did he tell everybody who was at the room now clear the room? I don’t want anybody. Nobody can see what I’m doing. No. As a matter of fact, news concerning what he had done spread throughout the Christians. And we know that it did because you pick up in chapter five,

verse one, but a certain man named Anna Niaz and Safira his wife sold a possession and he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it and brought a certain part and laid it at the Apostle’s feet. Now we’ve probably all gone through this at one time before in, in our lives and in our studies, but there was nothing wrong with the fact that Anna Safira sold something and only gave part of the proceeds.

As a matter of fact, Peter will point out over here a little later. I think it’s verse eight. Peter answered her. Tell me whether you sold the land for so much. She said yes, for so much. Then Peter said to her, how is it that you have agreed together to test the spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried,

your husband are at the door and they will carry you out. If you go back just back in verse four, after Anna Niaz comes and lies to, to Peter and the Holy spirit concerning what he has done, we read in verse four while it remained, that is the possession, the land while it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold,

was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God, because what Anna NEI and Safira did is they brought the possession. They brought the proceeds and instead of giving all of it, they claimed they gave all of it, but kept some of it back. And so in Doing this,

what’s your seeing, what would we get out of the text is they wanted to be known and have the reputation like Barnabas of being these charitable givers, Without the actual sacrifice of giving everything. Barnabas take took everything that he profited from, from the sale of the land and gave all of it. They wanted the notoriety of giving all of it without actually giving all of it.

What was the problem? Their charitable action was being done out of selfish. NIS. Does that mean they had no care, no concern at all, for those who were poor, those who were struggling, I don’t know, but the reality is they lied. The reality is they lied and they had a motivation for doing it. And that motivation was pride and selfishness.

And self-interest the exact opposite of what you’re supposed to have when you’re trying to be benevolent towards others. So Jesus begins Matthew chapter six, by saying, take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you,

As the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may have glory from men, a Shirley, I say to you, they have Reward so often we’ll see, great Big fan and all of this being done to, to show how benevolent some and quite often it’s some very rich person is by doing something in view of their riches, small for someone who’s in great need yet.

There’s great fanfare. And then the news is going to cover it. And we’re going to tell everybody I think about it. Jesus said, don’t do that. Do what needs to be done Without drawing attention to the fact that you’re Doing what needs to be done. He goes on to say, but when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

That your charitable deed may be in secret. And your father who sees in secret will himself reward you. You openly, we don’t need to take this passage to extremes was Told of one congregation hears ago That they had the, the giving plate behind the curtain, Reach in with one hand and put in your offering. But she couldn’t take the other hand and put it inside the curtain because then the left hand would know what the right hand Was doing.

Somehow I think there Was something disconnected right around Here. Okay. This is an analogy. Okay. This is a point that Jesus is making concerning one, striving to being known for something. Instead of doing something, recognizing who they are, They really are. And what I, I mean by that is when a person gives recognizing that what they’re giving doesn’t belong to them.

It belongs to God. Then why should they get any recognition for having given it? Hey, look, I gave what doesn’t belong to me to somebody else Now glorify me. No, You are a steward of What you have. The question is, are you a faithful steward or not? And so Jesus makes the point that your charitable deed may be in secret.

And your father who sees in secret will reward You openly the emphasis of this entire passage, Which will lead all the way till the end of this chapter is do what you do so that you are obedient and faithful to God and leave the rest Up to him. If God wants you to be recognized, then God will make sure you’re recognized. If God wants you to be exalted,

then God can take care of exalting you. If God wants you to be blessed because of what you do, then God can take care of blessing you. The difference is in verses one through four, Jesus is accusing individuals of being more concerned about their own situation. Being more concerned about their own blessings, their own rewards, Then serving God. And Jesus said,

you’ve got it in the wrong order. Don’t neglect doing good, but serve God First and allow him to take care of you verse five. And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites For, they love to pray standing in the synagogues. It’s interesting. He keeps referencing hypocrites here. If you go back to chapter five, he will say,

accept your righteousness, exceed the righteousness of who the Pharisees you shall by no Means enter the kingdom Of God. And now he’s gone through over and over and over again and said, hypocrites, hypocrites. He doesn’t, he hasn’t said Pharisees, Pharisees, but he keeps describing the positions Of the Pharisees and the priests and the teachers of the law. They’re the ones who stand up in front of the synagogue.

They’re the ones who get the trumpets blown in the synagogue and, and out in the street, whenever they do good deeds, they’re the ones He’s Contrasting righteousness against. He said, you can either be like them. You can be like the people who are always tooting their own horn, or You can be righteous, which you can’t be both. He goes on to say,

when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites for, they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the street that they may be seen by men. Again, the thing under discussion, the thing being talked about is the attitude Food of self That they may be seen by as Shirley, I say to you, they have their reward,

but you, when you pray, go into your room and when you have shut your door, pray to your father who was in the secret place. And your father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Is this Jesus saying, no, the only place we ever need to pray is in a room all by ourselves with the door. No. And yet what Jesus speaks of is an attitude.

That Is one that we need to be cautious about, that we are not doing, Doing something for pride or recognition growing up when I was a, what I would still do, I consider to be a boy when I was younger, teenage years. And around that time, you know, if in the congregation where I grew up, if you got up and led a prayer,

if you got up and, and led singing, if you got up and served on Lord’s table, there were going to be seven or eight people who came up to you afterwards, whether you did a good job or a terrible job who told you how good of a job you did? Why were they doing Encouragement? They were attempting to bolster the attitude Dude of service Way to against the attitude of Nervousness and shyness.

And so Well-meaning and, and very spiritual and very mindful of thoughtful individuals will come up and say, you did a great, Good job, keep it up. Now there’s a Benefit and a potential negative to that Because you Can end up having an individual who eventually only serves for the compliments they get For the Things that they get told at for the gratification that comes by doing it.

And you, you might’ve seen this happen a few times in, in other areas of life, somebody is known for doing something. They do it all the time. They do it on a regular basis, and they’re always talked about for doing it. And then for whatever reason, time and, and forgetfulness, Somebody doesn’t mention what it is that they did.

Yeah. And the next time the opportunity rolls around. They don’t do it. And the next time the opportunity rolled around, they don’t do it. And you go and ask what, what happened? Oh, well so-and-so or nobody appreciates me. Nobody ever thanks me for it. They’ve been thanked for 30 years for doing it, but that hasn’t built up quite enough,

ego to last for the next 10 years of not being thanked for doing it. What’s the problem. The problem is they started at some point, not saying they did it the entire time, but at some point they stopped doing it because it was the thing that needed to be done. And they started doing it because they were getting recognized for doing it.

And we need to be careful about that at the same time. Let me say unequivocally, especially with young individuals striving to do something that’s outside their comfort zone. We should definitely encourage them for doing so, but he says, and when you pray, verse seven, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do for, they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Therefore do not be like them for your father knows the things you have need of before you ask him, this passage always reminds me of a lie. He’s there on the mountain with the Fort 100 profits veil. And they’re, they’re crying out and dancing around and throwing themselves around and cutting themselves and trying to get bailed, light the sacrifice on fire and with all their many words and all this time,

they spend doing it until they’re exhausted and basically collapsed on the ground. They don’t get anything to happen. And Elijah prayed. He’s what, after dousing the whole altar with water after all of the things that praise, once fire comes down from heaven and sets whole thing on fire, was it the long prayer that he got? Well, it was the fact that God knew what he needed before he ever opened his mouth.

And so he says, therefore, do not be like them for your father knows the things you have need of before you ask interesting point, he’s just lowered the hypocrites, the Pharisees, the Sadducees describes the teachers to the same level as the pagan. Okay? He said, this is what the heathen do. They’re vain repetitions over and over again, thinking they’ll accomplish something.

And these hypocrites are no better than them in this manner. Therefore pray our father in heaven, hallowed, be your name, your kingdom, come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our debts. As we forgive our debtors, sometimes we have a mentality of forgive us our debts,

and then we’ll forgive our debtors. Take, take care of me first, but Jesus wants us to go the other direction. Jesus wants us and all all through this passage. This is, this whole section is about this idea. Do for others, do for God before you do for you do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen. There is there’s. There’s just far more that could be said about those verses than I have time to even dwell on. So we’re, we’re going to leave that for another time. He goes then to this, he says for, if you forgive men, their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you out of this prayer. He focuses on forgiveness.

They seek the wiping away of debts in a country that has spent more money in the last year than we spent from the government’s perspective in the last 10 years, which one costs more the entire national debt or one souls sins, which one costs more one soul sin, because you could get enough gold to pay off the national debt. It exists somewhere in the world,

but there’s not enough gold in all the vaults, in all the places in all the world to pay for one person sins, forgive us our debts. As we forgive Our debtors for, if you forgive men, their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you the opposite. It is also true, but if you do not forgive men, their trespasses,

neither will your father forgive your trust. Facets. John would write to the church in the first century and he would tell them that the blood of Christ continually cleanses their sins. But then he’ll remind them If any man says he has no sin, He’s a liar. And the truth is not in it. He wants it to be clear that there’s no one who stands on the pinnacle of all the rest of the church,

untouched by sin, untouched by transgression and standing there alone saying, I don’t have to forgive anybody because nobody has Forgive me because I’m perfect. But as we look at this, as we back up, as he’s talking about forgiveness, what is he really talking about? Who is the person who will not forgive someone else, a hypocrite, a person who’s more interested in themselves than the other person.

The person who will not forgive Is not the person who’s been so maligned. They Possibly forgive. No, no, no, no. That’s not who it is. Person who will not forgive is the person who has so lost. The view of their own needs, Needs that they no longer care for the needs of others. All through this passage, All through this text,

Jesus Has been talking about the, The relationship we have towards our selves And How it affects the relationship we have with everyone, Including God, Because the person who is so filled with pride, so filled with indignation, so filled with themselves. So filled with selfishness that they will not forgive. Jesus Says you have condemned yourself because if you won’t forgive God,

won’t forgive you. Moreover, when you fast do not be like the hypocrites with a sad countenance for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to be fasting assuredly. I say to you, they have their reward, but you, when you fast anoint your head and wash your face so that you do not appear to be, to appear to men,

to be fasting, but to your father who is in the secret place and your father who sees in secret will reward you openly. He’s not changed discussions. He’s not changed topics the entire time, all going all the way back into the discussion in chapter six, verse one about charitable deeds. He’s not changed topics at all. He’s just applied it to different areas.

He’s applied it to charitable deeds and giving and helping others. He’s applied it to prayer. He’s applied it to forgiveness. He’s now going to apply it to fasting question. Is there any place actually, let me, let me back up one question before I jump ahead of the horse here, what is fasting doing without something? And generally in scripture, it’s specifically doing without what food and or drink liquids or,

or, or solids. Okay. Sometimes it’s just one. Sometimes it’s, it’s both. When Jesus fasted in the wilderness, was it him fasting from food and drink? It have to be just food. How long did he fast 40 days. Can you go that long without any liquids? Nope. 70% water. About that time. You’re around 50% and you’re dead.

All right. Not going to happen. But when Satan came and tempted him, what did he say? Turn this water into earth. He started turning this stone into water bread, turn, turn this stone into bread. Depending upon the circumstance. Sometimes it was a complete, fast from everything. It was, it was quite literally the idea of, and this was generally connected to morning,

but it was the idea of withholding really anything from yourself. This is not something we in America tend to do on a regular basis. And some, I actually know some people who have fasted. I know some who fast on, on a regular basis. Not that I know personally, but that I have talked to or heard from, but what’s the reason for it.

If biblically speaking, not, not talking about people who were not talking about dieting, what’s the reason biblically speaking for fasting. There’s primarily two reasons. Say what? All right, a focus on spiritual cleansing or repentance quite often, what was the other? Okay. So the, the other main focus that we see in scripture is morning or sorrow, whether that be a,

for a national reason, quite often, you would find individuals fasting because of the wickedness of, of the nation of Israel. But this, this always was, was supposed to be a spiritual discipline of withholding. Your natural needs to focus your mind on something more important. And this isn’t a bad thing. I think sometimes we look at it at fasting and go,

well, we don’t need to do that today. We don’t need to focus our minds on more important things. I don’t know that that’s true. Are we commanded under the new Testament to do it today? No, we’re not commanded to do it, but there was only one occasion under the old Testament where they were commanded to do it. So, you know,

a lot of times we’ll look at the old Testament, all the, you know, that fasting, that’s an old Testament thing. No, it’s not. There’s only one specific area or commandment concerning fasting in the old Testament. The fact that there’s one less under the new Testament doesn’t mean that it’s not something that we ought to participate in. It is the same idea as God says,

be still and know that I am God now because there’s no commandment in the new Testament about being still to recognize that God is who he is. Does that mean that we shouldn’t occasionally take opportunities to shove aside everything else, turn everything off and pay attention to the fact that God is now. That’s a setting aside physical to focus on spiritual. Well, that’s all that fasting is about,

but it is a poignant way of doing it because after you get past a certain number of hours, as most of us are familiar with your stomach starts to remind you it’s time to eat. One of the things that fasting does is every time you’re reminded by your body, that you’re hungry, that is used as a prompt for you to think on that spiritual thing that you’re focusing on.

And so you’re using your natural senses to focus your attention on a spiritual thing. Okay? Here’s the problem with what they were doing. They were fasting the hypocrites, they were fasting and they would do so on a regular basis, they would do so without any specific reason, except that they would, you know, they wouldn’t clean their face. They look like they they’d had a rough rough day,

rough night, rough, whatever. And then they’d go out among the people so that people could go, Oh, he’s fasting. Ah, he’s, he’s really, he’s really spiritual. Jesus said, go wash your face, go clean yourself up. Don’t do a spiritual act. That is between you and God to be seen of men and recognized for your spirituality.

He said, when you do that, your spirituality is all the reward you get. The recognition you get in public is all the reward you’ll ever get because God will not reward you for that. You’ve missed the boat. And so today, if somebody chooses or a congregation chooses or a whole nation chooses to have a time of prayer and fasting, there’s nothing wrong with that,

but needs to be done for the right reason. It needs to be done. Not so that Facebook posts can be put every hour. I’m dying. I’m all I’m going to get through this fast, you know, pointing out to everybody around them, that they’re fasting, do spiritual things for the reason you should do them. And that is your spiritual growth and your connection to God and then teach others to do them,

but don’t do it to be seen by others. So then he says, do not lay up for yourselves, treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves, treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there. Your heart will be also all throughout the sermon on the Mount.

Jesus will focus on Possessions Over and over and over and over again. Possessions and Jesus will point out that his focus on possessions is not really a focus on possessions. His focus on possessions is a warning to say, focus on spiritual things and not possessions. Yeah. Is there a condemnation given by Jesus against those who have possessions a blanket condemnation? No.

As a matter of fact, it would be those who had possessions that would help Jesus in his ministry. Who’s one person that we might think, or one family we might think of who had possessions that helped Jesus, some siblings, Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Did they have a house? Yes. Did Jesus use their house? Yes, he did.

Did they have enough money to buy a burial plot for their brother when he died? Yes. Did Mary have enough money to give a very expensive gift of anointing Jesus before his death? Yes. That was a family that had possession, But what was more important to the family? Their possession Or Jesus Jesus. One time you see really, and even a little bit of a hint of,

of the opposite is where Jesus confronts Martha, because she’s frustrated that her sister’s not helping her serve. And Jesus points out to her that Mary has chosen the greater Thing, the word of God. And so he says, do not lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven or treasures on the earth. If we set aside, Put, Put in investments, put in savings,

this is, this has nothing to do, zero to do with wise stewardship, nothing to do with it. This has everything to do with where is your heart? And Jesus said, if your heart is there and riches in possessions and clothing and gold and silver and money and all the things he’s about to talk about here at the end of the chapter,

he said, you’ve missed it because that stuff, number one will still be here when you’re gone. And number two may not even stay with you while you’re here because it decades or someone along the way comes in and steals what you have. Yup, absolutely. You know, you, you see, even, you know, the, the perspective of the century ans as,

as Jesus is hanging there on the cross and they’re like, well, let’s, let’s cast lots for the garbage, eh, we we’re, we’re not, not tearing in pieces. It’s it’s interwoven. It’s all one piece. So, you know, we can’t can’t divide it, but he doesn’t need it anymore. You know, he’s got no use words.

So somebody is going to get some use out of it. Okay. Focus on the right thing. Now he’s still not changed discussion at all. He’s moved from charitable deeds to your prayer, to your forgiveness, to your fasting, to your treasure. He’s still talking about the same thing, your relationship to you. Okay? He says, if the lamp of the body is the eye,

if there is, if therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness. How great is that darkness? If your inward person has become corrupted so that all you see becomes evil, what was it that God accused the people in Noah’s day of being people who every thought of their heart was only evil.

Continually. They could see something good and in their mind, they’d turn it to evil. No one can serve two Masters for either, right? He will hate the one and love the other LT will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon, right? The application is money, but the gratification of money is always the gratification of What self Back of all of this.

As selfishness back of all of this is pride back of all of this is a care about self, more than a love of God. Go back to chapter five real quick. And then we’ll read through and pick up the rest of this verse. Three, blessed are the what? Poor in spirit. Verse four, blessed are those who Mourn, But verse five,

blessed are the MI verse six. Blessed are those who, what Hunger And thirst after righteousness. What is that? That is the desire of the Heart. Not For gold, silver possessions recognition, the, the praise of men, but for righteousness, blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.

All of these things begin first, First in the inward person, a decision to serve God over self. Okay? So He says, verse 25, do not worry. Or therefore I say to you do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body. What you will put on is not life more than food in the body.

More than clothing. Look at the birds of the air for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not of more value than They, which of you By worrying can add one cubit to his stature. So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin.

And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not Like one of these. Now, if God, so clothes, the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven. Will he not much more closely? Oh, you of little faith, therefore do not worry Saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink?

Or what shall we wear for after all these things, the Gentiles seek for your heavenly father knows that you have needs Of all these things. Now, as we, as we conclude this, I want to remind you God Israel. And while all of these things draw forward to the church, the audience for the discussion is not the church. The audience for the discussion are the Israelites.

Why do you think he said, you have heard it said, but I say unto you, those are, those are attributes of the law. Those are the aspects of the law that they had abused, misused torn apart to gratify themselves, to do what they wanted to do. And now he sets a contrast between them and the Gentiles, because all along the way,

going all the way back to Deuteronomy chapter six, where Israel is hold hero Israel, the Lord, thy, God is one God and thou shall love the Lord. Thy God, with all thy heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, with all by mind, all the way back there. They were warned that when they got into the land and when they began to,

to glean the fields, they didn’t plant. And when they lived in houses, they didn’t build. And when they took over land that they didn’t do anything to toil to create. They might forget God and forget who put them there to begin with. And Jesus reminds these Israelites and his disciples and us today that God can take nothing and give you everything out of it.

And he can take someone who is nothing and make them everything. So what are we worried about if we will, but learn the lessons of the Israelites to love God first, but seek first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about its own things sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

There’s any one passage. That’s one of the hardest things in all scripture to do. I dare say that’s whatever. Alright, we’ll go through the questions on Wednesday night. As we start our review for chapter seven, I can’t help, but look outside and see the beautiful weather and the beautiful day that we have today and what a beautiful day we have to enjoy.

We are proud to see some visitors with us today. We want you to know that you’re our honored guests. And if you would look in the Pew in front of you and there’s a colored card there, if you’d fill it out and just leave it on, the seat are handed to any one of us and we’ll see to it, that it gets to the right place.

We are indeed proud that you chose to come our way while we’re on that subject. As you came in the door, there is a table with the communion cups. If you have not had the opportunity to pick up a little cup of bread and a little cup of grape juice, be sure and do that. It’s a good time to do it right now.

Go back and get it. And you’ll be prepared for the communion service. When we have that, I’ve got a fair number of announcements. So please bear with me here. We need to remember our sick Joan Springer. She’s doing a little bit better. Robin woods, Jessica Dale. She’s here with us today. Also doing a little bit better. Tory Heinz Ellie,

likewise, I think is at least holding her own Dorothy and Rodale. Wilson are both still suffering from their sorta chronic pains. Janie Marlin is doing much better. And ed Richardson, Shell’s dad has a fractured spine. I think he’s doing about the same as I understand. And we want to keep these people in our prayers. We also have some other people,

relatives that are in need of our prayers. Diane O’Neill’s aunt Jean. Sconiers had a stroke in addition to be hospitalized with congestive heart failure and pneumonia. She’s struggling with her speech since the stroke. And she’s back in a nursing home. Also Diana’s nephew’s wife, Natalie temple found out that she has had a cancer that is spreading and not sure what her treatment plan will be,

but that is being dealt with as we speak also Alicia and Maddie bond have been exposed and are showing symptoms of COVID. I guess they have it. They will have to wait for three to seven days for the results of their tests before they actually know, but I’m sure they’re under quarantine right now. We have several of our members that are suffering from back problems.

Michael stacks is home with back problems. Pam chafing is with us today. She says, her back is getting better. And of course, Gladys Lyles is dealing with, with that as well. So these are other people that we need to keep in our prayers. Alena sharp, Shelly stacks, mother has double pneumonia and Marsa infects you and your head wound.

You know, that Marsa is a very serious bacterial infection that is very resistant to all the drugs, very difficult. So keep them in your prayers. Lucky Hanks is in Methodist over in the woman’s section. We tease him about that a little bit, but he’s had some heart problems and it’s pretty much expected that he will probably be getting a pacemaker put in to keep his rhythm in order.

That’s all of the, Oh, wait a minute. I’ve got one more. Dorothy Wilson got a good result from her stress test and she is perhaps going to be improving here, but her grandchildren, Shane and Taylor, that both used to worship here from time to time are suffering from the Corona virus. I think that’s all of our sick people and we just need,

need to be aware of these people and keep them in our prayers. Don’t forget. Potter’s children’s home pantry item for January is dish soap. You can bring that and put it on the little cart as you come into the four year old on the left-hand side. The men’s business meeting will be next Monday night, not this Monday night, but next Monday a week,

week and a half from now or a week and a day from now. And if you have any agenda items, please sign, put them on the list on the bulletin board or make sure that one of the men get them and we’ll get it to the right place. That’s all the announcements. Thank goodness. And the service today, Michael Dale will be leading our singing.

Terry Sanderson has the opening prayer. The Lord’s supper will be officiated by Eric Halvorson. The sermon with Aaron Cozort and Joe caisson has the closing prayer. Thank you for your attendance. Our opening song this morning will be number one, 144 O worship the King O worship the King. Oh, worship<inaudible> and gray Foley. See here’s Wanda for a shill.

Dan.<inaudible> a billion Dan Splenda and<inaudible><inaudible> it’s dreams from the Hills and send to the play. Hey and sweetly.<inaudible> nah,<inaudible> children de us and<inaudible> and<inaudible> find the two CS turned to the G and a greedy. And<inaudible>. So before our opening prayer will be number 797. Lord, we come before the now Lord, we come before the<inaudible>.

Oh dude.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> to<inaudible> and I know<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> the God pre the<inaudible> free.<inaudible> sorry.<inaudible> Right. Father walked in heaven. We thank to you for this beautiful first day of the week. The opportunity do we have to come together as that children who sang these songs, praise into the,

into worship, they just study a portion of I where we pray that the things that we learned here today will be in a quarter for that wheel. We pray that we can use these things to further that kingdom in this community, we pray that you would be with all of the ones that have been mentioned today to their sick and unable to be with us.

We pray that you would be with all of the ones that are suffering from the COVID virus. The ones that we know from this congregation and friends and all that and all over the world, we pray that you would be with him and comfort him. We pray that you would keep us safe from it. And then we try to do the things that the health people are advising us today.

We pray that you would be with our military people that are away from home. We pray that you keep them safe, comfort their families while they are away. We pray that you would be with the teachers of his congregation, that they continue to teach the truth and to help to save souls in this community. We pray that she would go with us and keep us safe and forgive us when we do wrong.

In Christ’s name, we pray amen. Song to prepare our minds for the Lord. Separate will be number 337. Hallelujah. What a savior man?<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> claim<inaudible><inaudible> Hey man.<inaudible> he used<inaudible><inaudible> blah<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> was he man,<inaudible> be<inaudible> lifted up. Was he too? Ah<inaudible> and<inaudible> ah, ah,<inaudible> when he comes<inaudible> is Ryan some to Bri then a new song.

Well, seeing<inaudible> We now have the opportunity to celebrate the ultimate sacrifice that God made for each and every one of us here. And that is when he sent his son here to live with us amongst here on earth and teach us, but ultimately die on that cross at Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. Join me as we pray for the bread,

God, our father in heaven, we come to you at this time, thanking you for your son. And we know it was a difficult and an ultimate sacrifice that you made for us. The center’s here on earth, but we are so grateful that you made that choice, that your son may hang on at cruel cross at Calvary. And as we prepare to take this bread,

which represents his body, let us remember exactly what that represents. We pray this through your son, Jesus name, amen. Our father. We come to you giving you thanks for everything you have done for us. And as we prepare to partake of this fruit of the vine, which represents your son’s blood, that he shed for our sins, help us to ponder that and truly think about what that means that his blood was shed for us.

He died for us so that we may have our sins forgiven. So we may live with you and heaven. One day, we pray this through your son’s name. Amen. Let me take this opportunity to say a prayer for the offering. God, our father in heaven. We know that it is from you, that all of our blessings truly flow.

And we are so thankful for each and every one of them. And as we prepare to give back a portion of this, to your needs and your works by donating funds to this church. So we may use these funds to further the spread of your word and your gospel here on earth. We ask that you help each and every one of us do it with a cheerful heart.

And we ask that you help the men of this congregation that oversee these funds, make decisions that are rightful and truly in helping spread your word. Those that are less Fortunate than us. And that is those that have not heard your word so that they may have that same opportunity we have as live with you forever. One day in eternity, we pray this through your son,

Jesus name, amen. The song before the lesson will be number 431 and break thou the bread of life. If you’re able to stand for this song, please, number 431<inaudible><inaudible> to me<inaudible> let’s see<inaudible> to me, to me. See<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> peace ma Oh, eh. Oh, you may be seated. Good morning. Good to be home.

It’s good to see each and every one of you, especially our visitors, Glad to have your presence with us, hope that you can make it a regular opportunity. This year in 2021, we are going to take one lesson each month. We’re going to focus on a word throughout the year that I believe has a great deal of emphasis for us and a great deal of import into our society,

our life and our existence today. That word is the word faithful. We’re going to begin that study looking at God’s description of a faithful man or a faithful person in order to get God’s perspective on this idea of faithful. We could look in the new Testament, but I really think we have to begin in the old Testament. Deuteronomy chapter nine, sorry.

Deuteronomy chapter seven. And in verse nine, God is speaking to Israel as they are preparing to go into the promised land. And he says to them beginning in verse nine, he says, therefore know that the Lord, your God, he is God. He begins with this premise that God Jehovah God, the Lord, God. The one who brought them out of Egypt is God.

And when God says I am God, he doesn’t mean I am one God, among many. He has shown beyond any doubt through his actions with Egypt. He is the true and living God. And so he says, therefore know that the Lord, your God, he is the Lord, your God. He is God. And notice this description, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations,

with those who love him and keep his commandments. As we begin this study concerning this idea of being faithful of faithfulness and everything it touches in our lives understand that God first desires requires commands faithfulness, because he is faithful. You and I, we make promises. We make commitments. We make agreements. And if we’re honest, and if we are those of sound,

mind, and striving to be what God would have us to be our intent, when we make those agreements is to fulfill what we have said, we will do no matter what kind of agreement it is, whether it’s an agreement to pay something to someone or an agreement on a loan or an agreement on just participation in an, in a transaction or, or,

or an activity with a friend. I was talking with a friend of mine just recently. And he’s been working out with some of the members of the congregation, where he attends and, and him and this friend of his and his wife, they go out every, every morning and they go work out and he had been doing this for a month or two.

And he had as a result of some things at work, he had been up all night. He worked from until 4:00 AM, one morning, then worked all day, then had to work all until three or 4:00 AM the next morning and then had to face the potential of not going and working out. And he went and worked out anyway because he knew if he didn’t do it once,

if he, if he said I can’t make it this time, there would be a thousand other reasons why I wouldn’t make it in the future. So he pushed through and he did it. And you and I, we face those struggles. We face those difficulties. We met, we face those choices. The reality is sometimes though, maybe out of no fault of our own,

maybe out of circumstances, we can’t even control. We can’t fulfill an obligation. We have made a commitment, a promise, and we have been on faithful to that commitment. Now this may be in a small matter, may be in an inconsequential matter. It may be in a temporary matter, but that’s not God Deuteronomy chapter seven verse nine tells us that God Jehovah the Lord.

He is God. And he is faithful to a thousand generations. Now women Moses makes this statement by inspiration through the power of the Holy spirit. He does not mean that to the thousand. And first-generation, God’s probably not going to be faithful to them. No, he means quite clearly that when you are faithful to the thousand generations that have come before the thousand and first generation can have no doubt and complete assurance that God will still be Faithful.

But he’s, He is faithful to those who love him and keep his commandments. And he repays those who hate him to their face to destroy them. He will not be Slack with him who hates him. He will repay him too. His face. Moses makes it clear. As he speaks to the children of Israel. God is faithful to those who love him.

And he’s faithful to those who hate him. He will be faithful to himself always. And therefore what he has said He will do. So as we begin, we need to, I understand that God desires faithful Because he is faithful. There was a time in Israelite history. First Samuel chapter two, That God replaced his high priest. He not only replaced his high priest,

but he replaced the whole priestly lineage, Age and family In first Samuel chapter two as Eli and his sons were the current high priest and priests. God delivers a message to Eli. In first Samuel chapter two, and in verse 35, then I will raise up for myself. Now notice the wording. God says, I’m going to do this and I’m going to do it because of me because of who I am.

Therefore, I will raise up for myself, a faithful priest who shall do according to what is In my heart. You go back into the proceeding versus you will find out that Eli’s sons, Hoff, Diane Finney has, who were supposed to be serving. As priests were instead causing the people to transgress. They were committing for an occasion in the very front of the tabernacle.

They were committing adultery. They were, they were stealing. They were holding those people’s offerings, bounty for what they could receive for offering the sacrifices. They were doing all sorts of things. And God said, this isn’t going to stand my priests. Aren’t going to do this. And Eli and his sons would be replaced, but God says, I’m going to replace you with someone who will do according to what is in my heart.

And in my mind, I will build him a sure house. And he shall walk before my annoying Forever. Samuel would be that high priest, the priesthood and the family would transition in Eli’s family. His lineage would end God is serious about faithfulness. And second Timothy chapter two, Paul writes to Timothy. And as he is writing to this young preacher,

he sets a charge before Timothy, as a preacher. He instills in Timothy, the requirement that Timothy be about a particular task And That task hasn’t changed for preachers across every century from then, until now, Paul writes to Timothy and saying to any chapter two, and in verse one, he says, you, therefore, my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Yeah. Paul writes to Timothy and he says, you be on the lookout for a particular kind of person. You, as you minister, you be searching for a particular group of people. The qualification for which Paul States,

Timothy needs to be looking for is not those who are rich. Not those who are poor, not those who are tall are, those were short. Those were fat. Or those who were skinny. He says, the qualification is those who are faithful. And you find someone who’s faithful. And here’s what you do. You take the things that you’ve heard from me among many witnesses.

You take the things that are is the bulk and the meat and the body of what I’ve taught you. And you instill it into them. And Then you give them the charge to go give it to somebody else. And the prime responsibility is they function as stewards of a gift. Paul would write to the church at Corinth about the treasure that had been Placed in them as Earthen vessels.

The word of God Handed to them that they in turn should deliver it. Proclaim it, preach it faithfully to others, But not only teach it, they had to also live it. God desires, faithful men, but there’s a Psalm in the old Testament that gives a warning. And I want to spend the bulk of the rest of our time in that Psalm,

Psalm 12 is a Psalm of David. And it presents a warning. A warning that I believe is needed is resoundingly needed in our country. Not only in our congregations, but in our congregations, but in our country, in our society and in our world Was at the very heart of some of the biggest problems. Our society He has is this problem.

This Thing that David’s going To warn about, he begins help, help Lord for The godly man, Ceases for the faithful disappear from among the sons of men, David in this song cries out for God’s help. He cries out for God’s aid because he can’t find faithful men Among God’s people. This isn’t just a problem amongst the priesthood in David’s day, it’s not just about the spiritual leaders.

It’s about finding men who will Hold forth, the Attributes of faithfulness throughout their lives, throughout every aspect of their existence. And David is going to confront Using the words of the Lord, the attributes Of those who are on Faithful, Because if you want an under an understanding of God’s description of a faithful man, one of the things God will present to you is what he is not what a faithful man will not do.

What he will not be involved in. And David says, as he looks at his world, as he looks at his society, as he looks at his nation, this is all I can find. He says, verse two, they speak. I believe every one with his neighbor. As he looks down upon the people he sees idleness, He sees idol Speech.

Jesus made a point about Idle speech. He said that when the judgment comes, a man will give an account for all the words that he Speaks. And he warns against idle speech. You and I, we have an opportunity in our lives to speak hundreds of thousands of words, to communicate thoughts, emotions, feeling, instruction, desires contemplations, but as stewards of the gift of communication,

how are we using it? Are we only investing our time and effort and energies in communicating that which has no real lasting value. David looks at These individuals and he sees their interests and their speech only revolves around temporary Earthly things. And they are idle in their speech, but he goes on to say yes, That they speak with flattering lips and with a double heart,

They speak it. It’s it’s, it’s bad enough that their speech has no value, but then they turn around and they use their speech to lift up others artificially, to flatter them. When in their heart, their only desire is for themselves. One of the attributes of a faithful person, discipline Just over in the book of Proverbs that we’re not going to get into in any depth in this lesson.

But we will before this course of lessons is over, is the attribute of a faith Full friend who will tell you something that hurts, but he’ll tell it to you because you need to hear it yet. These people aren’t that kind of person. These people, that David is looking at their idol in their speech and they’re flattering in their lips. And they’re double hearted Because yeah,

Their intent is to provoke others to action that only benefits themselves. And David says, these are not faithful people, but he goes on to say, may the Lord cut off all flattering lips? As the King, as a man Can have wealth as a man of prosperity. As a man who had led others into battle had conquered, had discovered the power that existed in serving the Lord.

We know as we go through the history of David and we look at the things that he endured, the things he went through, that he was surrounded by some people who were The worst of humanity. But here’s the reality. When you have wealth, you will generally end up inevitably at some point, surrounded by people who have only that type of desire.

They’ll say anything to you, but not because they care for you, but because they want what you have. And David will say, may the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongue That speaks proud things. This isn’t David saying, I don’t want them to have what I have this isn’t David going, I’m selfish. And I want to keep everything I have.

And I don’t want to share with no, no, no, that’s not it David’s saying they have a problem with pride in their hearts. And it is interfering With faithfulness among the people in verse six, we read the words of the Lord are pure words. He’s accused them of idle speech, but He contrasts their idol speech With the Lord’s words. If they had set aside all of their own words,

if they had set aside all their own thoughts, if they had set aside, all of the things that they thought were they were, that were important. And just spoken the words of the Lord, he would have said, they spoke. You are words, but they wouldn’t do that. As a matter of fact, if you look at verse four,

we read who have said those who have flattering lips, those who have tongues that speak proud things they have said with our tongue, We will prevail. Our lips are our own. I’m in control. They said, I get to say whatever I want. No one can tell me what to say. I get to look out for me too. I get what I want to do,

what I want and use my Long to accomplish it. But they would also say not only our lips are our own, but who is Lord over us? A faithful man tied up in all of this is the lesson that a faithful man is a submissive man. David Looks at his people and says, I can’t find any faithful men. They’re disappearing as if someone’s coming in the midst of the night and kidnapping them.

They’re being drawn aside. They’re being drawn away into the desires of their flesh, the desires of their heart and their mind and their pride and their desire and their flattery is stealing them from faithfulness to those who are around them. And has you think back over the life of David, think about how many betrayals, those closest to him committed. And David can’t find a faithful man of his own children.

Multiple men would arise seeking to kill him and take the throne. But in verse five, he says for the oppression of the poor, for the signing of the needy, Oh, here it is. They prevail with their tongues. They use their speech to get what they want. They claim their lips are their own and no one is Lord over them,

but who are they acting against? Who are they using the build themselves up? He says, they’re using the poor. They’re using the needy Absalom. One of David’s sons would stand and would sit out side the city. And as he sought power and prominence among the people, as the people would come in to be judged, he would stop them outside the city.

And he’d say, you won’t get any judgment in there. They don’t have time for you. You’ll never get the decision that you want. If you go to the King for judgment, let me judge you. And he would sit outside the city and he would judge in favor of those who would support him. And before long, he turn The nation’s heart against their King by flattery of lips and deceitful actions.

And the oppression of the poor verse five says, now I will arise, says the Lord. Isn’t David saying, I’m going to get on my high horse and I’m going to get my army together. And we’re going to go out and we’re going to take vengeance on all these unfair, Well, men know, the Lord says, Now I will arise.

Now I will arise. As the Lord, I will set him in the safety for which he yearns. God says, I’m going to defend the poor. I’m going to defend the needy. I’m going to stand between the unfaithful And the oppressed. The words of the Lord are pure words. Silver tried in a furnace of earth. Purified seven times. You shall keep them all.

Lord use shall preserve them from this generation forever. David Expresses the necessity of treasuring up as it were of storing up God’s words, to keep them from a generation That would use them for their own profit. They would use them for their own ends. As if God is saying, I’m going to take my covenant. I’m going to take my long and take my words.

And I’m going to hold them back from you. I’m not giving them to you because you’ll only abuse them Because you are faithful in your very B verse eight says the wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men, David presents to God’s people, a warning. He said, you look around you and faithful. Men are disappearing.

I would say in the years I’ve been alive. And that I have had time to observe that in the church, faithful men are disappearing. We have too many men who are too Focused on This life and cannot focus on God. And because of that, they do not leave their homes. They do not lead their families. They do not instruct their children.

They do not instruct faithful men. They do not set themselves to follow the Lord. In Isaiah’s day, Isaiah would confront his generation and Isaiah chapter one. I want to read a few of the verses as we close from Isaiah chapter one, because God confronts a nation, a city of people that had the opportunity to be faithful. They still had a chance in Isaiah’s day.

They wouldn’t take it and they’re going to be judged. But Isaiah, right? And Isaiah chapter one beginning in verse 21, how the faithful city has become a harlot. One of the attributes that is specific to the idea of a harlot is someone who will do anything for money. And Isaiah confronts his generation and says, you, you used to be a faithful city,

and now you will do anything for money. Verse 21, he says it was full of justice and righteousness lodged in it. But now murderers, your silver has become draws your wine mixed with water. Your princes are rebellious. You’re in companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless nor does the cause of the widow come before them.

What is it that God just talked about in Psalm chapter 12? That same thing. They will not help those in need. They will not defend the defenseless. They not serve The oppressed. They will not even give them justice For all they want is money. Therefore, the Lord says, verse 24, the Lord of hosts, the mighty one of Israel.

Ah, I will rid myself of my Adversaries. I remember Deuteronomy chapter seven. God said I will be faithful to those who love me and keep my commandments to a thousand generations. And I will be faithful to them. Those who hate me, the Lord says, ah, I will rid myself of my adversaries and take vengeance on my enemies. I will turn my hand against you.

Now he’s speaking to Israel. He says, I will turn my hand against you and thoroughly purge away your draws And take away all your alloy. I will restore your judges as at the first. And your counselors is at the beginning afterward. You shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. He says, Israel, you were one, The faithful city.

And yet you’ve become a harlot, But I’m going to turn you around. And it won’t be a pretty experience. He says, I’m Going to burn off All the corruption. Notice he goes on. He says, Zion will be redeemed with justice and her penitence with righteousness, the destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together. And those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed for.

They shall be ashamed of the terrible trees, which you have desired. You shall be embarrassed because of the gardens, which you have chosen. He’s pointing out their idolatry. He’s pointing out their places of worship, their high places, the places they constructed to go worship the foreign gods. He says, you’re going to be embarrassed at those. I’m going to turn you against those.

He says, verse 34, you shall be as a terrible whose leaf fades. And as a garden that has no water. You’ll The dead. The strong shall be as Tinder. And the work of it as a spark, both will burn together and no one shall quench them. God’s description of a faithful man is one who loves him and keeps his commandments.

Yes, but One who will not allow Injustice to continue. One who will not turn a blind eye To oppression. One who will not Set aside justice for profit, but also One who will not flatter To engross themselves, who will, I’ll not speak idle words instead of the word of the Lord, who will not be double hearted and Double tongue. But God makes it clear to the unfaithful.

When I judge you, no one will stop me. No one will hold me back. And as he Takes the analogy of the strong one who has been turned into Tinder, they’re so dried out. They’re they’re like the forests in California. He alight. Imagine there’s no stopping it Because I’m going to take the strong ones among you. And I’m going to be that.

And I’m going to take their own, works their own deeds. And I’m going to light them on fire with it. And no one Will quench my judgment. God is faithful to those who love him and keep his commandments and to those who hate him as well. So the question is which one are we? And are we faithful? And not only faithful,

but producing more, who are faithful for that is part of our faithfulness. You’re here this morning and you’re outside the body of Christ. You stand in a position of judgment. These days, Hebrews chapter nine tells us this. Life’s going to be over. You’re going to stand before God in judgment. Because of that, you need to know where you stand.

Do you stand God as One who is faithful? If you’re outside the body of Christ, you don’t. Because while God loves those who love him and keep his commandments. One of his commandments is the requirement for salvation. The requirement of obedience to enter into the body of Christ, the place where salvation has found the church for which Christ died. And he shed his blood.

You enter into that body by hearing the word of God and believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Jesus said, except you believe that I am. He you’ll die in your sins. Paul wrote it this way. Either. You are one who believes in him, or you are an alien from him, separated from him and an enemy of God.

You can’t be both. And you can’t find a third option. You’re either one or the other. Having believed that Jesus Christ is the son of God. You have to conform your life to him. The one who loves God and keeps his commandments, but conforming your life means repenting of your sins and confessing the name of Christ, submitting to him and being immersed in water,

dying to your old self, rising in again, to walk in newness of life, Romans chapter six, verses three and four, and then being faithful until death because revelation chapter two tells us James chapter one tells us that the one who’s faithful unto death will receive a crown of life. So if you want to know when this life is over, exactly which category you fit into,

faithful or unfaithful, and there’s only two, that’s where you need to begin. If you’re a member of the body of Christ and your faithfulness looks like it’s disappearing. If David would look at your life and go, no, I’m looking for a faithful man. And that’s not one. Maybe it’s time to turn around. You have need of the invitation for any reason why not come now as we stand in,

as we sing<inaudible> from the source.<inaudible><inaudible> well, you<inaudible> to the fountain free. Well, you<inaudible> me. The<inaudible> here. The welcome call is a fountain up for, Oh, there’s a living stream with a crystal gleam.<inaudible> hear the call for free. They go, Oh, well you come to the fountain free. Will you<inaudible><inaudible> Oh,

open for, Oh, there’s a rock that’s<inaudible><inaudible> and it’s dream. I see. Let<inaudible> to the fountain free. Well, you<inaudible> thirsty<inaudible> you may be seated. Sandra comes forward saying she hasn’t been faithful. It hasn’t been focused on spiritual things. The way she wants To be been too focused on discomforts. She wants to do better.

And we are overjoyed for that. We all throughout our lives have difficulty keeping focus on what’s important. And I think that’s why so much of scripture focuses us back. If we’ll Listen to what’s important, What to pray for Cassandra right now, Not only that she will be forgiven, But that her direction and focus Will become what she desires for it to be.

But that she will also be an example for all of us to do the same. Let’s pray our gracious father in heaven. Come before you at this time with tender hearts, care, concern and love for our sister, Cassandra and her desire to be faithful, her desire to become closer to you and to focus on the turtle more than the temporal. Each one of us needs that desire as well and are encouraged by her example of repentance and willingness to say,

I can do better. We pray for Cassandra that you will forgive her. She repents of these things, that you will aid her in setting her feet on a right path. We also pray that we will be an encouragement and a comfort and a strength and a bulwark for her as she goes through this journey of setting things, right? We ask that you be with this congregation as a whole,

in our faithfulness, we ask that you bless this family that we have here, that we watch out for one another and we help one another. In our struggles, we pray for continued blessings, Cassandra and forgiveness and grace and mercy, as they are sought. And as they are offered through the blood of your son, all this, we pray in Jesus name.

Amen. For the closing, prayer will be number 642. Let the loan Or lights be burning. All things Right? Lee beams off there’s mercy from his NA side house<inaudible> but to a us, he gives a key PE of the nights.<inaudible><inaudible> send a gleam, a cross<inaudible> struggling. See man, you may rescue. You may say,

Hey dog.<inaudible><inaudible> for the lights.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> struggling. See man, you may rescue<inaudible><inaudible> some<inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible><inaudible> sin Glebe, a cross<inaudible> struggling. See man,<inaudible> Let us bow. Dear God, our father in heaven, we truly are so thankful that we’ve been able to gather today to worship Eve, to be able to study from your word and be guided by those principles that you have set for us to live by father.

We’re grateful for every member of this body of Christ here. We’re so thankful for the love that we have for each other. And we pray father that as we go through life, that we not only demonstrate that love to our physical family, but our spiritual family. And they, we have thoughts of an eternal nature. That those are the things that got our ways upon this earth that we realized that we have what a short time to do your will,

and to try to reach others with the gospel and to try to become the fateful that truly care more about things of any eternal nature than those of a physical nature. We pray father that you give us the strength and the courage to do those things that might reach out to those that are lost. Those things that might encourage those that have fallen away from you,

that they too might want to come back and be faithful. Father help us each day that we live, that we look to your word, that we might always direct our lives in the proper direction that we always are about trying to demonstrate our love for others in our care and concern and compassion for one another, strengthen us as we go through life. We’re so thankful for the lesson that Aaron so adequately covered this morning,

we should ponder upon those thoughts and be concerned with how we are living our lives. Bless us as we’re about to depart, strengthen us. As we continue to look to your word in Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

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The Search Is Over

In General by Aaron Cozort

By: Morne Stephanus – www.moralcom.org

The World is searching, searching for something. Some are searching for riches others for glory. Some are frantically searching for the next high, living a life dedicated to the desires of the flesh. There is no satisfaction in their endeavors and no outcome that will comfort their minds and satisfy their souls. The world is looking for the wrong things in all the “right” places. For those of us who have been adopted into the family of God by obedience to the Gospel (Galatians 3:26-27), the search is over.

In Christ, we have found everything we need. The Lord promised us the abundant life (John 10:10) and this promise is fulfilled in every facet of pure Christianity. In Christ, our physical needs are satisfied by the promises, precepts, and providence of a God who cannot lie (Psalm 37:25, Galatians 6:9-10 & Matthew 6:33).

Our spiritual needs are satisfied by the mercy of an all-compassionate God (2 Peter 1:3 & 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Furthermore, our future home in heaven is secured by and in the Captain of our Salvation (John 14:1-3 & 1 John 5:11). Truly the Christian’s life is one lived in satisfaction, rooted in peace and wholesome pleasure. Brethren our search is over, we have found in the Lord what the world is still looking for and don’t know they need. To God be the Glory! So, considering this fact how are you portraying Christianity?

Do people see you content in the Lord and rejoicing evermore (Hebrews 13:5-6 & Philippians 4:4)?  Or are you still searching for something you don’t know you’ve already found? Sometimes we forget and need to be reminded that Christianity is not a good life it is the good life. It is a life filled with immense joy, peace, and hope.

In Christ, we enjoy the godly pleasures of this world (1 Timothy 6:17) and when all is said and done we will enjoy the pleasures of the next (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18). Folks are searching frantically for something to satisfy their souls. In Christ, we have found that satisfaction. Therefore, let’s show it to and share it with those who have not.

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12-30-2020 – Live Stream – Matthew 5 (M. Dale)

In Bible Classes Videos, Live Streams by Aaron Cozort

Automated Transcript:

All right. We’re looking kind of sparse tonight, but I think that it’s about time to get started. Just a quick update on my wife. She had her colonoscopy and endoscopy today and the preliminary stage, everything looks good, but we’re waiting for the results of her biopsies to come back. And she’s now dealing with a severely sore throat. It’s not normal.

It’s like, like her throat feels like it’s bleeding. She says, so she has to go back to the doctor to find out what that’s all about. Hopefully she’s not having some kind of allergic reaction or something, but keep her in your prayers. I want to let you know that the questions on the top say Mark chapter five. But if you look at the actual questions they are from Matthew chapter five,

not Mark chapter five. And we will be going through Matthew chapter five, beginning of Christ’s sermon on the Mount. Go ahead and have a prayer before we begin our father in heaven. How Holy and awesome you are. We thank you for this opportunity that we have to come together and worship you and learn your word. We ask that we soak it up like a spun.

So we’re able to go out and teach it to those that are lost. We ask that you be with those that are traveling at this time. The weather is not fantastic for travel, but we do appreciate, and thank you for the rain. My, my Lord. And we ask that you get everybody home safely. And we ask that you be with those that are ailing and heal that put your healing hand on them.

And if it be your will bring them back to us to worship you. And thank you so much again for your son who died on the cross for our sins in his name. Amen. All right. So we’re going from Matthew chapter five beginning in verse one and seeing the multitudes. He went up into a mountain and when he was set, his disciples came onto him.

Jesus often resorted to the mountains. So as to provide an occasion for rest to instruct his disciples, many examples of this in the scriptures, Matthew 1423, Mark three 13, six 46, Luke six, 12, nine, 28, John six, 15, et cetera, et cetera. There’s a lot of examples of Jesus retreating into a mountain to,

to rest and teach. Sitting down to teach was a procedure that was long followed in the early church. Sitting to teach was an indication of authority. It has been noted that in the early church, the preacher sat and the congregation, including the emperors stood, most of the cathedrals of Europe were still without pews or other seating facilities for the congregation, the reformer Martin Luther.

I’m sure a lot of us know who he is. I alluded to this custom, when he said objecting to the Pope’s remaining seated to observe the Lord’s supper, let him stand up. When he takes the communion like any other sinner, while the mountain, while in the mountain, Matthew tells us that his disciples came unto him suggesting that they took the initiative.

It has been commented that this sermon on the Mount was spoken the ear of the church and overheard by the world verse number two. And he opened it his mouth and taught them, saying our English translate a Greek phrase here that was used of solemn grave and dignified utterance. And so this was, this is a very solemn utterance that he’s speaking. Jesus spoke with the full tone voice of power with an open mouth blessed.

The word appears at the beginning of each of the beatitudes, the English word translate the Greek Makarios and the full meaning of the word is difficult to capture in one single English word. Generally it means happy, blessed. Last vines dictionary noted that it is akin to<inaudible> from a re root Mack, meaning large lengthy denotes to pronounce happy or blessed. I’m blessed has nothing to do with happiness in the popular sense of pleasure and prosperity.

Rather it indicates an inner joy independent of outward circumstances. So let’s go to verse three. Most of the, most of the, all of them, the beatitudes begin with the word blessed. That’s why I went into the explanation of blessed verse three, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What does it mean to be poor in spirit?

This is to have a self emptying conviction. This is to have the knowledge that before God, we are completely void of everything, we do not want to be spiritually arrogant. That is what this means. We transform our mind as stated by Paul in Romans 12 one and two and Ephesians four 23. And this is to have a humble and contrite spirit,

Isaiah 57, 15 and other various passages. Why are we to be poor in spirit though? Jesus States say right here in the verse, it is to gain the kingdom of heaven. The poor in spirit are enriched with the fullness of Christ, which is the kingdom and substance. We have the hope of eternal life because of this. My coming to an understanding that without God,

we are nothing, we have the hope of eternal life. Verse four, blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. But what is is this morning that he’s talking about here? This isn’t just a crying. This isn’t just, you know, standing there sobbing, this is a sincere morning or lament over your sins that he’s speaking of, we are to mourn our sins,

our sins, to the point of repentance. Paul stated this in second Corinthians, seven, nine, and 10. And I would read all of the scriptures or have y’all read all of the scriptures. But as this 48 verses, we have to get through in 45 minutes. How are we blessed by that sincere lament over our sins? Jesus tells us that we will be comforted.

If we have a sincere, sincere lament or repentance of our sins. This is a comfort that can only be found in the Lord. Jesus Christ. Matthew writes this in 1128 through 30 verse five, blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. But what is it to be meek to be meek is to have a great strength, but to have that strength under the control of God to be subject unto God,

showing consideration for all men. So we have a strength to be able to do whatever we want. Our free will. That’s our strength, but we give that freewill up to God. Whenever we become Christians, I have heard that it said that meekness is like in unto attained, must Mustang. They are powerful and strong, but they have to put that strength into subjection under their master.

How are, how are the meek blessed? Jesus says they shall inherit the earth. We will inherit all things. John States in revelation 21 seven and all things shall be ours. As Christians. First Corinthians three 20 through 23, let’s throw they, which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled verse six. What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness?

Hunger will make a person yearn and seek for that, which will make him full. If you’re starving to death, you’re going to be seeking out anything you possibly can to get food and your stomach. I’m not starving to death. So I don’t have to do that. What are, what are we to hunger for though? Jesus States we’re to hunger for the word in John chapter six 47 through 51,

thirst will drive a person to not give up until their thirst is Quinn Or until they die. What are we to thirst for in John chapter four is the story of Jesus at the well, the event is truly inspiring, but the scripture that points out what we are the thirst for as John four 14, the living water, the water that flows from Christ.

The word We are to make every effort to seek what is righteous and to put it all in the center of our lives. That’s what this means to hunger as if starving and to thirst as if dying for the word and to do God’s will we are to hunger and thirst for righteousness to be filled. If we continue to desire to go to heaven and seek his will,

we will go to heaven. Matthew 10 22, Jesus SIRS assures us of this and John eight 31 and 32, that we will be free. We will never thirst or hunger again, as stated in revelation seven, 16 and 17 verse seven, blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. How are we to be merciful as Christians? How are we to be merciful to anybody Forgiveness?

That’s how we show mercy by forgiving, by forgiving, we must forgive to receive forgiveness. Matthew six, 14, and 15 Jesus States that Peter asked the Christ. How often shall we forgive? And in turn, Jesus tells him the parable of the unforgiving debtor, Matthew 1822 through 35 most know and understand where to forgive 70 times seven, basically as many times as they keep asking for forgiveness,

we give them forgiveness. Verse eight, let’s start the pure in heart for, they shall see God to be Kiran. Heart is not a facade. It is a reflection of the image of God, likened to the cornea of one’s eyes, to project God into our heart. So to take God completely into your heart, that is to be pure of heart.

To give your heart completely over your heart, your mind, sorry, over to God completely. We must be on the inside. What we proclaim to be on the outside. We say, we’re Christians. We need to live and act like Christians. We know in this life, no man can see God and live. As we can read an Exodus 33 verse 20.

When our reward, when life is over is to see God which we know is impossible. Without a pure heart, we must have a pure hard to see God as stated by Jesus here in verse eight, verse nine, blessed are the peacemakers shall be called the children of God. Peacemaker is one that is led by the spirit of God. We can read that enrollments chapter eight and verse 14 one.

It is one who loves their enemies. Luke chapter six and verse 35. We will be called. If we are peacemakers, then we will be called the children of God. We will be the children of the father in heaven. Matthew five 43 45 tells us that if we are Christians, we will be the children of the father in heaven. And we are the sons of God.

First, John three chapter one verse 10, blessed are they, which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. If we live godly lives, we’re going to be persecuted. This is is told to us by Paul in second, Timothy chapter three in verse 12, if you, if you live a godly life, you’re going to be persecuted period.

We are blessed because of this persecution. Verse 11 says blessed. Are you when men shall revile you and persecute you. So we’re blessed because of our persecution that we have to endure. We are to be happy in our sufferings for Christ’s sake. First Peter three 14, and we have an equal inheritance with Christ, Romans eight, 16, and 17.

So we have a hope in heaven. As long as, as we stand the stand through the prosecutions, then our hope through standing through that persecution is heaven. That’s the goodness that we’re going to inherit. Verse 11, blessed are ye. When men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely. For my sake,

revile here is a reproach, a defamation. There were a violin and evil speaking by which one suffers in. We are to rejoice under these circumstances. No matter what people say about us, we rejoice because we know where we’re going when we’re gone and we still continue to push for their salvation, no matter what they say about us. Verse 12, rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted,

they, the prophets, which were before you, the Lord rejoice here is the same word used in Philippians chapter four and verse six, meaning to rejoice and is most frequently translated by this English word. Rejoice. The word has the meaning of leaping for joy. So we were to rejoice and be exceeding glad because of our reward in heaven, leaping for joy,

exceeding glad, like laughing. You’re so happy. Being exceeding glad from one Greek word is a, and I’m not going to see all the Greek words. It means exaltation or exuberant joy. This indicates more joy than the Greek word for rejoice that we just spoke about. And the Septuagint, this word is found chiefly in the Psalms where it denotes joy in God’s redemptive work,

our reward, Ms. Dos, primarily wages higher, and then generally reward the profits received the persecution characteristic of those who live righteous lives. It is the natural Results of light meeting darkness. When the, when this occurs, the darkness rises up in rebellion and lashes out at those who are the instruments of that light verse 13, you are the salt of the earth,

but if the salt have lost his savor wherewith, shall it be salted? It is then sports good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men, salt has been used from the Memorial as an agent. And the preservation of meets the multitudes, which heard Jesus were familiar with its use in curing fish. It’s it is stated that the pickled Vish of Galilee were known throughout the Roman world.

It is worthy of note that the salt of Palestine gathered from the marshes is not pure. So when you go to the dead sea, you’re not getting a pure salt. It’s got all those minerals and things inside of it because of the foreign substances in it. It loses its savor and becomes insipid and useless when exposed to the sun and air, or when permitted for any considerable time to come in contact with the ground.

But pure salt does not lose its savor. So anytime it con this salt comes into contact with air for a long period of time or hits the ground, then it’s tasteless. It has no taste and pure salt. It doesn’t matter what you do with it. It’s going to continue to have its its tastes. And Jesus here is telling us to be that pure salt.

The verse teaches that God’s people keep the world from putrefaction and corruption. So because we are the salt, we preserve the world from basically what it’s going through right now and what it’s been going through for the last 2000. And so on years throughout history, back and forth, there was not salts enough in the world to save it from the flood and sought him to save it from fire Northern Canaan,

to preserve its people from destruction and also teaches as does experience that a disciple may lose those qualities, which make him salt lawsuits. The verb is from Moros, which means Dole, sluggish, stupid or foolish, and means to play the fool to become foolish of salt, becomes tasteless insipid Mark nine 50. It is common and Syria and Palestine to see salt scattered in piles on the ground because it has lost its flavor.

The most worthless thing imaginable is what they say. It is this salt that has no saver. It’s the most worthless thing you can imagine. It’s it’s good for nothing. The word for good is actually a word, meaning strength to be strong, be well, be in good health. Matthew nine, 12 to have power or efficiency avail be valid. Thus,

when it has lost its twinge, its taste, et cetera, and no longer has any power. So it is with the Christian. When we cease to be distinct different unique, it is at that moment in time that we cease to be effective. If we S if we see is to lose our uniqueness as a Christian, we are no longer effective for Christ.

And for his kingdom, we have lost our power verse 14. Yes are the light of the world. A city that is set on a Hill cannot be hid as light disciples, darkness and enables a man to see his way. So the Christian by his teaching and example, removes ignorance and prejudice and discloses this the way of life, the word ye here,

each one of us individually, and collectively serve as light bearers and light reflectors to a world. Stumbling and darkness of the world. Light is to shine in the world in which he lives. The child of God is not a monk in some monastery, nor is his faith to be secret like salt. It is to influence those about us. The city set on a Hill as individuals.

We are the light to those. We come in contact with every single day, but as a body of believers, we are like a city set on a Hill. The church reflecting the light of Christ is of necessity, a conspicuous body so that neither its blemishes nor its beauty can be concealed for air. And for protected protection, cities were frequently built upon Hills,

Jerusalem and Samaria were both Hill cities. And we say our kingdom Christ kingdom is set on a Hill. We seen constantly of it. Zion ni verse 15. Let me see where I’m at. All right. There’s 15, neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick. And it give us light unto the all that are in the house.

So the word land here is the most appropriate word in, in the King James version. It says candle candles did not exist at the time of the writing of this scripture. So it’s actually a wrong word to use. Lamp is more appropriate. The lamp is being placed upon the stand, not under the bushel, being the light of the world. Wisdom should be used in placing ourselves before men.

We should buy up the opportunities in order that we might constantly present ourselves before the world, as representatives of our Lord under the bushel translate HUPO htan Moda. Modi’in the figure is taken from lowly cottage life. There was a projecting stone in the wall on which the lamp was set. The house consisted of a single room so that the, the tiny lights sufficed for all the bushel was an earthenware green measure.

There is a definite article to thus designate the Capitol, the green measure, which was common to every house. So they didn’t hide it under that green measure. They put it out for everybody to see verse 16, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father, which is in heaven. The light of the Christian is to shine.

Not Austin<inaudible>, but naturally an unavoidably. We’re not out there. Look at me, I’m a Christian. And that’s how we let our light shine. Our light shines just by the way we live, by the way we approach people and how we talk about God as Christians. It is a shine, not only in his teaching or profession, but in such works and actions as unprejudiced men must acknowledge to be real excellence sees moreover,

it must so shine that it shall not when praise for itself, but for him who kindled it, men do not praise the street lamps, which protect them from robbery and assault, but they praise the municipal administration, which furnaces the lamps. So we are not out there being a light for God. So that way we get the praise. We are out there being a light for God.

So people can give God the praise for being the one that actually protects them and gives them their eternal home verse 17, think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill the word for destroy suggests a destruction of something, the word means to lose down or demolish the word fulfill. It means to fill,

to come to full or to come to pass. Our English word is defined by Webster, thus to carry out as a promise, to do a duty, to bring to an end, to complete the law here. And this includes the whole of the law, moral and ceremonial aspects of the law being included. The profits refers to those men who were spokesman of God and the books written by them.

All of the prophecies of Christ were fulfilled instead of coming to destroy either the law or the prophets. Jesus came to fulfill all the types of the former and eventually all the unfulfilled predictions of the latter. He fulfills them partly in his own person and partly by his administration of the affairs of his kingdom. Verse 18, for verily, I say unto you till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled.

So the John here or yod answering to answering to our letter, I was the smallest of the Hebrew letters. That’s jot the I, the smallest of the Hebrew letters. The tittle was a little stroke of the pen, by which alone, some of the Hebrew letters were distinguished from others like them. So to put it in English, we distinguished the letter C see from the letter E by the tittle inside,

you have the C the E is that, that little line right there that makes it an E is the tittle. This passage not only teaches that the law was to remain in full force until fulfilled, but it shows the precise accuracy with which the law was given by God, God had every dot on the eye tittle and the E everything was perfect. Verse 19 whosoever,

therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men. So he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be all great in the kingdom of heaven. This obedience is a habit and it is not easily laid aside. Hence he, that is unfaithful as that, which is little,

will also be unfaithful in that, which is great. So also those who were disobedient and reckless under the Jewish dispensation, the old law would be inclined to act in like manner and the new or Christian dispensation. Hence the warning, not only shall God call such least, but men shall all men also shall eventually do. Likewise, those do by false system of interpretation or an undue regard for the traditions of men and nerve eight or a Knoll,

the obligations of Christ’s laws or ordinances and teach others to do the same. These shall be held in low esteem or contempt by the church or kingdom of God, as fast as it comes to a knowledge of the truth. So as soon as we know that these men are doing something wrong, we bring it to light. Immediately. Greatness in the kingdom of heaven is measured by conscientious and reference to its least commandments,

small Christians obey the great commandments, but only the large are careful about them. Verse 20 for I say, unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. You shall, in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven since the scribes and Pharisees were models of righteousness in their own sight. Anyway, and in the sight of the people that surrounded them,

Jesus here laid down a very high ideal though. One may now enter the kingdom of heaven having of himself far less righteousness than that, of the Pharisees. Yet he must attain righteousness superior to theirs, or he cannot abide in the kingdom. A large portion of the sermon from this point on is a development of the righteousness of the kingdom of heaven in contrast,

with old dispensation righteousness and Pharisaic interpretation of it, the laws of Moses regulated civil conduct and being state laws, they could only have regard to overt acts, but the laws of the kingdom of Christ are given to the individual and regulate his inner spiritual condition and the very initial motives of conduct. And it, the spirit feeling are all acts first, John,

three 15, sorry. If I sound very Reedy, I’m just, there’s a lot. So, and I, I spent a lot of time on his own verse 21. You have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the judgment. And essence Jesus was saying basically,

okay, you have heard what the professional scholars have said regarding a certain aspect of the law. You have seen them follow those laws of old burdened with their human additions and interpretations. Now, let me tell you what the law really teaches this, of course he had the right to do because of who he is. He’s God incarnate. It is interesting that Jesus did not say it was written thus.

And so this is because Jesus was not refuting the mosaic law. What, what was said to them of old time was the scholarly interpretation of that law. And not necessarily what the law actually taught to them of old in this, in this, it would seem that the fairest is put some stock and how old a particular position had been held, or how widely practice,

a tradition that had become that seemed to be the authority. The argument, we have never done it that way before, or this is the way we have always done this around here is not authoritative to God. It’s not in God’s word, just because you’ve always done it that way. Doesn’t mean that’s the way that it’s supposed to be done. Thou shall not kill.

This is the intentional shedding of blood with malice provisions were made for accidental death resulting from a number of circumstances. What Jesus in the law address were intentional acts of taking one’s life. Jesus is quoting from Exodus chapter 20 and verse 13 and Deuteronomy chapter five in verse 17 thou shall not kill. And the, and the 10 commandments and danger of the judgment.

This refers to the conviction and the punishment by the authorities. The freeze shall be in danger of the judgment was the civil punishment. It was the civil punishment that those who were of old were concerned about it would appear that those who simply stress the strict application of the law, thou shalt not kill. We’re not in the least concerned about answering to God,

the scribal and Pharisaic use of the word kill referred only to the actual physical, physical act of murder for it was the act that would bring a man before the courts and judgment. The conclusion which they drew was that if you do not commit direct murder, then you are supposedly pure before God. So if you go higher or somebody to commit the murder,

you’re okay before God, if you just set it up so that they can die, then it’s not on me before God. That’s the way that they had looked at it because of their false traditions throughout history, verse 22. But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother,

Rocca shall be in danger of the council, but whosoever shall say, thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire. So, but I say unto you, Jesus thus assumes a tone of superiority over the mosaic regulations. So this is what the law said. Now I’m saying this to you is angry with his brother without a cause the brother takes on it wider application than just those who are fellow Christians here.

It applies to any of our fellow human beings, the King James version here as the clause without a cause it is not anger per se, that is wrong. It is anger that is driven by emotion rather than that, which we might call justifiable anger. One has noted that the personal element must be absent and the righteous indignation must be directed solely toward the evil itself or toward acts that dishonor God or injury to innocent persons.

We are angry as Christians at the sin, not the person committing the sin, but the sin itself, Rocca and fool. The first is probably an Aramaic word, meaning empty or empty headed and is a word used for contempt. The second word fool is the word use to express dullness or stupid rocket expresses contempt for a man’s head, basically like saying,

looking at someone and in all earnestness saying, you are a stupid fool. This is wrong for us to say to one another or to anybody in the world. Rocket was a step further than merely thinking murderous thoughts. It was expressing in words, murderous intentions. One has made this observation. Christ’s condemnation of the terms, rocket and full show us that are passing words,

States of feeling and not direct murder only are subject to the judgment of the eternal judge. Expression of unrighteous, anger, and speech without violent action is reproved an even stronger language than anger alone. Let’s skip some of this so we can get through all of it. Verse 23. Therefore if thou bring a gift to the alter and their remembrance that thy brother have ought against thee,

therefore the admonition that follows is directly related to what was proceeded. What we just read. That’s what this is talking about. Unjustified, anger and contempt toward a brother affects our worship and devotion to God. Every single time. The child of God cannot acceptably render worship to his God. If he is at odds with his brother upon approaching God at the alter,

one comes to realize that he harbors ill will toward his brother. He has to stop what he is doing and make things right with his brother before he attempts to worship God, verse 24, leave them. I gift before the altar and go thy way. First, be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer that gift lead there by gift.

And this situation reconciliation takes precedence over worship. For the simple reason that worship is rendered void. If we Harbor malice or hatred in the heart of particular emphasis is in these verses is the urgency that is implied in the instructions. First be reconciled. The verb is a second. Air is passive imperative and has the meaning get reconciled? Take the initiative. The verb denotes a mutual concession after mutual hostility and idea absent from a<inaudible>,

which is a Greek word for it. And it shows that no offering, which we can make to God is acceptable while we are conscious of an uncompensated wrong to a fellow man. And we can’t, you can’t rightfully worship God when you’re angry at your brother or anybody in the world. Okay? Agree with dine adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him less,

any time the adversary deliver the, to the judge and the judge deliver the, to the officer and thou can, that will be cast into prison. We are to make up with our enemies. The word, the officer here means an under rower. The same word is used to describe the galley slave or a common servant. It is applied to the ministers of the word as well.

And Luke chapter one in verse two, once again, the emphasis is placed on the need to agree quickly. If one will agree quickly, anger will not have time to take deeper roots in the heart. So you handle your problem with your brother, the anger that you have right away, don’t dwell on it, handle it right away with them. Barely I say unto you though,

shall be no mean thou shalt by no means come out thence till they’ll has paid the uttermost farthing. The illusion here is of course, to imprisonment for debt and such a case. The debtor was held until the debt was paid either by himself or some friend, if it were not paid at all, he remained in prison until he died in the case,

which this is made to represent the off offender would have let whatever, let pass on opportunity to make reparation. And no friend can make it for him. Therefore, the last farthing will never be paid and he must reprint remain a prisoner forever. It is intended to teach that men cannot pay their debts to God and therefore they had better obtain his forgiveness through faith.

During the days of grace, the Greek word translated farthing here is derived from the Latin quadrants, which equals the fourth part of a Roman as a simple copper or bronze coin, which had become common in Palestine. The farthing was worth about a fifth of our American scent. One fifth of our sinned verse 27. You have heard that it was said by them of old time,

thou shalt not commit adultery. It has been said in Exodus chapter 20 in verse 14 and Deuteronomy chapter five, verse 18, this is a commandment do not commit adultery. Thou shall not commit adultery verse 28. But I say unto you that whom whosoever look upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart here. As in reference to murder Jesus legislates against the thought,

which lie eyes back behind the act. He cuts off sin at its lowest root. The essence of all vice is intention. Those who indulge in unchaste imaginations, desires and intentions are guilty before God Jesus is cutting it off. Don’t even think about it. Get it out of your mind. If you find yourself starting to think about it, turn away,

don’t look at it anymore. Whatever, whatever is tempting. In this case, he’s talking about adultery with a woman and if they write IFN the pluck it out and cast it from the Ford is profitable for the, that one of thy members should perish. And not that they whole body should be cast into hell verse 29. These words indicate decision and determination and suggest the conduct of a surgeon who to protect the rest of the body.

Unflinching unflinchingly, severs, the gangrene member. So to protect the whole body back in like the civil war times, if the leg got shot, to make sure that the whole body didn’t get infected, they would just cut the ball. That part of the leg fell off completely gone. And that’s what Jesus is talking about. That I ride I the Hebrews,

like others were accustomed to represent the affections of the mind by the members or parts of the body. Thus the bowels denoted, compassion, the heart affection, or feeling the rains, understanding secret purpose and evil. I do notes sometimes envy Matthew, 20 verse 15, and sometimes an evil passion or just sin in general, the right eye and hand are mentioned because they are of most used to us and denote that however strong the passion may be or difficult to part with you.

Not that we should do it, no matter how hard it is, just let it go. Verse 30. And if I right-hand offend the, cut it off and cast it from the four, it is profitable for thee that one of my members should perish and not the thigh. Whole bodies should be cast into hell. Let’s see. We only have a few minutes left.

So yeah, No. When you were talking about, especially that younger age, you don’t really think like that all the time. I mean all that much about it. I would just say that nine times out of 10 in any of those circumstances that have happened, neither party set out with all the intention to do that. They were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

They were spending time together when they shouldn’t have been, you know, it’s like it led up And as Christians, we’re just not supposed to put ourselves in those situations. Yeah. Any situation that can get you in that situation, you just stay away from it. And that as Christians, that’s exactly what we’re supposed to do exactly as Christians. That’s exactly what we’re supposed to do.

Just stay away from it. Just if you think that there could be a problem with it just don’t do it, period. Don’t go there. Don’t be in that situation. Because most situations we are in, we put ourselves in, it’s not sometimes situations fall on your lap and you just have to take it as it comes. But for the most part,

it’s situations that you’re in you, you are putting yourself in that situation and you have a way to get out of it. God tells you in his word that you have a way to get out of any situation you’re in. No temptation is too strong for us to, to go against. I mean, an alcoholic has no reason to go and sit at a bar and order a glass just don’t you know,

Exactly. And a man who has a problem with looking at other women should not go to a public pool and just stare at all the women or a woman who has a problem with, you know, sexual annotations toward a man. Shouldn’t go watch a bunch of men work out at the gym. They’re going to create a problem for themselves. So you have to know yourself and you have to remember in any situation that you’re a Christian and not put yourself in that situation,

cutting it off at the root. So you’re not even making yourself think about that. You know, I can do this. I’m going to be okay. Like you said, the drunk at the bar, Oh, I’m just going to drink water. Next thing you know, he’s getting a cab home because he he’s drunk. And next thing you know,

the adulterer is committing adultery. All right, let’s just read through the rest of the verses. Since we only have a few minutes left verse 31, it has been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement verse 32. But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife saving for the cause of fornication caused the third to commit adultery.

And your so ever shall marry her. That is divorced if the adult tree, and that is not something I want to get into tonight. Again, you have heard that it has been said by them of old time now, shall not for swear thyself, but shall perform unto the Lord dine owes. But I say unto you swear, not at all.

Neither by heaven for it is God’s throne nor by the earth for it is his footstool. Neither by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall thou swear by thy head because Dow can not make one hair white or black molecular communication be ye Naynay for whatsoever is more than this. These cometh of evil. You have heard that it has been said an eye for an eye and a tooth for tooth.

But I say unto you that you resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite the on my right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will Sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have the cloak off. So the, this second case is of the judicial judicial and injustice and teaches at the most normal annoying exactions are to be injured without revenge,

no matter what somebody does to us, we do not go get our revenge for it. And whosoever shall compel them to go a mile, go with Twain. There’s a lot of information I’m skipping. And I apologize. Verse 42, give to him that, ask it the, and from him that would borrow of thee turn, not thou away. You have heard that.

It has been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate nine enemy. But I say unto, you love your enemies. Bless them. That curse. You do good to them. That hate you and pray for them, which despitefully use you and persecute you, that she may be the children of your father, which is in heaven for he make it this son to rise on the evil and on the good and send it rain on the,

just, and on the unjust. It doesn’t matter if you’re evil or good. God still gives you the sun. And he still gives you the rain for if you love them, which love you, what reward have ye do, not even the publicans the same. And the people he’s seen this too, did not like the publicans because they were the ones that were taking the taxes from them.

And so he’s saying, just going around and saying, I love you. It’s the same thing as the publicans do. Hey, I love you. Give me your money. Okay. We’re no better than them just seeing it. We have to show it. And if he salute your brother and only what do you, what do you more than others do?

Not even the publicans. So be ye therefore perfect. Even as your father, which is in heaven is perfect. God is our model. Everything short of that is short of what we ought to be. God can not be satisfied with that, which is imperfect. The requirement keeps us in mind of our infirmities and keeps us at work like Paul. We must be ever striving Philemon three or Philippians three 12.

Our standard is not the perfection of, of great and heroic men, but of the infinite creator himself. All right. So let’s go through the questions quickly. The sermon on the mountain, beatitudes. Number one. Where was Jesus when he spoke to the beatitudes? Matthew five one on mountain. Yep. What should be the results of letting your light shine?

Okay. Yes. The main thing we’re going for is the glorification of the father in heaven. Jesus came to abolish or be fulfill the law of Moses fulfill. Yes. What did Jesus say? The law of Moses said about adultery not to commit it exactly. What did Jesus himself say? Concerning adultery Don’t yet don’t even put yourself in the situation. Like I was saying the whole,

the whole verse 28 is the answer to that question. What did Jesus say? The law of Moses said about divorce. Yeah. Give him a writing of divorcement verse. Oh, what did Jesus himself say? Concerning divorce? Verse 32 is the answer to everything. Basically put her away for another. If you put her away for another reason, you’re causing her to commit adultery.

If you get remarried after you put her away, you’re committing adultery. It basically you’re just causing adultery. If you put your, your spouse away for any other reason than adultery, what did Jesus say a person should do if his right eye or right-hand makes him stumble. Yep. Cut off the hand. Pluck out the eye to whom did Jesus say that the father sent the sunshine and the rain?

Exactly. Everyone basically. All right. We’ll stop there and continue on<inaudible><inaudible> Thank you. It’s time to go ahead and begin our devotional period of time. We do want to mention those that are continuing to have help, right? Bye. Joan. I was talking to Marie and Joan is doing about the same or continue to remember her and our prayers.

And also continue to remember that Wilson’s North and Rodale might be checking up on them. And as well as some other widows, we need to be checking on them pretty often. Make sure everything is going all right with them. As Michael said, Jessica had her procedures done today and she’s going to be waiting for the results of those tests. So as soon as we have those,

we’ll share those with you. Hope she continues to improve. And also remember Keith Cozort that’s Aaron’s dad had had having had the two stints put in, keep praying for him. Also remember Aaron and aid and the boys will be coming home. I think they’re planning to come back tomorrow. I believe so. Keep them in your prayers. Right? They’ll have a safe trip back home.

Now, Jen, his dad miss. Remember him. He’s at home now and their hospice care. And Terry just told me that Jan took a fall while they were down there. And I didn’t know that. And so hope. I hope that she’ll recover from that, but, but keep her in your prayers then Natalie temple that’s Diana O’Neil’s nephew’s wife found that or her cancer was back.

So keep them in your prayers. And then also her aunt Jane Sconiers is back in the hospital with pneumonia and congestive heart failure. I believe that’s all the announcements that I had. We certainly hope everyone has a good first. We will be back Sunday and we’ll, I guess we’ll see if everyone survive the new year’s weekend, but we need to pray for those that are out traveling.

And those that perhaps are sick that we just don’t know about. So we do add a lot of people out tonight. It’s the weather is pretty bad. And so we need to just think, maybe give them a call and let them know we’re missing them. It’s good to see Ava back. We missed her Sunday. Good to see you back. Ava.

I think that’s out at any other announcements that you might have that I need to mention. If not a Marie is going to lead us in our song service, Michael will offer the invitation and then Eric we’ll have our closing prayer.<inaudible><inaudible> You went to open your Bibles and we’ll read John chapter one verses one through 14. John chapter one verses one through 14 word was with God.

And the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made and him was life. And the life was the light of men and the lights shine within darkness and the darkness comprehended. It not. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe he was not that light,

but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which lighted every man that cometh into the world, he was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not. He came unto his own and his own received him not, but as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God.

Even to them that believe on his name, which were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth word here in this text is logos,

a Greek word, which is expressed, which is an expressed idea. It is the first stage Things he has made, manifesting his divine power. And the fact that he is God Romans one 22nd. He shows himself in mighty deeds, just joined by flood the world he has created when he saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth. Genesis six,

five. Also with his mighty hand, delivering a nation, he has chosen as his own from slavery in Egypt, Deuteronomy seven in verse eight. Then however, he gathered his people at Mount Sinai and reveals his love as well for them and his plan for their future and words, Exodus 20 in verse one, he ordains a succession of prophets of whom he says,

I will raise up from them prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them. All that I command him Deuteronomy 18, 18. We know God through his word, which he has now revealed to his Holy apostles and prophets by the spirit Ephesians three, five. However we know him supremely through the word,

his unique son who has glory, grace and truth. As stated in verse 14 of first of John chapter one tonight, I charge you to go up to a single person this week, just one person and try to reveal the glory of God, of God’s son and his word. Just try without the word of revelation. No one can be saved. So teach it Matthew 28,

19 and 20, they miss here. Romans 10, 17, believe John eight 24, repent acts 1730 confess Matthew 10 32 and be baptized acts 2216. And then they need to understand that they need to follow the word and walk in the light as he is in the light to have fellowship with him and with us first, John one, six and seven in revelation two 10.

So they can enjoy their crown of righteousness and heaven with, with him and with us. So if you have any needs for prayers of the church, please come forward. As we stand and sing. Thank you.<inaudible><inaudible> God, our father in heaven. We come to it this time, thanking you for another opportunity to assemble here this evening, to study your word in our Bible study,

and then have the opportunity to sing some songs, appraised your name and study another portion of your word through Michael’s invitation that was given Lord. We know there are many amongst us that are, have various illnesses and ailments. And we ask that you wrap your loving arms, your comforting arms around them individuals to give them comfort. Those that are in pain.

And if it be your will help the caregivers and the providers to nurse them back to health, that these individuals so desire so that they may one day assemble here again and worship your great name. We also know that there are many amongst us that are out traveling or possibly we’ll be traveling. And if we are, and for those that are traveling, please give them safe guidance to their destination.

And Lord, we know that we each have our opportunities and our faults. And when we bring these opportunities and false to you, we ask that you give us guidance on how to overcome them and forgive us if we do sin and provide us with that inspiration to go on and do things better and be better servants of yours out here in this world that we live in.

Now, as we prepare to part here, we ask that you guide guide, guard and direct in each and every one of us until we meet again, we pray all these things through your son, Jesus name. Amen.

12-27-2020 Sneaky Apostles (M. Dale)

In Live Streams, Sermons by Aaron Cozort

Automated Transcript:

Well, everybody knows Aaron’s not here. We’re going to be doing a, a review of the first year of Jesus’s life, trying to make it through as many of these questions as possible Way. We’ll get this good review going. Let’s begin this morning with the prayer, our Lord in heaven. We thank you for this opportunity. We have to come here and study your word.

And we ask that we glean as much information as possible and soak it up like sponges and be able to use it to further your work and your, and your kingdom. We ask that you be with all of those that are gone now, traveling for the holidays up them to have a safe trip and journey home. And we ask that you be with all of those on our prayer list that are sick and ailing,

and you’d be with them and bring them back to their full health. If it be your will. And thank you again for your son who died on the cross and your son’s name. Amen. All right. So he told me, read the scripture, then read the question and let you guys answer. So that’s how we’re going to do it. Matthew chapter one,

verse two, Abraham, Isaac, and Isaac begat, Jacob and Jacob begat Judah and his brothers, Which was the son of Methuselah, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of<inaudible>, which was the son of Canaan, which was the son of<inaudible>, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam,

which was the son of God. So who was the, what was the first man? And Luke three 37 through 38 mentioned in Jesus’s genealogy. I think, I think that he’s looking for Adam. Yeah, because Adam is the first man mentioned and the genealogy here. So I don’t know why we read 37, 38. It starts from the, from the beginning or from the end and goes all the way to the beginning and Luke.

So, alright, Matthew, one 16 is where I’m going to next. Matthew, one 16 and Jacob, we got Joseph, the husband of Mary of whom was born. Jesus, who is called Christ, named the father and mother of Jesus. Mary and Joseph. Yes. And then Luke three 23. Yeah. Jesus himself began to be about 30 years of age being,

as we’re supposed the son of Joseph, which was the son of heli. How old was Jesus when he began his earthly ministry? 30. Yes. Correct. All right, Matthew, one six is where I’m going next. Matthew one six And Jesse begat David, the King and David, the King begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uriah was named the second King of Israel who was in the genealogy of Jesus.<inaudible> David.

David was the second King of Israel. First one was Saul. So I think it’s kind of a tricky question, but it’s David, David was the second King who was in the genealogy of Christ. David or David was Saul was not in the genealogy of Christ, but he was the first King. I don’t know. It’s confusing. It’s either David or Solomon the answer.

All right, it’s a Matthew. One, two is next. Oh, we read this one already. Abraham, Isaac and Isaac. We got Jacob and Jacob, you got Judah and his brethren. And then Luke three 34, Luke three 34, which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham,

which was the son of Thora, which was the son of nature. So name the man of great faith through whom God built the Jewish nation. Abraham. Yes. Why are some of John 20, 30 through 31, John chapter, 20, 30 and 31 and many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.

But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing you might have life through his name. So why are, why are some of the events of Jesus’s early earthly life written? And we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing we might have life through his name.

You turn a life, basically. We’re just quoting verse 31 for the answer. What was the profession of Matthew and Luke? What was, does anybody know profession of Matthew tax collector and Luke physician? And what nationality was each man? Yeah. Matthew was a Galilean and Luke was a Grecian. He was from, he was from Greek or he was Greek from Greece.

All right, Luke, one five. There was in the days of Herod the King of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias of the chorus of a Baya. And his wife was the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth. So who was King of Judea? Yeah. Who was King of Judea? When John the Baptist and Jesus were conceived. Yes,

Luke one, five. And Luke, we just read Luke one five. So I’m not going to read it again. And then Luke one 27 to a Virgin and spouse to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David and the Virgin Virgin’s name was Mary. So name the father and mother of John. The Baptist. Yes. Zacharias and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and Zacharias were let’s turn to Luke one seven. I have 17 pages of these questions to go through. So I’m going to try to go a little bit fast. And they had no child because that Elizabeth was barren and they both were now well stricken in years. So it was Zachariah and Elizabeth were young middle-aged or old when their only child John was born old.

Yes. Old, see Luke one nine, according to the customer of the priest office, his lot was to burn incense. When he went into the temple of the Lord, where was that? Kariah when the angel Gabriel told him he would have a son was in the temple of the Lord. And then Luke one 26. And in the six month,

the angel Gabriel Was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth. So where was, where was Mary at this time? Nazareth. Yes. And Luke one 17. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the fathers, to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the, just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

According to the angel, speaking to Zechariah, what would be John’s work to prepare a way for the Lord. Yes, correct. And Jesus Luke one 33, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom. There shall be no end. So what was the purpose of Jesus? According to the angels, speaking to Zechariah, what would be John’s work of Jesus anyway,

Jesus, he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom. There shall be no in it. It’s, it’s basically just quoting the, the scripture there. All right. Luke, one 20 and behold thou shall be done and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because I’ll believe it’s not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

So why was decoration made mute? Yeah, because he, because he did not believe that the angel Gabriel’s words, that’s why, how many months pregnant was Elizabeth when Mary conceived the son of God, Luke one 35 and 36, six months. Yes. Correct. All right, Luke one 41. And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary,

the babe leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy ghost. So what happened when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary? Yep. And she was filled with the Holy ghost and described Mary’s reply, Luke four, one 46 through 55. And Mary said, my soul does magnify the Lord. And my spirit has rejoiced in God. My savior for he hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaiden for behold,

from henceforth. All generations shall call me blessed for he, that is mighty has done to me. Great things. And Holy is his name. And his mercy is on them. That fear him from generation to generation, excuse me. He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree.

He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich, he has sent empty away. He has hoping his servant Israel and remembrance of his mercy. And as he speak to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. So how would you describe Mary’s response? Yeah. Yeah. She was a humble servant of God. Praising his awesomeness basically is what I put.

All right, Luke, one 56 and Mary abode with her about three months and returned to her house. So how long did Mary stay with Elizabeth? Three months. I feel like I’m just answering the question and then asking you to repeat it to me. On what day was Elizabeth and Zechariah to name their son, Luke one 59 on the eighth day?

Correct. And it came to pass that on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child and called them Zacharias. All right, Luke one 63 and 64. And he asked for a writing table and wrote, seeing his name is John. And they marveled all and his mouth was open immediately and his tongue loose and he speak and praise God. So Zachariah prophesied that his son would give people knowledge.

Oh, sorry. Wrong question. When could Zachariah speak? Yeah. When his son was named John, as soon as he got the name, he was able to speak again. All right, Luke, one 77 To give knowledge of salvation on do as people buy the remission of their sins, Zechariah prophesied that his son would give the people knowledge of what salvation.

Correct. All right, Luke one 80 and the child grew and waxed strong in spirit and was in the deserts until the day of his showing unto Israel. So as he grew older, where did John live until the time for him to appear publicly, Excuse me. In the desert and the desert wilderness who wrote each of the four gospels. That’s an easy question.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I went over all these questions last night and barely had to look any of them up as I’m. Now the answer is all right, Matthew, one 20. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying Joseph thou, son of David. If you’re not to take unto thee,

Mary thy wife for that, which is conceived in her is of the Holy ghost. Why did Joseph take Mary for his wife? Even though she was already pregnant? Yeah, he was reassured by the angel that it was okay. That she was still a meeting. She was still untouched Matthew one 21. And she shall bring forth a son and shall call his name.

Jesus for, he shall save his people from their sins. So what, and why did the angel instruct Joseph to name the son to be born to Mary? Is the answer Jesus, but why? That’s correct. All right. Matthew one 22 and 23. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying behold,

a Virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name. Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. The old Testament, prophets, prophet, Isaiah at Virgin said a Virgin would have a child whose name would be Emmanuel. Yes. Which means God with us. Yes. All right. Luke, two, four,

and Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David. So why did Joseph and Mary have to leave their home to go to Bethlehem in Judea when Jesus was born?<inaudible> Yeah. Yeah, but also because he was of the house and lineage of David.

Yeah. All right, Luke two seven. And she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end. So where did Jesus Mary lay Jesus after he was born in Bethlehem, in a manger, Tim through 12 Luke, two, 10 through 12. And the angel said unto them fear,

not for behold. I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. What news did the angel give the shepherds outside Bethlehem<inaudible> That the savior was born and how to find him all right,

Luke, two 17 through and 20. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the scene, which was told them concerning this child and the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told unto them, after hearing the news and seeing the baby Jesus, what did the shepherds do?<inaudible> And when they had seen it,

they made known abroad to seeing which was told them concerning this child. So they went out, letting everybody know about what they had heard about Jesus, and they also glorify it and praise God in verse 20 and the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen. Okay. So I’m going to just read now the, all the verses that go with it from each book,

and then we’ll just go through and answer the questions. Instead of me reading each verse for each question, I’m going to be reading Luke chapter two 21 through 38, Luke two 21 through 38. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord, every male that opened it, the womb shall be called Holy to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice. According to that, which has said in the law of the Lord,

a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons and behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simon or Simeon, sorry. And the same man was just end of out waiting for the constellation of Israel. And the Holy ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord,

the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child, Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now let us now thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word through 38, okay. For mine eyes,

I’ve seen nice salvation, which thou has prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people, Israel and Joseph, and his mother marveled at all at those things, which were spoken of him and Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary, his mother, behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against yay.

A sword shall Pierce through that and own soul. Also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of funnel, and of the TRIBE of Asur. She was of a great age and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity. And she was a widow of about four score in four years,

which departed, not from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day. And she came and she coming in that instant gave them things likewise unto the Lord and speak of him to all of them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. And then we’ll read Matthew chapter two verses one through 12 Matthew chapter two verses one through 12. Now Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea.

In the days of Herod the King behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem saying, where is he? That is born King of the Jews for, we have seen his star in the East and are come to worship him. When Herod the King had heard these things. He was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together,

he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him in Bethlehem of Judea for thus, it is written by the prophet and thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah are not the least among the princes of Judah for out of these shall come. A governor that shall rule my people. Israel then inherit when he had privily called the wise men,

inquired of them diligently, what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, go and search. Deluging diligently for the young child. And when you have found him, bring me word again, that I might come and worship him. Also, when they had heard the King, they departed and lo the star, which they saw in the East went before them,

till it came and stood over where the young child was when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell down and worshiped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold, and frankincense and myrrh,

and being warned of God in a dream. They, that should not return to Herod. They departed into their own country another way. All right. So how old was Jesus when he was named Eight days old? Same as John. Yup. After Mary’s time of purification, where did Joseph and Mary take Jesus to present him to the Lord and temple in Jerusalem?

Yes. Describe Simeon’s spiritual condition. The Holy spirit had promised Simeon that what events would occur before his death. Yeah. He would see the savior of the Lord, the Christ of the Lord. It was adjust and development. And the goalie, the Holy ghost was upon him. That’s the description of his spiritual condition. What did the aged Ana do at the temple?

Yeah, she fasted and prayed day and night. All right. What news of the Wiseman troubled Herod? Yeah, the King of the Jews was born. And how did the Wiseman know where to find Jesus star in the East? What three gifts did the Wiseman bring? Jesus? Well, the frankincense and myrrh. And just because there were three gifts doesn’t mean there were only three wisemen.

There could have been multiple Wiseman. All right. Let’s do Matthew chapter two verses 13 through 23, Matthew two 13 through 23. I asked him if I could have all of y’all read stuff too. And he said they can’t hear that online. So I have to read everything. I’m sorry, 13 through 23, Matthew chapter two. And when they were departed behold,

the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring the word for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose. He took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled,

which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying out of Egypt, have I called my son inherited when he saw that he was mocked of the Wiseman was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under one, a monster man, according to that, the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men then was fulfilled that,

which was spoken by Jeremiah, the prophet saying, and ramen was there a voice heard lamination and weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they are not. But when Herod was dead behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt saying arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the land of Israel for they are dead,

which sought the young child’s life. And he arose and took the young child in his mother and came into the land of Israel. But when he had heard that arch Elias did reign in Judea and the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go further. Notwithstanding being warned of God in a dream. He turned aside to the parts of Galilee and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled,

which was spoken by the prophets. He shall be called a Nazarene. And then Luke two 39 through 52, Luke chapter two 39 through 52. Cool. And when they had performed all things, according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew and wax strong in the spirit, filled with wisdom.

And the grace of God was upon him. Now, his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days as they returned the child, Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem and Joseph and his mother knew not of it,

but they supposing him to have been in the company, wins a day’s journey. And they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance and acquaintances. And when they had found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem seeking him. And it came to pass that after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions and all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

And when they saw him, they were amazed and his mother said unto him, son, why has thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father. And I have sought the sorrowing. And he said unto them, how is it that she sought me whiskey? Not that I must be about my father’s business. And they understood not the same, which he speak unto them.

And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them. But his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. So after the Wiseman left, where did Joseph take? Mary and Jesus down to Egypt? Correct. Why? Because King Herod was seeking to destroy him.

The angel told them that what age children did Herod have killed in Bethlehem area? In the area of Bethlehem two and under, yeah. Why was Jesus called a Nazarene? Yeah, he lived in Nazareth and it was also prophesied that he would be called a Nazareen. How old was Jesus when he went with his parents to Jerusalem? For the feast of the Passover 12.

Yep. When lost on the Jerusalem trip, where did Jesus’s parents? 10 in the temple. Okay. Since Jesus was the son of God, when he was growing up, he a gave the orders in the family, B gave the orders in the family, but he was obedient to his parents or see, was busy with God’s business away from his family circle B.

Yeah. He gave the orders and listened to me, mom and dad. How did Jesus grow in wisdom and stature and favor with God and with man name, the writer of each of the new of each new Testament letter, the letters of the new Testament. Matthew didn’t write any letters, not. He wrote the gospel. So Paul wrote letters. James wrote letters.

Peter wrote letters, James, the son, or the brother of Jesus, not, not the other genes. John wrote letters. And then Jude, the brother of Jesus wrote a letter. Those are the ones that wrote the letters. They tricked us. They went from gospels, the letters on the next one. All right, let’s read Matthew three,

one through 17. And those days came John, the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea and seeing rip pinchy for the kingdom of heaven is at hand for this is he, that was spoken of by the prophet. Asiah saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare you the way of the Lord make his path straight. And the same. John had his Raymond of camel’s hair and a leathern girdle about his loins and his meat was locusts and wild.

Honey then went out with him, Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around about Jordan and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, Oh, generation of Vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come bringing forth, therefore fruits meet for repentance.

And think not to say with yourselves within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father for IC and to you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the ax is lean on unto the roots of the trees. Therefor, every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance,

but he, that cometh after me is mightier than I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy ghost and with fire, whose fan is in his hand. And he will thoroughly purchase floor and gather his wheat into the garner. But he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Then come with Jesus from Galilee to Jordan,

under John to be baptized of him. But John, for bad him saying, I have needed to be baptized of thee and comments down to me. And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be. So now for thus, it become us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him and Jesus. When he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water and lo the heavens were opened unto him.

And he saw the spirit of God, descending like a dove and lighting upon him and lo a voice from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well-pleased. So what old Testament prophet told about the coming of John? The Baptist Isaiah? Yes. Assayas it says in the King James version, it’s the same person described John, the Baptist clothing and food.

Camel’s hair was his clothes with a leather girdle. And what did he eat? Locusts and wild honey. Yes. John the Baptist said his baptism was for what?<inaudible> Repentance. Yes. How lonely did John describe himself as compared to the coming Jesus? Yep. And he wasn’t even worthy to basically tie his shoes or on tie his shoes. What plays did John the Baptist baptized Jesus in Jordan?

Yes. How did the spirit appear at the baptism of Jesus? Like a dove. And what did the father say? Yeah. As a group, the new Testament books, Romans through Jude are called what? I like those trick questions. They just throw in. They want you to, Oh, by the way, this has nothing to do with the life of Christ.

But what are these group of books called? They’re the letters from Romans through Jude. Those are the letters of the new Testament, the epistles. All right. Matthew four, one through 11<inaudible> Excuse me. Then was Jesus led up of the spirit, into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights,

he was afterward and hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, if that will be the son of God command that these stones be made of bread, but he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone. But by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God, then the devil tickets him up into a Holy city instead of him in a pin,

on a pinnacle of the temple and Steph unto him, if that will be the son of God, cast myself down for it is written. He shall give his angels charge concerning thee and in their hands. They shall bear thee up lest any at any time that dash thy foot against the stone, Jesus said unto him. It is written again. Thou shall not tempt the Lord,

thy God. Again, the devil take it them up into an exceeding high mountain and show with him, all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them and Seth unto him, all these things, will I give thee, if that will fall down and worship me then said, Jesus, unto him. Get the hint. Satan for it is written.

Now shall worship the Lord, thy God and him only shout they’ll serve. Then the devil leaveth him and behold angels came and ministered unto him. And then John chapter one 29 through 51, John one 29 through 51. The next day, John sees Jesus coming onto him and Seth behold, the lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.

This is he of whom I said after me come at the man, which is preferred before me for he was before me and I knew him not, but that he should be made manifest to Israel. Therefore, am I coming baptizing with water and John bear record saying, I saw the spirit descending from heaven, like a dove and in a boat upon him.

And I knew him not, but th but he, that sent me to baptize with water, the same Seth unto upon whom thou shout, see the spirit, descending and remaining on him. The same as he, which baptizes with the Holy ghost. And I saw in bear record that this is the son of God. Again, the next day after John stood and two of his disciples and looking upon Jesus as he walked with,

he said, behold, the lamb of God, and two disciples heard him speak it, speak, and they follow Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw them following and said unto them, what Sikhi. They said unto him rabbi, which is to say being interpreted master where dwellest thou. He said unto them come and see. They came and saw where he dwells in a bode with him that day for it was about the 10th hour.

One of the two, which heard John speaking and followed him was Andrew Simon Peter’s brother. He first find it his own brother, Simon and Seth unto him. We have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus be held him, he said that weren’t Simon, the son of Jonah thou shall be called CFUs,

which is by interpretation a stone. The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee and find a Phillip and Seth unto him. Follow me. Now, Philip was of Bethsaida the city of Andrew and Peter, fill it, find it Nathaniel and said unto him. We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did right? Jesus of Nazareth,

the son of Joseph and Nathaniel said unto him, can there any good thing come out of Nazareth. Phillip said, unto him, come and see Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to him and Seth of him, behold in Israel, EIT, indeed. And whom is no guile. Nathaniel said unto him, wince knowest thou me Jesus answered and said unto him. Before that Philip called the,

when that was under the fig tree, I saw the Nathaniel answered and said unto him, rabbi thou art, the son of God. Now aren’t the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, because I said unto thee, I saw the under the fig tree. Believe us though. Now shout see greater things than these. And he said unto him,

verily, verily. I say unto you hereafter, you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man. All right. How long did Jesus fast? 40 days and 40 nights. How are you so quiet when you answer name? The three places the devil tempted Jesus First was in the wilderness. Yes. Second was Temptation.

You took him up to the highest pinnacle in Jerusalem on the temple. And then the third place was the highest known. You have very high mountain. All right. Describe each of the three temptations. The devil tried on Jesus. First. He asked him to lust of the, then He asked him to do what<inaudible> To jump down and the angels would save him the pride of life.

And then the last one was yes. Yes. The lust of the eyes bow down and worship me. And you can have all of this. All right. Jesus reacted to the devil’s temptations by eight, ignoring him, be doing what the devil asked or see quoting scriptures, quoting scriptures. Of course. What did Jesus tell the devil to do after the devil had tempted him?

Yeah. Yeah. Behind me get the hint Satan and a lot of other things. According to John, the Baptist, what takes away the sins of the world? Jesus, the lamb of God takes it will come to take it. The, the sins of the world. Name one, man who heard John the Baptist speak and then follow Jesus. I read that in John chapter one,

Andrew, Andrew was the follower of John the Baptist and he heard Jesus and decided to follow, follow Jesus. And then, excuse me, this man brought his brother to Jesus. Who was the brother? Simon. Peter? Yes. Who he called CFUs the stone to which disciple does Jesus say? Follow me John, one 43. It was Philip.

And he told Philip to follow him. And then which disciple does Jesus describe events of his sitting under a fig tree? Nathaniel? Yes. All right. Let’s see. How long has John chapter two? We only have a few minutes left. So I’m going to just go through these questions and see if you can answer them. And if not, I will give you the answer because we don’t have time to read everything.

Now we’re at the wire who went with Jesus to the wedding in Cana of Galilee, where he performed his first miracle. Yeah, his mother and his, his disciples that he had at the time described Jesus’s first miracle and the quality of the wine<inaudible> Change the water into wine. And what kind of wine was it? It was like fresh squeezed, grape juice,

fresh squeezed grape juice. What was the effect on Jesus’s disciples? Seeing him change the water to wine. Yeah. They believed on him. They believed that he was Jesus. When Jesus was to observe the Passover at the temple. Where did he find men selling animals and changing money and the temple? Yes. How did Jesus drive out those selling animals and changing money in the temple?

Yep. He made a whip out of some chords. He turned over the tables. He dumped out their money from their bowls. It was great. What did Jesus mean when he said destroy this temple? And in three days I will raise it up. Yeah. Kill my body in three days. I’ll be resurrected. It was prophesying. When did Jesus’ disciples recall this statement?

Perfect. Yeah, after he had risen, how many books are there and the new Testament? 27 books. 27 books. All right. Of what group of the Jews was Nicodemus? Do we remember? Yes. He was a Pharisee. Good. You guys are getting like on the spot questions that you can answer for? Bible Nicodemus came to talk with Jesus at the morning.

The noon time or night at night? Yes. How did Jesus tell Nicodemus to be born again? John three 33 through six. Yeah. He had to be born of water and the spirit he had to be born of the spirit is what he said. What did Jesus tell Nicodemus that a person must believe to have eternal life? Yeah. He had to believe that he was the only begotten son of God.

All right. What did John the Baptist say about his growing importance in relation to Jesus? No, I must decrease so he can increase basically. Why did John the Baptist Baptists criticized Herod? Yeah. That’s a different time. Actually. The first time it was just for all the evil he had done. He was just criticizing for all the evil he had done.

And how did Herod punished on the baptized Baptist for his criticism now? That’s later he threw him in prison. Yes. Correct. All right. So I’m guessing that everybody has all of these. He told me not to print them off cause everybody should have them already. I only missed a couple of lessons, so we’ll just see if he wants to continue on with that when he gets back,

because he already told me what I’m supposed to be doing on Wednesday. So We’ll take a break Just to see us today and we’re glad to have them here. And they do know Richard Bell. For those of you that remember Richard is they used to live here in worship with us and we, we really loved them and appreciated them, but we’re glad to have them with us.

And we have a few of our own number here, but we do, we are here worshiping God. And that’s what counts. We do want to remember those that are not able to be with us. Those are at home watching the live stream. We’re thinking about y’all and praying for you. And we hope that everyone is doing well. It’s been a trying time,

but we’re still doing what God wants us to do. And we’re trying to, trying to glorify him and trying to lead others to his word, to become children of his. So just keep that in mind and everything will be fine. Just keep eyes on the Lord and try to do his will. And, and we’ll be good. We do won’t to,

if he failed to pick up your communion, it’s in the back of the auditorium on those tables and now would be a good time to get that. If you did not pick it up on the way in, we would ask that our visitors, if you don’t mind, please fill out an attendance card so that we might have a record of you being here.

We certainly appreciate that. And we hope if you’re back this way, we want to invite you to come back and stop by and see us again. We do want to remember those that are ill or the congregation, Joan Springer is at home. I didn’t get a chance to speak to Marie, but she’s still having difficulties some good days, some bad days.

So keep her in your prayers, Robin woods. We won’t also remember her. And then Jessica Dale is still having problems with her stomach, stomach problems. And we hope and pray that she they’ll be able to determine exactly what’s going on with her and help relieve her of, of that. She’s been dealing with that for quite some time. Remember Dorothy and Rodale Wilson.

They’re still at home and Rodale has lost a, of his family members. And we want to remember them in our prayers and both of them were in a very bad health. So keep them in mind. Jane and Marlin is doing well after her knee replacement surgery. And we’re thankful for that. And Cheryl’s dad has a fractured spine and I guess he’s doing as well as possible.

He’s in a brace. And I wanna remember them. I know Cheryl has a difficult time from time to time and we want to pray that she does. Okay. And taking care of her mom and dad, Keith Cozort that’s Aaron’s dad had two stents put in and he’s doing fine. He’s at home. And I think progressing along well. So in that same note,

we want to remember Aaron and Eddie and the boys they’re up there visiting with family and not be able to be with us. And we want to pray that everything goes well for them. They will be coming back later on this week, I believe around Thursday. They’re supposed to be back in back home here. So keep them in your prayers. Amy Cox is dad.

Alvin Griffin is in rehab after having a stroke, Amy and Chad used to worship here and it’s her dad. And we certainly hope that everything will go well for him. They’re just, they’re waiting to see how that’s going to work out. Natalie temple, Diane O’Neill’s nephew’s wife found out her cancer has returned. So we want to remember Diana’s nephew’s wife and pray that she,

they can actually get hurt the treatment that she needs at this time to help her do better. And then Jane’s, Sconiers that’s Diana’s aunt is back in the hospital with pneumonia and congestive heart failure. And we’re certainly, we’re sorry to hear about that on to pray for all of these individuals, that they can regain their health and come back to some reasonable amount of life.

As far as health goes, our daily Bible reading plan, and this is listed in each bullet and every Sunday and beginning of the first of the year, it will be. And in chronological order. So if you might notice it’s different perhaps from the one we used to use, where we were just reading the scriptures from Genesis to revelation, this is going to be in chronological order.

So we encourage everybody to be sure and pick up a bullet and then try to keep up with our daily Bible readings. I believe that saw the announcements that I have. I’ll be directing the song service this morning, and I hope you bear with me. We had someone else plan for this and could not make it. And you know, my throat goes out on me pretty much and I,

I might have to get Murray. His does the same thing. So maybe between the both of us, if mine just plays completely out, I might have to call on Marie to come up and take care of the rest of it. So, but we’ll, we’ll do the best we can. Eric Halverson has our opening prayer. Michael Dale has our sermon today.

Tommy O’Neil will be taken care of the Lord’s supper. And then at the closing we have Terry Sanderson will be leading us in our closing prayer. So if you would now most of the songs except for the invitation and the closing him will be on their overhead. The rest of those two, we’ll have to use our books. We’ll begin this morning with have that own way.

Number 552 should be on the overhead. After this song, we will have our opening prayer.<inaudible> I am the clay<inaudible> Mo man<inaudible> man<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Searchie man, TRIBE me master today, a wider then snow wash me<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and then on way, Lord, have I known what? Hey, hold on my being absolutes<inaudible> damn with ice fam and<inaudible> Christ on the,

ah, when living in me, God, our father in heaven, we come to you at this time, thanking you for another glorious day here on earth, thanking you for the ability for us to be able to assemble here, to sing songs of praise, your great name and worship you here in this assembly. Lord, we know there are many amongst us that are unable to be here for various reasons.

And we ask that you reach your loving arms out to them and provide the comfort that they need, that they seek from you on a daily basis. And if it be your will help those that are administering to them to find the right solutions to make their health better so that they can return to their desired measure health. And most importantly returned to assemble here with us to worship you,

God, we also know that there are those amongst us that have lost loved ones. Recently, we asked that you comfort those in only the way that you can. And we also know that there are many amongst us traveling because of the holiday season. And we asked him if it’d be your will provide them safe journey to their destination and return to where they plan on going after the holidays are over.

Now God, as we prepare to hear another portion of your word, that Michael is about to bring to us, we ask that you help each and every one of us focus on the message that he brings from your word so that we may understand it fully and use it in our lives to help serve you better. Because we know that is what we are truly here for is to serve you.

And Lord, we ask that you give each and every one of us to strengthen the courage we need so that when we come across those that have either fallen away from your word, or unfortunately have not opened their heart to your word yet that we reach out to them and bring your message and your word to them so that they may have the same opportunity that we do.

And that is to live with you for eternity and heaven. One day, we want to thank you for your son, Jesus, because it was him that made all this possible. We pray all this through his name. Amen Before comedian, but he numbers 383, 383. He’s an escape man here. The cross<inaudible> stream flow is from<inaudible> and<inaudible><inaudible> damn I right?

Sure. So Shopify rest be a<inaudible> NAFTA, CRA trembling. So love and<inaudible> that’s Bri and Morningstar<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> my ride sharing. So Shopify rest me.<inaudible> Nat CRA. So I’ve got<inaudible> army up man from day to day with<inaudible><inaudible> and across<inaudible> damn my ride sharing. So Shafai rest being a<inaudible> H Lawrence Day. We have the privileged eight with this bread and drink of this cup to remember the death of our Lord and savior and the sacrifice that he made each one for each one of us,

would you probably with me, our heavenly father. We truly thank you for Christ. Our savior. We thank you for this bread to us represents his body. That was hung on a cross. We pray that if we partake of it, that each one of us would dwell on the horrible death across God for each one of us, these things we ask in his name,

amen, our heavenly father. We continue our thanks for this fruit of the vine, which to us represents the blood of her savior she had for our sins, as we partake of it, help each one of us to do so with humble and thankful to heart. These things we ask in Christ’s name, amen.<inaudible> with me, Our heavenly father.

We thank you for all of the blessings. If we unjoin this lie, we thank you for all of the material blessings that we enjoy in this country. We know that all we have to do is to look at the news to realize truly how blessed we are. We pray that as we prepared to return under the, a part of that, that we’ve been blessed with,

we would do so with a cheerful and thankful heart. These things we ask in Christ’s name, amen. You would be marking your books for number 903. That would be our song of encouragement. Number nine Oh three will be our song of encouragement.<inaudible> I will be singing number 609, six Oh nine. Okay.<inaudible> I am not a<inaudible><inaudible> this word<inaudible> for mass is strong.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> my worth.

And this name<inaudible><inaudible> up or it’s for me.<inaudible> And, and now Michael Morning, everybody. Okay. This morning, I’m going to be preaching on being aware of Satan sneaky apostles. Our main tax is going to be taken from second Corinthians chapter 11, verses 13 through 15, second Corinthians chapter 11, verses 13 through 15 for such are false apostles.

Deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ and no Marvel for Satan himself has transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing. If his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works, the children of the Lord must be aware of false teachers appearing to preach the gospel of Christ.

I’m sure most of us in here at one point in time in our lives have heard the story of little red riding hood and a sweet little girl skipping through the woods with her basket of goodies on her way to her grandma’s house. While the ever stocking Wolf lingers in the shadows, watching her, waiting for her to get to a point where he can devour her.

I remember it well because at one point in time, the Wolf ran ahead of her, went to her grandmother’s house, ate up the grandmother and then put her clothes on and laid in bed, waiting for red riding hood. When she came, he ate her up too, but false apostles, like the Wolf in the story are good at disguising themselves to make what they are seeing sound really appealing to us.

Every time we see a fossil parcel, we notice something, a false apostles are always dressed. Really nice, like the Wolf and grandma’s clothes, false apostles, say all the things you want to hear, the better to see you with my dear. The better to hear you with my dear says the Wolf false apostles never actually speak the whole truth. The better to eat you with.

And he gobbled her up false apostles are lovers of money. And that is really all they care about lining their pockets while they sit back and watch you fall into sin all the while thinking that you are safe. You’re okay. Do you remember how the story of little red riding hood ended? It ended with a hero. The lumberjack comes rushing in. He kills the Wolf,

cuts them open and pools, red riding hood and his grandma and her grandmother out of, out of his stomach to safety here. As we read in second Corinthians chapter 11, 13 through 15 Paul who predates the Wolf story by quite a while, comes through inspiration of God, our true savior to warn and save the Corinthian church from the false apostles workers of the real Wolf.

Satan, The moral of the story is the children of the Lord must be aware of false teachers appearing to be preachers of the gospel to help us understand who these false apostles are. Paul through inspiration gives us a description. We have a description of the false apostles themselves. We have a description of the false apostles master, and then we have a description of the false apostles end.

Let us first consider the description. Paul gives us of the false apostles themselves. You will know the false apostles by their work. They are deceitful workers. He says in verse 13 of second, Corinthians 11 for such are false apostles, deceitful workers. They will pervert the gospel turn with me to Galatians chapter one, verses six and seven Galatians chapter one verses six and seven.

The very next book, Marvel that’s ER, so soon removed from him. That called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another, but there’ll be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. These spots, apostles pervert the gospel of Christ. They will unsettle your soul acts chapter 15 and verse 24 acts 1524<inaudible> For as much as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words,

subverting your souls, saying you must be circumcised and keep the law to whom we gave no such commandment. There’s the birding, our souls. They speak perverse things acts 20 and verse 30 acts chapter 20 and verse 30. Also have your own selves. Shall men arise? Speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them, they speak these perverse things. These false apostles do to draw you away from Christ and his true word.

They will speak a different gospel, a gospel let’s turn back to Galatians chapter one, Galatians chapter one, and we’ll read verses eight and nine Paul through the inspiration writes. But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that, which we have preached unto you. Let him be a cursed, as we said before. So say I now again,

if any man preach any other gospel unto you, then that you have received. Let him be a curse. Paul is warning us up front already back 2000 years ago, almost that there’s going to be false apostles coming into us and trying to teach us another gospel, something that’s not right. And there ought to be a cursed false apostles. Also transform themselves.

They will disguise themselves. Let’s go back to our original text. Second Corinthians chapter 11, and we’ll read verse 13 again. Second Corinthians 11 and verse 13.<inaudible> For such are false apostles. Deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. They, they make themselves look like they’re from Christ. They will disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Read verse 15,

just a couple of verses down. Therefore it is no great thing. If his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, they’re going to try to make themselves seem like they’re good. So you will follow them. Why most of the time, so they can line their pockets. They’re sneaky. These false apostles are sneaky. Turn with me to Galatians chapter two,

one book over chapter two and verse four relations to four. And that because of false brethren, unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our Liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage and to bondage under Satan. They’re sneaky. They come in sneakily and they want to draw you away from Christ because they are Savage wolves among sheep acts chapter 20 in verse 29.

Let’s read this description, acts chapter 20 and verse 29. Excuse me. I’m having some allergy problems for, I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not just wolves, grievous wolves, these wolves are hungering for you not sparing the flock. They’re not going to spare anyone. They will disguise themselves. Even as sheep. These wolves will be masters of disguise.

Matthew chapter seven, turn with me to Matthew chapter seven and verse 15. Jesus tells us beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing. But inwardly, they are ravening wolves. They may look like one of us, but inwardly, they are hungering to pull you way to, to Satan, to pull you away to sin. But how can we tell who these false apostles are?

You will know them by their fruit. Jesus says Matthew chapter seven, verses 16 through 20 let’s continue reading here in Matthew chapter seven, Jesus said says, you shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles even so every good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bring it forth. Evil fruit, a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.

Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits. You shall know them. They are going to, they will never practice righteousness. These false apostles don’t practice righteousness at all. Turn with me to John chapter three, verses seven through ten first John chapter three verses seven through 10 John through inspiration writes little children.

Let no man deceive you. He that do with righteousness is righteous. Even as he is righteous. He, that committed sin is of the devil for the devil Senate. From the beginning for this purpose, the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin for his seed remain within him.

And he cannot sin because he is born of God. And this the children of God are manifest. And the children of the devil whosoever does not. Righteousness is not of God, neither. He that loveth not his brother. To me. That’s one of the main things. If you can see someone is pulling away, they’re not really loving towards you and the,

and the worship service. That’s someone you need to look out for. There is no good. And these false apostles turn with me. Second, Peter chapter two, that’s one book up second, Peter chapter two verses 10 through 19, but chief Lee, them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government presumptuous are they self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignities,

whereas angels, which are greater in power and might bring not accusations against them before the Lord. But these as natural brute beasts, he says, made to be taken and destroyed, speak of, speak evil of the things that they understand, not and shall utter utterly perish in their own corruption and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness. As they, that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime spots they are and blemishes supporting sporting themselves with their own receivings while they feast with you having eyes full of adultery.

And that cannot cease from sin. Beguiling unstable souls and heart. They have exercised with covetous practices, cursed children, what ha, which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray. Following the way of bailing. The son of Bowser who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but was rebuked for his iniquity. The dumb donkey speaking with man’s voice for bad,

the madness of the prophet. These are Wells without water, these false prophets Wells, without water clouds that are carried with a Tempest, they go wherever the wind blows them to whom the midst of darkness is reserved forever for when they speak great swelling, words of vanity. They allure through the lust of the flesh through much wantonness. Those that were clean,

escaped from them who live in error while they promise them Liberty. They themselves are the servants of corruption for whom a man is overcome of the scene. As he brought in bondage, they stand up here and they preach to you. A sermon of Liberty. Faith only once saved, always saved. And all the while you think you are saved, when really you are looking to destruction,

let us consider what an apostle is here and apostle in the Greek is Apostolos which according to theorists, Greek lexicon is one who is sent forth with orders to be an apostle, even a false apostle. They must have one who has sent them thus through Paul’s writing and the, to the church in Corinth. We have a description of the false apostles master the false apostles master clearly as Satan,

he has shown to be their master by Paul and second Corinthians chapter 11. Let’s go back to our original texts. Second Corinthians chapter 11 and verses 13 and 14, second Corinthians 11, 13 and 14 for such are false apostles. Deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ and no Marvel for Satan himself has transformed into an angel of light Satan himself.

Jesus said that Satan is these false apostles father turn with me to John chapter eight, the gospel of John chapter eight verses 44 through 46, Seven John eight 44, three 47. Jesus States Of these false teachers year of your father, the devil that and the loss of your father, you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode,

not in truth because there is not truth in him. When we, when he speak, if a lie, he speaks of his own for he is a liar and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, you believe me, not, which of you convinced me of sin. And I say the truth. Why do you not believe me?

He, that is of God. Heareth God’s words either. Ye therefore hear them not because he are not of God. These false apostles not only teach falsely because of Satan, their father, the father of lies. They, they completely shun righteousness. Then the right word, they practice sin. Thus they are of their father. The devil turned back with me to first John chapter three in verse eight first John chapter three and verse eight.

He, that committed sin is of the devil for the devil. Sinneth from the beginning for this purpose, the son of God was manifest that he might destroy the works of the devil. Satan is also crafty and disguise. This is where his apostles false apostles learn. He decides disguises himself as an angel of light, second Corinthians 13 or 11 and verse 14.

And no Marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. He wants you to come to him. So he’s not going to appear as he is. He’s going to appear as a messenger of God as a, as a angel of light. He, as we all know, he also disguised himself as a serpent once upon a time. And Paul get reiterated this to the church at Corinth and verse three of chapter 11,

just a few verses up. If you look at verse three, but I fear less by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety. So your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ, Seton employees, deceit to lead the saved astray. He is a liar, John eight 44, the gospel of John chapter eight. Let’s read it again.

And verse 44, ye are of your father, the devil and the less of your father. You will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode, not in truth because there is no truth in him. When he speak at the Y, he speaks with of his own for, he is a liar and the father of it, the father of lies.

He lied from the very beginning of time. Let’s go to Genesis chapter three, all the way back to the beginning, Genesis chapter three, and read verses one through five Genesis Chapter three, one through five. Now the serpent was more subtle than any of the field, which the Lord God had made. And he said, the woman, yea, hath God said,

ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden. It starts off subtly. You shall not eat of every tree of the garden. Of course he knew God told them they could eat every tree of the garden. And the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree,

which is in the midst of the garden. God has said, you shall not eat of it. Neither shall ye touch it. Lest he die. And the serpent said unto the woman, he changes one word and it turns the whole thing into a lie. You shall not surely die. He says for God death, not, no, God doesn’t know that in the day you eat thereof and he appeals to their vanity,

then your eyes shall be open. And he shall be as gods. He says, knowing good and evil. Satan is a tricky beast. He has deceived the whole world from the beginning. And to the end, let’s go all the way to revelation revelation, chapter 12 and verse nine, revelation 12 and verse nine. And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devil and Satan,

which deceive it the whole world. He was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him. He deceives the whole world all the way from Genesis, all the way down to revelation. He never stops trying to deceive the world. He was sent. He has sent his workers throughout the entire world to, to, so his madness first,

John chapter four in verse one first John chapter four and verse one, John writes beloved believe not every time the spirit, but try the spirits. Whether they are of God, because as many false prophets are gone out into the world. Many, not one, not a hundred, not a thousand, but many are out there trying to bring us away from God because Satan is relentless.

He roams the earth looking to do evil. We read of this when he’s look into torture job and job chapter one in verse seven, job chapter one and verse seven. And the Lord said unto Satan come SL as if God didn’t know, right then Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down,

it he’s out there. He’s going to and fro on the earth. He’s walking up and down at everywhere. He possibly can to seek your soul because Satan is waiting to devour you. First, Peter chapter five in verse eight, we’re told through inspiration of the Holy spirit. Peter writes in first Peter chapter five and verse eight, be sober. We are to be sober,

be vigilant. We are to be village in because your adversary, the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking. He may devour. He’s not just waiting for you to come. He’s out there seeking you, waiting to devour you. There’s a reason we are given these descriptions of the false apostles and their master Satan. This is so we can resist them.

First, Peter chapter five, verse nine, whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished and your brethren that are in the world, we must resist him. Now let us consider that. Paul gives us hope by giving us a description of the false apostles end, their end will be according to their words. Paul writes of this to the church at Corinth,

back in our original texts. Second Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 15, second Corinthians 11, 15. Therefore it is no great thing. If his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works, they will meet Swift destruction. Second, Peter chapter two in verse one second, Peter chapter two and verse one,

but there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privileged shall bring in damnable, heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves Swift destruction. Their destruction is going to be Swift as liars. They will be thrown into the Lake of fire revelation, chapter 21 and verse eight, revelation 21 and verse eight,

But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and I Dodgers and all liars, all false apostles are liars shall have their part in the Lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Their end is utter destruction. We can read of this and Philippians chapter three and verse 19, Philippians chapter three and verse 19,

whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things. These false apostles will need and utter destruction. And that’s why we need to watch out for them. So we don’t end up with the same destruction. God is going to judge the false apostles, just like he judges everyone. Jesus will tell them to depart in the end,

turn with me to Matthew chapter seven, again, Matthew chapter seven, and we’ll read verses 21 through 23. Yeah, Matthew seven 21 through 23. Not everyone that Seth unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he, that do it. The will of my father, which is in heaven, many will say to me in that day,

Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in their name? And in the name of cast out devils and in my name have done many wonderful works. I think of the, the people out there who lay their hands on people and try to give them the Holy spirit to them and things like that. They’ve done all of these mighty magnificent works in his name.

And then will I profess unto them? I never know. I knew you depart from me, ye that work iniquity, what a terrible feeling to be before Jesus and telling him all of these awesome works that you’ve done. And for him to say, I never knew you depart from me. They will be judged according to their deeds. Turn with me to Romans chapter two,

Romans chapter two, let’s all turn there. Romans chapter two. And we’ll read, this is a little bit of a lengthy reading, but I want to read it Matthew or Romans chapter two verses one through 16, therefore, or thou art inexcusable. Oh man. Whosoever thou art that judges for wearing now judges to another they’ll condemn us thyself for thou that judges does the same things,

but we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them, which commit such things and think is now this, Oh man, that judges them, which do such things and dust the same and now shall escape the judgment of God or despise the Sal, the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering. Not knowing that the goodness of God lead a theory to repentance,

but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurer stuff onto the ice self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteousness, judgment of God, righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man, according to his deeds, to them who by patient countenance and well-doing seek the glory and honor of immortality eternal life, but unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth,

but obey on righteousness, dig nation and wrath, tribulation, and angry wish upon every soul of man that do with evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile, but glory honor and peace to every man that works with good to the Jew first and also the Gentile for there is no respecter of persons with God, for as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law.

And as many as I’ve sin in the law shall be judged by the law for not the heroes of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified for when the Gentiles, which have not the law do by nature. The things contained in the law. These having not the law are a law unto themselves, which show the work of the law written in their hearts.

Their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another. And the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus, according to my gospel, let us also consider second Peter chapter two in verses four through nine second, Peter chapter two verses four through nine, God spared, not the angels that sin, God didn’t even spare the angels that sinned.

He chased them down, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment and spared, not the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemn them with an overthrow,

making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly. These are our examples. We are supposed to pay attention to our examples from God and deliver just lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked for that righteous man dwelling among them and seeing, and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day, what their unlawful deeds, the Lord Noah, how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.

The children of the Lord must be aware of false teachers appearing to be preachers of the gospel. Last we be led astray. We have our helps from Paul right here in second Corinthians, chapter 11. It’s like a wanted poster. We have the dis there description so we can see who they are. We know who their master is, thus, what they practice lying and deceit.

We know what their end will be and must work to stop them as children of God, let us be careful of the Wolf seeking to devour and expose them for who they truly are. Ephesians five 11. Always remember if God, before us, who can be against us, Romans eight 31 as followers of Christ, we are all messages of his word commissioned to teach every nation,

Matthew 28, 18 or 19 and 20, and every creature about this truth, Mark 16, 15, we must first get them to hear the gospel for through hearing comes faith. John Mark, excuse me, Mark. Hm, Romans 10 17. We must teach them to a point of belief in Jesus as the Christ, because we do not want them to be lost in their sin.

John eight 24, we must teach them to a point of repentance because God commands every man everywhere to repent acts 1730. And we must teach that if they want to be confessed by Christ before the father in heaven, they must confess Jesus as the Christ before men, Matthew 10 32, and that confession leads to salvation. Romans 10, nine, and 10.

We must teach the laws that they must be baptized acts 2216, and we must teach and understand ourselves that salvation does not come just because we followed the steps through baptism. We must live faithfully until death to receive our crown of righteousness and heaven. First, John one, six and seven in revelation, two 10. Unlike what you will hear from the false false apostles.

Every step is necessary for salvation. Believing is not enough. You cannot faith into heaven and you are not baptized and always saved. You must follow every step. And if you have yet to heat each step to gain salvation, the waters of baptism already for you. And if you find yourself wavering on the path of righteousness and need the prayers of the scenes for encouragement,

we are here for you because the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much James, five 16, whatever your need, please come forward. As we stand and sing, You be free from the bird and there’s fire in the blond word. You are already a victory when there’s one<inaudible>, there is<inaudible> wonder working and<inaudible><inaudible> would you do serve it’s shirking,

there’s fire in the blah.<inaudible> word. You live day is praises to saying there’s one there and the blah<inaudible> wonder working then<inaudible><inaudible> there is<inaudible> working in<inaudible>. I want to say to Michael, that was a good job he did today for those that this is your first time to be here. Michael is a student at the school of preaching and he has grown tremendously.

He’ll be graduating this year, this coming year, and he’s, he’s been improving all the time. And we’re thankful that he was able to be here today and preach in Erin’s absence. We haven’t preached for several times each month. So good to have our visitors here. I did fail to mention one thing. Jenny’s dad who suffered a stroke. He is at home under hospice care and just doing the best he can.

He has good days and bad days. I think keep him in your prayers as well. I just overlooked announcements for our visitors. We help if you’re continuing your travels, which I know some of you are understand, headed up to Ohio. We wish you well and have a safe trip. And if you’re through this area on the way back home, drop back in and see us again.

We’d love to have you. Our closing ham will be number 878. If I can get through it was saying the first and last versus 878, and we’ll be landing the closing prayer. And Terry will lead us in that prayer. There’s a line that is<inaudible>. And by Fang, when he can see in a fog for the father waits over the way to<inaudible>,

then I swing by and by. We shot me on that<inaudible> then the swing by and by. We shall be on that<inaudible> to our, about Jeff, a father, we went off<inaudible> for the<inaudible> job is<inaudible> then the swing by and by me shot me on that.<inaudible> then the swing by and by. We show me on that<inaudible> show.

So Let’s pray, father Lord in heaven. Again, we find you for this beautiful first day of the week and the opportunity we’ve had to come together as your children to sing songs of praise and to the, into worship day and studied that word. We pray that the things that we have learned here today will help us to strengthen our Christian life and to reach out to others more.

We pray that you’d be with those that are traveling, especially with Aaron and his family who are based in with his, with their family, bring them back safely. We pray that you would be with those that have been mentioned today that are sick and unable to be with us. We pray that you would comfort them and comfort to the families that are tending to them.

We pray that you would go with his Nan and keep us safe during this pandemic and keep us healthy so we can be here together. Christ’s name. We pray. Amen.<inaudible>.

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12-27-2020 – JESUS: Review of Jesus’ First Year of Ministry (Class) & Sneaky False Apostles (M Dale)

In Bible Classes Videos, Jesus, Live Streams, Sermons by Aaron Cozort

Automated Transcript:

Well, everybody knows Aaron’s not here. We’re going to be doing a, a review of the first year of Jesus’s life, trying to make it through as many of these questions as possible Way. We’ll get this good review going. Let’s begin this morning with the prayer, our Lord in heaven. We thank you for this opportunity. We have to come here and study your word.

And we ask that we glean as much information as possible and soak it up like sponges and be able to use it to further your work and your, and your kingdom. We ask that you be with all of those that are gone now, traveling for the holidays up them to have a safe trip and journey home. And we ask that you be with all of those on our prayer list that are sick and ailing,

and you’d be with them and bring them back to their full health. If it be your will. And thank you again for your son who died on the cross and your son’s name. Amen. All right. So he told me, read the scripture, then read the question and let you guys answer. So that’s how we’re going to do it. Matthew chapter one,

verse two, Abraham, Isaac, and Isaac begat, Jacob and Jacob begat Judah and his brothers, Which was the son of Methuselah, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of<inaudible>, which was the son of Canaan, which was the son of<inaudible>, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam,

which was the son of God. So who was the, what was the first man? And Luke three 37 through 38 mentioned in Jesus’s genealogy. I think, I think that he’s looking for Adam. Yeah, because Adam is the first man mentioned and the genealogy here. So I don’t know why we read 37, 38. It starts from the, from the beginning or from the end and goes all the way to the beginning and Luke.

So, alright, Matthew, one 16 is where I’m going to next. Matthew, one 16 and Jacob, we got Joseph, the husband of Mary of whom was born. Jesus, who is called Christ, named the father and mother of Jesus. Mary and Joseph. Yes. And then Luke three 23. Yeah. Jesus himself began to be about 30 years of age being,

as we’re supposed the son of Joseph, which was the son of heli. How old was Jesus when he began his earthly ministry? 30. Yes. Correct. All right, Matthew, one six is where I’m going next. Matthew one six And Jesse begat David, the King and David, the King begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uriah was named the second King of Israel who was in the genealogy of Jesus.<inaudible> David.

David was the second King of Israel. First one was Saul. So I think it’s kind of a tricky question, but it’s David, David was the second King who was in the genealogy of Christ. David or David was Saul was not in the genealogy of Christ, but he was the first King. I don’t know. It’s confusing. It’s either David or Solomon the answer.

All right, it’s a Matthew. One, two is next. Oh, we read this one already. Abraham, Isaac and Isaac. We got Jacob and Jacob, you got Judah and his brethren. And then Luke three 34, Luke three 34, which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham,

which was the son of Thora, which was the son of nature. So name the man of great faith through whom God built the Jewish nation. Abraham. Yes. Why are some of John 20, 30 through 31, John chapter, 20, 30 and 31 and many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.

But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing you might have life through his name. So why are, why are some of the events of Jesus’s early earthly life written? And we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing we might have life through his name.

You turn a life, basically. We’re just quoting verse 31 for the answer. What was the profession of Matthew and Luke? What was, does anybody know profession of Matthew tax collector and Luke physician? And what nationality was each man? Yeah. Matthew was a Galilean and Luke was a Grecian. He was from, he was from Greek or he was Greek from Greece.

All right, Luke, one five. There was in the days of Herod the King of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias of the chorus of a Baya. And his wife was the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth. So who was King of Judea? Yeah. Who was King of Judea? When John the Baptist and Jesus were conceived. Yes,

Luke one, five. And Luke, we just read Luke one five. So I’m not going to read it again. And then Luke one 27 to a Virgin and spouse to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David and the Virgin Virgin’s name was Mary. So name the father and mother of John. The Baptist. Yes. Zacharias and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and Zacharias were let’s turn to Luke one seven. I have 17 pages of these questions to go through. So I’m going to try to go a little bit fast. And they had no child because that Elizabeth was barren and they both were now well stricken in years. So it was Zachariah and Elizabeth were young middle-aged or old when their only child John was born old.

Yes. Old, see Luke one nine, according to the customer of the priest office, his lot was to burn incense. When he went into the temple of the Lord, where was that? Kariah when the angel Gabriel told him he would have a son was in the temple of the Lord. And then Luke one 26. And in the six month,

the angel Gabriel Was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth. So where was, where was Mary at this time? Nazareth. Yes. And Luke one 17. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the fathers, to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the, just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

According to the angel, speaking to Zechariah, what would be John’s work to prepare a way for the Lord. Yes, correct. And Jesus Luke one 33, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom. There shall be no end. So what was the purpose of Jesus? According to the angels, speaking to Zechariah, what would be John’s work of Jesus anyway,

Jesus, he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom. There shall be no in it. It’s, it’s basically just quoting the, the scripture there. All right. Luke, one 20 and behold thou shall be done and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because I’ll believe it’s not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

So why was decoration made mute? Yeah, because he, because he did not believe that the angel Gabriel’s words, that’s why, how many months pregnant was Elizabeth when Mary conceived the son of God, Luke one 35 and 36, six months. Yes. Correct. All right, Luke one 41. And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary,

the babe leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy ghost. So what happened when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary? Yep. And she was filled with the Holy ghost and described Mary’s reply, Luke four, one 46 through 55. And Mary said, my soul does magnify the Lord. And my spirit has rejoiced in God. My savior for he hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaiden for behold,

from henceforth. All generations shall call me blessed for he, that is mighty has done to me. Great things. And Holy is his name. And his mercy is on them. That fear him from generation to generation, excuse me. He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree.

He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich, he has sent empty away. He has hoping his servant Israel and remembrance of his mercy. And as he speak to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever. So how would you describe Mary’s response? Yeah. Yeah. She was a humble servant of God. Praising his awesomeness basically is what I put.

All right, Luke, one 56 and Mary abode with her about three months and returned to her house. So how long did Mary stay with Elizabeth? Three months. I feel like I’m just answering the question and then asking you to repeat it to me. On what day was Elizabeth and Zechariah to name their son, Luke one 59 on the eighth day?

Correct. And it came to pass that on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child and called them Zacharias. All right, Luke one 63 and 64. And he asked for a writing table and wrote, seeing his name is John. And they marveled all and his mouth was open immediately and his tongue loose and he speak and praise God. So Zachariah prophesied that his son would give people knowledge.

Oh, sorry. Wrong question. When could Zachariah speak? Yeah. When his son was named John, as soon as he got the name, he was able to speak again. All right, Luke, one 77 To give knowledge of salvation on do as people buy the remission of their sins, Zechariah prophesied that his son would give the people knowledge of what salvation.

Correct. All right, Luke one 80 and the child grew and waxed strong in spirit and was in the deserts until the day of his showing unto Israel. So as he grew older, where did John live until the time for him to appear publicly, Excuse me. In the desert and the desert wilderness who wrote each of the four gospels. That’s an easy question.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I went over all these questions last night and barely had to look any of them up as I’m. Now the answer is all right, Matthew, one 20. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying Joseph thou, son of David. If you’re not to take unto thee,

Mary thy wife for that, which is conceived in her is of the Holy ghost. Why did Joseph take Mary for his wife? Even though she was already pregnant? Yeah, he was reassured by the angel that it was okay. That she was still a meeting. She was still untouched Matthew one 21. And she shall bring forth a son and shall call his name.

Jesus for, he shall save his people from their sins. So what, and why did the angel instruct Joseph to name the son to be born to Mary? Is the answer Jesus, but why? That’s correct. All right. Matthew one 22 and 23. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying behold,

a Virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name. Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. The old Testament, prophets, prophet, Isaiah at Virgin said a Virgin would have a child whose name would be Emmanuel. Yes. Which means God with us. Yes. All right. Luke, two, four,

and Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David. So why did Joseph and Mary have to leave their home to go to Bethlehem in Judea when Jesus was born?<inaudible> Yeah. Yeah, but also because he was of the house and lineage of David.

Yeah. All right, Luke two seven. And she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end. So where did Jesus Mary lay Jesus after he was born in Bethlehem, in a manger, Tim through 12 Luke, two, 10 through 12. And the angel said unto them fear,

not for behold. I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. What news did the angel give the shepherds outside Bethlehem<inaudible> That the savior was born and how to find him all right,

Luke, two 17 through and 20. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the scene, which was told them concerning this child and the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told unto them, after hearing the news and seeing the baby Jesus, what did the shepherds do?<inaudible> And when they had seen it,

they made known abroad to seeing which was told them concerning this child. So they went out, letting everybody know about what they had heard about Jesus, and they also glorify it and praise God in verse 20 and the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen. Okay. So I’m going to just read now the, all the verses that go with it from each book,

and then we’ll just go through and answer the questions. Instead of me reading each verse for each question, I’m going to be reading Luke chapter two 21 through 38, Luke two 21 through 38. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord, every male that opened it, the womb shall be called Holy to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice. According to that, which has said in the law of the Lord,

a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons and behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simon or Simeon, sorry. And the same man was just end of out waiting for the constellation of Israel. And the Holy ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord,

the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child, Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now let us now thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word through 38, okay. For mine eyes,

I’ve seen nice salvation, which thou has prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people, Israel and Joseph, and his mother marveled at all at those things, which were spoken of him and Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary, his mother, behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against yay.

A sword shall Pierce through that and own soul. Also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of funnel, and of the TRIBE of Asur. She was of a great age and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity. And she was a widow of about four score in four years,

which departed, not from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day. And she came and she coming in that instant gave them things likewise unto the Lord and speak of him to all of them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. And then we’ll read Matthew chapter two verses one through 12 Matthew chapter two verses one through 12. Now Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea.

In the days of Herod the King behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem saying, where is he? That is born King of the Jews for, we have seen his star in the East and are come to worship him. When Herod the King had heard these things. He was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together,

he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him in Bethlehem of Judea for thus, it is written by the prophet and thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah are not the least among the princes of Judah for out of these shall come. A governor that shall rule my people. Israel then inherit when he had privily called the wise men,

inquired of them diligently, what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, go and search. Deluging diligently for the young child. And when you have found him, bring me word again, that I might come and worship him. Also, when they had heard the King, they departed and lo the star, which they saw in the East went before them,

till it came and stood over where the young child was when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell down and worshiped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold, and frankincense and myrrh,

and being warned of God in a dream. They, that should not return to Herod. They departed into their own country another way. All right. So how old was Jesus when he was named Eight days old? Same as John. Yup. After Mary’s time of purification, where did Joseph and Mary take Jesus to present him to the Lord and temple in Jerusalem?

Yes. Describe Simeon’s spiritual condition. The Holy spirit had promised Simeon that what events would occur before his death. Yeah. He would see the savior of the Lord, the Christ of the Lord. It was adjust and development. And the goalie, the Holy ghost was upon him. That’s the description of his spiritual condition. What did the aged Ana do at the temple?

Yeah, she fasted and prayed day and night. All right. What news of the Wiseman troubled Herod? Yeah, the King of the Jews was born. And how did the Wiseman know where to find Jesus star in the East? What three gifts did the Wiseman bring? Jesus? Well, the frankincense and myrrh. And just because there were three gifts doesn’t mean there were only three wisemen.

There could have been multiple Wiseman. All right. Let’s do Matthew chapter two verses 13 through 23, Matthew two 13 through 23. I asked him if I could have all of y’all read stuff too. And he said they can’t hear that online. So I have to read everything. I’m sorry, 13 through 23, Matthew chapter two. And when they were departed behold,

the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I bring the word for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose. He took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled,

which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying out of Egypt, have I called my son inherited when he saw that he was mocked of the Wiseman was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under one, a monster man, according to that, the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men then was fulfilled that,

which was spoken by Jeremiah, the prophet saying, and ramen was there a voice heard lamination and weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they are not. But when Herod was dead behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt saying arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the land of Israel for they are dead,

which sought the young child’s life. And he arose and took the young child in his mother and came into the land of Israel. But when he had heard that arch Elias did reign in Judea and the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go further. Notwithstanding being warned of God in a dream. He turned aside to the parts of Galilee and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled,

which was spoken by the prophets. He shall be called a Nazarene. And then Luke two 39 through 52, Luke chapter two 39 through 52. Cool. And when they had performed all things, according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew and wax strong in the spirit, filled with wisdom.

And the grace of God was upon him. Now, his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days as they returned the child, Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem and Joseph and his mother knew not of it,

but they supposing him to have been in the company, wins a day’s journey. And they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance and acquaintances. And when they had found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem seeking him. And it came to pass that after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions and all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

And when they saw him, they were amazed and his mother said unto him, son, why has thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father. And I have sought the sorrowing. And he said unto them, how is it that she sought me whiskey? Not that I must be about my father’s business. And they understood not the same, which he speak unto them.

And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them. But his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. So after the Wiseman left, where did Joseph take? Mary and Jesus down to Egypt? Correct. Why? Because King Herod was seeking to destroy him.

The angel told them that what age children did Herod have killed in Bethlehem area? In the area of Bethlehem two and under, yeah. Why was Jesus called a Nazarene? Yeah, he lived in Nazareth and it was also prophesied that he would be called a Nazareen. How old was Jesus when he went with his parents to Jerusalem? For the feast of the Passover 12.

Yep. When lost on the Jerusalem trip, where did Jesus’s parents? 10 in the temple. Okay. Since Jesus was the son of God, when he was growing up, he a gave the orders in the family, B gave the orders in the family, but he was obedient to his parents or see, was busy with God’s business away from his family circle B.

Yeah. He gave the orders and listened to me, mom and dad. How did Jesus grow in wisdom and stature and favor with God and with man name, the writer of each of the new of each new Testament letter, the letters of the new Testament. Matthew didn’t write any letters, not. He wrote the gospel. So Paul wrote letters. James wrote letters.

Peter wrote letters, James, the son, or the brother of Jesus, not, not the other genes. John wrote letters. And then Jude, the brother of Jesus wrote a letter. Those are the ones that wrote the letters. They tricked us. They went from gospels, the letters on the next one. All right, let’s read Matthew three,

one through 17. And those days came John, the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea and seeing rip pinchy for the kingdom of heaven is at hand for this is he, that was spoken of by the prophet. Asiah saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare you the way of the Lord make his path straight. And the same. John had his Raymond of camel’s hair and a leathern girdle about his loins and his meat was locusts and wild.

Honey then went out with him, Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around about Jordan and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, Oh, generation of Vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come bringing forth, therefore fruits meet for repentance.

And think not to say with yourselves within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father for IC and to you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the ax is lean on unto the roots of the trees. Therefor, every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance,

but he, that cometh after me is mightier than I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy ghost and with fire, whose fan is in his hand. And he will thoroughly purchase floor and gather his wheat into the garner. But he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Then come with Jesus from Galilee to Jordan,

under John to be baptized of him. But John, for bad him saying, I have needed to be baptized of thee and comments down to me. And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be. So now for thus, it become us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him and Jesus. When he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water and lo the heavens were opened unto him.

And he saw the spirit of God, descending like a dove and lighting upon him and lo a voice from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well-pleased. So what old Testament prophet told about the coming of John? The Baptist Isaiah? Yes. Assayas it says in the King James version, it’s the same person described John, the Baptist clothing and food.

Camel’s hair was his clothes with a leather girdle. And what did he eat? Locusts and wild honey. Yes. John the Baptist said his baptism was for what?<inaudible> Repentance. Yes. How lonely did John describe himself as compared to the coming Jesus? Yep. And he wasn’t even worthy to basically tie his shoes or on tie his shoes. What plays did John the Baptist baptized Jesus in Jordan?

Yes. How did the spirit appear at the baptism of Jesus? Like a dove. And what did the father say? Yeah. As a group, the new Testament books, Romans through Jude are called what? I like those trick questions. They just throw in. They want you to, Oh, by the way, this has nothing to do with the life of Christ.

But what are these group of books called? They’re the letters from Romans through Jude. Those are the letters of the new Testament, the epistles. All right. Matthew four, one through 11<inaudible> Excuse me. Then was Jesus led up of the spirit, into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights,

he was afterward and hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, if that will be the son of God command that these stones be made of bread, but he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone. But by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God, then the devil tickets him up into a Holy city instead of him in a pin,

on a pinnacle of the temple and Steph unto him, if that will be the son of God, cast myself down for it is written. He shall give his angels charge concerning thee and in their hands. They shall bear thee up lest any at any time that dash thy foot against the stone, Jesus said unto him. It is written again. Thou shall not tempt the Lord,

thy God. Again, the devil take it them up into an exceeding high mountain and show with him, all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them and Seth unto him, all these things, will I give thee, if that will fall down and worship me then said, Jesus, unto him. Get the hint. Satan for it is written.

Now shall worship the Lord, thy God and him only shout they’ll serve. Then the devil leaveth him and behold angels came and ministered unto him. And then John chapter one 29 through 51, John one 29 through 51. The next day, John sees Jesus coming onto him and Seth behold, the lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.

This is he of whom I said after me come at the man, which is preferred before me for he was before me and I knew him not, but that he should be made manifest to Israel. Therefore, am I coming baptizing with water and John bear record saying, I saw the spirit descending from heaven, like a dove and in a boat upon him.

And I knew him not, but th but he, that sent me to baptize with water, the same Seth unto upon whom thou shout, see the spirit, descending and remaining on him. The same as he, which baptizes with the Holy ghost. And I saw in bear record that this is the son of God. Again, the next day after John stood and two of his disciples and looking upon Jesus as he walked with,

he said, behold, the lamb of God, and two disciples heard him speak it, speak, and they follow Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw them following and said unto them, what Sikhi. They said unto him rabbi, which is to say being interpreted master where dwellest thou. He said unto them come and see. They came and saw where he dwells in a bode with him that day for it was about the 10th hour.

One of the two, which heard John speaking and followed him was Andrew Simon Peter’s brother. He first find it his own brother, Simon and Seth unto him. We have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus be held him, he said that weren’t Simon, the son of Jonah thou shall be called CFUs,

which is by interpretation a stone. The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee and find a Phillip and Seth unto him. Follow me. Now, Philip was of Bethsaida the city of Andrew and Peter, fill it, find it Nathaniel and said unto him. We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did right? Jesus of Nazareth,

the son of Joseph and Nathaniel said unto him, can there any good thing come out of Nazareth. Phillip said, unto him, come and see Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to him and Seth of him, behold in Israel, EIT, indeed. And whom is no guile. Nathaniel said unto him, wince knowest thou me Jesus answered and said unto him. Before that Philip called the,

when that was under the fig tree, I saw the Nathaniel answered and said unto him, rabbi thou art, the son of God. Now aren’t the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, because I said unto thee, I saw the under the fig tree. Believe us though. Now shout see greater things than these. And he said unto him,

verily, verily. I say unto you hereafter, you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man. All right. How long did Jesus fast? 40 days and 40 nights. How are you so quiet when you answer name? The three places the devil tempted Jesus First was in the wilderness. Yes. Second was Temptation.

You took him up to the highest pinnacle in Jerusalem on the temple. And then the third place was the highest known. You have very high mountain. All right. Describe each of the three temptations. The devil tried on Jesus. First. He asked him to lust of the, then He asked him to do what<inaudible> To jump down and the angels would save him the pride of life.

And then the last one was yes. Yes. The lust of the eyes bow down and worship me. And you can have all of this. All right. Jesus reacted to the devil’s temptations by eight, ignoring him, be doing what the devil asked or see quoting scriptures, quoting scriptures. Of course. What did Jesus tell the devil to do after the devil had tempted him?

Yeah. Yeah. Behind me get the hint Satan and a lot of other things. According to John, the Baptist, what takes away the sins of the world? Jesus, the lamb of God takes it will come to take it. The, the sins of the world. Name one, man who heard John the Baptist speak and then follow Jesus. I read that in John chapter one,

Andrew, Andrew was the follower of John the Baptist and he heard Jesus and decided to follow, follow Jesus. And then, excuse me, this man brought his brother to Jesus. Who was the brother? Simon. Peter? Yes. Who he called CFUs the stone to which disciple does Jesus say? Follow me John, one 43. It was Philip.

And he told Philip to follow him. And then which disciple does Jesus describe events of his sitting under a fig tree? Nathaniel? Yes. All right. Let’s see. How long has John chapter two? We only have a few minutes left. So I’m going to just go through these questions and see if you can answer them. And if not, I will give you the answer because we don’t have time to read everything.

Now we’re at the wire who went with Jesus to the wedding in Cana of Galilee, where he performed his first miracle. Yeah, his mother and his, his disciples that he had at the time described Jesus’s first miracle and the quality of the wine<inaudible> Change the water into wine. And what kind of wine was it? It was like fresh squeezed, grape juice,

fresh squeezed grape juice. What was the effect on Jesus’s disciples? Seeing him change the water to wine. Yeah. They believed on him. They believed that he was Jesus. When Jesus was to observe the Passover at the temple. Where did he find men selling animals and changing money and the temple? Yes. How did Jesus drive out those selling animals and changing money in the temple?

Yep. He made a whip out of some chords. He turned over the tables. He dumped out their money from their bowls. It was great. What did Jesus mean when he said destroy this temple? And in three days I will raise it up. Yeah. Kill my body in three days. I’ll be resurrected. It was prophesying. When did Jesus’ disciples recall this statement?

Perfect. Yeah, after he had risen, how many books are there and the new Testament? 27 books. 27 books. All right. Of what group of the Jews was Nicodemus? Do we remember? Yes. He was a Pharisee. Good. You guys are getting like on the spot questions that you can answer for? Bible Nicodemus came to talk with Jesus at the morning.

The noon time or night at night? Yes. How did Jesus tell Nicodemus to be born again? John three 33 through six. Yeah. He had to be born of water and the spirit he had to be born of the spirit is what he said. What did Jesus tell Nicodemus that a person must believe to have eternal life? Yeah. He had to believe that he was the only begotten son of God.

All right. What did John the Baptist say about his growing importance in relation to Jesus? No, I must decrease so he can increase basically. Why did John the Baptist Baptists criticized Herod? Yeah. That’s a different time. Actually. The first time it was just for all the evil he had done. He was just criticizing for all the evil he had done.

And how did Herod punished on the baptized Baptist for his criticism now? That’s later he threw him in prison. Yes. Correct. All right. So I’m guessing that everybody has all of these. He told me not to print them off cause everybody should have them already. I only missed a couple of lessons, so we’ll just see if he wants to continue on with that when he gets back,

because he already told me what I’m supposed to be doing on Wednesday. So We’ll take a break Just to see us today and we’re glad to have them here. And they do know Richard Bell. For those of you that remember Richard is they used to live here in worship with us and we, we really loved them and appreciated them, but we’re glad to have them with us.

And we have a few of our own number here, but we do, we are here worshiping God. And that’s what counts. We do want to remember those that are not able to be with us. Those are at home watching the live stream. We’re thinking about y’all and praying for you. And we hope that everyone is doing well. It’s been a trying time,

but we’re still doing what God wants us to do. And we’re trying to, trying to glorify him and trying to lead others to his word, to become children of his. So just keep that in mind and everything will be fine. Just keep eyes on the Lord and try to do his will. And, and we’ll be good. We do won’t to,

if he failed to pick up your communion, it’s in the back of the auditorium on those tables and now would be a good time to get that. If you did not pick it up on the way in, we would ask that our visitors, if you don’t mind, please fill out an attendance card so that we might have a record of you being here.

We certainly appreciate that. And we hope if you’re back this way, we want to invite you to come back and stop by and see us again. We do want to remember those that are ill or the congregation, Joan Springer is at home. I didn’t get a chance to speak to Marie, but she’s still having difficulties some good days, some bad days.

So keep her in your prayers, Robin woods. We won’t also remember her. And then Jessica Dale is still having problems with her stomach, stomach problems. And we hope and pray that she they’ll be able to determine exactly what’s going on with her and help relieve her of, of that. She’s been dealing with that for quite some time. Remember Dorothy and Rodale Wilson.

They’re still at home and Rodale has lost a, of his family members. And we want to remember them in our prayers and both of them were in a very bad health. So keep them in mind. Jane and Marlin is doing well after her knee replacement surgery. And we’re thankful for that. And Cheryl’s dad has a fractured spine and I guess he’s doing as well as possible.

He’s in a brace. And I wanna remember them. I know Cheryl has a difficult time from time to time and we want to pray that she does. Okay. And taking care of her mom and dad, Keith Cozort that’s Aaron’s dad had two stents put in and he’s doing fine. He’s at home. And I think progressing along well. So in that same note,

we want to remember Aaron and Eddie and the boys they’re up there visiting with family and not be able to be with us. And we want to pray that everything goes well for them. They will be coming back later on this week, I believe around Thursday. They’re supposed to be back in back home here. So keep them in your prayers. Amy Cox is dad.

Alvin Griffin is in rehab after having a stroke, Amy and Chad used to worship here and it’s her dad. And we certainly hope that everything will go well for him. They’re just, they’re waiting to see how that’s going to work out. Natalie temple, Diane O’Neill’s nephew’s wife found out her cancer has returned. So we want to remember Diana’s nephew’s wife and pray that she,

they can actually get hurt the treatment that she needs at this time to help her do better. And then Jane’s, Sconiers that’s Diana’s aunt is back in the hospital with pneumonia and congestive heart failure. And we’re certainly, we’re sorry to hear about that on to pray for all of these individuals, that they can regain their health and come back to some reasonable amount of life.

As far as health goes, our daily Bible reading plan, and this is listed in each bullet and every Sunday and beginning of the first of the year, it will be. And in chronological order. So if you might notice it’s different perhaps from the one we used to use, where we were just reading the scriptures from Genesis to revelation, this is going to be in chronological order.

So we encourage everybody to be sure and pick up a bullet and then try to keep up with our daily Bible readings. I believe that saw the announcements that I have. I’ll be directing the song service this morning, and I hope you bear with me. We had someone else plan for this and could not make it. And you know, my throat goes out on me pretty much and I,

I might have to get Murray. His does the same thing. So maybe between the both of us, if mine just plays completely out, I might have to call on Marie to come up and take care of the rest of it. So, but we’ll, we’ll do the best we can. Eric Halverson has our opening prayer. Michael Dale has our sermon today.

Tommy O’Neil will be taken care of the Lord’s supper. And then at the closing we have Terry Sanderson will be leading us in our closing prayer. So if you would now most of the songs except for the invitation and the closing him will be on their overhead. The rest of those two, we’ll have to use our books. We’ll begin this morning with have that own way.

Number 552 should be on the overhead. After this song, we will have our opening prayer.<inaudible> I am the clay<inaudible> Mo man<inaudible> man<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Searchie man, TRIBE me master today, a wider then snow wash me<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and then on way, Lord, have I known what? Hey, hold on my being absolutes<inaudible> damn with ice fam and<inaudible> Christ on the,

ah, when living in me, God, our father in heaven, we come to you at this time, thanking you for another glorious day here on earth, thanking you for the ability for us to be able to assemble here, to sing songs of praise, your great name and worship you here in this assembly. Lord, we know there are many amongst us that are unable to be here for various reasons.

And we ask that you reach your loving arms out to them and provide the comfort that they need, that they seek from you on a daily basis. And if it be your will help those that are administering to them to find the right solutions to make their health better so that they can return to their desired measure health. And most importantly returned to assemble here with us to worship you,

God, we also know that there are those amongst us that have lost loved ones. Recently, we asked that you comfort those in only the way that you can. And we also know that there are many amongst us traveling because of the holiday season. And we asked him if it’d be your will provide them safe journey to their destination and return to where they plan on going after the holidays are over.

Now God, as we prepare to hear another portion of your word, that Michael is about to bring to us, we ask that you help each and every one of us focus on the message that he brings from your word so that we may understand it fully and use it in our lives to help serve you better. Because we know that is what we are truly here for is to serve you.

And Lord, we ask that you give each and every one of us to strengthen the courage we need so that when we come across those that have either fallen away from your word, or unfortunately have not opened their heart to your word yet that we reach out to them and bring your message and your word to them so that they may have the same opportunity that we do.

And that is to live with you for eternity and heaven. One day, we want to thank you for your son, Jesus, because it was him that made all this possible. We pray all this through his name. Amen Before comedian, but he numbers 383, 383. He’s an escape man here. The cross<inaudible> stream flow is from<inaudible> and<inaudible><inaudible> damn I right?

Sure. So Shopify rest be a<inaudible> NAFTA, CRA trembling. So love and<inaudible> that’s Bri and Morningstar<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> my ride sharing. So Shopify rest me.<inaudible> Nat CRA. So I’ve got<inaudible> army up man from day to day with<inaudible><inaudible> and across<inaudible> damn my ride sharing. So Shafai rest being a<inaudible> H Lawrence Day. We have the privileged eight with this bread and drink of this cup to remember the death of our Lord and savior and the sacrifice that he made each one for each one of us,

would you probably with me, our heavenly father. We truly thank you for Christ. Our savior. We thank you for this bread to us represents his body. That was hung on a cross. We pray that if we partake of it, that each one of us would dwell on the horrible death across God for each one of us, these things we ask in his name,

amen, our heavenly father. We continue our thanks for this fruit of the vine, which to us represents the blood of her savior she had for our sins, as we partake of it, help each one of us to do so with humble and thankful to heart. These things we ask in Christ’s name, amen.<inaudible> with me, Our heavenly father.

We thank you for all of the blessings. If we unjoin this lie, we thank you for all of the material blessings that we enjoy in this country. We know that all we have to do is to look at the news to realize truly how blessed we are. We pray that as we prepared to return under the, a part of that, that we’ve been blessed with,

we would do so with a cheerful and thankful heart. These things we ask in Christ’s name, amen. You would be marking your books for number 903. That would be our song of encouragement. Number nine Oh three will be our song of encouragement.<inaudible> I will be singing number 609, six Oh nine. Okay.<inaudible> I am not a<inaudible><inaudible> this word<inaudible> for mass is strong.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> my worth.

And this name<inaudible><inaudible> up or it’s for me.<inaudible> And, and now Michael Morning, everybody. Okay. This morning, I’m going to be preaching on being aware of Satan sneaky apostles. Our main tax is going to be taken from second Corinthians chapter 11, verses 13 through 15, second Corinthians chapter 11, verses 13 through 15 for such are false apostles.

Deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ and no Marvel for Satan himself has transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing. If his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works, the children of the Lord must be aware of false teachers appearing to preach the gospel of Christ.

I’m sure most of us in here at one point in time in our lives have heard the story of little red riding hood and a sweet little girl skipping through the woods with her basket of goodies on her way to her grandma’s house. While the ever stocking Wolf lingers in the shadows, watching her, waiting for her to get to a point where he can devour her.

I remember it well because at one point in time, the Wolf ran ahead of her, went to her grandmother’s house, ate up the grandmother and then put her clothes on and laid in bed, waiting for red riding hood. When she came, he ate her up too, but false apostles, like the Wolf in the story are good at disguising themselves to make what they are seeing sound really appealing to us.

Every time we see a fossil parcel, we notice something, a false apostles are always dressed. Really nice, like the Wolf and grandma’s clothes, false apostles, say all the things you want to hear, the better to see you with my dear. The better to hear you with my dear says the Wolf false apostles never actually speak the whole truth. The better to eat you with.

And he gobbled her up false apostles are lovers of money. And that is really all they care about lining their pockets while they sit back and watch you fall into sin all the while thinking that you are safe. You’re okay. Do you remember how the story of little red riding hood ended? It ended with a hero. The lumberjack comes rushing in. He kills the Wolf,

cuts them open and pools, red riding hood and his grandma and her grandmother out of, out of his stomach to safety here. As we read in second Corinthians chapter 11, 13 through 15 Paul who predates the Wolf story by quite a while, comes through inspiration of God, our true savior to warn and save the Corinthian church from the false apostles workers of the real Wolf.

Satan, The moral of the story is the children of the Lord must be aware of false teachers appearing to be preachers of the gospel to help us understand who these false apostles are. Paul through inspiration gives us a description. We have a description of the false apostles themselves. We have a description of the false apostles master, and then we have a description of the false apostles end.

Let us first consider the description. Paul gives us of the false apostles themselves. You will know the false apostles by their work. They are deceitful workers. He says in verse 13 of second, Corinthians 11 for such are false apostles, deceitful workers. They will pervert the gospel turn with me to Galatians chapter one, verses six and seven Galatians chapter one verses six and seven.

The very next book, Marvel that’s ER, so soon removed from him. That called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another, but there’ll be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. These spots, apostles pervert the gospel of Christ. They will unsettle your soul acts chapter 15 and verse 24 acts 1524<inaudible> For as much as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words,

subverting your souls, saying you must be circumcised and keep the law to whom we gave no such commandment. There’s the birding, our souls. They speak perverse things acts 20 and verse 30 acts chapter 20 and verse 30. Also have your own selves. Shall men arise? Speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them, they speak these perverse things. These false apostles do to draw you away from Christ and his true word.

They will speak a different gospel, a gospel let’s turn back to Galatians chapter one, Galatians chapter one, and we’ll read verses eight and nine Paul through the inspiration writes. But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that, which we have preached unto you. Let him be a cursed, as we said before. So say I now again,

if any man preach any other gospel unto you, then that you have received. Let him be a curse. Paul is warning us up front already back 2000 years ago, almost that there’s going to be false apostles coming into us and trying to teach us another gospel, something that’s not right. And there ought to be a cursed false apostles. Also transform themselves.

They will disguise themselves. Let’s go back to our original text. Second Corinthians chapter 11, and we’ll read verse 13 again. Second Corinthians 11 and verse 13.<inaudible> For such are false apostles. Deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. They, they make themselves look like they’re from Christ. They will disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Read verse 15,

just a couple of verses down. Therefore it is no great thing. If his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, they’re going to try to make themselves seem like they’re good. So you will follow them. Why most of the time, so they can line their pockets. They’re sneaky. These false apostles are sneaky. Turn with me to Galatians chapter two,

one book over chapter two and verse four relations to four. And that because of false brethren, unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our Liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage and to bondage under Satan. They’re sneaky. They come in sneakily and they want to draw you away from Christ because they are Savage wolves among sheep acts chapter 20 in verse 29.

Let’s read this description, acts chapter 20 and verse 29. Excuse me. I’m having some allergy problems for, I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not just wolves, grievous wolves, these wolves are hungering for you not sparing the flock. They’re not going to spare anyone. They will disguise themselves. Even as sheep. These wolves will be masters of disguise.

Matthew chapter seven, turn with me to Matthew chapter seven and verse 15. Jesus tells us beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing. But inwardly, they are ravening wolves. They may look like one of us, but inwardly, they are hungering to pull you way to, to Satan, to pull you away to sin. But how can we tell who these false apostles are?

You will know them by their fruit. Jesus says Matthew chapter seven, verses 16 through 20 let’s continue reading here in Matthew chapter seven, Jesus said says, you shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles even so every good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bring it forth. Evil fruit, a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.

Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits. You shall know them. They are going to, they will never practice righteousness. These false apostles don’t practice righteousness at all. Turn with me to John chapter three, verses seven through ten first John chapter three verses seven through 10 John through inspiration writes little children.

Let no man deceive you. He that do with righteousness is righteous. Even as he is righteous. He, that committed sin is of the devil for the devil Senate. From the beginning for this purpose, the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin for his seed remain within him.

And he cannot sin because he is born of God. And this the children of God are manifest. And the children of the devil whosoever does not. Righteousness is not of God, neither. He that loveth not his brother. To me. That’s one of the main things. If you can see someone is pulling away, they’re not really loving towards you and the,

and the worship service. That’s someone you need to look out for. There is no good. And these false apostles turn with me. Second, Peter chapter two, that’s one book up second, Peter chapter two verses 10 through 19, but chief Lee, them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government presumptuous are they self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignities,

whereas angels, which are greater in power and might bring not accusations against them before the Lord. But these as natural brute beasts, he says, made to be taken and destroyed, speak of, speak evil of the things that they understand, not and shall utter utterly perish in their own corruption and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness. As they, that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime spots they are and blemishes supporting sporting themselves with their own receivings while they feast with you having eyes full of adultery.

And that cannot cease from sin. Beguiling unstable souls and heart. They have exercised with covetous practices, cursed children, what ha, which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray. Following the way of bailing. The son of Bowser who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but was rebuked for his iniquity. The dumb donkey speaking with man’s voice for bad,

the madness of the prophet. These are Wells without water, these false prophets Wells, without water clouds that are carried with a Tempest, they go wherever the wind blows them to whom the midst of darkness is reserved forever for when they speak great swelling, words of vanity. They allure through the lust of the flesh through much wantonness. Those that were clean,

escaped from them who live in error while they promise them Liberty. They themselves are the servants of corruption for whom a man is overcome of the scene. As he brought in bondage, they stand up here and they preach to you. A sermon of Liberty. Faith only once saved, always saved. And all the while you think you are saved, when really you are looking to destruction,

let us consider what an apostle is here and apostle in the Greek is Apostolos which according to theorists, Greek lexicon is one who is sent forth with orders to be an apostle, even a false apostle. They must have one who has sent them thus through Paul’s writing and the, to the church in Corinth. We have a description of the false apostles master the false apostles master clearly as Satan,

he has shown to be their master by Paul and second Corinthians chapter 11. Let’s go back to our original texts. Second Corinthians chapter 11 and verses 13 and 14, second Corinthians 11, 13 and 14 for such are false apostles. Deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ and no Marvel for Satan himself has transformed into an angel of light Satan himself.

Jesus said that Satan is these false apostles father turn with me to John chapter eight, the gospel of John chapter eight verses 44 through 46, Seven John eight 44, three 47. Jesus States Of these false teachers year of your father, the devil that and the loss of your father, you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode,

not in truth because there is not truth in him. When we, when he speak, if a lie, he speaks of his own for he is a liar and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, you believe me, not, which of you convinced me of sin. And I say the truth. Why do you not believe me?

He, that is of God. Heareth God’s words either. Ye therefore hear them not because he are not of God. These false apostles not only teach falsely because of Satan, their father, the father of lies. They, they completely shun righteousness. Then the right word, they practice sin. Thus they are of their father. The devil turned back with me to first John chapter three in verse eight first John chapter three and verse eight.

He, that committed sin is of the devil for the devil. Sinneth from the beginning for this purpose, the son of God was manifest that he might destroy the works of the devil. Satan is also crafty and disguise. This is where his apostles false apostles learn. He decides disguises himself as an angel of light, second Corinthians 13 or 11 and verse 14.

And no Marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. He wants you to come to him. So he’s not going to appear as he is. He’s going to appear as a messenger of God as a, as a angel of light. He, as we all know, he also disguised himself as a serpent once upon a time. And Paul get reiterated this to the church at Corinth and verse three of chapter 11,

just a few verses up. If you look at verse three, but I fear less by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety. So your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ, Seton employees, deceit to lead the saved astray. He is a liar, John eight 44, the gospel of John chapter eight. Let’s read it again.

And verse 44, ye are of your father, the devil and the less of your father. You will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode, not in truth because there is no truth in him. When he speak at the Y, he speaks with of his own for, he is a liar and the father of it, the father of lies.

He lied from the very beginning of time. Let’s go to Genesis chapter three, all the way back to the beginning, Genesis chapter three, and read verses one through five Genesis Chapter three, one through five. Now the serpent was more subtle than any of the field, which the Lord God had made. And he said, the woman, yea, hath God said,

ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden. It starts off subtly. You shall not eat of every tree of the garden. Of course he knew God told them they could eat every tree of the garden. And the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree,

which is in the midst of the garden. God has said, you shall not eat of it. Neither shall ye touch it. Lest he die. And the serpent said unto the woman, he changes one word and it turns the whole thing into a lie. You shall not surely die. He says for God death, not, no, God doesn’t know that in the day you eat thereof and he appeals to their vanity,

then your eyes shall be open. And he shall be as gods. He says, knowing good and evil. Satan is a tricky beast. He has deceived the whole world from the beginning. And to the end, let’s go all the way to revelation revelation, chapter 12 and verse nine, revelation 12 and verse nine. And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devil and Satan,

which deceive it the whole world. He was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him. He deceives the whole world all the way from Genesis, all the way down to revelation. He never stops trying to deceive the world. He was sent. He has sent his workers throughout the entire world to, to, so his madness first,

John chapter four in verse one first John chapter four and verse one, John writes beloved believe not every time the spirit, but try the spirits. Whether they are of God, because as many false prophets are gone out into the world. Many, not one, not a hundred, not a thousand, but many are out there trying to bring us away from God because Satan is relentless.

He roams the earth looking to do evil. We read of this when he’s look into torture job and job chapter one in verse seven, job chapter one and verse seven. And the Lord said unto Satan come SL as if God didn’t know, right then Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down,

it he’s out there. He’s going to and fro on the earth. He’s walking up and down at everywhere. He possibly can to seek your soul because Satan is waiting to devour you. First, Peter chapter five in verse eight, we’re told through inspiration of the Holy spirit. Peter writes in first Peter chapter five and verse eight, be sober. We are to be sober,

be vigilant. We are to be village in because your adversary, the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking. He may devour. He’s not just waiting for you to come. He’s out there seeking you, waiting to devour you. There’s a reason we are given these descriptions of the false apostles and their master Satan. This is so we can resist them.

First, Peter chapter five, verse nine, whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished and your brethren that are in the world, we must resist him. Now let us consider that. Paul gives us hope by giving us a description of the false apostles end, their end will be according to their words. Paul writes of this to the church at Corinth,

back in our original texts. Second Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 15, second Corinthians 11, 15. Therefore it is no great thing. If his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works, they will meet Swift destruction. Second, Peter chapter two in verse one second, Peter chapter two and verse one,

but there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privileged shall bring in damnable, heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves Swift destruction. Their destruction is going to be Swift as liars. They will be thrown into the Lake of fire revelation, chapter 21 and verse eight, revelation 21 and verse eight,

But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and I Dodgers and all liars, all false apostles are liars shall have their part in the Lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Their end is utter destruction. We can read of this and Philippians chapter three and verse 19, Philippians chapter three and verse 19,

whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things. These false apostles will need and utter destruction. And that’s why we need to watch out for them. So we don’t end up with the same destruction. God is going to judge the false apostles, just like he judges everyone. Jesus will tell them to depart in the end,

turn with me to Matthew chapter seven, again, Matthew chapter seven, and we’ll read verses 21 through 23. Yeah, Matthew seven 21 through 23. Not everyone that Seth unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he, that do it. The will of my father, which is in heaven, many will say to me in that day,

Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in their name? And in the name of cast out devils and in my name have done many wonderful works. I think of the, the people out there who lay their hands on people and try to give them the Holy spirit to them and things like that. They’ve done all of these mighty magnificent works in his name.

And then will I profess unto them? I never know. I knew you depart from me, ye that work iniquity, what a terrible feeling to be before Jesus and telling him all of these awesome works that you’ve done. And for him to say, I never knew you depart from me. They will be judged according to their deeds. Turn with me to Romans chapter two,

Romans chapter two, let’s all turn there. Romans chapter two. And we’ll read, this is a little bit of a lengthy reading, but I want to read it Matthew or Romans chapter two verses one through 16, therefore, or thou art inexcusable. Oh man. Whosoever thou art that judges for wearing now judges to another they’ll condemn us thyself for thou that judges does the same things,

but we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them, which commit such things and think is now this, Oh man, that judges them, which do such things and dust the same and now shall escape the judgment of God or despise the Sal, the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering. Not knowing that the goodness of God lead a theory to repentance,

but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurer stuff onto the ice self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteousness, judgment of God, righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man, according to his deeds, to them who by patient countenance and well-doing seek the glory and honor of immortality eternal life, but unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth,

but obey on righteousness, dig nation and wrath, tribulation, and angry wish upon every soul of man that do with evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile, but glory honor and peace to every man that works with good to the Jew first and also the Gentile for there is no respecter of persons with God, for as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law.

And as many as I’ve sin in the law shall be judged by the law for not the heroes of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified for when the Gentiles, which have not the law do by nature. The things contained in the law. These having not the law are a law unto themselves, which show the work of the law written in their hearts.

Their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another. And the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus, according to my gospel, let us also consider second Peter chapter two in verses four through nine second, Peter chapter two verses four through nine, God spared, not the angels that sin, God didn’t even spare the angels that sinned.

He chased them down, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment and spared, not the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemn them with an overthrow,

making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly. These are our examples. We are supposed to pay attention to our examples from God and deliver just lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked for that righteous man dwelling among them and seeing, and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day, what their unlawful deeds, the Lord Noah, how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.

The children of the Lord must be aware of false teachers appearing to be preachers of the gospel. Last we be led astray. We have our helps from Paul right here in second Corinthians, chapter 11. It’s like a wanted poster. We have the dis there description so we can see who they are. We know who their master is, thus, what they practice lying and deceit.

We know what their end will be and must work to stop them as children of God, let us be careful of the Wolf seeking to devour and expose them for who they truly are. Ephesians five 11. Always remember if God, before us, who can be against us, Romans eight 31 as followers of Christ, we are all messages of his word commissioned to teach every nation,

Matthew 28, 18 or 19 and 20, and every creature about this truth, Mark 16, 15, we must first get them to hear the gospel for through hearing comes faith. John Mark, excuse me, Mark. Hm, Romans 10 17. We must teach them to a point of belief in Jesus as the Christ, because we do not want them to be lost in their sin.

John eight 24, we must teach them to a point of repentance because God commands every man everywhere to repent acts 1730. And we must teach that if they want to be confessed by Christ before the father in heaven, they must confess Jesus as the Christ before men, Matthew 10 32, and that confession leads to salvation. Romans 10, nine, and 10.

We must teach the laws that they must be baptized acts 2216, and we must teach and understand ourselves that salvation does not come just because we followed the steps through baptism. We must live faithfully until death to receive our crown of righteousness and heaven. First, John one, six and seven in revelation, two 10. Unlike what you will hear from the false false apostles.

Every step is necessary for salvation. Believing is not enough. You cannot faith into heaven and you are not baptized and always saved. You must follow every step. And if you have yet to heat each step to gain salvation, the waters of baptism already for you. And if you find yourself wavering on the path of righteousness and need the prayers of the scenes for encouragement,

we are here for you because the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much James, five 16, whatever your need, please come forward. As we stand and sing, You be free from the bird and there’s fire in the blond word. You are already a victory when there’s one<inaudible>, there is<inaudible> wonder working and<inaudible><inaudible> would you do serve it’s shirking,

there’s fire in the blah.<inaudible> word. You live day is praises to saying there’s one there and the blah<inaudible> wonder working then<inaudible><inaudible> there is<inaudible> working in<inaudible>. I want to say to Michael, that was a good job he did today for those that this is your first time to be here. Michael is a student at the school of preaching and he has grown tremendously.

He’ll be graduating this year, this coming year, and he’s, he’s been improving all the time. And we’re thankful that he was able to be here today and preach in Erin’s absence. We haven’t preached for several times each month. So good to have our visitors here. I did fail to mention one thing. Jenny’s dad who suffered a stroke. He is at home under hospice care and just doing the best he can.

He has good days and bad days. I think keep him in your prayers as well. I just overlooked announcements for our visitors. We help if you’re continuing your travels, which I know some of you are understand, headed up to Ohio. We wish you well and have a safe trip. And if you’re through this area on the way back home, drop back in and see us again.

We’d love to have you. Our closing ham will be number 878. If I can get through it was saying the first and last versus 878, and we’ll be landing the closing prayer. And Terry will lead us in that prayer. There’s a line that is<inaudible>. And by Fang, when he can see in a fog for the father waits over the way to<inaudible>,

then I swing by and by. We shot me on that<inaudible> then the swing by and by. We shall be on that<inaudible> to our, about Jeff, a father, we went off<inaudible> for the<inaudible> job is<inaudible> then the swing by and by me shot me on that.<inaudible> then the swing by and by. We show me on that<inaudible> show.

So Let’s pray, father Lord in heaven. Again, we find you for this beautiful first day of the week and the opportunity we’ve had to come together as your children to sing songs of praise and to the, into worship day and studied that word. We pray that the things that we have learned here today will help us to strengthen our Christian life and to reach out to others more.

We pray that you’d be with those that are traveling, especially with Aaron and his family who are based in with his, with their family, bring them back safely. We pray that you would be with those that have been mentioned today that are sick and unable to be with us. We pray that you would comfort them and comfort to the families that are tending to them.

We pray that you would go with his Nan and keep us safe during this pandemic and keep us healthy so we can be here together. Christ’s name. We pray. Amen.<inaudible>.

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A Fair Test – Daniel 1

In Articles by Aaron Cozort

The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar gives an order. He appoints a daily portion of his wine and delicacies to be given to certain young men who were in training for positions in his government as wise men and leaders. Yet, four of the young men cannot accept.
Daniel, Hananiah, Michael, and Azariah are from Jerusalem. These four are among the best young men in Judah. When the Babylonian king besieges Judah, He will carry them and many others like them back to Babylon to train for his courts.
Daniel and his friends know that the appointed food would be delicious to eat. They also know what God spoke through Moses to their ancestors. They cannot taste these delicacies nor drink this intoxicating wine. Doing so would make them unclean before God and cause them to sin against His commands.
They request an alternative for themselves. Daniel petitions the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. The petition is met with hesitancy by the head of the eunuchs. Why should he endanger his life that Daniel might do this?
Daniel seeks a third alternative. Daniel 1:12-13 reads, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.”
The test is approved. “And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies.” (Daniel 1:15). God blesses Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael for their faithfulness. Upon examination by the King, they surpass all his magicians and astrologers in wisdom and understanding.
There are a few lessons here for us today. When we are faced with a choice to do good or evil, we ought always to choose the good. After we decide to do good, we must not back down from that choice when unbelievers stand in our way. Finally, when we choose the right action and persevere, we should prepare ourselves for God’s blessings and give thanks to the One who cares for us.